How do I upgrade my phone?

[Heebeegeetee]

Absolutely unbelievable!

I have - literally! - spent all afternoon trying to upgrade my Orange mobile, and look at changing my service plan as well.

I would like a Sony Ericsson W810i, which has an MP3 player, has 512mb memory, an FM radio and a 2mp camera etc. If you click on the orange site, it tells you that 'pay monthly' customers can upgrade to this phone for free. The orange site doesn't state that this phone is an mp3 player, so I have to check on the S.Ericsson site as well.

The orange site puts up every obstacle imaginable to purchasing anything from them, it seems. I have had to answer all sorts of questions, repeatedly enter the same information, had code numbers texted to my phone, enter account numbers, you name it. It keeps asking me if I've read terms and conditions, which is pages and pages long, yet won't tell me what I want to know - ie if I use their insurance scheme (£5 a month) you have to pay a charge if you want to claim. How much is the charge? You must contact orange to find out. So skip the insurance then.

When looking at their service plans I see that orange has come up with a totally numpty system to distuinguish the needs of their customers. It seems I now have to decide if I'm a Canary, or a Racoon, or a Heffalump or whatever. What a load of crap!

When, after being at it all afternoon as I said, it comes to being somewhere actually near being able to order the phone, they then tell me it costs 30 quid. FFS! I'd have chosen another phone if I'd known that right at the start!

Now, like many of you I have been pestered by texts from companies offering me the world if I have a phone from them. So its time to ditch orange and go elsewhere. Trouble is, who to, and who do I get a phone (for free) from?

Anybody had good service from such a company lately? Please, do tell.

[chris.mapey]

I'd recommend T-Mobile.

Really good customer service - based in UK call centres & the chaps on the end of the lines actually sort stuff out.

I got a great upgrade from them - free N70 Nokia, and a 25% discount on the tariff for the year. (750 mins / 200 text / unlimited web access for £42 per month.)

I'd switch to them...

Also, try and speak to Orange - dial 150 (IIRC) from your handset, and speak to someone. Explain the above, and tell them this is their last chance to retain you as a customer. You want the phone free, price matched tariff, etc...

HTH

Chris

[Heebeegeetee]

150? Good idea, I'm off to do it now.

There, rang 'em. It seems their entire system has crashed, (not bloody surprised) so the girl couldn't tell me a single thing, such as is the phone a free upgrade or is it 30 quid.

Sheesh. God knows when I'm gonna gather the strength or have the time to go through all that again!

>> Edited by Heebeegeetee on Saturday 6th May 17:17

[chris.mapey]

Heebeegeetee said:

150? Good idea, I'm off to do it now. There, rang 'em. It seems their entire system has crashed, (not bloody surprised) so the girl couldn't tell me a single thing, such as is the phone a free upgrade or is it 30 quid. Sheesh. God knows when I'm gonna gather the strength or have the time to go through all that again! >> Edited by Heebeegeetee on Saturday 6th May 17:17

Hello - is that T-Mobile...

[oggs]

Mike phone orange better than the web..

I did and got a Nokia 6230i which I asked for and 500 mins/500 texts for £25 a month... which i'm happy with

[Heebeegeetee]

oggs said:

Mike phone orange better than the web.. I did and got a Nokia 6230i which I asked for and 500 mins/500 texts for £25 a month... which i'm happy with

Bloody hell.

Will praps ring 'em later.

[oggs]

I gave her "The Oggs Chat"

[MarkoTVR]

O2 have been fine the past couple of years I've been with them. The package I has was cheaper than the equivalent Orange one.

[simpo two]

Can't beat analogue and wires