[miffed]

I realised things had changed for the worse - but in my recent experience , Orange are starting to make the likes of Vodafone & Three look proffesional / helpful !

....This nightmare began Wednesday morning , Got my phone from CPW , whenever I try to use it it directs me to Orange CS ( registrations ) - So I attempt to register it , and am told that CPW have already registered the sim for me , so I'll just have to wait 24hrs for it to activate
24 hrs later - nothing ! ... rang Orange CS , who couldn't understand what I am saying :mad: and were 100% no help whatsoever ..... then I remembered I am a CPW customer - so rang their helpline , hoping they will fare a little better with retail support .... After about 25 minutes , the told CPW they had received no coneection details from them ( the Girl from CPW said she couldn't understand it & that the details HAD been sent ....) At this point I was unsure whether it was Orange or CPW at fault
She then (while I was on the phone) sent the details to Orange, rang Orange for confirmation of their receipt , , and offered to ring back this morning to check that they had connected me (after 24hrs)

So ,this morning comes , and still no connection , the Girl from CP phoned as promised , and then puts me on hold while she rings Orange - They then denied having ANY connection details (despite confirming receiving them yesterday !! ) - She couldn't have apologised to me more - and then put me on hold while she submitted the details a third time ... and insisted they perform the connection manually while she was on the phone
Apparantly it will still take up to 24hrs to activate

Either Orange are class A numpties - or CPW are fobbing me off :mad:

[Ben]

I don't remember if the handset is locked or not, but if it isn't - have you tried it on another network? If it's persistently failing to register it could, perhaps, be a handset fault.

[miffed]

Yes , the handset is locked , but I have tried another Orange sim in and it works no problem - the numpties at Orange have already confirmed "they have no registration details" - despite actually confirming that they received them the second time (unless , of course , the CPW girl is lying - but having spoken to both parties I know who I am inclined to beleive

On a positive note - I envisage a scenario where I may not get connected - and therefore never get billed ! - thus giving me a free handset :p .... trouble is , CPW would probably kick up a fuss and not let this happen :(

[Hands0n]

Oooooh, all the reasons I left Orange are still apparent then! They were good once. But thats all history now. It matters not how good the company/network/toys are .... it all boils down to the Customer Service experience. And it sounds like Orange have not only taken a leaf out of, but probably knicked the entire book from 3 in that respect.

Those who ignore history are destined to repeat it. Orange copying 3's mistakes is a classic case in point.

[miffed]

Still waiting !

I suppose she DID say (yet another) 24hrs and its only been 11... but in my experience connections have always happened within a couple of hours on the occasions that the sims havent been pre registered

Got a feeling that by 10am tomorrow nothing will have changed :mad: .... and , no doubt , when I reing CPW's helpline they'll tell me to wait ANOTHER 24hrs

Tempted to throw it back at them if that is the case ! (Hope the fact that I have flashed away the Orange firmware doesn't create a problem ! )

[Hands0n]

Just tell them that is how the handset arrived out of the box. Play it completely thick, you know nothing about phones at all except to make calls and send texts.

[Ben]

Just tell them that is how the handset arrived out of the box. Play it completely thick, you know nothing about phones at all except to make calls and send texts.
That's sound advice. It'd probably be flashed again before being flogged as a refurb anyway.

Sucks for you, though!

Vodafone, T-Mobile, Vodafone, T-Mobile, Vodafone, T-Mobile...

[miffed]

Well here we are again ! , 8.25am and still no connction - rang Orange CS (out of frustration ) and asked them what was going on - and sure enough "We have no registration details from carphone warehouse"

"OK , I have all the details here (imei , sim no etc) - can I give them to you now ??"

" No sir , they have to come from carphone warehouse" :mad:

What would you lot do now ? (bearing in mind virtually every day since Wednesday CPW have told me that Orange deny having the details , and that they have

__________________________________________________ ______________
STOP PRESS !!!

I was writing this having come straight off the phone to Orange CS , who, as stated above , had "Absolutely no details" from CPW

The phone has just bleeped - the normal connection service messages - they have actually connected me at last !! , ( 5 days from purchase is pretty good going eh ? )

Now it's connected , time to take the sim out and put a decent one in :D

[Hands0n]

What a complete bunch of flossers!

