f@#ing moile phone people (long rant warning)

[julian]

Grrr....


Why cant they just talk straight.

My phone gets dissconnected, out of the blue, for non payment of bills. No warning message or anything.

I go online to pay, expecting my normal £35 quid charge, and its £186!!!

Im out of tie-in, but its still a contract phone. Im wondering what the fuck is going on. All of a sudden im barred from even looking at my statements online too!

I call them. It appears that, even though it was a 300 min contract, 100mins of that was a 'promotion' which, for some strange reason didnt even stop when the tie-in period was over, but at some seeming random time months later (let this be a warning to you folk out there!) We all know it will, however, be in the small print somewhere, im not debating that....



Im like, look, who can i speak to about this, as this is pretty poor. Im told i cant even see my statements (apparently my usage has doubled in those months too - seems odd, but, hey, could be so..) without coughing up some cash! I didnt get as far as quoting data protection...

I ask them to look at how long ive been with orange (like about 8 years maybee) and ask them to consider their options. They say no to evreything, without faltering. The best i can get is an address to complain to, and a waiver of the £6 charge of getting some statements.

I point out that as it appears now that im paying a premium for whats turned into a crap deal, and say i may as well terminate my buisiness with orange. Im informed im locked into another 30 days regardless!!!

I ask to be put through to disconnections, as i assume they may have different options, and im told that they wont even *speak* to me untill i pay my bill (this is relayed by the person trying to put me through)



You can understand im starting to talk quicker by this point. We're probably 30 mins into the 50 min call....


Im not taking it out on the other person. Theyre just at work on a rainy day. But i am getting aggitated, and i think theyre starting to see why too.




Anyway, again they try again to put me through to disconnections. Things like puk numbers are being talked about now, although im not yet mentioning good old contract law on the 30 days (their costs will be significantly less than an extra months line rental), however, i am noting down addresses.....

They try again to put me through to disconnections, and get a different opperator, who then starts talking about renewing my contract and asking me what handset id like!

They ask me about new contracts, what handset id like! I point out that its not the time to be talking of such things, and they then explain that they want to give me credit to cover my outstanding balance, if i take out another 18 months. I realise about retention and all of that, and compromise is what i was pointing out would be a good idea 15mins ago when i was being baraged by the "no" word....



It starts off as £200 credit with an 18 month contract at £30 per month. I point out that they offered me the same contract 4 months ago at £25 per month, and they claim thats impossible. That it dosnt exist. Etc. Etc. Etc.

I assure them that it did exist, and was named almost the same (dolphin 500 has changed to 550 or somthing) as what they were now trying to push on me.

It goes arround more, and then it comes to "ahh, yes, i can do that for £25 per month" They use a word like "off spec" or somthing. Thats all well and good, but they slip in that credit offered has gone down to £120.



Hahaha.... Do these people think that the general population cant do sums?

My heads not that good, but i keep a calculator on the desk - 18 x £5 is £90 (yeah, yeah, i know, but i was concentrating on other things)

I point this out to them, and say theyve bettered their deal by £10, not £5 per month...

Its like being in some barter town. Its crazy....


I guess the flext 35 plan from t-mobile is running at £30 per month for 900mins. Thats £540 for the contract, against the £330 (after my credit whatever) the 550 from orange. Much as i hate it, i suspect im done?

[Paddy]

FUCK mobile phone companies. get a pay as you go, more expensive, but you don't have to deal with any cunts.

[ckpqerjwrpwp]

I pay a lot less since I moved to pay as you go.

[TimB]

Me too. I use the landline at home or my work phone as often as poss.

[Paddy]

Originally Posted by ckpqerjwrpwp

I pay a lot less since I moved to pay as you go.

that's a point actually, i reckon you tend to stay on top of how much cash you've got in your phone. i'm gonna move to O2, cos if you put a tenner a month in you get 300 free texts per month. nice.

[ckpqerjwrpwp]

I haven't changed my habits at all I don't think, I just would have never used it enough to meet the cost of the cheapest monthly contract anyway.

[julian]

Yep, its somthing ive considered.

My total cost over the next 18 months -

PAYG -
Existing bill £180 (i suspect it wont be avoidable)
New handset £100 (mine is proper fucked - no delete button etc.etc.)

£280 plus calls.


New 18 month orange deal -
Bill £60 after credit issue
Line rental £450
Handset free

£510 inc most of the calls


New 18 month t-mobile deal -
Bill £180
Contract £540
Handset free

£720 inc pretty much all calls


So i need to think about if can spend under £12.77 per month on PAYG (aprox 42p per day) If i do, then PAYG is cheaper, if i dont then the orange contract deal is cheaper.

I know evreyone is totally different, but what do you folk end up spending on PAYG?

I know i use the mobile whenever at the moment, so obviously ill spend way less time on it if its PAYE, but, realisticaly, am i going to spend less than 12 quid a month... Do you?

[ckpqerjwrpwp]

I'm on Orange, I buy £50 credit about every 3 months at most... buying £50 with orange gets you an extra £5 free.

i pay as u go. i only buy a tenners worth of credit a month. A) cus i dont ring people. B) cus people can ring me. now i know what you are thinking, thats rude of you not ringinig up people, well yeah it is but i do ring people, in work hours i cane their phone,, out of work hours i use my land line if need be. If not I send a 10p text with enuff info in that they can send me a text back with all things sorted.

[Jeniffer Mills]

I pay nothing thats under my monthly 50€ top up credit company mobilephone contract...I never reach 30€ .....

