orange and how they force payment on stolen mobiles - help!!

[jaynec555]

Hi all, looking for some advice

- I've seen a few posts on here about Orange and how they force payment on stolen mobiles,

but this story has moved on a bit and would really appreciate some seasoned advice.

 

My daughter mislaid her phone back in October 2010 and by the time she'd realised it was stolen,

over £200 worth of overseas calls were made.

 

As per usual Orange refused to budge, even though she'd reported the phone stolen almost immediately.

To cut a long story short, the account was passed to Moorcroft at the sum of over £600!!

 

I took over and managed to get the bill down to network time and missed payments

(I advised daughter to stop the dd to Orange as soon as they refused to listen to us).

 

She paid 8 months of £43.00 before she realised she'd overpaid the agreed payment.

 

Once this was paid, she was to be connected back to Orange and continue her contract,

which she was reluctant to do bearing in mind the history, but it was the cheapest option.

 

Since then we've been back and forth between Moorcroft and Orange to work out who owns the account.

 

Orange have since taken £29.00 in DD payments, no notification, no new SIM Card (old one obviously stolen with the phone) and no contact.

 

We've been in touch with them and the contracts team have agreed to refund the overpayment (£86.00) but not the DD??

 

Now she keeps being passed to the disconnection team who have claimed no knowledge of the offer of payment and have advised we go back to Moorcroft.

 

In summary, I'm absolutely appalled at the way my daughter has been treated by Orange

 

- I understand totally that she was liable for the calls made when the phone was stolen....legally, but she's a student,

on very limited funds and has been devastated by the lack of assistance or even understanding.

 

I can see why Orange have been voted the worst customer service by a mobile provider, you'd think they'd want to improve their image a bit wouldn't you?

 

Any thoughts on next steps....? I've noted that Vodafone keep tabs on these kinds of posts and offer assistance where they can...stupid question, but I don't suppose there's an Orange rep doing the same is there?

 

Thanks in anticipation

[dx100uk]

moved to the telecom forum and relevent title added

 

dx

[dx100uk]

i dont hink she is liable for the calls...

 

where did that come from?

 

dx

[jaynec555]

Many thanks

[jaynec555]

That came from Orange originally - in the T&Cs because she hadn't got insurance, she was liable for all of the calls made prior to her notifying them.

[dx100uk]

and you really need to stop talking to the fleecing DCA

 

they have NO LEGAL POWERS to demand any thing from you.

 

as for the misuse of the DD

 

unless you received WRITTEN notification of the sums being taken by orange

 

then contact the back and get it back under the DD guarantee.

 

NEVER EVER pay a DCA anything!!

 

and stay off the phone to them.

 

dx

[johnvernon74]

While its not nice, I think your daughter is liable for the calls until Orange were notified. The moor croft thing is a different thing go through Orange Complaints or call the Executive office 08708 700862

[jaynec555]

Thanks both - have emailed the 'executive office' and found the Orange Helpers on Facebook, will keep you posted on the response....if I get one..

[jaynec555]

Quick update - Orange Executive Office have been in touch (as have Orange Helpers from Facebook, you wait 18 months for them to show and two turn up at once!!). They are refunding my daughter part of the sum paid, she has two months credit on her contract, a new phone and the option to disconnect if she wants. They're also updating her credit report, which to me is the clincher - this will give her more options to go elsewhere for a contract as her credit will be in better shape.

 

Thanks both for your advice

[dx100uk]

have they previously marked her credit file with any bad markers then?

 

dx