5 Blackberries replaced in my last contract. Currently I have a Samsung Galaxy S which is charging me for using 4000mb over my allowance. Why/How? I simply do not know.
Never had a phone which hasn’t ‘developed a fault.’
Always been a loyal Orange customer. I have had a contract they tell me for over 7 years. Before that I was a pay as you go customer of theirs.
The story
I notice on my account on the Orange website that my bill is way above what it should be. I so call Orange. I am promised call back Monday 16th May 2011, after my bill has been produced, by a friendly girl and I think it is too good to be true. Good service? Wow!
The call-back didn’t happen even though was written in my notes on their system. Turned out the person that was going to call me back, their team wasn’t even in that day. So no call back from an alternative person was arranged. So I had to call Orange back yesterday evening.
2 weeks ago I discovered that I was being charged for data I didn’t know I was/am using. I renewed my contract with Orange at the beginning of April and I am already being charged over £70 for a £35 contract. I was told that I am using 4000mb data above the 500mb in my contract. I am also being charged for emails which should be included in my contract. I have just discovered I am now in a 24 month contract and I was under the impression I am in a 18month contract. This is not something I agreed to. I asked to be sent a copy of my contracts but I was just referred to look at the t&c’s on the Orange website.
How have I used this data? I don’t know! I don’t stream videos, use email or use that many apps. I never went over on my blackberry but I am, supposedly, on my new Samsung galaxy s. I have been advised by a gentleman last night on handset fault to turn off syncing and that I will not receive social updates on my phone, emails, run apps etc – so now I am receiving less services and being charged more? Fair? Not in my eyes. I am told to call Samsung; but why should I call Samsung on a 0845 number adding to my ever increasing phone bill.
So I ask if I can change my phone to a different model. Just to a blackberry of some form. I am being charged for stupendous amounts of data I am not using… or if I am using I don’t know what/where/when/how I am. I’m just simply told to turn off apps. But what’s the point of having such a phone if I’m not using it? So I ask if I can have a different phone. They plainly tell me no. So I ask if I can start using my old blackberry they tell me yes but I will need to add a blackberry bolt on. Costing me more.
Fair? I think not.
So now I am stuck waiting until Thursday for someone to call me back. They will (if they call me) check my bill to see if I have been charged extra. If I am still being charged and I reiterate that I don’t know how I am using this data. Then I will have to do a factory reset. But I’ve only had the phone just over a month. Why should I have to go to this trouble? I haven’t been sold a phone which is fit for its intended purpose. I should after 7 years of being with orange; I should be able to change this phone. They can take it away. I don’t want it. Give me a Blackberry!
You are tied into a contract; you can’t change your phone so you only have one option. Fix the phone. That’s it. Nothing else. Cannot change the model or get out of the contract. #stuck as we’d say on Twitter.
I am expecting a call-back Thursday – let’s see if it happens. What are the chances? Judging from past experiences when in the past on about 3 separate occasions I have been promised a call-back when my blackberry continuously developed faults and they have not happened – Mmmm slim to none maybe?
Ok so the good things. Sometimes you do speak to ‘friendly’ people on their phone lines. But they are just the empathic fellows that are there to ooh and ahh at the troubles you are facing. Promise you a call back or palm you off to another department. Normally the friendly people are on handset faults. Or just kindly tell you that there is nothing you can do. There was a time when I spoke to someone who was extremely rude and told me there was nothing they could do for me in the time when I had my blackberry replaced various times in the matter of 4 months. I complained about him to a manager but nothing ever came of it. No feedback was given to me.
I have asked for a refund for the amount of ‘data’ I apparently used. Been told someone will look into it. Mmmmm.
Let’s see if the call-back happens on Thursday at 8.30pm as promised.
Priya Mulji
priyamulji.com 
Orange is lousy worldwide. I have my woes with them here in Kenya and cannot talk or refer to OrangeKe without a potty mouth.
