21 replies to this topic

[andyfitter]

About 18 months ago, I was one of the lucky few to be offered the £8 per month truly unlimited data offer.

According to my online account details, this bundle was to expire on the 11th, Tuesday. I am also out of contract by a month or so. I normally use around 150MB of data a month, and spend around £60 per month.

On the 10th, I phoned up regarding the OWU bundle and if it could be renewed/extended, and if it could, I'd like to renew my contract/upgrade my phone.

I was assured by customer services that it wouldn't be a problem, and I renewed my contract, and was offered an upgrade phone. I accepted this only on the grounds that the OWB unlimited package could be renewed. I was assured it had been.

on the 11th, I called again, knowing how these things often go, to make sure the OWB package had been renewed. Initially she said it hadn't and tried to extend it but couldn't. She promised to call back. A few minutes later she called and said it had been extended OK with no expiry date.

I logged into my account today, to see that OWB is gone, to be replaced by a monthly 30MB bundle, which is completely inadequate for my needs. I have basically been lied to, andhave now taken on a new contract under false pretenses. I confirmed with the CS operator that I only wanted to renew  my contract if OWB could be renewed, and if not I would leave.

Has anybody else managed to get there OWB unlimited bundle extended?

If they have messed it up and it really isn't available, I am hoping that the 7 day distance selling rules apply and I can still tell them where to stick it.

Andy.

Edited by andyfitter, 13 March 2008 - 05:29 PM.

[jimbouk]

I cant help other than to say I am watching with interest as mine is due up on June 2nd.

[mwright]

andyfitter, on Mar 13 2008, 16:13, said:

Has anybody else managed to get there OWB unlimited bundle extended?

I did eventually get mine extended when it ran out in November time.

I had to go through the Orange executive Office to get it done. Had to do the same thing last year in order to get my M3100 upgrade approved.

I hate to say it - but it might depend on your spend or length of service (mine is something like £100 and eight years!)

Edited by mwright, 13 March 2008 - 05:23 PM.

[spacerace]

the bundle appears on my bill ok but I don't see it anywhere on my online account so am not sure when mine expires. considering there was only a small window of opportunity to get it I figured we'd all be around a similar time, but I have June in my head as my expiration date also...

[repsolblade]

I have just taken an upgrade to the Kaiser from the M3100 through Orange, I also have the unlimited bundle and have been told that it will continue, I now await the arrival with reservations! Although my mobthly LR has been dropped by £5, and extra 200 mins Anynet/time added too. I use loads of Data, and this was the only option for me, if I don't get it, YES, the 7 day distance selling laws do apply, and I already have the address for return should it NOT be what I want! HOPE IT IS though.

[andyfitter]

repsolblade, on Mar 13 2008, 20:31, said:

I have just taken an upgrade to the Kaiser from the M3100 through Orange, I also have the unlimited bundle and have been told that it will continue, I now await the arrival with reservations! Although my mobthly LR has been dropped by £5, and extra 200 mins Anynet/time added too. I use loads of Data, and this was the only option for me, if I don't get it, YES, the 7 day distance selling laws do apply, and I already have the address for return should it NOT be what I want! HOPE IT IS though.

Best they seem to be able to offer me is one of the new panther tariffs that include 250MB, at £5 less than listed price. They are resolutely saying that there is no way to extend the OWB package, even though two CS reps told me it already had been extended.

Looks like I might be off... TMob or Three I reckon, as they seem to be the only ones offering sensible data deals.

[crazyc]

andyfitter, on Mar 14 2008, 14:09, said:

Best they seem to be able to offer me is one of the new panther tariffs that include 250MB, at £5 less than listed price. They are resolutely saying that there is no way to extend the OWB package, even though two CS reps told me it already had been extended.

Looks like I might be off... TMob or Three I reckon, as they seem to be the only ones offering sensible data deals.

I was repeatedly told that mine could not be extended.  Hence I am now with o2.

[spacerace]

crazyc, on Mar 14 2008, 14:41, said:

I was repeatedly told that mine could not be extended.  Hence I am now with o2.

do O2 have an unlimited bundle?

[crazyc]

spacerace, on Mar 14 2008, 16:19, said:

do O2 have an unlimited bundle?

Yes.  the FUP was removed a few months ago I believe.
They have an excessive use policy that does not have a stated limit - I think as long as you are not tethering etc it is unlimited. (Internet use on your phone only.....)

[Zahid]

I didn't know the the OWU data allowance would expire! I had it for 18 months without issue. Just ported to O2 with their 600 minutes, 1000 texts, and unlimited data bolt-on for £35.

For some reason I was under the impression Orange's 3G coverage is superior to O2's. So not wanting to take a risk, before porting my number, I took out a contract with O2 to test the network. To my surprise over a 6 day period, O2's 3G was superior to that of Orange in EVERY area I checked.

So I returned the phone under the distance selling rule, and ported over my Orange number. Now I'm a happy bunny with my Orbit 2.

[estocks]

Zahid, on Mar 16 2008, 20:28, said:

I didn't know the the OWU data allowance would expire! I had it for 18 months without issue. Just ported to O2 with their 600 minutes, 1000 texts, and unlimited data bolt-on for £35.

For some reason I was under the impression Orange's 3G coverage is superior to O2's. So not wanting to take a risk, before porting my number, I took out a contract with O2 to test the network. To my surprise over a 6 day period, O2's 3G was superior to that of Orange in EVERY area I checked.

So I returned the phone under the distance selling rule, and ported over my Orange number. Now I'm a happy bunny with my Orbit 2.

Hi I have two questions. How much is Oranges add-on data package, I can't find anything about it on the site.  Second question is how much of Oranges 2G network was upgraded to EDGE?

Basically I'm torn between Three and Orange.  I travel by train from Bristol to London and find my T-Mo link has no signal for almost all of the way.

Thank you.

[jimbouk]

estocks, on Mar 16 2008, 22:09, said:

Hi I have two questions. How much is Oranges add-on data package, I can't find anything about it on the site.  Second question is how much of Oranges 2G network was upgraded to EDGE?

Basically I'm torn between Three and Orange.  I travel by train from Bristol to London and find my T-Mo link has no signal for almost all of the way.

Thank you.

Orange are upgrading their 3G to H slowly but surely and the places where they dont have H planned for sometime will have E as a minimum - apparently. I find that I get 3g pretty much everywhere so the E/G issue is moot for me. I get rubbish signal on the train to Manchester from London (with O).

They do have details of their data packages on their site but they are the rubbish 30 mb ones or the evening and weekend ones.

[greenturtle]

Yes the data packages are a bit rubbish. I'm on the £5 evening weekend package which seems to suit me fine. I usually spend about £1.50 on odd peak data but they have the Capped charge which means I can't go over £1.50.

[porkpie]

I see that Orange are now offering a 250mb data package for new customers or renewing customers on the Panther plan. My girlfriend just got it! I tried to get it added but was told it's not available. Grr!

[jimbouk]

I have unlimited and just phoned Orange... as I had a diary date to do so as my account in Orangeworld on my phone says the data bundle is due to end on 3rd June... and the very helpful chap said "no problem -  can't renew the bundle now as its too far away but if you ring back on 1st June, we can simply renew the bundle for you"



I will phone on 1st June and will also check "my account" on my phone on 4th June!

[spacerace]

jimbouk, on May 14 2008, 16:44, said:

I have unlimited and just phoned Orange... as I had a diary date to do so as my account in Orangeworld on my phone says the data bundle is due to end on 3rd June... and the very helpful chap said "no problem -  can't renew the bundle now as its too far away but if you ring back on 1st June, we can simply renew the bundle for you"
I will phone on 1st June and will also check "my account" on my phone on 4th June!

definitely stay on top of this yourself. my last Orange bill was £50 more than normal, on investigating I saw I have been charged £50 for about 19MB of data usage. I rang up Orange to find out what had happened and sure enough my OWU bundle had expired the previous month, no-one had told me and I had been reverted to a tariff with no data bundle at all and charged at the PAYG rate.

After politely saying I wasn't very happy about this they agreed to refund me the data charges and re-apply the bundle. After the first attempt she said she would need a supervisor to re-apply it as the system wouldn't let her. I suspect this is because it was a one time offer but didn't mention that! I will be ringing back shortly to check if it has been put back on or not, but clearly the default action from Orange is to drop it at expiration and leave you with nothing.

