I thought that I would share my experience of the Currys / Orange broadband deal, given that not many people here are actually talking in detail about it, and to caution those who are thinking of accepting the contract, for Currys and Orange are not communicating properly with one another. I have divided the experience into two separate stages, and I hope it is helpful in some way.
1st Stage.
I signed up on the 19th July (the day the offer started), entirely aware of Orange’s history of poor service (and Currys’ incompetence), and received the LiveBox on the 23rd July along with a letter confirming my subscription to the service. I mistakenly took this to Currys to redeem for my laptop, but was turned away (with the usual bad customer service I have come to expect from them). I was told another letter will come from Orange with an authorisation code for their tills. The material I had originally received from Currys was the following:
“In around 10 days, if your bank details are verified, Orange will send you your modem and activate your broadband line.
At this point, you’ll be sent a letter for your laptop.
Just come back to the same store within 14 days, and bringing the following with you:
YOUR RECEIPT
YOUR LETTER FROM Orange
PROOF OF I.D. AND ADDRESS e.g. A UTILITY BILL, DRIVING LICENSE”.
The vague part above was obviously “at this point”, which should have read, “After you receive your modem you may have to wait a few days for your broadband to be activated. You will receive an e-mail from Orange to confirm this. After your broadband line is confirmed you will subsequently be sent a letter separate from the Orange welcome letter you will receive with your modem”. A bit long-winded, but at least it is clearer. Anyway, it turns out, incidentally, that this letter will supposedly be coming from Currys, not Orange (I’ll discuss this below).
What worried me from the outset, as has been confirmed throughout all of my conversations with staff from both companies, is that not one seemed to know where this mysterious letter was to come from (Orange said to me yesterday, “from a third party”, another time saying that it was from themselves, with Currys saying that it was coming from Orange, yet on Currys’ website saying that it was going to come from Currys). I took particular pride in speaking to the local Currys manager and saying, as he called Orange on my behalf, that he was interacting with an undiscovered country, being the first employee at Currys to speak to someone from Orange, at any level.
2nd Stage.
My broadband was working on the 27th July, and the next day I had a problem with the LiveBox (PPP Server down / complicated by some sort of general broadband outage). I called technical support who obviously suggested every step (including the USB restore) I had already been through, with the man suggesting it was a good idea to replace the LiveBox. I said to him that I thought that was extreme. By the time someone called regarding sending out a new box, I had already fixed it myself by using an Ethernet restore (and finding the firmware files myself). I told him not to bother sending a replacement out. This LiveBox replacement business is probably costing Orange quite a bit, and I suspect a number of problems could be resolved using the Ethernet, as opposed to USB, restore. They should resolve this, make their technical team aware, and spend the money elsewhere.
Given that my broadband was working on the 27th July, I called to see when my letter would be delivered. I was told that my broadband wasn’t completely active, and that that would take a few days. On the 29th I had the active status confirmed when I spoke to another staff member at Orange, and again I asked for the letter, and they said it would be here in a couple of days. I received the confirmation e-mail from Orange, showing that I was now active (31st July).
On the 1st August I was already starting to get impatient (you have to understand that it has dragged because of the earlier letter confusion, and just generally the sense of being told a multitude of contradictory things) – I had entered into a contract essentially on the 29th, officially on the 31st, and suggested helpfully that Orange could fax this mysterious letter in to my local Currys (it has a ten-digit authorisation code). At this point I was told again to wait, and that it would be here by the 3rd August at the latest, which was the original target date for my broadband to be set up by.
Unhappy at the call to wait (I admit my impatience, but I have read this site for quite some time, and feel the need to pressure them pre-emptively), I called the Orange (Mobile) Executive Office to find out if the letter could just be faxed. The man there, always pleasant, said that he would send an e-mail to the equivalent “Executive Office” at broadband (it does exist apparently), because he could not speak to them by phone (later revealed to be either a lie, or a misunderstanding on my part). Yesterday morning (2nd August), he called at 09.30, saying that the “Broadband Executive Office” would call me at some point during the day. I stayed in especially to wait for their call – 16.00 and still no call, I called my contact again – he said he would CALL them (now they merely didn’t have a “direct number” I could have), and I requested that they call me back by 17.00, for that would only be fair given my already-long wait. No call came. I called the contact back and left a message.
