I’ve cancelled my Orange mobile contract
I’m taking some small delight in using my blog to give Orange a small bit of bad PR.
Basically, they’ve really cheesed me off by refusing to change my contract. “You’re incompatible” they say.
All I wanted to do was change the contract from a £50 one to a £30 one, as the amount of call minutes this represents is closer to my actual phone usage.
But no, phoning them up to change it, I’m told that I’m “incompatible”. I ask what this means, and they can’t tell me. I’m not satisfied and ask to speak to a manager, and I’m promised a call back.
Two weeks later and no return call, so I’ve cancelled. Sod them. They can’t be bothered to give me any form of service for £600 per year? Then I won’t give them what they want, i.e. my cash.
Right. So what next? I’m left without a phone? Not for long I hope…
Well, first off, I happen to know about a website called Quidco. It’s a rather interesting thing, basically it gives you the cash back from affiliate schemes. (Websites pay other websites to promo their deals, Quidco give it back to the consumer.)
Certain mobile phone companies (not naming them here) cash back very heavily, up to £100 for yearly contracts.
(Ever been to a middle-man phone hawking site that’s offering you an iPod if you can referrer three costumers? This is how they afford it, you’ll be earning them up to £300.)
So, that’s £100 in my pocket, plus the contract I’ve picked is half-price for 18 months, meaning I’m only paying £17 for approximately the amount of minutes I wanted to pay Orange for.
So yah-boo-sucks to Orange. And listen to your customers when they say they want to change plan!
UPDATE: I’m now sorted out with a lovely new Sony Cybershot phone. It only took me about two hours of reading to work out how to “de-brand” it. I.e. Stopping every damn button from pimping ringtones…
December 4th, 2006 at 8:38 pm
I ended up cancelling my orange contract a couple of years ago when they cancelled my insurance without telling me, and demanded £90 and that i resign a new contract before they would replace my handset. Although to be fair, orange are a lot better than vodaphone, who are a bunch of lying thieves (bring it on, vodaphone libel-lawyers!).
December 8th, 2006 at 12:49 pm
I used to work for Orange. Six years of my life wasted…*cries*. The nightmares have stopped now. To be honest, they’re all basically the same. Robbing bastards with no clue how to deal with this huge influx of customers. Only now are Orange employing people qualified to work in middle management instead of promoting customer service idiots…..stop it, Blackett. You don’t work there anymore.
December 13th, 2006 at 3:18 pm
I did this exact thing with my old Orange pay-as-you-go. Can’t complain about their customer service myself, but i was paying well over the odds for calls and texts (never mind the free line rental, the per-use charges more than made up the difference), and the signal quality was patchy at best.
Swapped to a special offer through the online branch of a well known high street company that got into the game by warehousing phones to be installed in cars. I pay £30 a month upfront - which is already not too bad for 300 texts and 300 call minutes, line rental and a Sony 750 Red - and get cashback installments that eventually knock this back to the equivalent of a fiver a month.
Mushnt grrrrrrumble.
And they seem genuine… my mum and bro have happily been on the scheme 18 months longer than me (more fool muggins) and i’ve already got the first third back, meaning the effective monthly cost is already down to twenty-odd. Bargain. Just trying to balance my yo-yo’ing monthly use; having 150 left over one month, then caning both the new allowance and the rollover down to zero and incurring (only a couple quid as i realised the mistake pretty quick) extra charges. Hmm.
December 29th, 2006 at 7:02 pm
Yeah: I am now a reluctant Orange customer, since they took over Wanadoo. Now, Wanadoo were not great, but since Orange took over the service has become sheer unaldulterated shite. I can’t keep a connection for more than about ten seconds, - this is being typed off line, - and so they said ‘use the plastic box’, (I’m broadband) so I tried. For an hour I tried. My local computer shop engineer, who is a shit hot software engineer and an old college buddy from Computer /IT studies tried, another buddy who fixes things for big IT groups tried.
Result? It’s fucking Orange, - what do you expect, - shit. No connection, Live box either doesn’t work or Orange don’t recognise their own equipment.
I first tried Orange in about 1986 as a mobile phone supplier. Three days into ownership, my phone stopped working while I was stuck in a traffic jam on the M5. Having an urgent appointment ahead of me, I needed to phone. Nothing. So eventually I reached the Mway services, pulled off and phoned on a land line to tell the Client that I was horrendously delayed, and still had about 150 miles to travel. We postponed the meeting. I then tried to phone Orange from a call box. They only had a mobile contact number, so I was paying the high tariff. I got nowhere with them, cheated to get out of the services, and went home. Where I again tried to phone them. When I reached the point of having spent £64 without ever having spoken to anything but a fucking robot messaging service, I sent the phone back and told them to go fuck. I have never paid them and never will.
Get out of Orange. Somehow, anyhow, get out of Orange.
February 27th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Orange = Incredibly difficult to deal with - they keep getting my billing wrong and then blocking the phone for unpaid bills - eventually I get them to re-set the phone and unblock it - admitting their mistake. Then about 1 month later they do the same again. This is my wife’s phone and she needs case of breakdown (you know the kind of thing) …. but get this …. when you try to ring customer services (from the handset = 150 free call) …. guess what … you can’t cause your blocked … probably having broken down in some dire wilderness of a place miles from anywhere (they block with no warning - so beware) - anyway - nice one Orange … absolute Cr@p service
April 1st, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Just to ask people to visit my “Orange Sucks” blog. I have linked back to your blog by blogging one of you stories. The number of people coming to the blog with stories of Orange and the incompetence is incredible. How that ridiculous company survives is a mystery. They are good at advertising to suck people in then won’t let them go without outrageous penalties. Utterly disgusting!
May 7th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
bob, i had a similar experience.
once the swtichover to orange commenced, my broadband became unreliable, and it has gotten extremely bad over the past few days, i am losing the connection about 2 to 6 times a day, and everything i do downloads at dialup speed,
I am now switching ISPs.
June 6th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Orange sent me a sony w850i by courier for no reason (I’m with vodaphone), i phoned their customer service number (0800 079 1050 - free if you use this number btw rather than the mobile number they give you). They said that the phone didn’t exist according to their records… So I sold it on ebay for 120 big English pounds - thanks Orange!
One small victory for the puny consumer!
July 5th, 2007 at 10:03 am
After 10 years as a satisfied customer I was fooled into changing my contract for a discount I never got so after a long battle went pay as you go. After a year PAYG I now want to get the PAC code to transfer to 3 on a really good tariff. Unfortunately my PAYG does not connect to the operator and if I try to connect from another phone it doesn’t let me through when I give them my Orange number.
They truly SUCK
July 12th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Hi,
I’m on a Orange 18 month contract at the moment and desperately want to get out of it as its utterly crap! The 18 months end in December but I really want to know if there is anyway I can get out of the contract without paying hundreds of pounds? Does anyone know if this can be done? Thanks,
Katie
September 25th, 2007 at 10:54 am
I have an old ORANGE rent free contract which is very good.They want me to change,Idon’t.My nokia phone is showing wear and tear but I am hesitant to change it in case I get conned into a new contract.Can I change the phone without going near them.How long is my present agreement, I have no paper work.
September 29th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
I’m in the same situation, got 6 months left of an 18 month contract the lowest they will drop is £5 from a £35 p/month. Its bullsh!t why can’t they drop to the 20/25 p/month contract.
November 12th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
you can’t get out of the contract without paying a fee. the best thing to do is go on a cheaper line rental aftr 9 mnths. you can read thier terms and conditions on www.orange.co.uk
December 12th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Orange are disgraceful… Sony Ericsson are shoddy as well.
I upgraded on the 14th Nov to a new contract with a brand new K850i phone.
