[jandt64]

anyone else got this deal for 5 free text messages a day for life? well i did! a friend gave me a code to save money on my phone calls and it cancelled my out there package. they tried to change the t and c's a year or so ago but watchdog stepped in and they backed down. i phoned customer services and spoke to someone who was really bloody rude and unhelpful. she wouldnt put me through to a supervisor or nothing. anyway she reckons theres nothing i can do about it. well im bloody not going to let them get away with it. im gonna be e mailing watchdog now and contacting ofcom. anyway just thought id let anyone else on out there know what they are up to. let me know if youve fallen for this as well. thanks

[Stormwatch]

what type of code did you put in. I still have my five free text msgs per day and will do until anytime i stop using my number. they are stopping the later package which was called text and save or something which you had to pay £19 a year for when the present lot expire but all the outhere users will still keep their allowance of 5 messages a day so don`t know where you heard that they were stopping it.

[jandt64]

they have stopped my 5 free messages a day. i had the original package for life. if you get offered a code for cheaper phone calls. dont use it because it will wipe out your free messages. thats what has happened to me.

[Fr3Ak]

As Jethro said......

Quote:

Originally Posted by JETHRO TULL

what type of code did you put in.

[jandt64]

sorry! i had a phone number to ring from orange where i had to enter a code for a free add-on allowing cheaper phone calls for one year (i think 10 percent cheaper) its called group saver.

[Everything Goes]

Contact the Executive Office they will sort things out from you. Im not surprised they are trying loads of tricks to get rid of the origional Out Here package. They should have explained that a new package would cancel Out Here in the first place!

executive.office@orange.co.uk

Orange Executive Office,
Birchwood Drive,
Brackenhill Business Park,
Peterlee,
County Durham,
SR8 2RS.

0870 870 0862.

[chaz81]

Im confused - I purchased this product as well as I make more calls than I send text messages. It had instructions on the packaging and it said that it was not compatable with any other product and specifically mentioned Orange out here - I remember this as my friend had this service but decided to switch to group saver as it would save us more money on calls. I assume group saver is better offering from your friend as he obviously doesnt texts much - his inability to read would prevent him from doing so - love to all

[jandt64]

v funny! dont work for 'em do you, mate?

[prking]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jandt64

sorry! i had a phone number to ring from orange where i had to enter a code for a free add-on allowing cheaper phone calls for one year (i think 10 percent cheaper) its called group saver.

But group saver only gives you cheaper calls to other group saver users.

Basically, you buy a pack for about £19.99 which gives two vouchers to allow you and a friend cheaper calls to each other. And it says it doesn't work with any other plan.

I guess your friend got the pack and gave you the voucher, but neglected to tell you about losing your free texts. I think its him you should be angry with.

[Cookie]

Slightly different subject but I also feel that orange tricked me with changes to their Pay as u go packages.
I had Just talk which had a great deal where if you paid for a £50 top up rather than a smaller amount all calls and texts were half price - that was great at only 5p a minute off peak.
Then suddenly just over a year ago they changed the arrangement so calls were all standard price for all amounts of top up ecept that if you paid £50 upfront they gave you an extra £5 making £55.
However, that change took immediate effect and all half price calls disappeared. I had over £45 left on my phone at the time and suddenly my call charges were doubled. I would have thought that my half price calls should have at least continued until my £50 ran out and I had to pay for my next top up!
I am now finding Orange quite expensive. I only use about 15 minutes each week and am looking for a better deal.

[Everything Goes]

Orange has gone downhill since France Telecom took over. Hutchinson Telecom sold it to Mannessman who sold it to France Telecom. CEO Hans Snook left shortly afterwards. Orange hasnt been the same since! I might be cynical but perhaps its just the French have it in for us?

[chaz81]

actually im a HNC student, business management. I was just trying to point out how very one sided your complaint is - your friend gave you the voucher not the company so either he doesnt like you or cant read - I just assumed it was the latter

[Fr3Ak]

Doh - edited out!

[prking]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chaz81

actually im a HNC student, business management. I was just trying to point out how very one sided your complaint is - your friend gave you the voucher not the company so either he doesnt like you or cant read - I just assumed it was the latter

Hear, hear!

