Mobile Slamming

I received a curious call from someone representing Orange mobile last week.  The caller seemed to know that my phone contract with O2 was about to end and that an Orange contract would be better for me.  I said I wasn’t sure, and didn’t want to make a decision on the spot, but he persisted.  I eventually put the phone down feeling thoroughly frustrated.

It turns out that the practice of cold calling customers who are at the end of their contract is quite widespread with many people being put onto new tariffs that are not necessarily cheaper for them.

The practice, known as slamming, is being investigated by both the Office of Fair Trading and Ofcom, the communications regulator.

O2 has recently won a legal battle against a Welsh sales company whose agents have been calling O2 customers and persuading them to switch to rival networks such as Orange and 3.

The sales companies who ring people earn substantial commissions from mobile operators. 

Landmark Marketing Services is one of these companies.  It was ringing O2 customers offering upgrades and duping them into switching contracts. O2 has now won £500,000 in compensation from Landmark after a number of complaints were made to Ofcom.

But though the authorities are cracking down on the practice, there is still evidence to suggest that it is rife.  OneCompare, a mobile phone comparison firm, says it has received a number of complaints recently from people who feel they have been duped into signing contracts that are more expensive.

Anthony Ball, director of One Compare gives the following advice: “Don’t give your name. Most use random automated diallers so they don’t have any of your details before the call.

“Tell them you are not interested. If you show the slightest interest, they will keep ringing you until you cave in. Or tell them you have a company phone and that you don't pay the bill.”

You can also register with the Telephone Preference Service. This makes it illegal for people to call you in this manner, but some still might.

Also remember, you have seven days to terminate your contract. If you sign up and are unhappy, just cancel.

Have you been advised by a cold caller to change contracts?  Do you think it’s a good idea that mobile operators are able to offer you a ‘better’ product?  Let us know.

Comments

Kate, Contact Ofcom

[kate]

HELP _ HELP _ PLEASE - HELP - woman in trouble -

Please can someone out there help I am at a loss as what to do..........

Last Wednesday I got a call from a man saying he was from Orange and would I like my 10% discount applied to my account as I was NOT upgrading with orange. I said yes (bearing in mind I know about these companies phoning and saying they are from Orange and they are not) I did not enter into any further conversation with him - the number he phoned on was withheld - the call lasted 30 to 45 seconds; NO details were given or confirmed.

This Wednesday I got another withheld number and a man said you have not responded to the card we left through your door, about your delivery. I replied what delivery, I am not expecting anything, and He said well you probably lost the card when you throw away any junk mail or newspapers. He then gave me a phone number for a delivery company and a reference number. He said you need to phone them and let them know when you are in for delivery, I asked what is it. He said he did not know. I checked the number on the web and yes it was a delivery company I phoned the woman confirmed they had a delivery for me. I asked again what is it she did not know. She asked for my address and I replied you must have that if you have a delivery for me, she did have the right address I again gave her no information,

ON Thursday Orange switched my sim card off, when I returned home that evening and contacted them on the "Helpline" 0797 - which translates to a land line call to a mobile costly was waiting 45 mins to be connected - I was told that I had upgraded on the Thursday of the week before!!!!!!! I had not - I then realised what had occurred and was told by Orange do not accept delivery of the phone tomorrow - I asked for my sim to be reconnected they said I could have it back on for 24 hrs great!!!

I then contacted the delivery company in the morning and explained I would not accept delivery of the phone, orange had given me details of Mobile city upgrades as the 3rd party who had done the upgrade with me - and orange said they could not cancel the contract even though they accepted that I had not entered into one. I phoned the company mobile city upgrades in the morning to be told at 9 am that it was a residential number and they had never heard of the company this was reported back to Orange - who said nothing we can do you need to get the company to report back to us that they are cancelling the contract!!!!

Eventually I got someone to answer the phone at mobile shitty upgrades - and he said I had never been called!!!! And that the computer had authorised an upgrade on its own " a software glitch" I explained politely that if they had never called then it was a simple call to Orange to explain the error and I could be left alone with orange and no new contract, however the man at city said no as they did not have the phone and also that they could not call orange!!! More lies.... I was going round in circles I explained if I asked orange to call them now would they verify that they never called me and I had never entered into a contract with them..... Yes he would GARY STEVENS - I phone d Orange relayed the conversation and the helpful orange guy said how about I call and I listen in while you ask the man in the mobile city place to repeat that he never called you and it was in fact a computer error - great I said we are really getting somewhere now..... Guess what we rang and rang and it was never picked up just an answer phone,

Position left in

1. Orange will pursue me for the full 18-month contract at a higher price than my original old contract – but I don’t have a working phone see below

2. Orange are cutting of my old sim tonight as I have a new phone and new sim to register – they do not seem to comprehend that I don’t have the phone as I refused delivery.

3. Mobile City Upgrades are claiming that I have a phone that I refused delivery off and they admit I never agreed to – the software just sent it to me

4. I am out of pocket two days wages with loss of phone and trying to sort this out and the cost of phoning from a BT line to orange trying to sort it out

5. I DON’T HAVE ANY PHONE

6. And I feel really cheated and alone in trying to resolve this issue when I did nothing wrong

How the hell did this company get all my details – and how comes I am trying to sort out something I haven’t done, why is Orange not protecting me or taking my word for it that I don’t want this contract and that this company is running a scam

Please some one help I don’t know what to do – incidentally Trading standards just say write to them and if they do not respond then small claims court!!!! But how long will that take – even if they do respond which judging by past – they wont!!!!

