What would you guys do?

Janice

Janice

Messages
11,626
Name
Janice
Edit My Images
Yes
After having been with Freeserve for years, through it changing to Wanadoo, then we were on broadband with them, then they changed to Orange.
We have also had a big orange mobile contract for 2 phones for about 10 years.

I realized our broadband package hadnt changed in ages and we were probably paying over the odds at 27.99 per month, so I rung orange broadband and said i am thinking of changing to sky.com as it is cheaper.

He went through and changed my package to wireless and talk, unlimited downloads, 8 mb speed, and free calls 24/7 with a phone connected to the livebox. all for 17.99 so i took it.

Livebox arrived a month ago and i installed it and we are all up and running on broadband no probs. but no email to say what our new Talk number is, so i rung the support line, gave them the serial no, and mac no, of the livebox and they said theyd activate it.

FIVE calls and a month later, they still havent managed to activate it, they all say the same thing...... the serial no and mac no youve given us arent what we have here for you. i will pass it on to my escalation team and you should be on within 10 days. then nothing. i phone again and get the same replies.

Ive emailed yesterday, with very strong words that if they only exchange the livebox for another one then the serial no and mac no will match and we can start from scratch, but they say,, leave it with us!

I told them it is unacceptable as there is a solution but they wont do it.

where do i go from here??

Janice
 
This is what I do. Go to their web site (the corporate one for shareholders) and find who there directors are. Send the same letter to the CEO CFO and head of customer care (if there is one). State that you would like an answer to this problem within 14 days of receipt or you will have to bring a complaint with the ombudsman as obvioulsy there is an irreconsilable difference. I promise they will be in contact within 3-5 days.

Make sure to state clearly all the times you have called (with dates if possible) but at the same time keeping it at a minimum of 2 pages. GOOD LUCK!
 
this sounds very much like orange. ditch them and get something else. I'm on 8meg with virgin and its getting that all the time, not some jokey 'upto...' speeds but 8.1mbps every day.
I'm switching phone contracts soon as I can cause orange are frinkin' useless since being over taken by french company
 
im having problems with orange at the moment.
they upgraded my conection about a month ago, and since then ive had nothing but trouble, ive phoned them up and they MAKE you go through all these silly tests to get to the same result that you started with! anyway, after a few forceful conversations and being passed around from pillar to post, they finally thought of the idea of upgrading my speedtouch modem with a live box. they said it will be with me within 5 working days.. 3 weeks later and its still not arrived!, except a letter to appolise for any inconvieniance, so back onto the phone at them saying i was not happy because they are still happily taking my money every month but supplying me with an unsatifactory service. so they have refunded me for 2 months while i await the new box.. interenet has been ok recently if im honest, but im not gunna tell them that....

i got upgraded from 1mb to 5mb but now sits at 2.5mb, its ok for me with my internet usage, but am looking forward o getting full speed as promised
 
Janice, Im still on blimming Dial-up with Orange, since they took over Freeserve Ive had nothing but trouble with my connection.
I was stuck on the phone with their technical support yesterday for 20 mins at 50p per minute. They are saying they have solved all problems their end but I still cant keep my connection for longer than a few mins.

I too liked the sound of the full Sky BB package, I even ordered it ... then I posted here about it .... http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=12874

Ive cancelled Sky and am now looking at others, I need to get something sorted by the end of this week because Im going nuts with this... one things for sure Im not looking to get BB with Orange!
 
I have to say the actual broadband is fine.... 8.1mb all the time... but its just this Talk service that they cant seem to activate.

i will do what you said Renee.....what this space!!
 
i have just entered a new contract for 12 months with the wireless and talk though i should think....but if i am not getting half the service then i guess i should be free to terminate....i will read the small print.
 
Janice said:
i have just entered a new contract for 12 months with the wireless and talk though i should think....but if i am not getting half the service then i guess i should be free to terminate....i will read the small print.
Click to expand...

I've tried this route with my current supplier and while you are absolutely correct if they are anything like Pipex they will fight you tooth and nail. I'm in a position being new the country that I can't just say then sue me and walking away. But if you stand your ground and you are willing to have a black mark on your record for a bit (it will be cleared up eventually) this is normally contractually true (if it is anything like the standard t&c's used my communications companies). Send the t&c's my way if you want me to have a look.
 
I think a lot of the trouble is you're expecting/they are offering everything but the kitchen sink for very little money. The extra price you're paying is the appalling customer service and I can't see that changing.
 
Are there any ISPs with a good package and good customer service? Not in my experience...the 4 I've used over the years have all been useless.

I've just switched over to Sky broadband as I already have Sky TV and it's only £5 a month. My 8Meg broadband only connects at 3Meg, the connection keeps dropping and the customer service is rubbish.

They escalated my speed issue to 'level 2' support who said they'd test the line "in the next 10 days". I asked them how they would contact me to let me know the results of this test and they said there was no need to contact me. How do I know if/when they fix it then?
 
