Orange 'Free' Broadband

BuntyB · 21 August 2012 at 9:56AM

I to have been with Orange since around 2006 and I have kept up my mobile phone contracts to enable me to continue to receive the free broadband. So far I have not heard anything about my free broadband ending.

ioscorpio · 21 August 2012 at 11:22AM

http://web.orange.co.uk/documents/ice/termsandconditions/terms.pdf

It does not mention "free for life" in the t&c

I received free broadband in 2007 but upgraded to the £5 unlimited and free 2nd line service. My mobile contract finished in April 2008, but I have still been getting broadband for £5 since then. I had heard that Orange was going to stop the free 2nd line from their broadband package.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livebox
Discontinuation of Second Line Service

The Second Line was a VOIP service which included a separate telephone number, was withdrawn for new customers on 17 September 2010[1].
In September 2011, Orange Shops in the UK began offering the Netgear DGN1000 router which has no facility to accommodate a Second Line making the service a legacy only facility. As of August 2012, existing customers are being notified that the Second Line service will be discontinued from 17th September 2012 and any calls made using the Second Line will be charged at the standard rate by the customer's line rental provider.
Orange help pages still refer to the Livebox when setting up broadband and include references to the Second Line[2].

I have not received an email as yet from Orange saying that either of the services were ending.

ook · 21 August 2012 at 11:25AM

Same here very annoying, I've just got a letter today saying that it's £14 month now for Broadband, unless I sign up for their phone package. Annoyingly, I just signed up for a new mobile contract last month. Plus, I can't have their phone package as mine is under a contract with BT.

Probably, will change my broadband supplier. I think there are a few cheaper alternatives.

epsilondraconis · 21 August 2012 at 11:53AM

So it's not just me then...

I phoned their executive office yesterday after not getting anywhere with their customer service providers and was on the phone with the executive office for over 50 minutes (I was waiting in for a delivery and there was nothing on TV!). I was unable to get anywhere with them. Sometimes the people in the executive office pull some strings or give you something as a sorry, but there was nothing offered.

I was told that on this occasion they are not making any exceptions for anyone because otherwise what happens is that people go and post those details on the web and they get loads of people phoning them expecting the same. I was very surprised to hear that people post on the web trying to help others ;-)

The executive office number is 0800 0790134. Perhaps others will be more successful than me; however on this occasion it seems Orange is standing firm.

If you phone them, they will ask you where you got the number for their executive office - I told them an Orange customer rep gave it to me. The person I was talking to told me that they shouldn't have told me that. Well, 12 months ago when I took out my mobile contract, the customer service rep shouldn't have told me that me broadband would be free for the full 18 month term of my mobile contract when I specifically asked them to confirm the deal. (I am now locked into a contract with another landline provider like some others on here and so couldn't get out of it anyway.)

When my mobile contract ends in March next year I will actively seek a cheaper mobile contract. Previously I haven't really looked because the free broadband was always the deal clincher for me (especially when I'm not paying that much each month anyway).

If anyone does have a favourable response from phoning the executive office, I'd be grateful if they post it on here so we can all bombard them will calls asking for the same!

ioscorpio · 21 August 2012 at 1:48PM

So it does not look like they want to keep us as customers, I am going to lose cheap broadband, free anytime calls and free international calls. I am surprised that you guys who still actually have a mobile contract with Orange are going to loose out as well, I can understand them taking it away from people who are not paying anything to them, but I am still paying them £5.11 a month.

I presume they want everyone taking out their phone line contract with their broadband.

ook · 21 August 2012 at 3:44PM

Spoke to Orange and requested to cancel my broadband, they didn't seem to budge on the broadband offer, unfortunately. They seem very keen to push the home phone offer.

I explained I'm locked into a BT contract who I signed up to because I moved house and they were offering a cheap line activation fee. Was going to go through with the cancellation, but they offered to pay up to £50 of the cancellation fee of BT to get me out of my BT contract, so just trying to work out what's cheapest before I decide.

espresso · 21 August 2012 at 4:42PM

ook wrote: »

Spoke to Orange and requested to cancel my broadband, they didn't seem to budge on the broadband offer, unfortunately. They seem very keen to push the home phone offer.

I explained I'm locked into a BT contract who I signed up to because I moved house and they were offering a cheap line activation fee. Was going to go through with the cancellation, but they offered to pay up to £50 of the cancellation fee of BT to get me out of my BT contract, so just trying to work out what's cheapest before I decide.

Do you realise that Orange gave up on it's own broadband network and has effectively handed it over to BT? Obviously they now have to pay BT to use their infrastructure and presumably get a better deal when broadband and phone line are provided to them by BT as a combined package. Orange had considered pulling out of broadband all together, as their service was so poor and customers were leaving in droves to find better.

malgiliath · 21 August 2012 at 6:08PM

Just spoke to the customer services rep with specific regard to the letter that I have just opened quoting

"Our records show that you no longer have an Orange pay monthly mobile plan registered at your address."

I did explain to him that the phone I was calling on was the one I pay £36/month to Orange and that my wife would be curious to know who the money was going to.

At first he said that the quoted line should not be there and was a marketing error but did admit that he has had a few calls like mine today. Looks like someone gaffed on that one big style.

I am not too worried about the free broadband as BT have Infinity in my area now and I will be moving anyway.

Seems a shame really that Orange are doing this as I too have been a customer since the Freeserve days and al in all I have never had any problems with Freeserve/Wanadoo/Orange, perhaps this is a reflection of the merge with T-Mobile to make the group that no one hears about, "Everything Everywhere". Looks as though this could be moving to "Nothing, Nowhere"

smiffyrst · 21 August 2012 at 7:50PM

just got in from work and got the letter from orange, again as everyone else always stayed with orange mobile contract for years due to the fact that free broadband came with my phone package, looks they like they have us over a barrel still got 15months left on my contract and was also told i would keep free broadband if i signed up for another 2 years mobile contract. i also double checked this would be the case for the next 2 years and was assured this was the case.
why is it these companys can just walk all over customers that have stayed loyal for years,

joolsleeds · 21 August 2012 at 9:43PM

So, first mid contract price increase, now withdrawal of free broadband.

Wonder when magic numbers go?! Can't be long.......

Orange 'Free' Broadband

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