Have orange gone downhill??

[Spud1]

Until recently I had always rated orange as being one of the best networks in the UK, both in terms of coverage, services and customer service.

This, along with excellent student contracts, is why I decided to go with them now that i've moved back to the UK. I was with them a few years ago and found them excellent..so expected the same.

However so far i've had a terrible experience..and am left wondering if it is worth the extra few quid a month to go back to Vodafone..

Ordering and getting my phone delivered was easy, the problems start trying to activate. When you get your phone from an online order, you get a slip of paper telling you that your phone is already registered, but has a bar on it. So you need to call the registration line from your mobile to get the bar lifted. Of course when you dial the number and get through the auto-messages, it tries to put you through to an operator to get your phone un-blocked..BUT your phone is blocked, and you get a message telling you so when it tries to put you through. So I try with the landline number - and no less than 3 times I get cut-off half way through the call. So thats 4 calls and 4x phone bills just activating my phone!

having got it activated I then try and set up my phone how I want it (it's a nokia 6280). First thing I want to play with is the new 'active standby' feature that comes with all Series 40 rev3 phones..I search the phone menus for it but can't find it - so eventually resort to checking the manual - which tells me where to look. But it's not there - no mention of it where it should be.
At this point I phone up orange, wait 30mins in a queue and get put through to someone who tells me that I need to go to a certain menu, walks me through it and guess what - the menu I need doesn't exist on my phone. After trying numerous sim updates and phone resets she gives up and tells me ' a technical support rep will call you within 48hrs'.

48hrs later - no call. I'm passing an orange shop that day as it happens so I pop in and queue for another 20mins to get to speak to a rep, who then tells me he can't help me as its an online contract..ffs. He does however manage to put me through to orange customer service again (on the orange store phone, that was nice of him) and tries to find out why I havn't been contacted. This next rep I speak to on the phone then tells me it will be 1-6 days before I get a call back. SIX DAYS!! I resist the urge to shout rude things at him (it's not his fault) and walk out of the shop...this was 5 working days ago, and i'm doubtful that I will get a callback tomorrow but we will see.

Other than that the 3g coverage has been pretty good (although the orange TV is rubbish, and 3G speeds are very poor even at max signal)..but this is service of the kind I would expect from 02 - not from orange, who have always been one of the better networks..

Have I just been unlucky or have they really gone as bad as 02? Should I consider switching back to good old reliable (but more expensive) voda?

[dave87]

I actually found that vodafone was cheaper than the rest, at least for students - I'm currently on anytime 125 with unlimited txts mms for £25/month

[Spud1]

any link?

I did look there but they were only cheaper with rubbish phones (either SE or low end nokias) or 18month contracts...I dislike SE phones and I don't want to get an 18 month contract as I don't plan on still living in the UK after I finish uni

[dave87]

ah, it was an 18month contract, but I did get the k800i thrown in for free

[Spud1]

hehe so both of the things I don't want =) oh well was worth hoping..just got to hope that after these problems are solved orange sort themselves out..

[Parm]

I have heard of people having problems with Orange as of late, but I've been with them for a few years now and the customer service I find has always been exceptional.

Maybe I'm just lucky but I always enjoy ringing them as I find I always get something good in return.

[b0redom]

I had an Orange personal account, and wandered into the store to setup a business account, and migrate the existing one into it.

Basically I wanted 2 phones, 1 bill.

3 months on, they're still double billing me.

Every time I call up "Business Services" I end up on hold for the best part of an hour before being told that all the Orange stores are franchises and we can't help you - you need to go in to the store and have them set it up for you.

I then went back to the original Orange store who told me that I need to call up the business department.

I then called up the business dept (another hour wait) who told me that no, I definitely need to go back to the store. Oh, and for migrating the other phone in, I need to pay another 17 quid a month + VAT.

I actually went into the store yesterday and talked to the manager who offered to call up the business line for me and straighten it all out for me. After an hour, she got through, and was told to call some more numbers.

As of this morning I'm still being billed double, I'm still being charged for calls between the handsets (which should be free), and I'm still being billed 10p for every txt message.

NOT HAPPY!

