Orange.....

[Booty]

My 18 month contract with Orange had ( two weeks ago ) a month to run. Service is an issue in my neck of the woods so I looked for alternatives. Flossie has 02 and has fantastic service so I opted for that. So I gave Orange a months notice to end on the 17th Feb. Obviously on receipt of the letter they make an obligatory phone call to pin you to the wall, twist your arm up your back, beg you stay, have a free phone for life unlimited calls, you know the scene. Guy rings and says " Hello this is ***** from Orange", " we undersatand you wish to seek an alternative service provider". " Yes" says I. " Ok no probs" says the dude on the other end, " Cheers", followed by a click. I don't think he even heard me say cheerio.
O2 are welcome to my business.

[TheTwelveQuidKid]

Make sure you check that the payments stop when the contract ends. I've heard of quite a few people who have had money taken from their accounts after a contract has ended.
If it happens, the service provider, and also your bank has to refund any money under the Direct Debit Guarantee Scheme.
If using a credit card to fund payments, you can insist that the card issuer charges back the money because the payment was not authorised by you.

[Coxy]

Originally Posted by Bootyrallyrep

Guy rings and says " Hello this is ***** from Orange", " we undersatand you wish to seek an alternative service provider". " Yes" says I. " Ok no probs" says the dude on the other end, " Cheers", followed by a click. I don't think he even heard me say cheerio.
O2 are welcome to my business.

lol!! That's a first! Must have been his last day or summat!!

[Baggee]

I changed to Virgin, 300 mins, 300 txts (which rollover) for a tenner. Guy at Orange phoned and said we can do you a better deal as a long standing customer. Unlimited txt's 400 mins,25 quid. I told him I didn't need unlimited txts and he was £15 dearer than Virgin. ''So will you be staying with Orange Sir?'' Hmmmmmm No Ta

[Booty]

I had thought about Virgin and a few of the others but it's the service aspect of where I live. we have a bloody great mast on top of the hill at Loggerheads but where I live ( in the swamps ) we are totally blind to it's reception. Apart from 02 which comes up 5 bars everytime. So I guess at present they get my vote.

[Coxy]

Originally Posted by Bootyrallyrep

I had thought about Virgin and a few of the others but it's the service aspect of where I live. we have a bloody great mast on top of the hill at Loggerheads but where I live ( in the swamps ) we are totally blind to it's reception. Apart from 02 which comes up 5 bars everytime. So I guess at present they get my vote.

been with O2 (Cellnet!) for about 15 years now.
Can't really complain about the service (although I do complain about some aspects of their customer service from time to time and get lots of free minutes and lots of free fones off them!)

One thing which is a total bugbear of mine with mobile companies is their tariffs.
O2 always states that it will make sure you get the best tariff for your needs, but when my contract is up for renewal and I give them a call and tell them I've been offered cheaper elsewhere, they manage to pull an ever better deal out of the hat.
My next question to them is, why haven't I been put on that contract in the first place.
The last tariff change reduced my average monthly bill by £90 which is over a £1000 a year saving.
Taking into account we're on a business contract with a number of mobiles and an average monthly bill of around £250.
When they don't come up with a decent answer, it normally results in a couple of new free handsets!!
In the past 12 months they've given me a new N95, XDA and a Blackberry pearl just for having a bit of a rant, as well as our usual phone upgrades!

[Booty]

By my reckoning then I may have made the right choice going by other peoples experiences.