Bad times, unfortunately data allowance and usage is where the network providers are now stinging customers. Where as before you had unlimited data allowance, now you get a measly 400mb or so and get charged a high rate for going over. New 3G phones and future phones, are more sophisticated and can do so much more, but the downside is they are more data hungry so therefore undoubtedly you will get charged more for data usage! Ofcom definetly need to investigate this for the sake of consumers!
I never went over on my blackberry and I am using it the same amount for practically the same stuff. I actually am using it less that last day so essentially I am getting less for my money? #FAIL !
I would concur with KK. They’re awful. Try to make a complaint and they just put the phone down on you! B****s…
Yep, I have had the phone put down on me too. By that guy I have spoken about in the blog.
I’ve had an Orange contract for about 5 years now, as do most of my family & my boyfriend. I was also with them as a PAYG customer ever since I can remember.
I moved about 3 years ago & where I live I cannot get any signal, I thought it was just my phone at first but anyone who comes around to my house & is on Orange can’t get signal. Not even one bar. After ringing Orange a million times, they tried to tell me that a ‘mast’ was down. So, a mast is down for 2 years? (At the time) Even if that was the case this was not the reason why I couldn’t call or text. Soon I learnt to deal with it as Orange clearly weren’t going to do anything about my issue despite being a loyal customer for as far back as I can remember…
I’d been using Blackberrys since I moved here because that is/was the only phones I knew that could boost my signal through UMA (Wifi) access.
I upgraded with Orange (Stupid, I know) & I got a Sony Ericsson Vivaz… Shortly after receiving it, I realised I was back at square 1 with the same problem as it didn’t have a UMA booster. I rang Orange & they messed me around for so long that I was unable to send it back to them due to their lack of knowledge & communication & then I went on holiday so by the time I returned, I was out of the period where I could send it back. I take half of the responsibility but Orange should take the other half, even though they refuse.
They then reassured me that they are teaming up with Tmobile & it will 100% make my signal better, what a load of old tosh. It hasn’t. Its the same. 2 companies & still the same problems.
So, I’m back stuck with another Blackberry with no signal & nobody from Orange willing to help. It seems they’re too busy trying to entice new customers & they’re forgetting their loyal customers.
I’m sick of ringing Orange because they clearly don’t know anything & they clearly don’t want to help. I’m paying for a service which I can’t use… They’re just not registering this FACT.
All I know is, as soon as my contract ends then I’m gone.. It’s too much hassle & money for nothing. I would NEVER recommend Orange to anybody.
Thats rubbish! Run! As fast as you can! I wish I had, mine was pure laziness!
haramzadeh, kootahs, dogs!!! Priya, my heads boiling, how dare they, complain to everyone, write to ofcom, citizens advice bureux, consumer advice, lawyers, your local mp, these companies are disgusting, I deal with energy companies all the time, Fight them!
Just an update to this.
I posted this link to a few people on the orange twitter page. They arranged for someone from the exec team to calle me and I am going to speak to them on Friday when I have decided which phone I want to change to. They are changing my phone! Think I will go for a BB.
Justice!
Just a further update. Got a new BB Bold 9780 and its working wonderfully.
But.
I was checking my bill at the weekend and it stated I am using more that my included data allowance. I had used £6+ what I should have had included, I thought it might be just carried over from last bill. So I call Orange and a girl (who didn’t really sound like she knew what she was doing) said that I hadn’t used much more so not to worry. So I didn’t but then I was worried because she didn’t really sound like she had a clue so on Saturday eve I tweet Orange and they say someone will get back to me Tuesday.
It is now Thursday. I check my bill and now it states i’ve used £9+. So I tweet Orange again and have been told someone will call me today. That was over an hour ago.
Lets see what they say!
Ok so the lady called me, I have something which is running in the background and is charging me £1 a day. What? They cannot tell. So I have been asked to delete Facebook and Twitter for 24hrs and they will monitor.
BUT what’s the point of having a smartphone if you cannot check your social feeds?
I’m not being doshonest about anything. They can stay with me for a year and watch me use my phone and if it hasn’t ever in the past been this much how can it suddenly ever since I have had my last two phones I appear to be using more data.
#POINTLESS #USELESS #WASTEOFMONEY
#ORANGE
#FAIL