My broadband max package started on 17 Dec, and my home phone line was taken over by Orange on 7 Jan. BT predicted a broadband speed of 6.5M on my line, but after making many checks (yes, at the master socket etc) it is has never exceeded 3M. I have just contacted customer support, who tell me that my line is still "being commissioned", and that speed should improve after this. Are they fobbing me off with porkies, or have others had the improvement experience?
P.S. I note that call minding and caller I.D. come free on my home line for the first 6 months. I never use caller I.D., and my phone has an answerphone built in.
Does anyone know yet a) how much they cost after this b)whether you can you opt not to have them and so not be charged?
I suppose I could make a long call to 0870 customer support at my expense, but I thought I might get more sense here.
Are they fobbing me off with porkies, or have others had the improvement experience?
No in this case they are not fobbing you off. When I transferred over my Broadband I was told I would get up to 8mb. In this first few days I was getting as low as 0.11mb with the highest being 2.5mb or thereabouts.
They will check your line for the first 10 days and after then you should get the best speed that they can give you on your line. I am now getting just over 6mb reasonably regularly but obviously lower at peak times. This is about right for this particular area, neighbours with different ISP's get roughly the same.
I did read somewhere on the Orange site (?) the costs regarding Answer Service and caller ID but will have a wee look again to see if I can find it.
I thought it was only 3 months free but could be wrong. I don't intend to pay for the answer service so hopefully can opt out when the time comes.
You can keep us updated regarding your Broadband Speed.
I have had a look through their Tariff Guide regarding their Call Minder and Caller ID charges without any success. I did a search on the PDF Document again with no results. I am afraid you may just have to contact their Customer Services but if I get another minute I will have another look.
You were entirely correct regarding the 6 months free by the way.
Thanks for the prompt replies, and the searching on my behalf.
I'm not sure if I am completely reassured by your first reply. -As I said, my broadband was activated on 17 December, so it will be 20 days tomorrow. I hope that Christmas etc has delayed their 'commissioning', and that things may still improve without pestering...
I read both the sign up agreement and the terms & conditions most carefully, and I am 99.5% sure that there was no opt-out there.
It seems that these charges are a can of worms which will affect many Orange users soon. I am certainly not happy to be heading for an unknown charge for a service I didn't ask for and don't want.
AFAIK the extras for the phone service are free for 6 months and there is no opt out when you signup. You could always request their removal by email.
As far as speeds go, yes during the first 10 days they can be a bit "off". However the line stats should provide an idea of the final speed you should get. Remember unless you've had these speeds on that line previously any you were given were an estimate and you may end up with faster or slower speeds.
Thanks for the reply. The 6.5M potential speed was predicted by BT after a recent line test including distance from exchange/copper check. I am a little suspicious that my current speed is 3M. It seems too much of a round number to be anything other than a setting. My last (AOL) package was 2M, and that's what I got.
I'll give Orange another week, to make a full a month of service, then email customer support if there is no improvement. (I like answers in writing!)
Orange took over my line on the 21st of December and although BT have acessed my line at 6.5meg I'm still only getting a max of 3meg on a good day. I'm still waiting for a reply from them to my email.
Joined: 09 Jan 2008Posts: 27Location: Bedfordshire
john 941
I found that Orange usually reply to emails between about 0100 and 0400 in the morning. Don't expect a prompt response to emails and don't expect the web support guys to answer your question. They will in all probability refer you to the 0870 Technical Support number or to the Orange help section on the web - neither of which in my experience will provide the answer you want.
I left Orange for BT because Orange could not restore my broadband connection and wouldn't listen to what I was telling them. BT listened and restored my connection in 24 hrs and gave me a faster connection as well
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
