Isn't Orange upgrade a joke.

2 years I have been a customer, and haven't had one phone upgrade.
Been happy paying my £30 a month talk 200. Paid for the few texts and 3g
data I used as I didn't make use of it enough to pay for bolt
on/addon/extras.

So, 6 months out of contract, I think, Hmm, arseache of moving
providers, pac codes and porting and something going wrong somewhere, or
phone upgrade. Then I find that the SPV M700 does actually have GPS
hardware built in, and it is active, it doesn't mention it anywhere and
you need to make a windows mobile registry hack to change any settings,
but it works. Sounds like exactly the phone for me even without a
keyboard.

So, I ring 150, and ask about an upgrade as it isn't listed on the
orange shop website for upgrades.
"Sorry sir, not available to existing customers as we don't care about
you,try back next week when it is old and superceded and new customers
won't want it anymore" or words to that effect.

So I nip into the local Orange shop.
"yes sir we can do you an upgrade but we won't have them till next week"
"Will you have a black one?"
"Do think they make them in black. Will check. Yes they do but we can't
promise you will get one".
"So if I order and get a white one when I want black, I get a white
one?"
"Yes".
"OK, how much?"
"Well, as you are a grade 2 upgrader, you can have it for £149.99"
"So if I was a new customer who signed for a £35 a month tarriff I could
have it free?"
"Yes"
"And if I was a £30 a month new customer I could have it for £49.99?"
"Yes"
"but as I'm an existing £30 I need to pay a £100 penalty and pay
£149.99?"
"Yes"
"Does Orange like to keep it's customers?"
"................................................. "

Nothing but a strong dirty look, and absolute silence.
I guess my future isn't Orange.
--
Carl Robson
Audio stream: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com:8000/samtest
Homepage: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com
Now Playing at home:Nine Inch Nails-March of the Pigs
http://www.myspace.com/theelderuk

In message <MPG.204905a9d4ce386a1338@news.individual.net>, Elder
<carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com> writes
> "So if I was a new customer who signed for a £35 a month tarriff I
>could
>have it free?"
>"Yes"
>"And if I was a £30 a month new customer I could have it for £49.99?"
>"Yes" "but as I'm an existing £30 I need to pay a £100 penalty and pay
>£149.99?"
>"Yes"
>"Does Orange like to keep it's customers?"
>"................................................ ."
>
>Nothing but a strong dirty look, and absolute silence. I guess my
>future isn't Orange.

Your tale is almost exactly the same as ours except that we'd been with
Orange since the days when they had minimal coverage outside the main
urban areas and I didn't try in an Orange shop but spent a lot of time
talking with O Customer Relations. I got just as far as you and came to
the same conclusion. My 3 phones (both SE K800i) arrived today - free
with the 18 month contract.

--
dave @ stejonda

dave @ stejonda wrote:
> In message <MPG.204905a9d4ce386a1338@news.individual.net>, Elder
> <carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com> writes
>> "So if I was a new customer who signed for a £35 a month tarriff I could
>> have it free?"
>> "Yes"
>> "And if I was a £30 a month new customer I could have it for £49.99?"
>> "Yes" "but as I'm an existing £30 I need to pay a £100 penalty and pay
>> £149.99?"
>> "Yes"
>> "Does Orange like to keep it's customers?"
>> "................................................. "
>>
>> Nothing but a strong dirty look, and absolute silence. I guess my
>> future isn't Orange.
>
> Your tale is almost exactly the same as ours except that we'd been with
> Orange since the days when they had minimal coverage outside the main
> urban areas and I didn't try in an Orange shop but spent a lot of time
> talking with O Customer Relations. I got just as far as you and came to
> the same conclusion. My 3 phones (both SE K800i) arrived today - free
> with the 18 month contract.

I work for Orange, I remain amazed we still have any customers at all.

In article <PQtqPjSeUw3FFAnO@privacy.net>, no$spam!delete&abuse%
dave@stejonda.freeuk.com says...
>Your tale is almost exactly the same as ours except that we'd been with
>Orange since the days when they had minimal coverage outside the main
>urban areas and I didn't try in an Orange shop but spent a lot of time
>talking with O Customer Relations. I got just as far as you and came to
>the same conclusion. My 3 phones (both SE K800i) arrived today - free
>with the 18 month contract.
>
I got given advice to ring retentions, rather than upgrades.
As Orange are pushing the deal that existing customers get the same deal
and treatments as new ones, I told them the situation of £100 penalty
for being loyal was a joke and I was considering moving else where If I
couldn't have that phone.

Got told, well, if you will stay, and renew your contract, you can have
it for free.
Downsides.
1)Need to wait a couple of days for stock.
2)Needs to be white as Black is for business customers only
3)Needs to be another 18 month contract, couldn't get them to budge on a
12 month renewal.
--
Carl Robson
Audio stream: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com:8000/samtest
Homepage: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com
Now Playing at home:Nine Inch Nails-March of the Pigs
http://www.myspace.com/theelderuk

In article <45df0e4e$0$2446$db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk>,
no_spam@no_spam.com says...
>
>I work for Orange, I remain amazed we still have any customers at all.
>
Your retentions guys are excellent.

--
Carl Robson
Audio stream: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com:8000/samtest
Homepage: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com
Now Playing at home:Nine Inch Nails-March of the Pigs
http://www.myspace.com/theelderuk

Hi Carl

The black SPV M700 is known to have a major problem with the paint
flaking off anyway!

