please help me with my internet frustration....

[OBH]

Ive finally blown a fuse over this rubbish and no longer know what to do.

As some of you know i havnt had the internet for almost a year, yet for the past 5 months ive been paying orange for an internet service they are yet to provide.

Basically from day 1 nothing worked, they sent out an engineer to the wrong address, claimed i have not given them my correct address yet they send me mail, tried charging me hundreds of pounds simply for calling an engineer out, and generally tried to blame me for the problems.

Then recently i tried calling my own phone number, and instead went through to 'the british heart foundation'!!! To make matters worse, ive been paying for the british heart foundations telephone usage!! My answer machine was full of messages meant for different departments!

Its getting ridiculous now, their trying to charge me for a cancellation fee, are claiming that as i gave them the "wrong details" in the first place they are refusing to refund the payments ive made for someone elses telephone usage, despite me sending them an old telephone bill proving the number i gave was correct, and to my anger, threatening to take ME to court!!!

Annoyingly i cannot switch to another provider (virgin my prefered choice) as they say im already currently signed up with someone, BT say my home number is correct for this address, yet if you dial it it definitely does not call my home......

Im totally stumped, If anyone knows how to sort this god awful mess please, please help me..... i just want to play wipeout!!!!! :(......... And am worried my idea of burning down oranges' head office might not be the most sensible solution :)

[stin]

Only option is, go to Citizens Advice, that will keep you right from the start. But paying Orange for an internet service!!, seriously, I will not pay for that till they SHOULD have fixed that in the first place!

To me, that is shocking!

Good luck!

stevie

[stinkleroy]

I hate these mobile companies.....

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/advice/consumer-advice.cfm

try this site Haydn, there's a lot of legal information here in regards to your rights as a consumer, there are also telephone lines listed on the site that you can call for advice on these matters.

However, I kind of like your first idea ;) Good luck!!

[ACE-FLO]

Orange? in the red now mate - tried OFTEL yet? Office of Fair trading for Telecommunications... ;)

[blackwiggle]

Orange tried operating in Aus, but had such a crap service and so many complaints over 2 years that they were basically told to leave by the minister for communications before they ended up in court.
I'm not sure, but I think they ended up having their license revoked.
The were always on the consumer watchdog TV programs over here for rip-off mobile plans with dodgy fine print, wrong mobile phone billing, internet connections either crashing for days at a time or like dial up speeds.
They won't be forgotten by the poor sods who signed up with them.

[mdhay]

A shotgun. You can see where I'm going with this, right? :P :g

[SaturnReturn]

You could try consumer direct for advice too, if nothing else helps.
http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/news/press_releases/london/2006/broadband

[DJ Techno]

you need a lawyer to present a case


get back any lost money

fees

time and frustration


you know theres plenty of lawyers here in the united states. be glad to represent ya and get a win


come the country with the most Lawyers in the World!

[SaturnReturn]

Maybe this site would be helpful too. Haven't looked around much but there might be some useful references in there:
http://www.orangeproblems.co.uk/phpBB2/

Story just from today (saying Orange basically suck):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/apr/30/o2-uks-best-broadband-supplier

[YouAreFubar]

Wow, what a story. I feel sorry for you mate, im thinking Citizens Advice is a good 1st stop for info around your contract. As far as the phone problem, it definitely sounds like a routing issue. Im assuming the number for the heart foundation is not the same as your number? You could try getting Orange and BT to actually try calling your number from a 2nd line when you call in, verifying that it does indeed route elsewhere (something they should have probably done in the first place when you called them) confirming you situation.

[OBH]

thank you all for your great comments and advice :) i knew orange could be bad but thats a real shocker.

those websites were all very informative, wish id asked before so id have sent a much more legal based letter of complaint (as supposed to simple threats of arson :g)

[OBH]

(sorry for the double post mr sat :)) but i had to thank you guys for the advice. A bit of a winge to orange and now theyve sorted out my landline, are (reluctantly) paying me back, and promise me working internet in 10-15 days :g

though ill believe the last bit when i see it

[KGB]

Might just be in time to race France, I know how you love racing them :).

[SaturnReturn]

That previous post was ages ago OBH, so it's fine. Glad you were finally able to get it sorted out.

[OBH]

Might just be in time to race France, I know how you love racing them :).
Ssweet! :g Though id be rusty as hell to be honest.
Looking forward to getting back into the action!

[Rapier Racer]

Hmm even if it does work, I can't imagine orange providing a fantastic low ping lag free service, organge broadband customers have been dropping like flies according especially since they handed their broadband operations over to BT, another bunch of useless tossers.

Nice to see something happening though big companies suck ass.

[KIGO1987]

If you are in Australia. Do not, and i empathize dont not go near Dodo. They are a bunch of useless tossers. and there stupid service people call you when either you are eating, on the dunny or sleeping. The amount of keyboard and mice i have broken due to there useless internet is incredible. Also Telstra are a bunch of tossers as well. Best to ask a few mates around before signing up with any ISP.

[OBH]

guess who has the internet again? :g

[amplificated]

exactly at the far extreme side of their promise, those champions :P

A mandatory "welcome to teh intarwebs" is in order I think! :rock