[Ben]

5 days, that's completely shocking. I'd write a letter to head office and ask for compensation against your line rental. Also point out that the customer service agents you spoke to were useless.

[miffed]

The thing that got me was that the Indian CC staff tried to "fill" the calls with confirmation of my identity ! - this happened both times I ended up speaking to them , I would confirm about 3 details , then they would say "Thank you for confirming that" .... then after I explained my situation instead of saying something helpful it would be "can you confirm your bank ? " .... each time I spoke to them they confirmed virtually every detail Orange hold about me
Now ... in my experience , most CS reps ask for a password - and if it is provided that is the end of it ! or they may check one or two details ... but all of them ? ? I honestly feel as if they were confirming details because they couldn't think of anything helpful to say !

[miffed]

It just gets worse !!

14 days after requesting my unlock code .... I ring them to ask why I haven't got it yet , and I get (between confirming security details " Sir , there is no record of a request for an unlock code " :mad:

Not surprising after them taking 5 days to activate my phone , but still a pain in the backside

This period of interaction with Orange has convinced mr that my T-mobile sim (as soon as the n95 is unlocked ) is the way to go here ... I was pondering the idea of using the Orange sim & adding the £8 unlimited data bundle when it arrives - but they can forget that now

My recent experience with Voda & Orange has really made me appreciate how good T-mobile are now , It doesn't seem anyone else can hold a candle to them

[Ben]

really made me appreciate how good T-mobile are now
If only their network coverage was better - I was talking to somebody who has just joined T-Mobile this morning and the call kept cutting in and out and breaking up. Granted, they were inside their house, but the UK is a relatively tiny country and I don't excuse poor coverage especially in the south east!

[getti]

and south west!.

Not joking, the T-Mobile signal is total pants here. Phone is on my desk and i get 3-4 bars at best. Pick it up (by moving 1ft max..) drops to 1 at best but normally 0.

And thats 2G signal. To be totally honest when im sitting at my desk on the computer and i need to make a phone call i actually worry about using the T-Mobile SIM because i know i have to stand 1 leg out the bedroom window with arm at a certain angle and the wind at a slight breeze in a north direction to ensure the signal stays.

Now i put my 3 SIM back in and its full all the time at home and i never drop 3G in Torquay. I end up using that most of the time,

T-Mobile would have an amazing service if the signal was better in more places. There CS is 1st class (apart from 1 rude call i had) but dont have the signal or service in some areas to back it up (no conference calling is a shocker).

I also remember joining Orange 3G the day they launched and they had a dedicated 3G CS line on 350. At the time they were again really good and able to sort out many problems such as the automated message with your bill not working.

I have not had to use Orange CS recently due to only being on 3 and T-Mobile but it has definatly gone down hill from before

[miffed]

Sometimes I am sure I live in some kind of parallel universe , what with my excellent T-mobile signal , Crap experience with Vodafone & my gut feeling that Jodie Marsh WILL marry me one day
I honestly am pretty much unable to shake off my T-mobile 3G signal , apart from a couple of areas in Canterbury
I do remember a time when T-mobile's coverage WAS crap (for me) - I actually remember (and this is gospel ! ) going into a shop in Newport , Isle of wight , looking at phones - This shop was an independant one2one dealer ( - and he actually advised me against a one2one phone because the coverage on the island was so poor ( I suspect he went on to win numerous "Young businessman of the year" titles :) )

But IMO they've come a long way now (baby) , There is certainly not a network that stands anywhere near them now IMO

[Hands0n]

I have to echo that sentiment :)

[miffed]

.... Here we go again !! :confused:

Just got a call from a UK CS rep , regarding my unlock code - the wanted to check my IMEI because the one the previous "Helpful" rep had take down was invalid (I made him repeat it back to me twce !! )
This guy sounded very confused and said that my IMEI was nothing like the one the rep took down before

I am now 90% sure that whatever code they send me is going to be incorrect :(

Why me :confused:

[3g-g]

& my gut feeling that Jodie Marsh WILL marry me one day

Completely OT... but you know she's about to start a TV series on MTV where she's searching the UK for a new man, and is going to marry him?! She says she doesn't want any more celebrity boy friends and wants a down to earth normal man. I think creating a TV show about it is the wrong way to go about these things my dear!

