Please can u help with my letter to Orange - Legal people welcome

Vegetarian

Vegetarian

Vegetarian

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Please can you help me with this letter to Orange. Im dyslexsic so find these things hard. Can you point out mistakes and any ideas to improve things.


Thanks
To Whom It May Concern:

I have cancelled my direct debit with you because you are in Breach of contract.

I have been a loyal Orange Broadband customer since 1999 when it was Freeserve. I used your “Unlimited” dial-up and later when ADSL became available, your Unlimited Broadband package till January of this year (the 12 month contact had run out long ago).

Late last year, one of your care team contacted me and said that my line has been upgraded to 8meg and would I like to upgrade. I told him I would think it over. Again in January I was sent two letters from Orange stating my line has been upgraded to 8 Meg and would I like to join? So I speak to the care team and was told….

“Yes we have done tests on your line, you are fully capable of at least 5.5meg. We think it would be a good idea for you to upgrade as you are only on our 512k package… this speed change will not cost you anything so basically a free upgrade”.

I have been paying £20 p/m for some time. Orange sold me a very convincing reason to upgrade, as the speed increase would benefit me (it would not cost me anymore than I’m paying now), so I agreed and started a new 12-month contract.

However, after 2 weeks I had no speed increase, I phoned Orange who told me there’s been a mistake as my re-grade had not been activated yet… I should receive my upgrade in 10 days. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Ten days passed and still stuck at 512k. Technical team tell me that they have done tests on my line and found that the max speed is 512k. So complained to a manager: he looked at my account and commented…

“There is no record of any speed change listed and no record of any tests on you line recently to determine that you can only get 512k. Your re-grade has not been activated yet so it’s impossible for technical support to have done these tests. Your line is capable of at least 5.5meg”

He says sorry and fast tracked me to the upgrade. Two weeks pass… I’m still at 512k and technical support inform me…

“We can’t do anything re speed changes because we don’t have the software. You have to speak to the care team.”

So phoned up care team who say…

“We can’t do anything about speed issues, you have to go to technical”!!!

I asked to speak to a manager and Orange said one would phone me up in a few hours. No phone call came. After phoning Orange a few times, a manager did call me. I explained the problem to him. I realised he had put the phone on his desk and walked off - I could hear people talking in background… he had just gone!!

This cycle goes on for a few more weeks… care team and technical passing me too and throw like a tennis ball… then promising me Id get my upgrade soon as my line is fully capable of at least 5.5meg as they have just checked with BT.

Then care team tell me….

“We cant put you on 8meg as the maximum speed you can have is 512k… someone should have told you this before you signed up with us. This is because we have put you on LLU network and the max speed in your area is 512k. 8meg is only achievable on ipstream”

I knew I was on IpStream before, so asked to be put back on it again as Orange had not asked my consent to put me on LLU.

“We can’t change you back”

Shocked, I told Orange that you had contacted and convinced me several times to upgrade as you have done tests on my line and found it suitable for at least 5.5meg.

The guy I was talking to wavered my contract as he agreed that I had not received the service I was paying for and put me back on the Unlimited Broadband deal I was on before. I find out later this was not the case!

I would like to add at this point, the problem with speed is totally Orange’s problem. Both my equipment and BT line are faultless and an independent technician can prove this. Again you are in breach of contact for supplying me with a Livebox that wont work with supplied CD installation! In fact my line stats indicate that I could even achieve 16meg as my exchange is within short walking distance from me and have a low line Attenuation (DB).

Since this re-grade saga my download rates have got worse! I am lucky if I can get 0.3 meg. I use my Broadband for work… I have to upload and download work to my bosses… I am no longer able to do this, as files are very large. It is causing me great stress and affecting my work.

I am no longer able to contact my relatives and friends aboard – we used to be able to chat via web cam – now I don’t have bandwidth to do that. There are 2 PCs in this house… we are not able to use net properly if both PCs are using broadband at same time!

I phoned up to cancel and was told I cant as I am tied to a contract and would have to pay it off if I want to leave. I was even refused a MAC code as I was told Id have to pay off my contract first! You know this to is illegal! I have managed to get my MAC code now.

Orange care team are rude and insulting… they treat you like you don’t have rights and interrupt everything you say. Your attitude is tough luck and all you are interested in is getting my money for a non existent service, one you miss sold to me via a lie!

YOU ARE IN BREACH OF CONTRACT

You have lied and CONNED me into a 12-month contact. So I am terminating it, as you did not supply me with service you promised!

Can you confirm by writing that you have cancelled my account with you and that there is no fee. I also want to be reimbursed to my account the money I’ve paid you since January.

As you are in breach of contract I shall expect a speedy out come or I will take further legal actions against you.

I shall be sending this letter to Ofcom, Trading standards and all the other relevant organisations.


Yours truly,

******


CC Ofcom, Trading standards, Manchester Evening News, Watchdog
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Seems good to me.

This is why I don't get my broadband through anyone other than people that specialise in it.
 
Vegetarian said:
Please can you help me with this letter to Orange. Im dyslexsic so find these things hard. Can you point out mistakes and any ideas to improve things.


Thanks
Click to expand...

