Orange 18 month contract

Hi there,

I foolishly signed up to an 18 month contract with Orange on my last
upgrade - Just cause I really wanted the phone and cause I'd been
fairly happy with the service I had received.

However, 9 months down the line I'm not particularly happy anymore
with Orange.

I called them to find out how much it would be to pay to get out of my
contract and was told that it'd be about £300!

This seems excessive but hey ho. I then asked how much the cheapest
tariff I could change to would be and was told that I could change to
a £30 tarrif in 3 months time. I currently pay £35 per month.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong but this can't be the cheapest tarrif?

Also, why do I have to renew my contract to change to a new tarrif?

Am I being really naive and do other Mobile networks do this?

Any info would be much appreciated.

"Schtop!" <matt.bowden1@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1174649769.156529.10380@y66g2000hsf.googlegro ups.com...
>Hi there,
>
>I foolishly signed up to an 18 month contract with Orange on my last
>upgrade - Just cause I really wanted the phone and cause I'd been
>fairly happy with the service I had received.
>
>However, 9 months down the line I'm not particularly happy anymore
>with Orange.
>
>I called them to find out how much it would be to pay to get out of
>my
>contract and was told that it'd be about £300!
>

Which sounds about right if you multiply your current line rental by
the number of months remaining on the minimum contract term.

>This seems excessive but hey ho. I then asked how much the cheapest
>tariff I could change to would be and was told that I could change to
>a £30 tarrif in 3 months time. I currently pay £35 per month.
>
>Now, correct me if I'm wrong but this can't be the cheapest tarrif?
>

Correct, there is also a 25 pound tariff, but as I understand it, you
can now downgrade 1 step at a time, so in 3 months you can go to 30
pound per month, then the month after you can go down to 25 pound
tariff.


>Also, why do I have to renew my contract to change to a new tarrif?
>

Assuming you are referring back to 9 months ago, if you want to change
tariff at upgrade time (with or without new handset) and especially if
moving to an Animal tariff, you have to take out a new contract. You
can move up/down (subject to terms) during a contract without
insituting another 12/18 month period. But if you aren't on an Animal
tariff, you cant down/up grade onto an animal tariff.

>Am I being really naive and do other Mobile networks do this?
>

to a certain extent yes.... most of them now seem to restrict when you
can downgrade and by how much, and 3 even charge a 25 pound fee to
downgrade. The termination fee is always going to be in the region of
the monthly line rental multiplied by the number of months remaining
to complete the minimum term.


Matt

Matt Wheeler wrote:
> "Schtop!" <matt.bowden1@gmail.com> wrote in message

>
>>This seems excessive but hey ho. I then asked how much the cheapest
>>tariff I could change to would be and was told that I could change to
>>a £30 tarrif in 3 months time. I currently pay £35 per month.
>>
>>Now, correct me if I'm wrong but this can't be the cheapest tarrif?
>>
>
> Correct, there is also a 25 pound tariff, but as I understand it, you
> can now downgrade 1 step at a time, so in 3 months you can go to 30
> pound per month, then the month after you can go down to 25 pound
> tariff.
>

Not quite true...

The above downgrade rules came into force in April 2006. New stricter
rules were imposed in December 2006:

"You will not be able to switch to a lower Service Plan for the first 6
months of a 12 month contract, the first 9 months of an 18 month
contract or the first 12 months of a 24 month contract. After the first
6, 9 or 12 months, as appropriate, you may switch to the next lowest
value Service Plan a maximum of one time for the remainder of your
contract term. You are able to switch to an equivalent or higher Service
Plan at any time."

So, by my reckoning, the OP shouldn't have to wait 3 more months to
downgrade but this will now be the only downgrade allowed within the 18
month term.

HtH
Reestit Mutton
--
The UK's only listing of 12 months free contract mobile phone packages
with a built-in price history
http://www.reestitmutton.co.uk/MOBIL...?query=12mfree

Schtop! wrote:
>
> I foolishly signed up to an 18 month contract with Orange on my last
> upgrade - Just cause I really wanted the phone and cause I'd been
> fairly happy with the service I had received.
>
> However, 9 months down the line I'm not particularly happy anymore
> with Orange.

You've fallen into the trap of humouring the networks here with these 18
month contracts. Before the norm of 18 months extends to 24, and from
there up to 30, tell your friends and everyone else to avoid them like
the plague.

Remember phones aren't free. You only get a good deal on them because
you're commiting to being a customer for a LONG stretch of time.

matt.bowden1@gmail.com declared for all the world to hear...
> Hi there,
>
> I foolishly signed up to an 18 month contract with Orange on my last
> upgrade - Just cause I really wanted the phone and cause I'd been
> fairly happy with the service I had received.
>
> However, 9 months down the line I'm not particularly happy anymore
> with Orange.
>
> I called them to find out how much it would be to pay to get out of my
> contract and was told that it'd be about =A3300!
>
> This seems excessive but hey ho. I then asked how much the cheapest
> tariff I could change to would be and was told that I could change to
> a =A330 tarrif in 3 months time. I currently pay =A335 per month.
>
> Now, correct me if I'm wrong but this can't be the cheapest tarrif?

It's not, but you can only step down one price point at a time.

> Also, why do I have to renew my contract to change to a new tarrif?

You don't.

> Am I being really naive and do other Mobile networks do this?

Yes they do to varying degrees.
--
Regards
Jon

Jon wrote:
> matt.bowden1@gmail.com declared for all the world to hear...

<SNIP>

>>
>>Now, correct me if I'm wrong but this can't be the cheapest tarrif?
>
>
> It's not, but you can only step down one price point at a time.
>

Remove "at a time" and you'd be bang on the money, Jon.

As of December 2006, Orange further tightened up their downgrade policy
to only allow a single downgrade of one price point within the entire
length of your contract term.

HtH
Reestit Mutton
--
The UK's only listing of 12 months free contract mobile phone packages
with a built-in price history
http://www.reestitmutton.co.uk/MOBIL...?query=12mfree