I have exactly the same problem as you - same up/down speed (except that I'm not on LLU but theoretically ADSLmax) but being capped to an apparently fixed 1meg service even though max attainable speed is >10meg...
...they refuse to budge ...something very fishy going on...
I must be on LLU then if I can't run the BT Speedtest.
No change to my connection as yet! I am hoping that one day I will come home and it will be running at a higher speed! lol.
Indeed, it is a better response than "you're on the fastest speed available", but it has taken so many phone calls to get this far.
Once the issue is resolved I am going to be submitting a compaint to my Local Trading Standards, OFCOM, and anyone else I can think of to make these bodies aware of the practices of Orange.
The most frustrating thing is ringing an 0870 number and speaking to someone who is incompetant. I am not saying that everyone on the helplines is incompetant, just that I have never spoke to them!
What you will notice about this person is that they have recently been upgraded, what this suggests to me is that the equipment/exchange for this individual has been upgraded. I do not believe this is the case for many others. For those stuck on lower speeds I think you will find that the LLU equipment installed in the exchanges date back to about early 2006- where up to 8 meg speeds were not given at that time.
Are Orange going to upgrade exchanges to accommodate higher speeds?
Will Orange continue to spit ignorance when people CAN get higher speeds from different providers?
Will Orange ever tell people the exact speed they will get before signing on the dotted line?
What you will notice about this person is that they have recently been upgraded, what this suggests to me is that the equipment/exchange for this individual has been upgraded. I do not believe this is the case for many others. For those stuck on lower speeds I think you will find that the LLU equipment installed in the exchanges date back to about early 2006- where up to 8 meg speeds were not given at that time.
Although that could be the case to a degree, simply upgrading an exchange to LLU and then just leaving it alone would be silly as the general use of bandwicth keeps going up so they'd have to upgrade in order to maintain that level.
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Will Orange ever tell people the exact speed they will get before signing on the dotted line?
It's not practical, pretty much every ISP give estimates, but when it comes to actually putting the broadband on the line it's often different than expected. It's not just LLU for that either, as shown by some of the ADSL Max posts around here.
Although I am not privy to the exact details of how Orange operates their LLU system, I feel that in my case the lack of upgraded/unappropriate equipment at my exchange is the reason why I am still have a 608/288 service - this was admitted by Orange on my numerous (and costly) phone calls made to them. They said "The only way I would be able to get higher speeds was an upgrade of equipment via the exchange" (and a regrade/move to ADSL MAX was not an 'option').
"Although that could be the case to a degree, simply upgrading an exchange to LLU and then just leaving it alone would be silly as the general use of bandwicth keeps going up so they'd have to upgrade in order to maintain that level."
It does seem silly, but also cost effective. In my case I believe they are providing lower speeds which means the equipment can deal with more capacity, which means they can stave off a costly upgrade, while at the same time tell customers "Half a meg is the fastest speed your line can handle".
"It's not practical, pretty much every ISP give estimates, but when it comes to actually putting the broadband on the line it's often different than expected. It's not just LLU for that either, as shown by some of the ADSL Max posts around here."
Agreed, ISP's can only provide estimates...Unless they KNOW what speed you will be getting. Which is what happened in my case. Orange knew that the only speed I could get was Half Meg. I actually took them up on this and asked that if they KNEW that was the fastest speed they would be giving me (i.e. No speed increase) then why did they not release this information when I went for an "Upgrade". Their answer: You did not ask for that information at the time. If they have this information they should DIVULGE this information, that way people can make an informed choice on weather or not they are prepared to pay for meagre speeds- and its a no-brainer to know what choice most people will take, hence the sheer underhandedness of this.
Now I am pretty sure, though this might not be the explanation for everyones speed woes, but it is the explanation for quite a few who seem to be 'stuck' on pityful bb speeds.
Maybe this is how Orange intends on paying for upgrades- Through your costly calls to customer support who bounce you around until you scream for a tangible answer. Absolutely Disgraceful.
It does seem silly, but also cost effective. In my case I believe they are providing lower speeds which means the equipment can deal with more capacity, which means they can stave off a costly upgrade, while at the same time tell customers "Half a meg is the fastest speed your line can handle".
It's an assumption by support as the system is supposed to adapt to the fastest rate for the line.
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Agreed, ISP's can only provide estimates...Unless they KNOW what speed you will be getting. Which is what happened in my case. Orange knew that the only speed I could get was Half Meg. I actually took them up on this and asked that if they KNEW that was the fastest speed they would be giving me (i.e. No speed increase) then why did they not release this information when I went for an "Upgrade". Their answer: You did not ask for that information at the time. If they have this information they should DIVULGE this information, that way people can make an informed choice on weather or not they are prepared to pay for meagre speeds- and its a no-brainer to know what choice most people will take, hence the sheer underhandedness of this.
I don't believe the system currently can't provide details on any limits in place, it would have to be checked with another team to try and find out as it's not something automatic that can be checked or known by just anyone you get through to.
