Orange broadband fees are to jump by up to £10 per month for some customers. Orange is also readying a £30 connection fee for all new broadband customers, starting April 8.
Broadband customers who live in areas where Orange is still to install its own equipment on the local telephone exchange will be charged up to £7 per month more than current rates.
Customers who live in areas where Orange has already unbundled the exchange will be charged less than current rates, provided they are not Orange mobile customers.
From April 8, Orange’s new Home Max broadband tariff costs £17 per month for existing Orange mobile customers who live in proximity of an unbundled exchange; up by £2 on the old tariff. Non-Orange customers using an unbundled exchange can sign up for broadband for £24 per month; down £1 on the old fees.
Orange subscribers that don’t use an unbundled exchange will be charged £25, up £10 on the old charge. Non-Orange customers in the same areas will get it for £32, up £7.
An Orange staffer said: “The deals will be very expensive for some people. Adding £10 per month on current prices is a lot of money over 18 months.”
An Orange spokesperson said: “We will soon launch a revised pricing structure of our home broadband tariffs that will see us able to offer new customers living in areas where we have equipment installed in their exchange even lower prices.”
Utter madness. If you want to keep and attract customers, this is not the way you go about it.
Still, that article's a bit unclear in certain areas. I'm on Broadband Unlimited (which I presume is now called Home Select?), paying £19.99 per month. I don't have an Orange monthly mobile account, so what will I be paying and will they be trying to impose the price rise on existing contracts?
If so, then by the 12 month contract they sent me (despite being advertised during the Currys/PC World deal as 18th months) I should have the right to cancel the contract, right?Free of further charges (perhaps 1 month's rental)?. My 12 months is up on August 9th.
But then I also have my half price laptop. What's the scenario there? Is that their leverage (that they'll demand the half of it's cost that they covered?)
Thanks for the reply. I think possibly that I've misinterpreted the contract I was emailed. It only mentions the Livebox hire. That is, oddly enough, 12 months compared to the agreement stated in the email which is 18 months.So presumably Orange separate the Livebox hire (currently £2.08 p/m) from the broadband agreement.
I was told in-store that the minimum period was 24 months but the (standard, I assume) email confirmation (with the Livebox contract I mentioned above) states I agreed to an 18 month deal (no mention of a gesture of goodwill by the way), so that's my evidence. In fact, that's my only "written" confirmation of my contract with Orange (as the sign-up is completed over the phone), which is a pretty bizarre situation! They should really send out a contract to be signed for both parties' records.
So in short yes, it does look like I'd be stuck with the 18 months unless the presumably tried to charge me the rest of the cost of the laptop. Mind you, since I have nothing (not even over the phone when I signed up) to say I'd forfeit the laptop saving, I'd be sorely tempted to state that in the course of the time I've had it, it's value has depreciate significantly, which would of course be true!
Whatever the situation, I guess it's a case of wait and see regarding the price change I may be subjected to before I consider my options.
For anyone wishing to terminate their contract due to the above changes, the following quote from the t&c's is relevant:
Quote:
11.8 You may also terminate the Agreement (by giving notice in accordance with Clause 13.5) if we vary the terms of the Agreement and as a result there is an excessive increase in the Charges or the changes we make significantly alter your rights under the Agreement. In such cases your notice must be given no later than seven days prior to the date upon which the change would have taken effect.
11.9 You will not have the right to terminate under Clause 11.8 if;
11.9.1 we have increased Charges by an amount equal to or less than the percentage increase in the All Items Index of Retail Prices published by the Central Statistical Office in monthly Digest of Statistics in any 12 month period;
"your notice must be given no later than seven days prior to the date upon which the change would have taken effect.", and yet they don't appear to have contacted any of us customers to tell us of the changes! If it weren't for this site, I wouldn't know a thing about it! Even then, I'm not actually sure how I am affected as I'm on Unlimited and the articles have been pretty ambiguous.
As for 11.9 and 11.9.1, I studied economics at school and I've never even heard of that index, let alone having any idea what it actually encompasses!
I see the legality of these increases being very suspect indeed particularly when you are supposed to give notice 7 days before changes take place despite not having been informed about them. I'll be furious if my bills increase without communication from Orange.
For anyone wishing to terminate their contract due to the above changes, the following quote from the t&c's is relevant:
Quote:
11.8 You may also terminate the Agreement (by giving notice in accordance with Clause 13.5) if we vary the terms of the Agreement and as a result there is an excessive increase in the Charges or the changes we make significantly alter your rights under the Agreement. In such cases your notice must be given no later than seven days prior to the date upon which the change would have taken effect.
11.9 You will not have the right to terminate under Clause 11.8 if;
11.9.1 we have increased Charges by an amount equal to or less than the percentage increase in the All Items Index of Retail Prices published by the Central Statistical Office in monthly Digest of Statistics in any 12 month period;
"your notice must be given no later than seven days prior to the date upon which the change would have taken effect.", and yet they don't appear to have contacted any of us customers to tell us of the changes! If it weren't for this site, I wouldn't know a thing about it! Even then, I'm not actually sure how I am affected as I'm on Unlimited and the articles have been pretty ambiguous.
As for 11.9 and 11.9.1, I studied economics at school and I've never even heard of that index, let alone having any idea what it actually encompasses!
I see the legality of these increases being very suspect indeed particularly when you are supposed to give notice 7 days before changes take place despite not having been informed about them. I'll be furious if my bills increase without communication from Orange.
Hold on Hold on!
For a start, the only changes we are sure of at the moment are that new customers are being hit with a new pricing regieme.
The new T's and C's however go on to state in section 9.9 that:
Quote:
We reserve the right to increase the Charges at any time giving you 30 days prior written notice except where the charges relate to On Demand content for the Digital TV Service which shall be those specified on your television at the time of selection
Ignoring the bit about On Demand TV (which is a future service) they have to give 30 days prior written notice before the charges increase. They have not YET done so for existing customers.
Now, all the stories I have read so far state that the increase will be for current customers too. Clearly this is at least 30 days away until we receive an email.
On balance, I believe that they will send the email at some stage soon. As well as the stories proving true so far, I was convinced this was part of the reason behind the T's & C's changes at the time they were made in January (which introduced the above clause).
There is also a precident - AOL did exactly the same with their pricing a year or so ago.
Oh, I'm holding on but I'm suspicious regarding the lack of clarity in any of the articles so far.
127.0.0.1 wrote:
The increases are for new customers only.
You know this as inside information? (Sorry, I don't know your connection - if any - with Orange). The reason I ask is that none of the articles on this subject have stated the increases are only for new customers.
And secondly, if that's the case, will the increases then be applied to existing customers only when their current contract runs out?
You know this as inside information? (Sorry, I don't know your connection - if any - with Orange). The reason I ask is that none of the articles on this subject have stated the increases are only for new customers.
And secondly, if that's the case, will the increases then be applied to existing customers only when their current contract runs out?
It is correct. The new prices are for new contracts, existing contracts will continue to be billed at their contracted rate until they choose to change to a different package.
The contract is a set length but when this is over it goes onto a rolling month by month basis, it doesn't automatically change unless there is some real reason to do so and if Orange do it without consent then this usually invalidates any associated contract that comes with it. Normally it's rare for them to change packages like this.
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
