There isn't an "Orange broadband network" any more .

There is! It may not be a physical network but it is a conceptual one.

In reference to shop.orange.co.uk/broadband/:

Prices quoted are for customers on Orange pay monthly and pay as you go mobile plans living in an Orange Broadband network area, which covers 85% of all UK homes. For non-Orange customers, an additional £5 a month will be charged. Orange customers living in non-Orange Broadband network areas will be charged an additional £10 a month. Non-Orange customers living in a non-Orange Broadband network area will be charged an additional £15 a month. Ten-day provisioning relates to our Broadband service only. Home Phone service provisioning can take up to 20 days.

Orange charge more in exchanges where they previously had no LLU presence. Not sure how they handle those where BT has 21CN presence.

Maybe nobody has told the minions that they don't have LLU any more.

They aren't still offering the LLU prices to new customers in ex-LLU exchanges are they?

The old LLU overlay probably covers market 2 and market 3, hence cheaper in those areas.

That makes sense as the modern equivalent of Orange's historic LLU glory days.

True.

In reply to a post by E7er:

Yes! Be warned! Don�t order broadband then 3 days later cancel the order, as you will only cause great problems, hassle and unnecessary cost for yourself.

When I spoke to Orange they said I would be on an up to 20meg service. When my account login came though it was showing an 8meg service with an estimated speed of 5.5mb. I was on an LLU service getting 10meg so I cancelled. The exchange is tavistock if you want to have a look.

In reply to a post by E7er:

I don�t see how the sales person on the phone can tell you what your broadband line speed will be, or are you in a non-Orange broadband network area? This will make a difference, as you will get upto 8Mbps speed not upto 20Mbps speed.

It was an estimated speed, I guess he was looking at the BT speed checker?

In reply to a post by E7er:

Orange have a ten-day broadband provisioning time period and must get a move on to get your connection changed over and you three days into this period cancel the order.

I agree everyone can make a mistake but to suggest its my fault because Orange did not follow the correct procedure to cancel the order is madness.

Its not like I wanted to cancel the order 9 days in to the process.

I placed the order on Sunday night and cancelled in Tuesday morning...maybe that is 3 days, I dont know how automated the system is.

That said you make it sound like its hard.

They closed the account and cancelled the order in their own systems and that was it.

When they placed the order with BT would they not have been given an order/reference number?

Could they not simply place a cancel action against this order?

Why should it cause (given it was done with plenty of time to spare) "great problems, hassle" ?

However, all of this is missing the main point.

Every company makes mistakes. Its how those mistakes are handled that is one of the factors that differentiates the good from the bad.

Orange accept they made a mistake, apologised for the mistake and basically told me to have a coke and a smile........

Mine was the opposite situation but about 18m ago:
1. I was thinking of moving from Orange with a MAC which I gave to the gaining (LLU) provider.
2. I tried to cancel the move with the gaining provider before the change date, but was concerned as I had no acknowledgement of the cancellation, and it was not showing on their web UI.
3. I spoke to Orange (my "losing" ISP) and was transferred to their provisioning team. "Never mind, they told me, we can cancel the order with OpenReach for you . . . [they did so] and here is the cancellation number . . ." [all in a single phone call].
I'm not sure about Home Broadband, but when I last needed to contact Orange CS on a mobile broadband service change last Christmas, I was given the reps extension number, without prompting, and a reference number, so I could "get back to him in case of any problem". It seemed a potential improvement.
I've usually found that calling during weekday business hours gets you through to the UK rather than India, with free calling via the mobile help number if you have an Orange mobile.

Edited by deleted (Fri 09-Mar-12 11:17:03)

Some months ago , I too had a dispute with Orange which seemed impossible to resolve by phone whoever I managed to speak to. However a letter of complaint to Customer Services led some weeks later, to a call back from a dedicated written complaints section (I think in Bristol) by a very helpful english speaker who sorted the problem immediately including compensating me for all my time and trouble.

The moral here seems to be to always put your complaints in writing and never to waste time complaining by phone.

I posted a letter to Orange Customer Services on Tuesday 6th March.

Today Friday 9th March they called me - I have to say I am impressed with the speed at which they handled my complaint by post.

The representative fully understood the problem and was very apologetic.

She was happy for me to either buy a 1 month/1gig dongle and she would refund me the cost or she would authorise a good will payment of £30 for my inconvenience.

While the dongle solution is a little late to really benefit me and the £30 does not really cover the hassle I do appreciate the gesture.

Onward and forward