Why do some people blame companies when it isn't their fault. If someone gave me a "code" to get cheap calls I would do my research before using it. How can anyone complain about Orange doing exactly what they say they will?

I'm not an Orange fan, some of the worst customer service I've ever seen. And they quite clearly should have given "Cookie" more notice of changing his tariff.

[stubob]

Apparently they are phasing out "Out there". I've had it from the start and my latest one is due to run out next April. My wife went to buy another one and was told that they don't do them anymore..

I got given the cheaper calls one but was told that if I use it it will cancel out my text saver.. I've still got it somewhere and probably wont ever use it.

I don't think it was ever 5 texts for "life", I'm sure it only lasted a year...

Stu

[jandt64]

yeh. i agree there is fault on my part as well.....now ive calmed down abit. but i stand by what i say.
1. a few years ago i bought the original out here pack=5 free texts a day for life.
2. last year orange took this away and said i would have to pay 19.99 per year instead.
3. within a few weeks watchdog got involved and sorted it out for us. i had a refund for messages i had sent and the package was reinstated..FOR LIFE

my fault the next bit......
i wasnt aware this latest offer would wipe out the free texts. after all i had these for life!
when i rang the number nothing was said so i continued.

when i realised a few days later i rang orange and i wasnt rude to them in fact im always the opposite cause you normally get somewhere being polite! the lady on the phone basically said tuff you shouldnt of done it. so i asked to speak to a supervisor and she said no. hence me getting bloody annoyed.

so i just thought id let other people who have the original package NOT the later yearly one to be aware of this

[whatpassword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jandt64

yeh. i agree there is fault on my part as well.....now ive calmed down abit. but i stand by what i say.
1. a few years ago i bought the original out here pack=5 free texts a day for life.
2. last year orange took this away and said i would have to pay 19.99 per year instead.
3. within a few weeks watchdog got involved and sorted it out for us. i had a refund for messages i had sent and the package was reinstated..FOR LIFE

My wife and I both have the same Orange OutHere. I could not believe it when they originally did this so jumped at it. Think it was 1999/2000. £15 for the pack of which £5 was talk time. Rest was 5 free texts a day for life. As you say they eventually realised the blunder they had made and stopped the offer. Instead they did the £19.99 a year thing. Existing out here customers were then told the deal would continue but the texts would be restricted to 3 free texts a day. Apparently they had originally quoted that the out here offer was for 3 free texts plus a bonus 2. Myself and many others complained about this. Orange stated that there was small print in the original offer that clearly mentioned the 2 extra bonus texts and it was these two they were withdrawing. Anyway Orange finally gave in and sent us all a nice little text message saying normal service would be resumed. I'll never give up my Orange number as most of my phone use is that of text the wife and likewise for her. I can get up to 50p a day of free use on my phone which over a year equates to £182. Easy to see why Orange will try and take it from you. Thing is if they did they would certainly lose me as a customer. I only occasionally use the phone but those few pence would soon end up in someone else's pocket before you could whisper I'm out of here!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Everything Goes

Orange has gone downhill since France Telecom took over. Hutchinson Telecom sold it to Mannessman who sold it to France Telecom. CEO Hans Snook left shortly afterwards. Orange hasnt been the same since! I might be cynical but perhaps its just the French have it in for us?

I'm inclined to agree. I'd been an Orange customer since 1996 up until last year when I couldn't wait to get rid of them. The network quality went totally out of the window.

[N00N00]

Hi - I recently purchased an original Orange Out Here Sim on ebay.

What details should I update as regards to the sim's ownership.

Presumably i should update via the Orange site, and i know I can't change the owner's name. Presumably i should alter it so my addresses is assocaited with the Sim.

Any advice appreciated as I don't want to lose the texts.

[whatpassword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by N00N00

Hi - I recently purchased an original Orange Out Here Sim on ebay.

What details should I update as regards to the sim's ownership.

Presumably i should update via the Orange site, and i know I can't change the owner's name. Presumably i should alter it so my addresses is assocaited with the Sim.

Any advice appreciated as I don't want to lose the texts.

