Orange PAYG - Have I made a mistake?

[dave]

I've just bought a cheap PAYG phone with an Orange top-up voucher.

 

The phone is registered apparently, yet I cannot add a voucher to it.

 

Everytime I phone 450, I go through the motions and tap in the voucher code - I then get a message telling me that it has not been possible.

 

So, ok, I thought I'd do it on-line.

 

Spent about 10 mins filling in the form etc... got to the bit where I put in the voucher code and.....it says it's not been possible, please phone 450 and speak to Customer Services.

 

So, I do just that. Press 1 for this, 4 for this, 89 for this etc... until I finally get the Customer Services option....and......it says "Sorry, you do not have enough credit to make this call"

 

????? Duh!!! That's why I'm phoning!

 

Is this what I should expect from Orange - 'cos if it is, the phone is going back to Comet in about 10 minutes time.

[meg&mog]

Hi Dave

 

if you have bought the phone brand new that don,t sound right to me i would take it back to comet it should not already be registered should it?

 

i have been with orange PAYG for years and you do need a 25p connection fee when you ring them but i have always found them ok also if your sim card is new you should have £1 free credit

 

Good luck

 

Meg&Mog

[dave]

I finally got through to someone at Orange (had to use a landline ironically), and apparently, despite the website telling me that the phone is registered, it doesn't actually mean registered.

 

Perhaps they should use a different word.

 

Apparently it will be 'registered' within 24 hours.

 

I'm not all that impressed I can tell you! ;-) Clicked on the link on their website that said "click here if you have problems" - guess what?

 

"404 - not found"

 

Nice!

[dave]

Oooh, got the two text messages that they said I would get when it was registered - and........I still can't register the voucher.

 

Madness.

 

Methinks I shall take this back and try Vodafone or someone else; does anyone know the network with the least hassle?

 

All I want is a phone where I can 'top up' and make and receive calls.

 

I thought mobile phones were commonplace these days.

[sequenci]

Methinks I shall take this back and try Vodafone or someone else; does anyone know the network with the least hassle?

 

Dave, I worked in the Mobile industry for 7 years [Networks & Billing] and I can safely say with my hand on my heart that Orange is the best network by far. Even though Vodafone gace me a ridiculously cheap staff deal I still kept my number on Orange. I think once the teething trouble is sorted you should be all OK!

[dave]

Fair enough! It doesn't say much about the others in that case!

 

In the box I had two cards with a top-up logo on them - I have no idea what these are. There was a little booklet in there too with the words "don't worry, I'll talk you through it" written on the front.

 

It doesn't talk you through it. Very far from it.

 

Is it just that it's pay as you go, and not on a contract perhaps?

 

Maybe PAYG customers are seen as 'lesser' customers?

 

I've now managed to get the voucher registered (apparently), but it still says my balance is £0.01 and I still can't make any calls.

 

Is this usual?

 

I think I was less stressed without a mobile phone to be honest.

[gni03349]

Do you have an Orange shop you can go to? I have a contract phone with a different provider, and I have a PAYG phone with Orange. If I have had any problems or queries or anything at all actually about the PAYG, the staff have been great. They will call for you (I think, but I'm not sure, that they have "other" numbers thay can call to sort out probs). P-i-t-a I know, but just a thought.. speak to them face-to-face (or shout, scream or whatever state your voice will be in by the time you get there lol).

[dave]

Thanks for the advice - it's working now - it still says I have 0.01 balance, but it's allowing me to make calls so their site must just take time to update.

 

It was very confusing though - my nan would have no hope in setting this up.

[gni03349]

... my nan would have no hope in setting this up.

 

 

Don't let her near it then!! lol

[davethorp]

Have you tried calling 453 to check your balance?

[MilkTrayMan]

...I can safely say with my hand on my heart that Orange is the best network by far...

 

...Maybe PAYG customers are seen as 'lesser' customers?...

I have an Orange PAYG.

...I don't regard myself as being a 'lesser' customer??...

...

[barracad]

I can safely say with my hand on my heart that Orange is the best network by far.

 

I disagree - I've been on practically every network (including Orange) at some point, and from a consumer's point of view I have to say that I have found 3 the best network for customer service.

[sequenci]

from a consumer's point of view I have to say that I have found 3 the best network for customer service.

 

is this sarcasm?

[barracad]

is this sarcasm?

 

Ummmm no, seriously the most helpful of the bunch, nothing too much trouble. In my personal experience anyway.

[sequenci]

Ummmm no, seriously the most helpful of the bunch, nothing too much trouble. In my personal experience anyway.

 

Wow, there is a first for everything! To be fair I left the mobile industry over two years ago so they may have pulled their fingers out. At the time they were most complained about network by far (as a percentage of their base).

[sea-sidelady]

I have found 3 the best network for customer service.

 

I used to have this one, and it was their customer service that made me leave.

 

Maybe they have finally improved.

[gni03349]

They tend to improve drastically at the expiry of a contract..

[MilkTrayMan]

...expiry of a contract..

WHO mentioned contracts??...:o

...I thought everyone was on about PAYG...

 

 

...

[gni03349]

'Contract' is just a word MTM.. I am on a contract but I pay as I go.. ie. pay the bill when i feel like it lol.

 

Nah, not really.

 

Just saying that they CAN be good... if they know they might lose you... they're all like that. I found they can be flexible to a point at the start too. As for my contract, I'm on 1200 minutes and 600 texts for £30 a month ('cos I was going to leave last time, so thats what they gave me.. not bad).

[dave]

Is it just me or does everyone get the "I'm sorry, it's not been possible to add credit to your phone; we're having some problems with our system."?

 

I seem to remember this very same message every time I tried to top up some 8-9 years ago with a PAYG Orange Mobile.

 

It's very frustrating.

 

I'm going to switch networks soon, as this is just a mess. I have to go away on business tomorrow morning (6am) and where I'm going it's doubtful that I'll be able to top the phone up, so it means I'll be out of contact with my family for the next 2 weeks.

 

It's not really on, seeing as I have paid them the money, but can't actually get the service that I've paid for.

 

I've tried 'topping up' on-line, but get the same message (along with a "phone 450 if you are experiencing problems - not a lot of point doing that, as that's the number where I got the problems from in the first place).

 

So, is the concensus that '3' are better than this?

[gni03349]

I have no problems (well, not many lol), with 3, but that is on contract. Ages ago when 3 came out with some good PAYG deals, the credit only lasted 30 days from when the top-up was done. You would have to check if it's still the same now, but personally, I wouldn't use 3 for PAYG.

 

I have an Orange PAYG (backup) phone, and I must say, I have no problems at all, except I keep running out of credit!! lol.

 

Have you seen the T-Mobile 1400 minutes and unlimited texts for £30/month on a rolling month-to-month no-contract "offer"? It might be worth checking out.

 

I've PM'ed you with what might be a useful snippet of info for you.

 

 

Regards...