"You're entitled to a free upgrade"

[At The Gates]

I'm just out of contract with Orange now and in the past 3 weeks or so i've had about a dozen different people ring me up claiming to be Orange Customer Services, and offer me a free upgrade. Who are these people? Just random companies?

One was from an Indian call centre coming in on a US number. They (twice) tried to make me upgrade to a K750i. Apparantly i was a high usage valued customer but that was the only phone i could have. They soon hung up when i asked them as since i worked next to Orange UK would it be easier if i popped down to chat with them.

Another was some guy who said i could have a 6280 (or 6230? i think) free now, then in 6 months i would be sent an N93 for free, as i was such a valued customer.

The others tried to say if i signed up now (it had to be now) i'd get a Magic Number. Obviously oblivious to the fact that i could get that anytime from the Orange website.

They all asked for my address, and got irate when i said if they were Orange shouldnt they have my address since they've been sending me bills for 10 years.

None would give me a contact number and all wanted a credit card number to pay for the phone.

Who are these losers, and more importantly how do they find out my contract dates. Who else has this but Orange? (i've only ever upgraded direct with Orange).

 

[GuruJockStrap]

My girlfriend is experiencing the same problem (Although I took out my Orange contract at the same time and never get any phone calls. She spends nothing every month on calls etc).

She called Orange yesterday and they basically said that they pass on your details to these 3rd party compaines who contact you upgrade offers.

 

[Nozzer]

My girlfriend always gets the same but never has the sense to turn them down

Never accept an upgrade frin a third party.

 

[blairw]

Same for me at this time of the year - contract is up in the next few weeks. I tend to let them talk, i discuss, they want me to sign up, i mention i work for the link, they hang up... its all fun and games

 

[sl33pyhead]

She called Orange yesterday and they basically said that they pass on your details to these 3rd party compaines who contact you upgrade offers.

As far as I was aware this is specifically NOT the case at all.

Apart from potentially in violation of data protection regulations, think about it for a minute - it is most definitely not in Orange's interests to give out these details for existing customers since it is in no way in their interests to persuade customers to upgrade, and if if it were they would rather be doing it themselves than pay any dealer commission.

What normally happens is these companies use automated number range dialers based on phone codes and hope to hit an existing Orange customer who hasn't ported out. Alternatively they can purchase ready made lists of numbers fro various compiled sources.
Orange take a very dim view of third party dealers doing this - specifically ones who pose as being either Orange themselves, or Orange's appointed representitive. I also think it is now specifically against Orange policy to allow third party dealers to even use these automated dialers. Dealers in violation of these policies are terminated pretty quickly these days, although they no doubt return on another network.

The best methods of dealing with these people is twofold:
1. Get you number registered on the TPS list. All direct makreting companies are obliged to check this list before calling, and normally hang up immediately if you even mention to them "Are you aware of the TPS?"

2. Second - get as many details as possible from these cowboys (ie contact name, phone number and company name) - generally a good tip for this is to sound interested and just ask for the details in case you get cut off.
Once you have this information speak to Orange custoemr services and ask to raise a dealer incident.

However, in the case of the OP it sounds as if this is an simple con - especially with the foreign caller and caller ID - an atempt to no doubt harvest credit card details for fraudulant use. Avoid at all costs, although probably worth reporting to Orange nevertheless.



See here and here for some interesting information.

 

[Magsy]

When I had Orange I had several of these calls. Then I had Voda for 3 years and now o2 for a year, guess what? No calls

 

[Samtheman1k]

As far as I was aware this is specifically NOT the case at all.

Apart from potentially in violation of data protection regulations, think about it for a minute - it is most definitely not in Orange's interests to give out these details for existing customers since it is in no way in their interests to persuade customers to upgrade, and if if it were they would rather be doing it themselves than pay any dealer commission.

But an upgrade would tie you to Orange for another year/18 months, so yes, it is in Orange's interests to upgrade!

 

[tom_e]

I still get them everynow and again even though i switch to payg about 6 months ago i just let them rattle on and then tell them im no longer on contract