HELP PLEASE

[Morris Butchart]

Update on previous post. Despite having sent registered letters to Orange Customer Services and Collections department setting out my complaint and detailing my position regards the additional handset and original contract I have not had the courtesy of a reply. Every month I have received the same standard letter "we have not received your payment"
etc. Today I received the following from Orange "We have contacted you on several occassions regarding payments owed to us. You have failed to make payment on your account and your ballance is still overdue. If you do not pay the full outstanding balance on receipt of this letter, your account details will be forwarded to a Dept Collection Agency who will then be responsible for your account." Despite 10 years as a loyal customer Orange do not have the decency to reply to my letters.

Morris Butchart

[Morris Butchart]

I received a similar call on 11 Dec 2006. The caller claimed to from Orange he certainly new my details and that the 11 was the last day of my billing period. Orange were concerned that I was using only 50% of my monthly 120 minutes and that I would not renew my contract in six months time. Hence a special Xmas offer designed retain my custom. A 'free' mobile handset with 50% reduction on the monthly fee. I explained that I had no use for an additional handset and refused his but to preventing him calling again suggested that he should put his offer in writing for my consideration. On the 12 Dec he telephoned again to say there was a problem my roll over minutes would be lost but as I did not use them that should not be a problem. I again informed him that I had no use for an additional handset and had not received his offer in writting.
When a courier delivered an unidentified package on 14/12/06(collection dated 13/12/06)with no documentation, contract details or details of the sender and one of Oranges standard TXT messages arrived in my handsets in box I telephoned to ask what was happening. I was informed that an additional handset had been added to my account and I would be billed as from 12 December. When I asked for this handset to be removed from my account I was infrmed that this was not possible. When I informed Orange that I had not authorised the addition to my account they informed me that I would have to pay and that I should be grateful that at least I had a handset as some of their more unscrupulous dealers added hadsets but did not send them out to the customers but those customers still had to pay.
I was also informed that I could return the handset but that this would be at my risk as returned handsets often did not arrive or were damage in transport. Orange also claimed not to know which of their dealers had added the handset to my account. After some difficulty and several emails Orange provided a telephone number and eventually an address but they claimed not to have a fax or email address for the dealer. Prompted by Orange the dealer telephoned and informed me that he or his company did not have a problem he explained that Orange would pursue me for payment. He also informed me that I could risk attempting to return the handset but that its arrival in pristine condition would be at my risk. I informed him that I had not agreed to the handset being added to my account and that he could arrange collection at a time and place convenient to me. I also put this in writting to the email address he provided.
The invoice for the period 12 Dec to 11 Jan arrived the additional handset was incuded at £18.23 plus VAT. As I pay by dirrect debit I telephone and emailed Orange informing them that I had no choice but to cancell the direct debit but that I would continue to pay my agreed monthly ammount by electronic transfer. I was informed that I would have to pay in the end. I wrote to Orange Accounts explaining the electronic transfer and that I would continue to pay my agreed monthly amount by this method but they did not reply. Following a threatening call and letter from Orange Collections I replied again by letter explaining my actions but again no reply. On 20 Jan I received another text to my handset. When I attempted to telephone Orange a recorded message informed me that I was now unable to make outgoing calls. When the invoice for 12 January to 11 February arrived I calculated the amount due from 12 January to 20 January and paid that amount by electronic transfer and wrote to Orange explaining the amount and informing them that I would pay for any additional calls up to the 20 January but as they had discontinued the service as from the 20 January I considered the contract null and void.
Though my handset continued to receive incomming calls I at first did not switch it on and then when it made unexpected 'emergency calls' I removed the SIMM card. When I removed the SIMM card I received call from Orange threatening that they would not only bar the SIMM card but bar the handset so that it could not be used on any network. I understand that one of the initiatives to deal with Handset theft by mugging has been the facility to bar handsets from any network using the handsets IMEI number. I believe that it is poosible to unlock the handset from Orange but that when the IMEI number is barred that handset cannot be used on any network. I have not attepted to have the hanset unlocked so I do not know if Orange have carried out their threat.
I have been an Oranghe customer for over 10 years during which time I have had contract handsets for some 9 years. When Orange discontinued free insurance cover I decided to change to Pay-As-You-GO (PAYG) for my handset and my wifes handset both of which had been on contract. After a year on PAYG Orange offered to replace my faulty Treo 600 PDA with a new Treo 650 PDA and reduce the monthly payments by 50% they also offered free insurance cover for the handset. I paid some £80.00 for the handset which Orange have now apparently made unuseable.
I find it hard to understand why Orange have taken the approach they have but have no alternative but to conclude that Orange have conspired with their dealer to my disadvantage. The dealer certainly had very detailed knowledge on my Orange account billing dates etc and Orange have failed to reply to any of my written explanations or requests.
I have informed Ofcom and Trading Standards and now await further developments.

[Pete]

I once got a call from a call centre in a "certain country" asking me what service I was on (Vodafone). He then proceeded to bombard me with how he could get me a better deal. This was frustrating enough, but all the more so because his accent was so thick, I didnt understand what he was saying half the time!

After trying persistantly to politely ask him to hang up because I was not interested, at each time he said something along the lines of "If you just let me go through our range of products".

Finally, out of frustration, I angrily let out a four lettered expletive beginning with a "c" at him and hung up.

He did not call back.