Amazing arent they! :wacky:

I must say Ive not had an iota of a problem with freeserve/wanadoo, in fact after i first got broadband wanadoo kept ringing up for a week or two just to see if the service was ok or if I had any problems!
I thought they had just merged with orange and all would be the same...not so!
 
I have Orange for my mobile and I've always found the service top notch. As my contract with Pipex is finally ending I was thinking of going to them but now I just don't know as it sounds like you have the same sorts of problems I have with Pipex. UGH we should band together and start our own decent telecoms company.... if only.
 
Freeserve/Wannado/Orange outsource their customer services - I used to work for the company they outsource to only in a different department.

I've worked in two departments for them now. I don't know how to reply to your thread without using the following words:

Ill-trained.
Muppet.
Useless.
Couldn't-care-less.
Waste of time.

The supervisors waste away their days having 'meetings'. Policies change and the staff are never told. Customers are frequently bulls***ted when staff don't know how to fix a problem.

Next time you have a problem, might as well ask the cat.
 
Janice said:
but if i am not getting half the service then i guess i should be free to terminate....i will read the small print.
Click to expand...

You'll be bloody lucky. I was with Orange mobile from the start and very happy until I moved house a year ago. Our new house is in London so you would expect decent coverage but oh no!

Orange has had a transmitter fault in the area for nearly two years and are planning on doing nothing to fix it. Having no signal at home is a real pain in the backside (I can use my work phone during working hours so have no need for a mobile in the daytime). So to make or recieve calls or texts I had to drive about a mile in either direction.

Spent hours on the phone to customer services trying to get them to either fix the fault or let me cancel my contract but they refused to do either. I had to reduce my priceplan to the cheapest monthly tariff I could find and then buy my way out of the contract for the remaining 8 months.

I will never, ever go with Orange again for anything. They have turned from the best mobile provider to one of the worst. That's what happens when you put profits before customer care.:thumbsdown:
 
Janice, my mum has a orange livebox thingy it took a while for it to all come through (and im talking a couple months) what kicked it off was i switched the live box off for about 10 -15 mins, and then switched it back on again, she received an email totally unexpected within a few hours of this, and can make and recieve calls on it fine now ! Still not sure whats going on with it, but she doesnt use much internet, and the phone is a gadget for her ! lol :)

Probably doesnt help, but give it a go anyway ! :)
 
Orange criticised for broadband fines
05 December 2006
A UK consumer group has lashed out at Orange for its decision to fine customers £12 ($23.75) if they switch to another broadband provider, accusing it of "anticompetitive behaviour". USwitch, which produces an annual broadband customer satisfaction report, says Orange's decision "to ... [more]
 
You have to subscribe for full story, so here it is :

Orange criticised for broadband fines

A UK consumer group has lashed out at Orange for its decision to fine customers £12 ($23.75) if they switch to another broadband provider, accusing it of "anticompetitive behaviour".
USwitch, which produces an annual broadband customer satisfaction report, says Orange's decision "to penalise customers who switch away" could generate up to £3m a year for the telco in fines. At the same time, says USwitch, overall customer satisfaction with broadband providers in the UK is dropping.

Arguing that market dynamics in the UK are prompting people to reconsider their broadband providers as we approach the new year, USwitch says Orange's announcement that it will charge for Mac codes is "causing confusion, difficulty and inconvenience".

Orange told its customers last week that, should they wish to switch to an alternative provider they will be charged £12 to receive the Migration Authorisation Code (MAC) that is required for a smooth transition to their new provider - should the customer request it more than once. The charge will come into effect on the 12th December 2006.

USwitch has approached the UK's media regulator, Ofcom and is calling for a standard practice that supports broadband customers switching from one provider to another. It also wants strict penalties for the broadband companies that do not support this practice.

Ofcom, was asked by Telecoms.com Tuesday if a system of fines for MAC codes was justified. A spokesman said: "Frankly no but we are looking into the whole issue of customers who want to switch the service providers."

In August, Ofcom put out a document that looked at the watchdog's own complaints data. According to the spokesman, there is a "significant minority" of UK customers who want to switch broadband provider "but find it incredibly difficult to do so". To that end, Ofcom is looking to introduce new rules that look to "make the switching process much simpler". Those rules could come as early as March 2007.

The spokesman explained that if the new rules are approved by Ofcom's board, by next year providers will be obliged to provide MAC codes "upon request, in real time and for free".

In its annual report, USwitch found that Orange came joint bottom in its customer satisfaction poll with one in three of its customers not satisfied with its service. Steve Weller, head of communications services at uSwitch.com said: "It seems ludicrous that given the current low levels of satisfaction, companies are penalising customers for switching to a better deal. It smacks of anti-competitive behaviour and will no doubt come as frustrating news to the one million customers tied into Orange's broadband service."

Despite repeated requests, Orange did not return press calls


They are not getting good press at all at the moment.
 
If you can get it Telewest are the best broadband internet bar none. My 10mb link is superb and it's completely unlimited. Now as for there customer service.....well thats a little to be desired but there actual product is flawless.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top