e200 Complaint to Orange

[Guest Polly2Carpets]

So here it is...the final straw in a long and disappointing journey with Orange. Bear with me guys, it's a biggy....

Further to my letter of complaint and several unreturned telephone calls, I phoned Orange Customer Services (07093 100150) the other day intent on getting some answers and explained the situation of an poorly composed letter of response from Orange following my initial letter of complaint. I expalined the two main issues for me, i) poor Bluetooth and ii) no accessories (car holder and car kit being foremost but not alone). The conversation from here on went something like this:

Orange: You should try Orange Accessories for details of available and upcoming accessories

Me: Yes, I've done that. They tell me they're a 3rd party company and don't know. They also told me that there are lots of people phoning them and complaining and it's not their problem. They suggested I phoned 'handsets' which I did, only to be redirected by a recorded message to customer complaints, that's why I'm here.

Orange: Ah. Can you hold a second?

Me: Yes, sure.

Orange: Hello? Yes, we think we've had a breakthrough. Apparantly from talking to my colleagues, the phone is a joint venture between ourselves and Microsoft. Maybe you can phone their Cutomer Services department.

Me: That's been tried before. Microsoft are only concerned with the Operating System and not the handset.

Orange: That'll be us then.

Me: That'll be you.

Orange: Maybe we have a "development department" or something. Can you hold again?

Me: :shock: Erm, yeah. Sure.

Orange: Hello? Yeah, erm, I'm sorry I can't find anyone who can tell me anything.

Me: OK, can I speak to a supervisor or manager?

Orange: Sorry, they're all in meetings at the moment. (1030 am ish)

Me: Is there anyone else I can talk to?

Orange: No, I'm sorry there's no-one else.

Me: OK, can you tell me then how I go about cancelling the insurance I have on the phone?

Orange: I'm sorry, you can't.

Me: :shock: Pardon?

Orange: You're tied in with it for a year.

Me: But what about if I change my phone? Surely the contract I have is for the line and not the handset??

Orange: It is, but the insirance is device specific. You can't cancel the insurance without buying out the remaining term of the contract.

Me: And how much would that be?

Orange: Well, if you changed your service plan to the lowest available (£10pm) it would be.....£135

Me: £135?! Isn't there some other way around this? If you can't resolve the issues I have with the phone then I'm going to change it, and to change it you're telling me it's going to cost me £135?

Orange: Yes, sir.

Me: Are your managers out of the meeting yet?

Orange: Not yet. They shouldn't be long, though.

Me: Great. Can you get one to phone me back as soon as they emerge?

Orange: I could, but they're not going to be able to help you. I can't think of anyone that can help you. I'm sorry, I don't know what else to say.

Me: So, let me get this right. You're telling me that NO-ONE in Orange, no matter where I call, can tell me if there's a car kit for the e200 or whether there ever will be, NO-ONE can tell me the plans for Bluetooth, NO-ONE can discuss the rumoured patch at the end of the month and the only option you can offer me is to pay £135 and leave Orange?

Orange: Yes sir. I don't know what else to say to you.

Me: If this is my only option the I will not be returning to Orange if I buy out my contract.

Orange: Can I pass you on to our "relations" department.

Me: Certainly

Orange: The number is 0800 0792288

Me: OK, goodbye.

Orange: Hello, customer relations department

Me:

Orange: Well, I have a magazine in front of me funnily enough that says a car kit is available for SPV phones.

Me: What's the model number?

Orange: I'm not sure, it just says "Simple Handsfree Car Kit". It's on the Orange magazine with "Try" written accross it.

Me: I think I know the one and if it is it's not compatible with the e200.

Orange: I don't know but that's what it says here. Maybe you can check with an Orange Shop.

Me: OK, I'll do that. Anyway, regardless of that, I've been told that the only way to change my handset is to pay £135 and buy out my contract, is that right?

Orange: Yes.

Me: Is there no other way?

Orange: No, there isn't.

Me: But presumably the contract I have is for the service, not the handset? Can I do what I want with the handset? Can I sell it?

Orange: We don't reccomend you do that.

Me: Why?

Orange: Because if you've got insurance, the insurance stays with a phone you haven't got so your new handset won't be covered.

Me: No, it own't, but I'll be paying £45 for insurance instead of £135 won't I?

Orange: That's right, sir.

Me: So I can sell the phone, probably make a profit over the £50 upgrade cost and buy something that'll work?

Orange: Yes, you can do what you like with the handset.

Me: Right, OK. Thanks for clarifying that. As I mentioned to the other guy, if I have to buy out my contract - and that's the only option you gave me - then I'll not be coming back to Orange. I can't believe I cannot talk to ANYONE in the Company about the issues I have and that the only resolve you can offer is for me to leave you.

Orange: I don't know what to say to you sir.

Me: No, no-one does. Thanks for your help.

Orange: Hello?