I am now on my 3rd K850i. The first 2 kept turning themselves off and the 3rd didn’t come with all the bells and whistles as the first 2 i.e. wallpapers etc etc
So had enough and returning the 3rd handset with the view of cancelling my contract. The strange thing is that I have been a loyal customer for over 7 years and defended them to the hilt. Now they just treat you like crap. I guess all mobile phone providers are the same.. after all they are just another business trying to screw you over.
What makes me laugh is that when Orange were going to send out a new handset, they did this within 24hours. Now I want to return a handset without a replacement, I have to wait 10-14 days… what a joke. They could do enough to keep me happy but now I am cancelling my contract, they take there bloody time about it.
I asked a number of people at orange if they are having problems with this phone, depending who you speak to you will get mixed responses. 1 guy was pretty helpful and told me that this phone was rushed to market as Christmas was just round the corner.
Orange as a network is pretty good. Orange customer service is on a decline from when I first used the network. Orange quality control has completely gone out of the window.
Top it all off I have a ongoing issue with Orange since Feb 2007. Without going into details, it took 6months to resolve, when they could of done it in a matter of weeks.
FUCK YOU ORANGE
December 19th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Hi,
well you are all right, orange SUCKS!!, i have only been with them a couple of months and i am dying to get rid. its all the hidden extras i was not told about. i.e 1p for delivery reports, 25p for mms. and the signal is crap. please can anyone tell me how to get out of it, and preferably without paying silly money. oh and yes when you finally get through to customer services to discuss cancelling they are no help at all and have given me 3 different settlement figures… nightmare. it is a con so buyers beware.
February 14th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
I was conned into Orange and then given an 18 month contract, I’ve now pointed out to them that they didn’t get a signature from me to agree to this contract so as such they cannot legally dispute my wishing to get out of the contract for nothing in court as it would cost them more. The one thing though is to make sure that you take them to court not the opposite, because they don’t take you to court - they sell your debt on many months after you think they aren’t getting in touch and then the debt collection agency then would go to civil court and add its costs to the debt. suddenly you get baliffs at your door and a larger debt, with no civil rights what so ever - your best bet is to fight them oh yeah and charge them for the letters you sending them also - it works that way and if they don’t want to pay the charge you given them - sell the debt on to a collection company and let them fight them - it does work - I know cos I got the advice and did it to a totally different company. fight them using the same rules they did.
March 15th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Hi I have been with Orange since October 1994 - Rob you must have misplaced a digit because Orange didnt start trading till April 96.
I have had no problem with them ever, I get an upgrade for any phone I want every year and they have included my in their loyalty programee (match any other network, payback each month, no charge for any phone) and they are the best network in my book. I have used Vodafone (OK) and use 3 Mobile for work but no one so far beats Orange! PS I dont work for them either!!!
March 19th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
signed up to a 24 month contract last month with doliphin on orange, was told i have excellent coverage in my area, and my bill wil be no more than £35.00 per month, Quess what got my first bill for £168.36!! i refuse to pay this sort of money as it is a scandel my land line dosent cost that quaterly!! can they do anything to me if i refuse to pay the bill???
please let me know asap
thank you
March 21st, 2008 at 8:04 pm
I’m nearly into 12 months of my 18 month contract and tried cancelling it today but they thought of every excuse up under the sun all because i want a new phone as the one i got now never gets a signal, and the best they were offering was that they can change my dolphin £35 a month to £30 (which doesn’t make any difference). I personally think their a pile of crap and wouldnt advise them to anyone. Slightly annoyed as t-mobile are doing a better contract with the phone i want but wont do anything about moving me over!