[dom_90]

vodafone just got bought by softbank so i get free calls and free text/emails to any other vodafone until January. it costs me about £20 a month for unlimited free emails, text messages and line rental. phone calls cost a bit but i dont phone anyone.

[sniffio]

Originally Posted by dom_90

vodafone just got bought by softbank so i get free calls and free text/emails to any other vodafone until January. it costs me about £20 a month for unlimited free emails, text messages and line rental. phone calls cost a bit but i dont phone anyone.

dom_90, which country is this _?

[fortycoats]

i hate t-mobile
got a big bill last year after stupidly using my fone while abroad, 40euros was for using w.a.p. internet for about 6minutes!

so i get a call one day saying if i dont pay immediately they will cancel my contract and i have to pay 400e
paid the bill, sent an email with a print screen of the payment
got an email back saying all was fine

but wait i still cant make or recieve calls, so i ring customer service
they give me a number to ring, which costs shitloads more than a normal call
spend 2 weeks ringing this number every day which must have cost at least 100e
every time i get through they cant see the problem and assure me that somebody is on the case

then out of the blue i get a bill for 470 euro, what the rest of the contract would have cost, even though i have paid in full a few weeks beforehand and am paying for a fone i cant even use
a few angry calls later and they turn my fone on again, but charged me another 25e for this privelige

pretty happy im on pre pay now

[dom_90]

Originally Posted by sniffio

dom_90, which country is this _?

Japan

[Jeniffer Mills]

Originally Posted by fortycoats

i hate t-mobile
got a big bill last year after stupidly using my fone while abroad, 40euros was for using w.a.p. internet for about 6minutes!

so i get a call one day saying if i dont pay immediately they will cancel my contract and i have to pay 400e
paid the bill, sent an email with a print screen of the payment
got an email back saying all was fine

but wait i still cant make or recieve calls, so i ring customer service
they give me a number to ring, which costs shitloads more than a normal call
spend 2 weeks ringing this number every day which must have cost at least 100e
every time i get through they cant see the problem and assure me that somebody is on the case

then out of the blue i get a bill for 470 euro, what the rest of the contract would have cost, even though i have paid in full a few weeks beforehand and am paying for a fone i cant even use
a few angry calls later and they turn my fone on again, but charged me another 25e for this privelige

pretty happy im on pre pay now

Fortycoats.... Shit happened to you..sure.... BUT, a wap connection plus phoning abroad.....Anyone should know thats an adventure while you`re not booked in your local network, and paying roaming fares......
My tip: call your customer service (no joking) and deactivate the wap service as long you`re abroad......(they`re too many shitty shortcuts on todays phones for wap connection!)

"they give me a number to ring, which costs shitloads more than a normal call
spend 2 weeks ringing this number every day which must have cost at least 100e"

....Don`t ring ANY such number without confirming yourself about the fares! In doubt , do as you previously did, contact per E mail .....

[thomas hooked]

i think i must be doing something wrong. i hardly use my phone at all, am really abrupt when i do use it and still get through 5-10 quid a week. im on orange. are their smarter deals out there that are eluding me?

[fortycoats]

yeah it was a bit of a last resort at the time
had never used it before but didnt realise it could be that expensive

i was in berlin after the fusion festival, still fairly messy and totally broke
found out i had 45mins to get to some western union place to get money before it closed
got directions from a tourist info place
forgot them the second i left the station
tried aking some people, even the cops
no joy so i thought i would look on google
didnt even find any information in the end

[beat-mechanic]

ive had the same sim card for the last 8 years its a t-mobile pay as you go and i would never have a contract phone !! fuck all these mis-leading companys who trick there contract users with hidden charges

[Koenig]

Keep an eye out for deals on O2 with carephone warehouse. I got a new 6230i, 300 minutes anytime and 200 txts for £35. The deal was they refund the line rental every quarter, so, seeing as I dont go over my quota of txts and minutes, I get a free phone for the year. Result, £420 in my drug bin.

[fortycoats]

quite a lot of them offer "free" stuff (laptops/fridges/tv) if you take a contract
thats how i got sucked in

[Jeniffer Mills]

Originally Posted by fortycoats

quite a lot of them offer "free" stuff (laptops/fridges/tv) if you take a contract
thats how i got sucked in

Thats the shittiest contracts one can do....

[julian]

Originally Posted by Koenig

Keep an eye out for deals on O2 with carephone warehouse. I got a new 6230i, 300 minutes anytime and 200 txts for £35. The deal was they refund the line rental every quarter, so, seeing as I dont go over my quota of txts and minutes, I get a free phone for the year. Result, £420 in my drug bin.

Ive heard of that kind of thing before...

Anyone got any more details?

Julian

I think t-mobile flex £35 thing is the nuts. use my phone all the time and never run out of minutes. my best mate is on PAYG at 12p/min flat rate anytime.

never had to ring customer service with a complaint in 3 years. and had some well phat handsets for free off them.

orange ain't as good a deal. For £20 a month t-mobile give you £60 to use as you want : which is 300 minutes or mix with text and MMS.

do it.

[Yer_Maw]

just go into an orange shop and sort it out there.

[grobelaar]

T-mobile have the best mobile internet deal at the mo...

£7.50-£22.50 for their Web n Walk deal. £7.50 gets you the basic internet on your phone - speeds are theoretically up to 384kbps....

£12.50 - gives you 3gig of download a month

£22.50 - gives you the voice over IP service...

Get the MDA Vario II you can use it as a modem for your laptop - via bluetooth so you don't even have to get your phone out of your pocket - sit anywhere in signal range of the phone getting a pretty decent connection.