Orange - billing cycle

[SharpmanTF1]

peeps,

Has anybody out there had any luck trying to change their billing cycle with orange.

 

I recently changed banks and have decided to forgo direct debits for as many bills as i possibly can. Now, with Orange they're expecting the bill to be paid 20 days after bill is raised. My bill gets raised on 3rd of month so I have to pay it by 23rd of month. Now I don't get paid till 28th of month. I've tried to get them to move the billing date forward a couple of days to allow time for payment to leave my bank and reach them.

 

They point blank refuse - this is the age of computers right?, apparently not.

 

Is there any way that I can persuade them to budge on this.

 

Sharpman

[OrangePrimate]

Hi Sharpman

 

Sorry you wont be able to change this. The billing date is generated when you first start a contract and any direct debit is as you say 20 days after.

The reason that cant be changed is because if the billing date is changed, it would mean for that particualr month of the change 2 bills would be issued and it creates a shed load of problems!. Orange as any Company has to have correct accounting procedures and would have a hard job explaining why a customer was billed/paid twice in one month.

 

There is another little known way for payment, it is a CAM - basically a payment with a credit card is set up to pay the bill on the set date. you could then pay that credit card bill after you get paid - just need to remember to pay the credit card bill before interest is charged!!

 

Sorry cant be more positive for you.

[parity4all]

t-mobile offers the billing date to be changed. check

Help - T-Mobile

[jacktheband]

Orange do offer an option to change billing date, although i believe that to do this requires the setting up of a direct debit for a month. By choosing a direct debit date outside of the 20 days grace they give you i have been told that that then forces the permanent change of billing date.

 

This does produce 2 bills, but apparently they will not be 2 complete bills so you you are not short changed in any way. Downside is, you will need to have a direct debit set up for a short time. But at least there is a way!

[parity4all]

I see, this offers great flexibility. there could be a number of reasons why we would have to change the payment date. change in the date when you get paid is just one example.

 

I am curious to know, if this is specific to the phone provider or if there is an Ofcom or EU law that allows the customer to change payment date or the billing date.

 

Have read through my three mobile agreement and it says that the billing cycle starts from the date of connection to Three. But this becomes complex when you have changed price plans (when your agreement is due for renewal and you change the price plan and receive a new handset but keep the same phone number). I cannot recall if i activated the new phone or if it was activated "out-of-the-box". But this does not seem to matter as my billing date and payment date has remained the same, eventhough I received the new handset in the middle of the month my payment date and billing date has remained to be end of the month.