Interesting as the free texts are for the life of the number so I cant see how ownership should alter this. When the deal was originally released you did not have to register anything other than type the code in to your handset. If you can prove legal ownership of the sim then I cant see why they should not change details over. Maybe you will need something in writing from the recorded owner but I'd give them a call and just play dumb. Can I ask how much you paid for the sim?

[mattworld]

And the moral of this thread is.... do your reasearch, don't just do what your friends tell you, always read the terms and conditions, or even just the box & make sure you know what you are 'signing up' to. They is legally binding you know, unless they are deemed to be unfair.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Everything Goes

Orange has gone downhill since France Telecom took over. Hutchinson Telecom sold it to Mannessman who sold it to France Telecom. CEO Hans Snook left shortly afterwards. Orange hasnt been the same since! I might be cynical but perhaps its just the French have it in for us?

Not wanting to be picky but going to be anyway, Vodafone bought mannesmann & it was actually Vodafone who sold Orange to France Telecom. Who then spent a few years trying to decide what to do with it , before buying all the shares it eventually ended up not owning back (well nearly all) & making it into a subsidiary, rather than a sperate entity.

I totally agree though, Orange just isn't the innovative market leader as it once was, it seems to have lost its way a bit. I blame it on the fact that France Telecom showed a lack of direction at first & the fact relies on it for most of its income & it wants to squeeze every last € it can out of it. Its probably jealous because at one point, when Orange was a seperate company it was bigger than France Telecom.

[chaz81]

The whole take over senario always amuses me.

Lots of people on here say Orange has gone down hill since France Telecom took over. This is funny for two reasons.

Firtsly, the reason Orange are owned by France Telecom is because Hutchison W sold Orange to Manasman > Vodafone aquired Manasman and the EU Competition Commission stepped in and said they would only approve the sale if Orange was sold because Orange and Vodafone whould be to big a market share. So Orange was sold to France Telecom. But guess who has a large stake in Voda? yes France Telecom.... where is the logic.

Secondly.. if service has gone down hill since Hutchison W sold Orange then this suggests that Hutchison are a really good company, focused on good quality products and customer care.... ladies and gentleman I give you "Three" as an example of such quality

[mattworld]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chaz81

The whole take over senario always amuses me.

Lots of people on here say Orange has gone down hill since France Telecom took over. This is funny for two reasons.

Firtsly, the reason Orange are owned by France Telecom is because Hutchison W sold Orange to Manasman > Vodafone aquired Manasman and the EU Competition Commission stepped in and said they would only approve the sale if Orange was sold because Orange and Vodafone whould be to big a market share. So Orange was sold to France Telecom. But guess who has a large stake in Voda? yes France Telecom.... where is the logic.

Its the other way round when Orange was sold to France Telecom Vodafone obtained a stake of just under 10% in Ftrance Telecom, this is common practice in business and there is a difference in owning a share of a business and actually running it (I don't think Vodafone is represented on the board of directors, could be wrong though).

Quote:

Secondly.. if service has gone down hill since Hutchison W sold Orange then this suggests that Hutchison are a really good company, focused on good quality products and customer care.... ladies and gentleman I give you "Three" as an example of such quality

The difference is they are different entities, run by different management teams in different way. It just happens that they shared the same majority owner. BAE Systems used to own a significant share in Orange, it doesn't mean that they are as good a business as Orange were at the time.

Nothing to do with quality of service or hutchinson Wampoa's skills as a business.

[chaz81]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattworld

Its the other way round when Orange was sold to France Telecom Vodafone obtained a stake of just under 10% in Ftrance Telecom, this is common practice in business and there is a difference in owning a share of a business and actually running it (I don't think Vodafone is represented on the board of directors, could be wrong though).

The difference is they are different entities, run by different management teams in different way. It just happens that they shared the same majority owner. BAE Systems used to own a significant share in Orange, it doesn't mean that they are as good a business as Orange were at the time.

Nothing to do with quality of service or hutchinson Wampoa's skills as a business.

hmmm might have to give you the first point as I do get a little confused at times...

However, the second point - gotta disagree on the point about different management team, in fact if you compair the launch team of Orange with the launch team of three you will see a lot of familliar faces

[jandt64]

Orange Has Now Replaced My Original Out Here Pack !!!!!!!!!! Im Happy.