Like many people, I signed up to Wanadoo a year ago after being a loyal freeserve customer at my parents house and other houses I have lived in. Wanadoo were great and then they switched to Orange.
Since Orange took over connection has been slightly sporadic however, I know BT Openreach (who supply the lines) have been the main cause of many problems since they took over (which coincides with the buy out of Wanadoo) so didn't blame Orange although I was still fustrated.
So when my £30 per month contract was being offered at £19 per month on their website I transferred the contract and hence bound myself to this appalling company for 12 months.
Like so many other people out there I am experiencing PPP server down and have done for 9 days now. Everyday they try to get me to reconfigure the livebox and will not tell me what is happening until I run through the ardious process yet again (even after explaining that this has been done several times!!) and then they tell me to call back in 24hrs. It as now escalated to engineers are working on it and it will be up in a couple of days (I won't told my breath).
So after having enough of dealing with robots I call to cancel my contract as I want to move to a different provider. They tell me even though they are not supplying the service they are contracted to provide I cannot cancel my contract unless I pay £200. I contacted Ofcom, there is nothing they can do, this is biding and only if they declare in writing that they cannot help my technical problem or refuse me service can I take it to arbitration.
Don't sign with Orange they will rip you off and get away with it.
PS I wouldn't recommend BT either, great when the chips are up but when it s not working their technical service team is even worse than Orange. Indian call centre whose representatives cut you off if they don't know what the problem is continuously. I was on the phone with them for a customer of mine for over four hours when they disabled her account due to a virus but would not acknowledge that hey had done so and kept referring us to the technical team. After her first day she didn't have broadband for the first 4 months, they charged her but she couldn't connect and couldn't cancel her contract so BEWARE.
I know BT Openreach (who supply the lines) have been the main cause of many problems since they took over (which coincides with the buy out of Wanadoo) so didn't blame Orange although I was still fustrated.
Generally, the percentage of line faults is very low. It is so easy to blame someone else when a problem can not be resolved. This appears to be standard Orange practice. I do not think that Orange bought out Wanadoo. My understanding is that Orange owned Wanadoo and it was just a rebranding exercise. If I'm wrong then I'm sure someone will correct it.
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They tell me even though they are not supplying the service they are contracted to provide I cannot cancel my contract unless I pay £200.
If you are confident they are in breach of contract, which they clearly are, then I would just ask them for a MAC and move on. They can not refuse to provide a MAC because you have an outsdtanding amount to pay on your contract. If they say they will come after you for the outstanding money just tell them you'll see them in court. There is other legislation covering provision of services that Orange are clearly contravening.
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I contacted Ofcom, there is nothing they can do, this is biding and only if they declare in writing that they cannot help my technical problem or refuse me service can I take it to arbitration
Almost correct. They have upto 13 weeks to resolve any complaint from receiving it in writing after which you can take it to arbitration using CISAS. If they admit during this 13 week period that they cannot resolve then you can take it to CISAS earlier. I would give Orange a reasoanable date by which you expect a fix and advise them that if it is not fixed by this date you will suspend all further payments until it is fixed. Do not advise them that you are cancelling payments, just suspending them temporary until a resolve.
I do not think that Orange bought out Wanadoo. My understanding is that Orange owned Wanadoo and it was just a rebranding exercise. If I'm wrong then I'm sure someone will correct it.
Almost, it's France Telecom that owned the two, orange and wanadoo, so they rebranded wanadoo to Orange as it was the better more well known of the two.
Joined: 13 Aug 2006Posts: 1689Location: Marylebone Central London
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Almost, it's France Telecom that owned the two, orange and wanadoo, so they rebranded wanadoo to Orange as it was the better more well known of the two.
Well it is now through the wrong reasons LOL
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