Orange upgrade drivin me mad!!!

acisace · 18-12-2007, 6:56 PM

basically i can finally get an upgrade supposedly from orange 2moz (although the shop says different 2 the call centre!!!)

I am in the 16th month of my 18 month contract so what are my choices??

Basically my SE k800 is on its last legs and i doubt it will last much longer...

Ideally i would like to replace it with either the LG viewty, SE k850?? or the Samsung G800...

Help appreciated!!!!!

Syphonic · 18-12-2007, 9:23 PM

I'm in a similar boat except Orange are trying to pinch me from Phones4U so I would be a direct customer to them before my contract ends. I also get a discount on Orange because of the company I work for. Problem is, they want about £100 to upgrade me to the Viewty from the K800i.

They are offering me:
Moto V8: I really want a clam because I am sick of the keypad lock coming off and the lens cover opening on my K800i, however the camera on the V8 sucks and I am scared of the Moto UI after my nightmares with the PEBL and original RAZR.

Samsung: The woman on the phone didn't seem to know which one, I think it will be the G600.

Viewty: They want £100. Thing that puts me off it is the lack of Wi-FI. I think if i were to go for a phone like the Viewty, it would need all the bells and whistles. The woman on the phone didn't even realise this phone was a touchscreen!

Nokia 6500 Classic: No camera, candybar/brick form factor is somewhat off-putting.

K850i: Keypad lock is worrying me again. Am I right in thinking the keys on this phone are touch sensitive, so there is no chance the keypad lock could come off in my pocket?

fawcepi · 18-12-2007, 11:12 PM

acisace - you should be able to upgrade being at that point in the contract. did orange give you a price for any of those handsets?

I work there, if you want to PM me your number i could check it out for you?

Syponic - The 6500 Classic has a 2mp camera??? Yes the K850i has 3 touch sensitive buttons so the keypad lock should be fine. I have the K800i and mine always stays locked in my pocket, saying that though, i only ever have the phone in my pocket. not with change or wallet etc.

Basically if there is a price tag on an upgrade it's due to not spending enough throughout the 12/18months contract, to warrent getting a new "high spec'd" handset that costs about £200+ new.

Spiderkid · 19-12-2007, 5:49 PM

If you're that close to the end of your contract just wait another month and then request your PAC code. That automatically tells them that you're seriously ready to leave them and they'll do just about anything to keep you, I'd be very surprised if they didn't offer you a free phone of your choice if they know you're about to leave.

I've been with Orange for years, but I've finally had enough as their plans just aren't flexible enough for me. I use a lot of internet on my phone, and despite paying an extra £5 for 'unlimited browsing' every month I've recently discovered that the free browsing only applies to a restricted number of 'Orange world pages' (ie. not the normal internet) and is restricted to a 'fair usage' policy of just 20MB of data per month! This seems rediculous as Vodaphone describe their 'fair usage' as 120MB per month, 6 times more than Orange... and T-Mobile allow you up to 1GB per month! How on earth can Orange call that measly limit 'fair'? Might check this out with trading standards.. as either the other networks are being extremely generous (unlikely) or Orange is being mean because it thinks it can get away with it (more likely).

Anyway, rant over!

minineil · 19-12-2007, 8:17 PM

My orange contract ends on jan 1st 2008 , rang orange yesterday to upgrade and was told i have to pay £250 to upgrade as my 18 month contract still has 13 days, told them that i was off

Been orange customer for 6years.

neil...........

fawcepi · 19-12-2007, 9:08 PM

I'm pretty sure that the £5 a month data package from Orange gives you 1000mb to use during off peak hours (7-7)?

minineil - I have a feeling if you are still presented with a charge to upgrade, you dont have huge bills each month (which is basically what gets you an early upgrade and the latest phones for free) so therefore to upgrade it will take you to the end of the contract and no doubt the majority of the handsets will come with a charge.

minineil · 19-12-2007, 9:52 PM

I've never missed a bill in 6 years

I pay £30 - £35 amonth for the last 18 months on this contract of mine.
Had one claim in that 18 months for a phone that would turn its self off

I do class myself as a good customer for orange but after this, it looks like t-mobile can have my cash

neil...

fawcepi · 20-12-2007, 1:20 AM

Being a good, consistent payer (direct debit is the best) does help. £30-35 a month for a mobile phone is a lot to me. Some people spend £150+ a month (silly

). Like most things though, you pay more you get more.