There were auditions in Glasgow the other day for it. Wife wouldn't let me attend much to my amazement!

[miffed]

Completely OT... but you know she's about to start a TV series on MTV where she's searching the UK for a new man, and is going to marry him?! She says she doesn't want any more celebrity boy friends and wants a down to earth normal man. I think creating a TV show about it is the wrong way to go about these things my dear!

There were auditions in Glasgow the other day for it. Wife wouldn't let me attend much to my amazement!


LOL , yeah , I wanted to give it a go but the wife is proving to be a stumbling block for me too :(
Women eh ?

[miffed]

Now I'm angry :mad::mad::mad:

Orange just rang back and said they cannot unlock as it is a generic handset , and that CPW can

CPW say that is rubbish , they have no codes , Orange do


.....Leaving me with a phone that cannot be unlocked


Surely , regardless of who *has* the codes , it is Oranges responsibility to provide me with an unlock (as per OFCOMS ruling ? )

Any suggestions ?

[gnomex]

I've just kicked Orange into touch. They've closed my broadband package down because of what they refer to as an unpaid bill. I was on the free package by virtue of my mobile phone expenditure. I incurred a small amount of telephone expense on the line linked to the livebox.

I received the usual email advising me that my statement was available online but every time I went to check it the site said that the facility wasn't available. Still I knew any payment would be made automatically as it was linked to my debit card. Wrong!

I received an email this morning stating that my broadband service was being withdrawn as they had been unable to collect a payment and that I should check with my bank. I checked with my bank who informed me that they'd had no payment request from Orange but if they had received a request for payment they'd certainly have honoured the demand for - wait for it - £0.01 that Orange were supposedly seeking on the grounds that even my bank account had enough in it to meet that liability.

Calling Orange I got a very apologetic woman who agreed to write off this "debt" but pointed out that, because they'd sent the message to BT to do whatever it is they have to do, they would have to go through the process of disconnecting my broadband anyway and I would have to go cap in hand and re-register. In the meantime I could be without broadband for up to a month! Unsurprisingly I'm taking my broadband business elsewhere.

Since my broadband contract was connected to my mobile phone use I also spoke with Orange's mobile side - I figured they might want to know how their "Premier" customers were being treated. To say the chap was indifferent would be an understatement. he stated quoting all sorts of legal stuff at me which may have been a smart move were I not a specialist in consumer law and therefore rather well qualified to discern what is and isn't relevant.

So, in messing me about over a penny (actually 1.2p - but I'm all out of 0.2p pieces at the moment) thay are losing about £1200-1500 a year worth of business!

[miffed]

Doesn't surprise me mate !

I think it is a real shame , as the combination of Orange's outstanding CS and Orange Care used to really set Orange ahead of the pack for me

There was rarely a problem that couldn't be solved , and it was always dealt with in a quick , friendly manner - I almost used to look forward to speaking to the reps !

Unbelievable that this was overlooked as an asset and allowed to sink to such low depths

[gnomex]

Doesn't surprise me mate !

I think it is a real shame , as the combination of Orange's outstanding CS and Orange Care used to really set Orange ahead of the pack for me

There was rarely a problem that couldn't be solved , and it was always dealt with in a quick , friendly manner - I almost used to look forward to speaking to the reps !

Unbelievable that this was overlooked as an asset and allowed to sink to such low depths


Sadly "used to" is the operative phrase.

[Hands0n]

What an absolutely staggering story. It even surpasses my ability to not be surprised these days, where all commonsense seems to have gone into the annuls of history. How any firm can let any business be lost for a penny defies belief. Yet to let Gnomex's £1200 - £1500 go is the height of absurdity.

It is very telling that Orange are not one single company anymore - but an assembly of disparate entities that cannot put the whole picture together. It is all very well putting on flashy tv ads but if, in the final analysis, they fall ar*se over t*t like this then they are most definitely not worth doing any kind of business with.

It is such a shame to see what was once the UK's Premier mobile network operator behaving like this. I hope that France Telecom are pleased with themselves. The Champ to Chump cycle is alive and well :)