March 24th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Hi Ive got a 18 month contract with 02 and what a pack of bastards,
i informed them i was gonna be made redundant at xmas and could i get a lower tarrif they said no {it was £30 a month} i couldnt do it til march of this year, so for £20 i get a miserable shity 75 mins and 250 texts what good is that i rang 3 time today to try and cancel my contract {due to finish in nov of this year} they said id have to pay the rest of the tarrif for the remainign months told them i couldnt that im a single mam with 2 young kids on benefits that i couldnt afford the phone no more but they were very unhelpful,
i know i signed the contract but didnt know i was gonna be made redundant
is there any way i can get out of it as im really sick and im really stressed all i got was you have to pay even if you cant afford it, what am i to do,
i could cancel my direct debit would that get me in trouble
anyone got any ideas
thanks
April 3rd, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Yes I have an 18mnth contract, ‘dolphin’, thru Robbers4u. It is crap = told by shop would get more for my money than I did with 3. Meant to be £35 a month, is regularly nearer £60 and I honestly can’t see why as I don’t use my phone more than the 3 one. Sent a few picture messages, rang a few 0845 no’s briefly. That does not explain jump of £25. I’m really not happy with it and want out, staff on phone don’t seem to know their arses from their elbows half the time, never got my promised callback from yesterday morning to see ‘what they could do for me’ and can NEVER get onto my online account because the Orange site is obviously beserker! Just saw that 3 is offering the same as what I am meant to be getting but for £10 a month less.
Does anyone know what kind of money you have to pay just to get out and be rid of them???
May 8th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Been on Orange contracts for years but just recently they don’t seem to care. I predict this ‘couldn’t care less about the customer’ will be their downfall. I had to wait for ages on the end of ‘150′ after pressing all the obligatory gateway numbers - listening to the usual paltry excuses - either they have skeleton staff or so many complaints they are snowed under? I’ve had a catalogue of disasters - and I am changing to another provider on Saturday as I have had enough of their disregard for the customer - I know of other friends with similar stories but are ‘too busy’ to complain’ but simply changing to other networks.
I’m not sure what moaning on this Blog will do - but I feel sick after realising what they have done to me today - it constitutes in my eyes serious fraud so I shall be preparing my letter to Ofcom and waging a war!” I think they are laughing at us.
1. The mobile phone I originally had direct from Orange yonks ago broke a while back now - and they told me I had to have their £5 insurance scheme before they would replace it - which I did and have been duly paying per month for several years now. When I received a call from a company who said they were acting on behalf of Orange and they appeared to know I was due to have my contract up for renewal I took their package - 500 texts and 200 free minutes.
2. When their phone broke after a week I called Orange and learned that I wasn’t covered on their insurance (I never received any paperwork around the insurance) as I had apparently bought the phone ‘third party’ - maybe I’m thick as when they mentioned ‘on behalf of Orange’ - I assumed they were ‘Orange’ - but no - you have to physically walk into an Orange shop to buy your phone or the insurance does not cover you - I find out later that I could have had the insurance altered to cover the third party purchase? The ‘unhelpful’ girl on the end of the 150 didn’t tell me that. It’s still an orange tariff - so what’s the difference? I had to pay to send it back and wait for a new phone - I was actively nursing then and needed my phone - but no one cared.! That was bad enough but I stuck with Orange because they had been so reliable in the past.
2. My tarriff included 575 free texts - and 200 free talk minutes - and 30 photos - somewhere along the line this was reduced to 500 free texts, same talk time and no photos - turns out it was a promotional offer!
3. I was in New Zealand in January this year - and twice phoned them up before I went to check - I don’t suppose they keep a log of calls like banks do - they reassured me that the free 500 texts would still count in New Zealand - liars! I got back to an extortionate bill - and so I’ve taken a couple of months to realise that in January, with no warning they swapped me to a new tariff - only 75 free texts - so I have been continuing to use around 500 a month and have just realised why my bill is so high - I feel sick that I didn’t check beforehand as I am usually so careful - so goodness help the kids who aren’t as ‘anal’ as me when it comes to these things.
Naturally the guy on the end of the line was completely disinterested and said the 500 texts was a ‘goodwill gesture’ - well I hope they are prepared for my goodwill gesture to Ofcom when I send a copy of the amateurly printed contract I have from my third party phone provider which states that I should still be reciving my 500 free texts, 200 minutes and 30 photos!!
Is there anybody out there who takes on these nasty big companies who are nothing more than thieves?