Orange phone/internet rant.

[n3crius]

I've been with Orange on my mobile for years. I've never really had a reason to complain, the service is generally good.

Moved place a few months ago and ended up having Wanadoo ADSL installed. So with their 'livebox' (a ridiculously huge modem/router which apparently eats at McDonalds every time I'm not watching it) installed I eventually got the internet working well over my network.

Only a month later Orange seemed to mysteriouslly step in and take control of everything Wanadoo related. No correspondence, no email, or indeed any sort of notification. All services and their main site suddenly redirect to Orange. Not really much problem with that other than the fact it all feel a bit dubious.

So, only a short while later my partner spotted 'free internet' from Orange on tv. Great, let's give them a call and see if we're eligible for this, we've only been on their system a short while.

We make a call, explain the details and ask if we can get 'free internet'. The guy on the other end agrees it's all good and we'll be on it from this point forward. Ace!

That was a few months ago now. We recently spotted the broadband cost was still coming out of our account so we decided to give them a call and see what was going on.

Explaining to the operator what had been agreed previously, our current situation, and what we'd still been paying all went smoothly. Then he responded by explaining we couldn't be signed up for free internet unless we renewed our phone contracts. Oh, slight problem though. We actually went for another contract with Orange (individually) only months before getting the broadband installed, we won't be able to renew for a while yet. So, there's really nothing we can do. Terrific Orange.

So my rant is this:

1) I shouldn't have to renew my flippin contract because I've been a damn loyal customer to these muppets for years, while they are handing out free internet to any person that signs up here and now, I'm left shelling out a load of cash.

2) We can't renew our contracts any time soon regardless.

So, I've decided there's really not a great deal I can do immediately. But I can guarantee I'll not be renewing ANY sort of contracts with Orange as soon as I can get out, and I'll be sending a letter off to tell someone higher up just how annoyed I am at their lack of respect for customers. Not that I imagine it'll do a scrap of good.

While I'm at it let me just give a brief review of their actual internet service as far as I have found it. Appaling. About a quarter of the time it's not working. We've had no end of downtime in the last few months. We've had two seperate occasions where it's been down for a full weekend. Hilariously when we called on one of those, they just played a message on the support line explaning how they had somehow managed to knock out half of the UK.

So, perhaps that does explain how they are managing to make it 'free' and lure new customers, it's just shoddy and not worth installing.

God that feels better.

 

[[ASSE]Hinchy]

I had just renewed my contract with Orange after two years. Stayed on the same cost contract but a better deal.

Two or three months later I called them and sorted my broadband. It just means you have to start your 12 or 18 months contract with them again. Hardly a problem if you've been with them for year's already as you're not likely to change

 

[meghatronic]

As above... you shouldn't need to 'renew' your contract, just extend your commitment.. i.e. 12months from today instead of waht? 9 months...

 

[Volcs]

We've got Orange broadband and have had absolutley zero issues with it - free wireless router delivered about two days after we requested it, connected immediately, zero downtime. I still can't believe we're not paying anything for it to be honest.

Hurrah to Orange I say.

(can see why you'd be annoyed though)

 

[Dolph]

You need to renew your current contract term from the day you take out broadband, so if you're two months in to a 12 month contract, you add two months onto the end. There's no reason you have to wait until the end of your contract to take out the package. (although it's worth suggesting to someone in the last few months to hold off and do the broadband/new tarriff/new phone option)

By making you sign to a newly restarted agreement, they are putting you in exactly the same position as a new customer, not at a disadvantage (and in fact, if it's a 12 month contract, a much better position than a new customer who can only get free broadband on an 18 month agreement)

It's also worth noting that Wannadoo has been owned by france telecom for ages, it's just been rebranded, everything else (systems staff etc) is exactly the same.

 

[n3crius]

thanks guys, i'll call them and see what they say again.

that's definitely not what we were told last time we called, and previous to that they told us we wouldn't be charged. their customer support's a joke.

in terms of the actual service, it's been dire for us. and when it happened, a lot of other customers were affected. can't wait to move to somewhere with cable again to be honest.