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Maybe this is how Orange intends on paying for upgrades- Through your costly calls to customer support who bounce you around until you scream for a tangible answer. Absolutely Disgraceful.
Except for when there's a long queue, which contrary to what some believe they do try to avoid, then the calls don't even pay for the wages let alone any of the supporting costs.
It's an assumption by support as the system is supposed to adapt to the fastest rate for the line.
Indeed.."Supposed to"..I sincerely doubt on all exchanges Orange is maximising 'fast rates' for customers, after all, I and many others wouldn't be here in the first place right?
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I don't believe the system currently can't provide details on any limits in place, it would have to be checked with another team to try and find out as it's not something automatic that can be checked or known by just anyone you get through to.
I should have stressed in my initial point on this matter, that it was with respect to an existing Orange customer (i.e. me) signing on for the Up-to-8Meg service (i.e. Upgrade). I am aware that with new customers exact speeds cannot be quoted until the service is activated. In my case, I'm not sure if you are aware Elhana, but when you enter member center, go to "Change your broadband package or speed" > "Change Speed", it will provide information, which for me is "our test indicates that you are already on the fastest speed your line can support...".
Now it is this information Orange SHOULD be passing on to customers who are querying an upgrade, because it is the same information Orange support spit when you call them to ask "After my upgrade why can't I get faster speeds!?!??". But then again, why would they go out of their way to lose a potential customer of 12 months...Hmmmm...I wonder...If the info is good enough as an excuse, then its bloody good enough to divulge before signing on- not to mention honorable...IMHO...
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Except for when there's a long queue, which contrary to what some believe they do try to avoid, then the calls don't even pay for the wages let alone any of the supporting costs
I'll agree to disagree, unless you are privy to information to which the public are unaware. What with CS outsourcing to India, and the sheer volumes of calls Orange are getting I think they must be making a hansom profit- I'll be happily corrected if theres evidence on the contrary.
I just want to say that my beef is not with you Elhana (please forgive my terse responses if they offend in the slightest), but with Orange. With the way Orange has treated myself and others, I think we are entitled to feel done over.Many have ruled out any causes of problems on the users side therefore the root cause of a p!ss poor service lands squarely in Oranges lap. Not only do they not give a satisfactory answer for poor service, but they offer no solutions either (in my case anyway), therefore we are left not only with a lengthy contract to see through but we get to sit in the dark and fed sh!t whilst using circa 2005 bb speeds....Nice! I like!.....(btw, how do you quote people?)
I edited your post to be quoted, there's a button to the top right of each post, or you can press the quote button during writing. You can edit your post to see what I did if you like.
I don't specifically know of any areas that are limited to 1/2 meg on LLU but that's not really an area I specialise in. It would be hard with those sorts of cases, when a technically working service is being provided, as the terms and conditions don't state any sort of guidelines for how fast the service must be or what it should live upto. Crappy I know.
The details of speeds should be passed on if thats the case but as I mean't I think the system would have to be manually altered to show those speeds and that may not be as easy as it sounds.
I don't have any evidence on the money side as it's not something the industry in general like making public but think of it like this. Highest call cost through BT for national rate 7p. £4.20 an hour, even if the queue is 10x the number of people they have taking calls on average throughout the day that doesn't account for the wages, all the people needed who don't take calls, heating, lighting, power, water, computers, systems, etc...
Except for the premium numbers I really don't see them making any sort of profit from calls.
Complaint sent to ISPA today as I am not letting this one go.
I have also drafted together all my emails, telephone coversations etc and the amount of time I have spent on hold. After all if I remember when I worked on an 0870 number we were not allowed to put people on hold for longer than 5 minutes because the 0870 number costs money to the customer.
I am going to contact my local trading standards and send information about the service Orange is offering to OFCOM as I beleive that their Internal Processes need to be reviewed.
Don't get me wrong, there are probably people out there happy with Orange.
However I have never ever in my whole life, dealt with such incompetance as a customer. I have dealt with companies before who have offered poor service don't get me wrong, but never on the scale or magnitude in which Orange has produced.
I prob won't get anywhere with the above but I will feel better about it lol.
You are not alone in your misery Pooch, as is quite a few number of people. But seeing as the current "business model" of ruthless mistreatment of many customers along with poor bb services, I do not see things changing unless they are forced to via official bodies or shamed via the media. Currently, Orange is being very successful in raking in customers and very poor in providing a satisfactory services.
This makes for a very good profit making strategy- not to mention amendments to terms and conditions and introducing 12 month contracts which favour Orange- and do nothing for the customer whatsoever. This is ensures they bleed you for your money before letting you go.
Orange will only address problems at their own convenience (whenever that is), as opposed to their obligation to satisfy customers. The same problems keep bloody coming up on a daily basis, yet all I hear are f**king excuses without any solutions or plans by Orange to address them...
Goodluck on your complaints to ISPA and OFCOM, but as you said, in the least it'll provide some therapy to the misery...
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