Just do what Spiderkid said and ask for your PAC code, when you have 30days left. Disconnections will do what they can for you. As long as you're nice about it dont forget

minineil · 20-12-2007, 5:22 AM

thats what i'm going to do mate.

sounds like a , ATEAM PLAN TO ME

Spiderkid · 20-12-2007, 9:29 AM

Orange are muppets. It annoys me because they used to be the best in the business. Back in the day when they were after new customers and wanted to make an impression they revolutionised the mobile network by making phones affordable to nearly everyone (remember Everyday 50?).

Anyway, sadly as they've netted their comfortable cusion of 'loyal customers' like us they've now all about making as much money as possible out of us. I remember the day when Orange would match any other talk plan, now they've introduced these dumb, patronising 'animal plans' which are far more restrictive than any other network (for example try getting a package with an even number of minutes and texts).

I signed up for an 18 month contract last year, but when I rang a month ago to ask how long I had left they told me I was on a 24 month contract! I tried to explain that when I took out my contract they didn't even have 24 month contracts but they insisted that the system was right. In the end I had to find my original contract (good reason to keep it!) which clearly stated 18 months and fax it to them before they'd change it back.

So as soon as I get to month 17 I'm off, and sadly I'm convinced that there is nothing they could now offer me that would make me stay.

Just a word of warning to anyone thinking of upgrading during your contract, if you do you'll be tied in to a brand new contract (most likely 18 months), so you'd better be happy with the phone/plan/service you're getting.

Spiderkid · 20-12-2007, 9:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fawcepi

I'm pretty sure that the £5 a month data package from Orange gives you 1000mb to use during off peak hours (7-7)?

As far as I'm aware you can get the 'Orange World data bundle' for a whopping £8 extra a month which gives you a 'fair usage' download limit of a measly 30MB! That's even more expensive than 20MB for £5! Plus the free browsing is restricted to Oranges own pages and associated 'world' pages.

I currently pay £35 a month plus this £8 bundle, making £43. For that I get 600 minutes (which I never use and which I recently found out didn't include landland calls, which seems rediculous in this day and age), unlimited texts and 30MB of Orange World per month.

If I switched to the current offer from T Mobile of the Flext 35 plus Web'n Walk, for £37.50 per month I'd get £180 talk and text credit per month (which includes calls to landlines) plus free mobile internet (not just a restricted version) with a monthly download limit of 1GB! That's 33 times more data downloading than orange, all for £5.50 less per month than I'm currently paying!

I'm looking forward to explaining that to the poor sod at Orange whos' job it'll be to try and keep me when my contract's up...

fawcepi · 20-12-2007, 1:16 PM

Superkid - I wouldn't waste your time. If you're not happy with the network just leave. Rather than bitch and moan on to someone about the fact you're not getting what you want, especially when you know for a fact they cant give you it.
Not sure what plan you are on but all talk plans let you call any UK Mobile Network and any UK landline number, as long as it isn't one of those call-forward/call abroad for cheap numbers.

Who told you that about the landline calls?? Have you checked your itemised bill to make sure?

When you upgrade you always enter into a new contract, not sure what you mean by your last statement??? It's always been like that. You cant get a brand new phone for nothing.

Spiderkid · 20-12-2007, 2:41 PM

Fawcepi, I am leaving, just as soon as my contract's up. I just think it's a shame that a major network like Orange is no longer in a position to have the flexibility to give me a deal that would make me consider staying.

You're right about the landline calls, something in the orange literature I got recently seemed to imply that they weren't inclusive, but they are.

As for starting a new contract, I was pointing it out because it's very tempting to opt for a shiny new phone if you're near the end of your contract, but if you wait until you're actually out of contract you'll have a lot more choice, both of networks, plans and phones. I nearly signed another 18 month contract just to get a new phone but decided to wait a few months so that I can change networks and get a new phone..