Again, this morning, my contact called, and he told me that the letter would be with me imminently, either today or tomorrow, and that the Broadband Executive Office would call me today to confirm everything. I told him in no uncertain terms that I was not going to wait around for the phone call, given their unreliability (I explained to him how it took twenty-four hours for them to even respond to one of HIS e-mails, and how they were obviously not listening to him, or, by extension, myself). I explained that I only wanted a simple thing: the letter faxed, with my redemption code. I said it would make no difference, as surely the code was individual for each customer, and a watermarked page would not really add much more of a safeguard. I explained my worry about being tied to a contract where their end was not being adhered to.
I called Currys after the post came to hear what they were saying about this (still undelivered) letter – another very cheeky individual later (is this a job prerequisite?), I was of the knowledge that the “third party” Orange spoke of was actually Currys – they had supposedly sent out 5000 “backlogged” letters, and that I should get it by Monday at the latest. When I had asked if would commit to the Monday delivery date, he wouldn’t respond (I understand postal strikes, but four days to deliver a letter is getting ridiculous). I asked him if he could just get my letter printed again and faxed, and he said this wasn’t possible, which of course I understand; what I obviously don’t understand is how Currys say on the booklet with my receipt that the letter is coming from Orange, as have most employees. Do understand that this is why I am becoming impatient, because if both are saying that they are sending it, there is a good chance that nobody is sending it. I guarantee that if I call up Orange now, they will be uncertain as to where the letter is coming from. This is unacceptable.
Just out of interest too, my download speed is 950 kb/s, despite having signed up for the "Up to 8Mb/s Unlimited" service. Even though they say about it taking ten days to get it properly set-up from the initial activation, the speed has been a bit too stable for my liking (my line is capable of 5.5 - 6.0 mb/s, perhaps more). Anybody have any prior experience of this initial period?
Anyway, that's all I have to say.
*** As I was typing this e-mail, another LiveBox arrived (despite me saying to the man organising the call-back on the day I had the problem that I didn’t need one - he said he would cancel the send-out). I now have to go to the post-office and return this. How stupid. I think it sums up my experience pretty well.
Last edited by jjdoody on Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:15 pm; edited 1 time in total
I think the point here is that no matter my prior knowledge, I am still entitled to the full service promised. Just because I had the knowledge, it doesn't mean I should be denied the right to complain. I take responsibility for the decision, but I still have also a right to expect.
It might make me appear silly to you, and I understand that, but I am at least putting up the full details of my experience, because so far I have not seen anybody do it, and even if I do not have a "point", I have hopefully put forth a good deal of helpful information. This is a new type of case, for it shows Orange's interaction with a third party, and if you honestly believe it is more useful off the board than on it, then I guess you are welcome to put forward an argument for that.
If an offer appears too good to be true then it probably is.
It's been said many times and no doubt will still be said in years to come.
This is taken from a consumer web page :-
"Useful Information
We all like to think that we are getting a bargain or indeed, something for free. Those who send out 'too good to be true offers' play on this and make their offers sound as attractive and genuine as possible. They are in business to make a profit and someone has to pay for it. Remember, there is no such thing as a 'free lunch'."
I have had a very very similar experience but with PC World and Orange. I dont really have the patience to type it all on here but if you could pm me your phone number I would like to ring you and explain what my experience has been.
I have had a mimpler experience to the above. I'm still awaiting my letter with the 10 digit code. How long after activiation did you have to wait for the letter ? ?