[starstrike]

I have been with Orange for nearly 2 years. At one point I managed to get the 1000mb a month unlimited browsing for £8 a month. I had no written confirmation of a time limited ever although when I last upgraded I think I was told it would have to be renegotiated at some point. Well on my May (12th) Bill it was still listed under summary when I got the bill for June it was £654.49 with £600 for data (200mb @ £3 a mb). Obviously on this bill it was gone from the summary. After speaking to 2 people in billing they told me I had to pay it as A) I was given a verbal agreement and under allocation it was not listed on my May bill and was taken off after May 14th.

Well obviously this is crazy! Firstly I believe it was never explicitly explained to me that the bundle would end at a certain point, secondly there was no written time limit (i.e. in brackets on the bill) contract ever and thirdly this is an insane amount to charge.

I am in the process of writing a fax/letter to the correspondance dept and I will be scrutinising my May bill. There attitude is appalling and obviously I will have to fight this all the way as at worse on my part it is an oversight on a verbal agreement made 18months ago. I was given no warning or offer to change.

Further if anyone knows but I have heard that the £3 a mb data is only for a certain amount and then it goes down to £1.50 per mb. If this is true that are even overcharging on this extorniate amount.

[spacerace]

ouch! keep complaining and trying different CS reps until you get someone who will refund! I got my ~£50 returned. I also argued that since I was clearly subscribed to a data bundle, to end it and replace it with no bundle at all (and with no notification) was ridiculous...

[andrewkeith5]

in the contract it is agreed that orange must give you reasonably notice of any change to your contract or the service they provide if it is likely that the change will mean an increase in the cost of using the services they provide. this is usually determined as 30 days, in which time you are always given the opportunity to cease any legal obligations you have to orange, and terminate the contract without fee or charge

if they have not complied with this, then they are in breach of the contract and you can stuff them for it (and technically leave without penalty or charge)

[starstrike]

Thanks for the advice Andrew.

I was never at any point given any notice of a change in the package of services that I was being offered. All I had was a verbal conversation 18 months back and again when I upgraded and I asked about it to be told that it would have to be renegotiated at some point. I was never told as far as I can remember a date when the package would end. Further on my bills there was never any length of time published with the listing of the package.

I will wait for a response from the Correspondance Department (or 14 days or so) but if it is not positive (i.e. they refund nearly all the charges).

I will, after further explanation of my appalling treatment, relay to them:

Terminating your Contract because Orange has changed its terms
4.3 You may also terminate your Contract if we vary its terms, resulting in an excessive increase in the Charges or changes that alter your rights under this Contract to your detriment. In such cases you would need to give us at least 14 days written notice prior to your Billing Date (and within one month of us telling you about the changes). However this option does not apply if:
4.3.1 we have increased the Charges by an amount equal to or less than the percentage increase in the All Items Index of Retail Prices published by the Central Statistical Office in the Monthly Digest of Statistics in any 12 month period; or
4.3.2 the variations we have made have been imposed on us as a direct result of new legislation, statutory instrument, government regulation or licence; or
4.3.4 the variation relates solely to an Orange Additional Service, in which case you may cancel that Orange Additional Service in accordance with Condition 15.1.

1. Where a third party content provider is identified as providing the Content, You may be contracting directly with that content provider and You will be subject to additional terms and conditions as notified to You by the content provider. For the avoidance of doubt You will remain bound by these Terms and Conditions to the extent they are applicable.

As grounds to ending my contract. I would then pay them all costs up to the point (14 days after the letter) of my termination except those that resulted from their change in service provision. If they decided to press it further I will go through their complaints department, billing integrity OFFCOM, the related third party ombudsman scheme and if need be the courts. I will explain the vagueness of the verbal agreement, the lack of written details and the complete absence of any notification of a change to my service provission. I will then go on to explain that I was paying £8 a month for 1000mb of anytme UK data and without notification I was put on to a service which charged more than 500x the cost of the original service. This is like paying £10 for your electricty a month on a special offer and suddenly without any warning (apart from in the orginal conversation) getting a bill for over £5000 for the same service. I would like to see Orange justify that in a Court of Law.