Terrible Orange customer service - again!

[Guest Cybertronic]

I'm having a few problems with my SPV E200, has anyone had a better replacement phone?

Wonder is you could have the C500 instead! :P

To replace the phone, do you require Orange Care (£5 a month)?

[Guest Cybertronic]

Bump :oops:

[Guest mattat]

Sometimes with old phones there have been cases of people with Orange Care getting better phones as a result of the old phone being out of stock, though I think that I've only heard of this happening with Classic SPVs to E100s, and even this was not consistent, with some people even now getting SPV classics, so I don't think that using the Orange Care 'reporting a fault' method is likely to work (and might even consititute insurance fraud if the problem was fabricated/exaggerated).

Another possible option would be to complain to Orange that the phone that you have got is not suitable for the use for which it was sold, and to ask them if there are any solutions. However at best they are likely to simply release you from your contract or just credit you with some minutes, so I really doubt that you could get a C500 this way. You can't blame Orange for this though really, these phones are expensive and although they generate a profit for the network, they would soon lose money if every phone with bugs had to be replaced for a newer model. (Especially as every phone that I have had has had bugs and niggles and so the cycle would go on forever)

[Guest LSmith4285]

The £15 excess charge should only be applied to a customers account if the handset has been lost, stolen or damaged by the customer.

If the handset has gone faulty, basically a fault which would be repaired under warrenty, then the replacement should be done free of charge.

[Guest Kallisti]

The last post is apparently only half right.

The £15 charge is made in any case where the ORIGINALLY PURCHASED phone is over 6 months old, and any case at any time when the loss or damage is the owner's fault (though, they'll actually try not to pay out at all now if they think it's your neglegence).

Obviously HSBC are not turning enough of a profit on orange care, and have decided to turn the screws. However, in this case I made damned sure that it cost them a hell of a lot more to argue with me than it would have to just pay.

I finally got all my £15 charges refunded, and got my phone replaced as an ex-gratia (eg, they didn't admit they had to, they did it out of the "goodness of their hearts", if they have any).

BTW, orange claim the 6 month line is drawn as a result of interpretation of the consumer law. This is a very flawed interpretation as nowhere does the law mention 6 months, and as they sell it with a years contract, one could argue that as the minimum time, AT LEAST. Previous accepted wisdom went up to 3 years.

[Guest pd.ryder]

As usual, they're far more prepared to get new contracts with "deals" rather than look after existing, long-term customers.

Profit, profit, profit all the way....

[Guest Nigel-peason]

When ever a hanet repalcement is issued Orange Operators inform the cutoerm of what is bing sent out i.e. handset, battery, SIM and charger. Customers are alos advised to remove all information stored on the handset (if the handset is still active). Orange care only hovers The handst battery and charger as well as the sim as listed in T&C's. It is the customers responsibility to remove any accessories