I finally got my letter on the 6th, and Orange have been decent enough to call me to see how I was getting on (which may or may not be done for everyone, I don't know - I've made quite a fuss on the phone though). I made sure to mention the line speed issue and was told that on the 11th August the speed would be fixed at a far higher rate than what it is now (960-70 kb/s). We'll see, but I just thought I'd update.
The Fujitsu computer I got is pretty good (the Radeon 200M is a decent internal card, and Vista is a lot of still-very-Xp fun). Wireless connection was fairly painless. If Orange keep up their end of the deal, it will turn out to be worth it.
As has been mentioned in other threads, their laptop voucher telephone number is 0800 0720 983. Give them a call if you haven't received the voucher.
Hi all, Just joined after spotting this thread and forum,
I can finally speak to other people about this free laptop problem!!!!
Ok, After seeing the "Free laptop offer" in PC World i decided to go in and join as it seemed a superb offer, went in on 21st July 2007 and picked my laptop, got the receipt, and PC World signed me up to Orange (i had to provide a MAC code to transfer from BT)
4 days before my Orange router arrived my BT internet connection went off meaning i was offline for the next 6 days which also annoyed me as its meant to be switched without loss of connection!
I was told by Orange and PC World that this laptop letter would be with me on the same day as the livebox and welcome letter, on the 1st August 2007 i got my livebox delivered via parcelforce, opened it up and no letter so rang Orange, orange then said it was sent seperatly and i should have it the next day,
Next day, nothing arrived so i gave them another call, orange then said i could go into PC World and get one of them to ring a place called "optima" to be given my code over the phone, went into PC World, they knew nothing about this and called Orange to be told that the letter should be with me in 3-5 working days, wasted journey!
so i waited for the next 3 days with nothing arriving so called Orange to be told i have to give it 5 days, waited 2 more days, nothing arrived, rang Orange,
I was then told they would have to send another letter and it could take upto 5 DAYS again!!!, this situation is driving me crazy, i would not have changed from BT to Orange if it wasn't for the laptop offer, pc world have told me they have had many many people coming in like me being told the wrong information by Orange, pc world don't even know whats happening!!!
orange also kept refusing to give me the broadband activation letter so i am very grateful to "jjdoody" for posting it on this site, i gave them a ring and they said the letter hasn't even been sent so have decided to send it today!!!!!,
No problem Puffer - I hope it gets sorted out for you. You should, however, ring the number again and ask if the activation number could be given directly over the phone to PC World to stop you waiting any longer.
No problem Puffer - I hope it gets sorted out for you. You should, however, ring the number again and ask if the activation number could be given directly over the phone to PC World to stop you waiting any longer.
^J
Thanks for the reply jjdoody,
I just spoke to them again asking if the number can be given directly to PC World whilst im in store and they said due to security reasons this cannot be done,
when i spoke to them a few hours ago i was told the letter had not been sent yet when i just spoke to them they now say that the letter was sent on the 6th and its in the post?!?
when i spoke to them a few hours ago i was told the letter had not been sent yet when i just spoke to them they now say that the letter was sent on the 6th and its in the post?!?
You'll have to get used to this Puffer.....Orange man speak with forked (I think that's how it's spelt) tongue.
when i spoke to them a few hours ago i was told the letter had not been sent yet when i just spoke to them they now say that the letter was sent on the 6th and its in the post?!?
You'll have to get used to this Puffer.....Orange man speak with forked (I think that's how it's spelt) tongue.
If they've not complied with their timings as shown in the T&Cs in respect of the availability of the laptop and Broadband connection then you could cancel.
One thing that's puzzling me, is the contract for the laptop with PCW and the Broadband with Orange or are both with Orange ?
If they've not complied with their timings as shown in the T&Cs in respect of the availability of the laptop and Broadband connection then you could cancel.
One thing that's puzzling me, is the contract for the laptop with PCW and the Broadband with Orange or are both with Orange ?
im sure both are with Orange as its their deal, obviously PC World gets profit out of it by supplying the laptops.....
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