Me: Hello. I've been told there might be a car kit available for a SPV e200. It's apparently in the Orange magazine. It's got "try" accross it. Can you please confirm this?

Orange: I'll have a look...mmm, I can't see it anywhere.

Me: It's definitely in there somewhere.

Orange: Nope, can't see it. I'll just check. Can you hold?

Me: OK, no problem.

Orange: No, sorry, we don't know of a car kit that's available for an e200. The best thing you can do is to call the shop in the White Rose Centre (Leeds) and ask for Shaun or James. They normally know what's going on. Or do you want me to ring them for you and call you back?

Me: Yes please

Orange: OK let me take your number....

Orange: Hello this is Orange Shop, Doncaster.

Me: Hello there.

Orange: I'm sorry, no-one knows of any car kit for an e200

Me: OK then. Thanks for your help. Goodbye.

And with that it was over. In the finish, my future with my e200 rested on Shaun or James from the White Rose Centre - strange, eh?

I can't even begin to expalin how disappointed I am in Orange. They have completely failed me as a Customer and their "support" resulted in them telling me to leave. As much as I like the handset, I have decided that I cannot wait for something to happen. If I thought they were even listening I would stick it out - after all, we all should have handsets that work, that's what we've paid for - but I have decided it's not worth the hassle. I'm going to get me something that'll do what I want first time. I know the P900 has it's flaws, but they appear to be less than the e200's catalogue of failures.

So there you go. Very shortly, unless Orange can convince me otherwise, I will be making a tidy profit on the handset and getting something else. Furthermore, when my contract's up in 9 months I'll be leaving Orange never to return.

It's a shame, really. I like the phone generally.

Well done Orange. You now have one less moaning e200 customer.

Polly2Carpets

[Guest A.Hughes]

I've shown my colleagues this tripe, not you polly, but orange, and they cant believe their eyes, this is abismal.

Youve had a knightmare m8, soz we may lose you as an E200 onwer, under different circumstances i would have said proud owner of an E200. hope it doesnt discourage you from this great site.

For the love of god orange why dont you get your heads out from where the sun dont shine and show a bit of backbone.

How E200 owners who have these problems are coping is beyond me, when ever this upgrade arrives i hope it lives up to all the rumours if not, i'll personally picket the HQ of orange, maybe then they will wake up and smell the coffee.

[Guest rikwebb]

How E200 owners who have these problems are coping is beyond me, when ever this upgrade arrives i hope it lives up to all the rumours if not, i'll personally picket the HQ of orange, maybe then they will wake up and smell the coffee.

Now there is an Idea........

How many members have e200's???

ORANGE - You are walking on thin ice - for gods sake do something !

Rik

[Guest Polly2Carpets]

I've got to say how impressed and grateful I am for the support of everyone who has posted to my thread.

Regardless of whether I sell my e200 or not, I will be willing to continue support for the handset on this or any other forum - please let me know how I can help and if I can, I will.

Maybe I've had a particularly bad experience with Orange...but I don't think so. They have a growing bad reputation amongst their customers, unfortunately, and I couldn't see any attempt to resolve the outstanding issues.

I am open to Orange contacting me to reconsider the advice they have given me; I have 9 months left on my contract and after that I plan to leave them never to return.

PTC

[Guest phildrudge]

i have had a similar experience with orange but i think i have had a bit more success. I posted the beggining of the story a while ago but there have been more developments since then.

I spent a serious amount of time arguing with orange, both on the phone and in the shop, (which involved me losing my temper in the shop full of customers and being forcibly removed! i quite enjoyed it!) Basically i threatened to take them to court unless it was sorted, i had some legal advice and because i was told that the contract would be cancelled on a cirtain date, the verbal agreement would stand up in court regarding the contract.

So the nice bloke in the shop (who i scared a bit at the weekend) put ina lot of legwork for me and basically got the contract cancelled!!! woo! still i have no phone, but i'm still fighting that battle. I'm going tom ring them tonight and see what i can get!!!! wish me luck!!!

[Guest chucky.egg]

WTF are Orange up to?

It seems that NOBODY there does ANYTHING anymore.

I called them a few weeks back to get them to divert my O number to my Voda number (I was out of the O signal, so used my Voda SIM).

Apparently NOBODY there can set your diverts anymore. You have to do it yourself... but you can't if you have no signal! They suggested, and this was a serious suggestion, that I drive around til I find the O network and then set the divert and go back to where I was.

Add to that the issues with the poor deal loyal customers get and they're going to start losing out very badly soon.

[Guest n4src]

I have started a poll of how many of us own an E200 plsease vote here

[Guest phildrudge]

ok yet another update, i got my contract cancelled, but they are now saying that because it took more than 24 hours to report my old phone missing (which is a lie, i reported it missing within an hour or so, but they are only doing anything about it now... but " we can only do what our system tells us!!") i can only get a new phone if i pay out 300 quid for a replacement!! how skank is that!!!!