I have been a loyal Orange Broadband customer since 1999 when it was Freeserve. I used your “Unlimited” dial-up and later when ADSL became available, your Unlimited Broadband package untill January of this year (the 12 month contact had run out a long ago).

Late last year, one of your care team contacted me and said that my line has been upgraded to 8meg and would I like to upgrade. I told him I would think it over. Again in January I was sent two letters from Orange stating my line has been upgraded to 8 Meg and would I like to join? So I spoke to the care team and was told….

This cycle goes on for a few more weeks… care team and technical passing me too and throw like a tennis ball… then promising me I'd get my upgrade soon as my line is fully capable of at least 5.5meg as they have just checked with BT.

The guy I was talking to waived my contract as he agreed that I had not received the service I was paying for and put me back on the Unlimited Broadband deal I was on before. I find out later this was not the case!

Other suggestions:
Cut the SHOUTING
Rephrase the "he said, she said" to something along the lines "I was told", "I was informed"
Cut the exclamation marks
Drop the accusations of being conned. The letter should express your dissatisfaction with the service and their support and nothing more.
Quote where they are in breach of contract, don't just say it, it is an empty threat otherwise
Are you sure you are allowed multiple PCs on the connection? Just make especially sure, you don't want them to wriggle out of anything :)
Ask for compensation for wasted time, letter writing, phone calls.
Get the name of someone at Orange to write to or as a last resort make it "Customer Services"
Lay it out better in a bulleted time line? It would increase readability, allow you to missing out "joining" words

These are just my suggestions if I were writing the letter, don't mean to be to picky :)
 
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Shorten it a bit if you can and just now I'll point out some of the more obvious spelling/grammatical errors that I spotted on a quick scan through. :)

"care team and technical passing me too and throw like a tennis ball" - Should be "...to and fro...".
"The guy I was talking to wavered my contract" - "...waived my contract".
"I phoned up to cancel and was told I cant" - needs an apostophe "can't" or correctly in formal writing "can not".
"You know this to is illegal!" - perhaps reword to "Refusal to supply a MAC code is illegal" or if you wish to keep this the same then you need it to be "this too...".
"one you miss sold to me via a lie" - "missold" is one word.
"I shall expect a speedy out come" - "outcome" is one word.
"I will take further legal actions against you" - I think you just want to take the one so drop the "s" off "actions".

Hopefully that helps a bit, occasionally being a grammar nazi comes in handy. :)
 
Dont make it shorter, its good, very descriptive, my God I would have left them a long time ago if I was in your shoes. I fully expect them to agree to the termination, you have rather good case there.
 
As others have said, very long-winded. A few other points:

Right at the beginning of the letter, you may want to hold on to the rather blunt "I have cancelled my direct debit with you [...]" remark until later in the letter. Shift the second paragraph up to the start and express how you were a loyal customer, etc.

The whole "he said, she said" sequence of events which seems to take up the vast majority of the letter seems rather unnecessary. It could really be summed up with one or two sentences: something along the lines of "I have been in contact with the sales and technical teams on numerous occasions..."

Are those actual quotes from the relevant people you contacted? If they are not, I would remove the quotation marks and simply state what they told you without turning it into a little roleplay.

It seems strange that you consistently refer to "Orange" as if they are a third party, when it is them you are writing to.

Could do with being a bit more formal. Remove the multiple exclamation marks, and perhaps tidy up the last part of the letter — it doesn't seem to fit in with the rest. I can understand your frustration, but the best way to get something done about the issue is to keep it as formal and matter-of-fact as possible.

Regarding the legal aspects of the letter, I think it's a bit brash to claim that they "lied and CONNED" you into an extended contract. I would be hesitant to make accusations like that without seeking legal advice beforehand. Do you actually have anything in writing regarding any promises that were made to you?
 
"Yours Faithfully"

At the end if you do not know the name of the person you are writing to.
 
That letter is FAR too long.
Start with a simple paragraph stating the problem, then outline the main issues in further paragraphs.
I would suggest using bullet points as a timeline to make it easier for a customer services to scan over it to see what has gone wrong and when.
Also I would suggest cutting the threats and shouting as this makes you look very unprofessional.
Finally, lose the 'dialogue'..it's not a novel!
 
Oh also at this stage I would only threaten them with a report to Ofcom and the other lot.
I can almost guarantee they will sort your problem as soon as they see you can be bothered to write a letter.

Give them 2 weeks or something in the letter after which you say you will contact Ofcom.
 
To everyone that says you the letter is too long I disagree, the longer the more determined/arsey you come across so the more likely that you will carry through on your threats.
My letter of complaint to HSBC was 2000 words when they screwed up my overdraft.

The complaints department is going to have to read it so I don't see it matters.
 
I would have written a letter to ofcom a long time ago, if I were in your shoes, and not bothered with trying to write these people any more letters.
 
G-MAN2004 said:
It's 'until'. :)

Also, isn't it 'waved' instead of 'waived'?
Click to expand...

Oops, just added "un" on :)
Waive: To voluntarily and intentionally relinquish a known right, claim or privilege.

I think it is right, semi-pro wrestler agreed with me, but I am no spelling whiz kid ;)
 
I wouldn't write it as such a personal story, direct more stuff at them. And use words such as "exasperated" :) You're cleverer than them :p
 
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