If you are currently an Orange Customer, you will no doubt have received an e-mail from them recently advising you of the position regarding VAT. On 1 December 2008, the rate of VAT was cut from 17.5% to 15%. Orange have not actually passed this on to customers.
This week an e-mail came around from Orange. It stated that customers will see the application of the 15% rate of VAT from 1 February 2009, some two months later. It basically suggested that they would encounter a huge administrative nightmare in trying to determine the amounts to refund to individual customers. They say '
Because of the administration involved it’s proving difficult to credit every customer account with an accurate amount.' Well it has just taken me all of 4 or 5 seconds to work out how much they have been overvharging me. I would say it's idleness on their parts. They do not wish to incur the costs of refunding the VAT and so have given the administrative nightmare excuse.
Orange have therefore decided, without consultation with their customers, that they should make a donation to charity in a sum total equalling the value of the total due to their individual customers.
I perhaps would have had no objection to this course of action had I been consulted and had I not had sub standard service from them over the past twelve months. However, I was not consulted and whilst I do not doubt the charity is a worthy cause, it is my money. I have spent more than the value of the refund due in calls to them trying to resolve issues. Further, they have offered me no compensation for the times I have been unable to use my broadband. You may consider me tight, but I want that money in my pocket. Orange should not be allowed to dictate, to each and every customer, what happens with that VAT money, it is not theirs to dispose of.
I would reconsider my decision if they offered to not charge VAT at 17.5% (Or the 18% that was mooted) for two months after the rate goes back up on 1 December 2009, but I don't see them having such an administrative nightmare when it comes to putting the prices back up.
I would suggest that if, as a dissatisfied customer, you also wish to recover what is properly due to you, then you contact [url]customer-service@uk.orange.com[/url]
They will ask you to provide information regarding your account and then suggest they wil escalate the matter to arrange a refund.
Oh come on, its like 50p! Surely you should be happy in knowing that Orange has decided on donating the funds to a worthy cause, regardless of if they have consulted with you or not. In fact the whole consultation process would have probably cost way more than if they just decided to give it away.
Joined: 13 Aug 2006Posts: 1689Location: Marylebone Central London
imthebossofme wrote:
Oh come on, its like 50p! Surely you should be happy in knowing that Orange has decided on donating the funds to a worthy cause, regardless of if they have consulted with you or not. In fact the whole consultation process would have probably cost way more than if they just decided to give it away.
You may praise Orange but doing this without permission is totally unacceptable and shows exactly why Oranges reputation is at an all time low,
i think its more about giving other peoples money away not the 50p thats the problem here, when every other ISP is refunding it back dated.
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