(see www.modaco.com and www.xda-developers.com)

Regards

Simon Clark
Business Telecoms

In article <1172255345.039623.193400@a75g2000cwd.googlegroups .com>,
simonclark123@hotmail.com says...
> Hi Carl
>
> The black SPV M700 is known to have a major problem with the paint
> flaking off anyway!
>
> (see www.modaco.com and www.xda-developers.com)
>
I found that after I posted. I guess I could get a black silicon cover.
Hmmm, sexy matt smooth, soft touch rubber.

--
Carl Robson
Audio stream: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com:8000/samtest
Homepage: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com

"Elder" <carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.204947bcd45a4707989804@news.individual.ne t...


> I found that after I posted. I guess I could get a black silicon cover.
> Hmmm, sexy matt smooth, soft touch rubber.



are you KINKY ?



--
Gareth.
A french man who wanted a castle threw his cat into a pond.
http://www.audioscrobbler.com/user/dsbmusic/

In article <548tanF1ulsnaU1@mid.individual.net>,
dsb@REMOVETHECAPITALSbtinternet.com says...
>
> "Elder" <carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com> wrote in message
> news:MPG.204947bcd45a4707989804@news.individual.ne t...
>
>
> > I found that after I posted. I guess I could get a black silicon cover.
> > Hmmm, sexy matt smooth, soft touch rubber.
>
>
>
> are you KINKY ?
>
>
>
>
Maybe
Odd clothes tends to go with being a bit of an old goth on the side.
--
Carl Robson
Audio stream: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com:8000/samtest
Homepage: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com

In message <548tanF1ulsnaU1@mid.individual.net>, the dog from that film
you saw <dsb@REMOVETHECAPITALSbtinternet.com> writes
>"Elder" <carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com> wrote in message
>news:MPG.204947bcd45a4707989804@news.individual.n et...
>
>
>> I found that after I posted. I guess I could get a black silicon cover.
>> Hmmm, sexy matt smooth, soft touch rubber.
>
>are you KINKY ?
>

you really want your contact to confirm his *real* name in public?

--
dave @ stejonda

carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com declared for all the world to hear...
> I guess my future isn't Orange.

At £30 per month, you are a below average spender. Your upgrade banding
of 2 confirms this. Average is around £47 per month

When new customers join the network the network does not know what sort
of spender you are going to be, so they take a chance and subsidise the
phone a bit more, in the hope that you'll turn out to be a £60-a-
monther.

With 2 years of billing history behind you the network knows exactly
what kind of spender you are and tailors prices accordingly in order to
balance retention and profit. (The banding system).

The M700 is a brand new device, and it's price also reflects that. The
only way to get cheaper upgrades is to spend more money with the
network. Band 4 and 5 customers get the same, sometimes lower, prices
than new connections.
--
Regards
Jon

In article <MPG.204967fdb6c0adee98a78e@text.usenet.plus.net >,
spam@jonparker.plus.com says...
>The M700 is a brand new device, and it's price also reflects that. The
>only way to get cheaper upgrades is to spend more money with the
>network. Band 4 and 5 customers get the same, sometimes lower, prices
>than new connections.
>
Actually, the way to get cheaper upgrades is to avoid upgrades and give
retentions a call.
Orange are pushing the "existing customers are treated the same as new
ones" line ATM.
I told retensions that charging me a £100 penalty over a new customer
isn't treating me the same as an existing one and I was considering
going elsewhere.

I got my new phone.
Free with a contract renewal.
The same contract renewal I would have had to make to get the phone at
£149.99
And I wasn't asked to change to an animal tariff, or spend the extra £5
a month, that would have entitled me to the phone free as a new
customer. I was told I could keep my existing tariff as well.
--
Carl Robson
Audio stream: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com:8000/samtest
Homepage: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com
Now Playing at home:Nine Inch Nails-March of the Pigs
http://www.myspace.com/theelderuk

carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com declared for all the world to hear...
> >The M700 is a brand new device, and it's price also reflects that. The=20
> >only way to get cheaper upgrades is to spend more money with the=20
> >network. Band 4 and 5 customers get the same, sometimes lower, prices=20
> >than new connections.

> Actually, the way to get cheaper upgrades is to avoid upgrades and give=20
> retentions a call.

Sometimes that will work, sometimes it won't, the point is it's not a
guaranteed way. Spending more money and thus raising your banding is a
cast-iron guaranteed way of getting cheaper upgrades.

--
Regards
Jon

"Jon" <spam@jonparker.plus.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.204c9a7ac7abfc0598a790@text.usenet.plus.n et...
> carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com declared for all the world to hear...
>> >The M700 is a brand new device, and it's price also reflects that.
>> >The=20
>> >only way to get cheaper upgrades is to spend more money with the=20
>> >network. Band 4 and 5 customers get the same, sometimes lower, prices=20
>> >than new connections.
>
>> Actually, the way to get cheaper upgrades is to avoid upgrades and
>> give=20
>> retentions a call.
>
> Sometimes that will work, sometimes it won't, the point is it's not a
> guaranteed way. Spending more money and thus raising your banding is a
> cast-iron guaranteed way of getting cheaper upgrades.

Better still, leave Orange.