Tom

[Spud1]

Might aswell update you all while i'm waiting for a callback from a supervisor

I phoned up an hour ago to check on where they were up to - and I was told that technical had got back to them, and informed them that with all the latest versions of the Series 40 Rev 3 firmware, orange have removed active standby as it was 'unstable'.

This doesn't surprise me that much (after hearing reports of how bad orange customised firmware is), but it really annoys me that this was not mentioned when I ordered, that it is one of the 'new' features that this phone offers and orange had just cut it out..

Whats worse is that they apparently got this information last week - and no-one has called me back..if I had not called myself to find out what was going on I would never have been called back.

I then ask if I can either exchange my handset for one with an older firmware (That does have active standby) or if I can exchange for a different phone model - eg a N73 or N80..i'm at first told a flat no - and that to do that I would have to cancel my new contract and take out a new one!

This is not an option, and i've told them that if that is all they can do then I will simply cancel my contract, get my PAC code and move to three or 02 - they have very similar deals with working phones..and their customer service can't be any worse than orange..

After hearing this he decided that maybe there is something they can do, and i'm waiting for his supervisor to call me back at the moment..so here's hoping I can get an N80 out of them, would make this all worthwhile

[Spud1]

omg...all I can say is that I am amazed.

Everyone that I have spoken to has told me that the ONLY way to resolve this is to cancel my current contract and take out a new one.

Unbelievable...why can't they just exchange the phone? It makes no sense..i'm going to have to find a nokia service center and try and get them to re-flash it with nokia firmware, see if that solves the issue..I still have a week on my money back guarantee so hopefully that will solve the problem

[Fidley]

You WILL get a free n80 on o2 if you go into one of their shops Ask them to price match carphone warehouse

And yes, in answer to your q, orange are ****e now, my friend has had probs too (similar to yours)

[Spud1]

Sounds interesting Fidley what contract did you get just out of interest? So that I know what i'm gunning for...I just tried their direct sales with no luck but a shop might be better..if I can find one near me.

[dave87]

I have got to say, I got an orange payg sim card for my sister - and their customer services is frankly shocking.

First, we phone up to register the phone. That goes fine - when we eventually get through. Then ask to set up a direct debit - oh, we can't do that, as the phone is in the name of a person under 18. Despite the fact I mentioned this earlier - you still let me get the phone registered in my sisters name?!?!

Right, have to phone them back tomorrow, register it in Mum's name - that takes an hour to do. Switched between depts no end, eventually it happens. Then get put through to billing, in order that we set up the direct debit. Start to give them the details, Oh, I'm sorry, we can't do direct debits from BarclayCard. Now had this been me on the phone, I would have hung up, thrown the card in the bin and said sod it. But Mum gives their operator a slight berating for utter incompetence, then gives up. So now not only do we have a sim card we are going to have to top up manually each month, we have crap customer service to boot.

Dave

[Spud1]

Just cancelled my orange contract - ironically that was the easiest experience i had with them - phone up, straight through, disconnected and a bag on its way for the old handset...easy as pie lol.

In the end I managed to get a much better deal on three via phones4u:

Free N73
400txts, 600mins (800, 1200 for first 6 months)
50 video mins
50 pic msgs
£5 downloads

£22.50 for 9 months (all direct debit, no cashback needed)
free insurance for 2 months (via cold hard cash recieved today!)
after 9 months bring contract down to £20 a month

18 month contract but I can cancel it after 14 months (they will pay off teh remainder of the contract for me if i take another via phones4u!)

So i'm very happy with that - just hope the three signal is ok..if not i can 14 day it again lol...

Oh and if i decide i want a different phone anytime in the first month i can just go and exchange it free of charge for say..then N80 if i want to

[nc555]

As an Orange customer for past 3 years definetly agree the service has declined. Never had a problem with reception, however the customer service has been terrible at times. It took 7 weeks for them to send an unlock code for my Nokia 6680.

Now that I have a T-mobile contract has made me realise how bad Orange are in comparision. Doubt I will renew my contract in November.

[Fidley]

Spud Contract is £35 a month, with 600mins 100 txts, + 2000 mins to use over the weekend for life! And yes i talk on the phone a lot!

[pp05]

Orange are losing customers by the thousands. Their price plans don't seem all that competitive compared to competition.