Question regarding Orange Upgrade or early Upgrade... [Archive]

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Professor Abronsius

04-01-2009, 21:38

Hi folks,

Am on a contract with Orange. It's an 18 month contract and is due to run out on 20th April 2009.

However on the Orange website on my account Page, it says...

As you are still in contract you are not eligible for an upgrade yet.

You will be eligible for a free upgrade after : 20 Apr 2009

However if you’d like to upgrade before, you will be able to do so from 20 Jan 2009 and any days left on your contract will be added to the length of your new contract.

Anyone done an early upgrade with them before and if i go for this will they charge me a fortune for a handset... ?

Thanks in advance.

Cheers. :)

RPG

04-01-2009, 22:04

Well, put it this way my contract expired on the 26th Jan last year, I rang up on the 25th of Jan and they basically told me "if you upgrade today we'll charge you £300 for the handset, if you ring back tomorrow it'll be £9". I spent a good 20mins on the phone trying to explain how ridiculous this was to no avail.

Suffice to say, I'm leaving Orange after over 10 years as a customer in 20 days time! I can't wait! :D

Professor Abronsius

04-01-2009, 22:08

Hmm... so i need to wait till April.

Don't want to leave Orange to be honest. All my close family and some friends with them so got the magic numbers list there. Also, never really had a problem with them, service wise.

I will phone them though at the end of the month to see what they say.

Cheers. :)

MC Rubber Chicken

05-01-2009, 13:12

no last 90 days of your contract you are able to uograde so that would be the end of jan when your upgrade is due if you 18 months is up in april

Professor Abronsius

05-01-2009, 20:57

Cheers MC, going to phone them on the 21st and see what they say. :thumbs:

shadieb

06-01-2009, 21:56

My contract runs out April the 8th but the last time I spoke to Orange I was told I could upgrade anytime from January the 8th onwards. The guy on the phone never mentioned anything about paying more for an upgrade, only said the remaining contract time would be added to my new contract if I upgraded early.

Going to phone them on Thursday see if I can get a reasonably priced Touch HD. I really don't get on with my iPhone and miss Windows mobile. Only drawback is I am tied to the iPhone contract for another 14 months LOL luckily the missus wants it as her next phone :) :)

Professor Abronsius

06-01-2009, 22:08

Shadieb, let me know how you get on.

It's the Touch HD i have my eye on as well. :thumbs:

shadieb

06-01-2009, 23:10

Shadieb, let me know how you get on.

It's the Touch HD i have my eye on as well. :thumbs:

Will do mate :thumbs:

shadieb

08-01-2009, 12:10

Well spoke to Orange upgrades today and they weren't very helpful at all :( The Touch HD is out of stock for upgrades and due back in next week, but they want £283 for the upgrade. The rep did say it would probably be cheaper in April when my contract ends. I argued the point that upgrading would mean another 12 months contract on top of my remaining 3 months contract so benefitting them really. I also told them I could get it on contract with T-Mobile for a lot less cost with web 'n' walk etc. but they didn't seem interested at all :(
Oh well, I will wait till they are back in stock next week and give them another call see if I can get a different sales rep.

Pablo_Escobar

08-01-2009, 12:15

Just to let you guys know what happened to me.

I called in about 2 weeks before my 18 month contract was about to expire. Went throught to retentions to see what they could offer me.

I think I was on Canary 40 or something like that. getting 950 cross network minutes and 300 texts. for £40 per month.

Lady said the best she could do was 800 minutes and 500 texts for £35 pm. Told her that t-mobile were offering something like G1 goolge phone free, 1000 mins or 2000 texts or any mix, plus free mobile internet. £31.50.

She said she the best she could do would be to reduce the price to £30pm with 800 mins and 500 text and the HTC HD for £59. Then I said what about data?? She said data package cost £8pm for something like 250mb or 500 can't remember now.

So basically I would get less minutes than I currently do, more text's which I don't need and a data package for £2 less per month then what I pay now. Asked her if this was the best she could do and she said yes. Can't get any more discount.

I was ready to move to T-mobile on their solo offer 1400 mins any time any network minutes and unltd texts. (sim only) On a monthly contract for £30pm. Thought i'd stick this through till I could take up a new offer as a new customer on Orange.

Called back Orange last week as I was genuinuely ready to leave! (usually just use it as a bluff) asked for my pac code and the lady says i'll just put you through retentions. Guy on the phone at retentions asks why do you want to leave. Told him going to t-mobile as it's a better deal.

Asks me if I would like him to take a look at what he can offer as they use different systems and get different discounts....... (i'm thinking :cuckoo: I came through to the same department the other day! So should be same system) But anyway I say sure to the guy let's see what you can offer me.

At the end of it all got.

1200 cross network anytime minutes.
500 texts
500mb data package per month
I took the choice of unlimited land line calls over Orange cals

All for £30pm

HTC Touch HD - Said it would be £127 but then he applied a £30 discount. And then said that I would get an £80 credit after my first bill effectivley I only pay £17 for the phone.

Took the offer and tried to be cheeky and ask if they could chuck in insurance too. But alas they couldn't do it. :oh-hum:

But still I think that I was taking the mick a bit by asking. But you don't ask you don't get.

;) very happy with the offer that I got.

Professor Abronsius

08-01-2009, 14:40

Last year i let my old Dolphin 35 contract run out. I had got a new Tytn II for myself and had a new contract. I had already reduced the Dolphin each month so it was down to 20 quid a month with very little free mins. Wife was using the sim to phone her mum via the magic numbers.

Anyway... i got a call from retentions out of the blue and they said i had £240 reserved in a bonus fund on the account. I could use that to fund a new upgrade or get discount off tarriff. He ran through some options. In the end the wife went for a w890i with 600 anytime mins and unlimited texts. She gets this for 20 quid a month and the phone was free.

This was the bonus i got for having a 35 quid Dolphin Contract.

Just now as well as that, i am on Panther 45, so for 45 quid a month i get 1200 mins anytime and unlimited texts with the unlimited (250Mb) browsing. I really only went for the Panther 45 to get the Tytn for free at the time and planned to reduce it after 9 months, but i use Google Maps a lot for work.

So as i am now on a better more expensive tarriff with them than last year i am going to be looking for a better bonus from them than i got for the wife. At the very least i will be looking for the handset to be fully paid for. :D But some reduction in the tarriff would be good also. There really is no way i am paying for a handset when i am on a 45 pound a month tarriff!!! :eek:

If not, like you say, phones can be had for free as a new customer either with them or elsewhere.

It really is ******** that you get hee haw for loyalty. I have been a contract Orange customer ever since my Nokia brick with green screen and snake. :lol: Only leaving for a year to go to O2 and only as they had the phone i wanted and Orange did not.

Will see what thety say when i phone them.

Cheers. :)

Professor Abronsius

08-01-2009, 14:42

shadieb, what tarriff are you on if you don't mind me asking... ?

shadieb

08-01-2009, 14:51

Been with them a long time, not sure what the contract is called but I pay £25 per month for calls and texts and then £7.50 for £250mb data bolt-on. The data is showing online as 500mb allowance now though?

Professor Abronsius

08-01-2009, 14:55

Am sure you get banded by tarriff. More you pay, cheaper the upgrade.

Professor Abronsius

08-01-2009, 14:58

I phone them every couple of months to check what my tarriff allows as they dont let you know. I went from 600 mins to 900 mins to 1200 mins. And i should probably get the 250Mb upped to 500Mb. All for the same price.

You are entitiled to the allowance that the current tarriff has, even if you have had it a while. I was not aware of this until they told me last year.

This would explain your increase in data i think.

MC Rubber Chicken

11-01-2009, 17:43

upgrades work on a banding system tarrif has nothing to do with it.. i goes on usage and average bill spend, so you could be on a £20 tarrif but hammer the hell out of the phone and you bills come to £40 a month.... you get put into a class of 1-5 (1 the lowest and 5 the highest), the phones are different cost depending on the band you fall into.. for example the Touch HD isn't free on any of the bands even if you spend £100's a month the cheapest it meant to be done for is £48.50 unless you sign up for a 24m deal when you can in theory get it for free... what you have to remember is theses phone cost a **** load and if you spend £25.00 religiously per month you aint gonna get it for free... you have to be relaistic

Professor Abronsius

11-01-2009, 17:52

Cheers for that info MC. :)

AndrewC

11-01-2009, 19:37

I was on 18mth contract 35 a month 600mins unlimited txts and magc numbers and contract was due to end following day.

Called up to see what kind of deal they could offer me on the HTC Touch HD. 1st guy I spoke to said the best he could do was knock me down to 400mins(because most of my calls are to magic numbers I prob didn't need 600) unlimited txts & magic numbers for £22 quid a month BUT Id have to pay £180 for phone. Oh and It would be an extra £5 if I wanted 500mb browsing added. Told him I was gonna check out the other networks and call back.

Called back asked to go straight through to cancellations, told him there was no way I was gonna pay £180 for the HTC Touch HD, when I could get it for free if I started a new contract with Orange. He then offered me 600mins, unlimited txts, magic numbers, 500mb browsing £35 a month and Id have to pay £102 for the phone. He said he would add £150 credit to my account to make up for paying for the phone! Deal I said! :)

Professor Abronsius

11-01-2009, 19:41

Nice one! :lol:

Professor Abronsius

20-01-2009, 21:05

Just phoned Orange...

Spoke to a very lovely lady who got me the following :

HTC Touch HD - for FREE!!!!!

10% off my Tarriff (Panther 45) - 1200 Anytime Minutes, Ulimited Texts, Unlimited Internet

Brand New Number - for FREE!!!!!

Phone arriving Thursday. :thumbs:

I did not even need to do anything. The lovely lady offered me that from the off!!!

Cheers. :)

RPG

20-01-2009, 22:00

My contract runs out next week, I fully intend to leave after 11 years as a customer - but I'll be interested as to what they offer me.

MC Rubber Chicken

21-01-2009, 21:56

they will offer you jaff all unless you ask for it... trust me i work for them and tried the can i have my pac code babel and they just gave it to me.... grrrrrr

Pablo_Escobar

22-01-2009, 07:36

I asked for my pac code and they gave me a great deal.

rbullivant

22-01-2009, 09:02

My contract runs out tomorrow and I've no intention of staying with them, having the guy from the Orange Wednesday adverts beaten up is the only thing they can possibly do.

I have a £50pm contract, will post on how hard they try and keep me when i ask for my PAC code

R

Professor Abronsius

25-01-2009, 11:05

Meant to ask about Orange Care...

Is it worth the £6.00 per month? Seems to be far too many exclusions. Does it cover Accidental Damage if the phone gets dropped for instance and stops working?

Also would the phone not be covered on home insurance anyway?

rbullivant

26-01-2009, 08:49

GOt to feel slightly unloved by Orange, I said I wanted my PAC code and they're sending it in the post, not even an attempt was made to keep me.

But considering I didn't want to stay I cannot fault their CS!

R

TheoGB

26-01-2009, 11:37

TheoGB

26-01-2009, 11:39

Professor Abronsius

26-01-2009, 11:43

I like to change my number every contract.

At work i need to use my mobile a lot so means am starting with a clean number getting no cold calls and all that hassle. :D

Just prefer it that way.

The phone is great by the way. :thumbs:

RPG

27-01-2009, 18:08

Well, rang up retentions today;

Conversation went something like this;

Me: "Hi, can I request my PAC code please?"

Orange: "Yeah sure, I can get that sent out for you. Obviously we want to keep to you as a customer so if you want, I'll look at what we can give you" (bear in mind - my bill is £50+ a month..)

Me: "OK - sure, what can you offer me? I'm after a HTC Touch HD"

Orange: "Right... well, we can't reduce your line rental or minutes, but we can give you unlimited texts and free data"

Me: "So, a £5 saving a month? What about the handset cost?"

Orange: "Err.. well.. that'd be £147, but we'd put some credit on your account"

Me: "£147 of credit?"

Orange: "No, umm... £80"

Me: Just the PAC code please!

Professor Abronsius

27-01-2009, 19:12

Thats mad!

I was on a £45 tarriff and the wife is on a £20 one. I phoned them up asking about my upgrade and the woman asked what phone i wanted. I said the Touch HD. She said oh its £48 but hang on, lets look at your average spend. Yep can do it for free. She then said i could get 10% off the tarriff, and when i asked about the number change she gave me that for free. I hardly had to speak at all during the conversation.

Maybe i should have asked her for a 2 grand loan or even to marry me... :D

Also my Touch HD is knackered!!! :eek:

So phoned up Orange today to explain. Again another wonderful lady on the Phone said she could trun a diagnostic check. Phone came up with error codes. She arranged at 2.50pm today for a brand new replacement to be sent out to arrive tomorrow morning.

As far as Customer Service goes with Orange, they have been absolutely flawless and second to none with me.

Was the same last year when the wife upgraded. No problems at all. Got the Phone she wanted for free and got a fiver a month off her tarriff.

Cheers. :)

MC Rubber Chicken

29-01-2009, 21:24

the myth that the phone cost networks small amounts is ********..... you have to remeber that play can do without vat because of where they are based, so these a 15% mark up they can have on it straight away... hence why they are so cheap... a sony c905 for example cost the network £300+

rbullivant

30-01-2009, 07:18

Yes but networks buy masses of phones in bulk, that'll be more than a 15% saving I assure you

MC Rubber Chicken

01-02-2009, 17:45

no its not!!! i can assure you

Pheonix

01-02-2009, 18:48

I somehow suspect the networks will be buying the phones VAT free, surely?

MC Rubber Chicken

02-02-2009, 09:54

hwo can you buy something in england and not pay the vay on it.... isn't that illegal??? (not including none vat items)...

did you know that networks only have 3 or so months from purchase date to return a phone to the manufacturer for a credit? if you phone breaks after that and it is swaps via care or is sat on a shelf of 5 months before it is sold and then is fault the network has lost the money on that phone..... you have to rember that they are in business to make money not give you free phones that cost over £300 then you only want to pay £20.00 per month.... they would sink faster than derby in the permiership.... thats why alot of the independant retails who offer stupidly crazy deals on phones have gone bump.....