Anti-Orange sentiment

[Guest Kallisti]

I've had a pretty hard time of it recently with Orange. They've done everything in their power to rip me off, screw me over and generally try to empty my wallet of every last penny they can.

One major part is the entire SPV debacle, which although I accept (mostly in order to have activesync), I'm not happy with.

So.. basically I'm canvassing for opinion on whether it's worth putting together a anti-Orange site to try and drum up some consumer sentiment in a constructive (or at least populist) attack on their ever decreasing levels of customer care. Maybe turn it around so that they're embarassed into giving their first line support the power to at least not break the law with the low standards they currenty enforce.

I've thrown together http://www.kallisti.co.uk/orangedontcare/ - any comments, or indeed, if you so wish, contributions? I know I'm not the only one that is riled by the constant stonewalling that they give.

[Guest drblow]

You see, the thing is, while I have had major problems with the entire SPV range for the last year & a half, for the most part Orange customer service have been good. Its not their fault the phone has inherant flaws etc, and TBH, I find that they do try to help. I'm not in any way trying to dispute the fact that you have had a bad time with them - I have had my moments with them too, and I understand how you feel! :wink: But overall, given the amount of crying I do to them about the SPV problems, they DO listen, they DO contact me with responses (eventually, most times!), and ultimately offer to replace the handset.

I think the problems is that the support service (tech support, and whoever else may be involved) is not up to the job. If they are going to release a product that has clearly not been tested, then they should have known to brace themselves for a huge amount of tech support issues. Unfortunately, the SPV range is just not being supported properly, issues are not addressed, and our experience of the rare updates has been less than positive. Nobody expects these relatively new devices to be flawless, but I thought it was fair to expect that the company providing them would be continually updating/improving them. :roll:

Ultimately tho, I don't really think an anti Orange website is going to get anybody very far! :D You know, if Orange were paying attention to smartphone issues on the web, then they would be looking here. I guess that no one at Orange really cares about Modaco. There has been an enormous amount of whinging about unresolved SPV issues, and Orange's general lack of quality, but none of it ever got us anywhere, except to finally scare off Mr. Orange!! :D

Don't get me wrong m8 - I'm with you all the way in sentiment! :lol: Just don't see as it's gonna get us anywhere.

[Guest morpheus2702]

Pretty much echo that - I've been on pretty much all the networks, and really Orange do offer the best combination of deals, service and support. Many of the OCS guys I've spoken to about the SPV/E100 said they completely agree with me that it is flawed.

Blow - quite right about MoDaCo's effectiveness. You've gotta love that flat rate GPRS we are getting eh? :wink:

[Guest Dr Who]

I would have to say that my experience of Orange has always been overwhelmingly positive. I might have just been lucky though. I have my E100 'cos when I was thinking of leaving last year they put me on a great tariff and gave me the E100 for free, when the week before they had wanted to charge me £130 for the priviledge. When I got the phone a nice lady spent an hour on the phone helping me set it up, get my internet, email and passthrough connection working. When my E100 has failed they have replaced it (handset number 3 as of tonight) and the battery. And to be honest anytime I have spoken to someone on the phone they have been pleasant and helpful, not always clued up or able to help, but I have always gone away feeling OK about life.

Maybe you have been particularly unlucky?

[Guest Rob.P]

I have had enough grief with Orange, just due to the sheer fact that I have to phone up at least 3 or 4 times just to speak to the right person who knows what I'm on about, I found this a lot more constructive than trying to get my point across to the first person I talk to.

In most cases if I get the impression that they aren't getting my point I just hang up and try again, I'm that tired of it.

I know for a fact that Orange have really, really, really, really, really bad internal communications, which is v.demoralising for a communications company whether you be customer or staff.

But like some have said, what do you do when they are one of the best in the market for the services and products they offer.

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

Too late, someone's beaten you to it!

http://www.hateorange.com/

P

[Guest Kallisti]

That's a nicely put together website. I may just forward my sob stories there instead. The point is that Modaco is ineffectual as a platform for complaint and it's almost impossible to reason directly with the company. I have had positive experiences too, but more and more the negatives ones are overwhelming.

Maybe it'll be worth trying to make sure everyone knows about the hateorange website and trying to get publicity for it in the media.

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

MoDaCo is not designed to be a method of complaint, although you can air your views...

P

[Guest Dr Who]

Out of interest has anyone any experience of "The Others" and their customer service? I assume it is no better and quite possibly worse than the big 'O'.

[Guest morpheus2702]

Vodafone: simply a bunch of rude, lazy arrogant bastards who just couldn't give a damn about you, your phone, what you want, how long you would be prepared to wait etc. Even if they paid me to use their service, I would never use Vodafone again!

T-Mobile: nice people, better internal communication than Orange, polite, accomodating - just such a shame that they are always let down by a (relative) poor range of handsets.

[Guest midnight]

Ive been with Voda, phones4u (part of voda i beleive), O2 and Orange, and Orange are BY FAR the best of those, with Voda being the worst (they really do not care at all).

The only way to get through if you wanna do this kind of site is to do not just a negative site, but show positives aswell, Orange are far more likely to take notice if its unbiased.

[Guest mark4130]

I have actually come back to Orange because of the poor service I received from Vodafone and O2. I left Orange to go to O2 thinking Orange service was bad (a scary Motorola T720 experience).. then had to wait 2 weeks while the incompetent fools at O2 tried to work out how to turn on GPRS and MMS on my account at the same time!! It worked for 2 days and then for some reason they turned it off again.

I can honestly say that being back with Orange has made my phone life a hell of a lot easier.

[Guest Dr Who]

So the concensus seems to be that Orange can be frustrating but they are streets ahead of the opposition? TO be honest I would never expect your average bod at O to know anything about the smartphone range - let's face it no matter what aspect of computing you are dealing with technical support, particularly over the phone, is a bunch of a**e. I learnt long ago if I want to sort an issue out with my PC to do a google search and find a forum. All technical support want to do is reformat and start again - basically, "I don't have a clue, gov". And when I have been relayed to a higher level operative they have been pretty good.

Peace

Who?

[Guest drblow]

i'm finding the biggest problem with my e200 atm is trying to convince O that the problems i'm experiencing are real. namely the sd card issue. O test 1 of their phones, with 1 sd card, claim theirs works ok so the problem must be my card. i have tried to explain it to them, but just get a brickwall response. now, i understand that in order to diagnose a problem they need to replicate it, but they also claim to have looked at this forum & did not see any comments about storage card problems! seems like they are just avoiding the issue to me. Posted from my SmartPhone!

[Guest Dr Who]

That is quite suprising. I am sure there must be a large enough volume of users jumping up and down about this issue for it to be recorded as a 'known fault'. My E100 locking up on bootup was known to the operative I spoke to a couple of weeks ago and he instructed me to do a hard reset. Had a bit of a fight initially with the turning off problem I have experienced with my E100 but fingers crossed on handset #3 (yesterday) and battery 2 it will be OK.

[Guest mcwarre]

"]Too late, someone's beaten you to it!

http://www.hateorange.com/

P

That's all O's support for Modaco prizes gone.... :wink: