Beware of Orange, France Telecom

[toscal]

Warning to anyone who is on or thinking about a contract with Orange (France Telecom) for ADSL or Dial up.
I've been trying to cancel my Orange dial up account for the last 3 years. Yes thats right 3 years.
You phone them up and they say OK you need to send a fax with this and this on it. So you send the fax. I contacted them about a week later and they say Oh you forgot to put so and so detail on it, please resend with the correct information. So I tried to send the information and the fax machine is offline. I phoned again and Orange gave me another number to fax to. I faxed to this number and it went through. Phoned them about 4 weeks later, and Orange claim that that isn't their fax number, and wanted to know where I got it from. Explained the first number I had wasn't working but in order to cancel my Dial up I have to use the first number. Anyway after about 3 months of trying I managed to send the fax through. Excellent its been cancelled. Oh no because its now 1 month into the next years contract So I have to pay for the whole year. So I try again, with the same results. Either the info they require wasn't on the fax or they claim never got it.
I've been threatened with legal action, Orange claim they never got my faxes, and just because I have proof of the fax and when I sent it doesn't mean anything, as they have no physical copy. So I'm about to try again.
I'm not the only one who has had these problems. I know 2 of my friends have had the same problems, with Both Orange ADSL and dial up and three of my clients have also had similar problems.
I've decided to post this here, as a warning and, as I recently saw an advert for a free laptop if you sign up to Orange broadband at PC world. What they don't tell you is that the contract is for a minimum of 12 months. But its actually going to be for at least 13 to 14 months as you have to give them at least 1 months notice. Which has to be after the 12 month period, which takes you into month 13. SO by the time you have canceled it is now month 14 if your lucky.
The future is bright but it is most certainly not Orange.

[TimH]

Sorry to hear of your troubles Toscal.

I too was with Orange (Wanadoo) for dialup, then ADSL, before I switched to BT. I cancelled with Orange within my last month although the operator kept mentioning "cancellation charges". When pressed on what they would be she had to admit the charges would be zero.

What I also should've done, with hindsight, was cancelled the bank direct debit at the same time. Orange took money for an extra month and while I have now had a refund, it was all extra hassle.

Can't you cancel your bank payments to them and follow up with a letter stating why and enclosing copies of all your faxes - surely they'll stop then?

If you get a court summons can you get the Spanish equivalent of "Watchdog" involved? I'm sure Orange don't want bad publicity.

HTH,

Tim.

[toscal]

Its used to be paid by Credit card but that expired. So its whenever I get the bill. We are getting the local consumer rights office involved. And I've told Orange that I have posted here as well.

Sorry to hear of your troubles Toscal.

I too was with Orange (Wanadoo) for dialup, then ADSL, before I switched to BT. I cancelled with Orange within my last month although the operator kept mentioning "cancellation charges". When pressed on what they would be she had to admit the charges would be zero.

What I also should've done, with hindsight, was cancelled the bank direct debit at the same time. Orange took money for an extra month and while I have now had a refund, it was all extra hassle.

Can't you cancel your bank payments to them and follow up with a letter stating why and enclosing copies of all your faxes - surely they'll stop then?

If you get a court summons can you get the Spanish equivalent of "Watchdog" involved? I'm sure Orange don't want bad publicity.

HTH,

Tim.

[toscal]

Just had a phone call from Orange.
They have finally cancelled my dial up account. And not only that they are going to refund me about 170 euros as well.
How did I manage this. I wrote to the CEO of France Telecom in France. and 3 weeks later this happened.
As a friend of mine says: "Shy boys get no sweeties"

[trevorjdaniel]

Good on you toscal! Power to the People!

You sound like me. not someone to shout but not someone to step on.

[TimH]

Glad you've got it resolved now toscal