Orange, UK Refusal to unlock my iPhone unless I used Orange for another 3 months. Bristol, United Kingdom

8 January, 2013

COMPLAINT AGAINST ORANGE PAYG

My Samsung Phone Number: (((redacted))) My Account Number: *****634

I have been a PAYG customer for many years with Orange.September, 2012. As my Samsung keypad was starting to show signs of wear, I decided to change my mobile and bought a second-hand Apple iPhone 3GS which was locked to Orange.After much difficulty, I finally managed to contact Orange by phone to ask for the iPhone to be unlocked as I wanted to change to another service provider.

11 September, 2012 I received a letter from Diane Monaghan, Orange Director Consumer Campaigns, giving me my PAC code ORG268459. As I am new to current phone technology I naively presumed that this code would unlock my iPhone but all it did was to transfer the number from my Samsung to my iPhone but not unlock my iPhone. This created major problems with Orange as my phone number was no longer recognized whenever I tried to contact them.

2 October, 2012 After trying to contact Orange on-line many times, I eventually received an email only to be told that as Orange is currently experiencing high volumes of email it would take 7 days for them to reply. I did not receive a reply. 15 October, 2012

I wrote to Diane Monaghan asking for help but received no reply. 25 October, 2012 I phoned Orange Customer Service and was told it would take 30 days and cost 20.40 which I was prepared to accept (albeit grudgingly).

3 November, 2012 I spent over an hour on the phone to Orange and spoke to Heather who said my Samsung was a Contract Phone which I contradicted as I have never had a contract with Orange as I use the mobile so infrequently. I was then told that as the original mobile was a Samsung it would now take 60 days to unlock!! Still no progress. I wrote to Orange Customer Services in Bristol to register an official complaint.

20 November, 2012 I wrote yet again to Orange Customer Services to complain that I still had not received a reply to any of my letters. I also asked for confirmation that it was 07890136015 that would be unlocked as it had been transferred to my iPhone.

7 January, 2013 As the 60 days had passed, I rang Orange and spoke to Daniel who after over half an hour said he would transfer me to Technical Support but my phone ran out of charge after about 45 minutes before this could happen. I rang back again and spoke to Jenny who told me that as my phone was PAYG I would have to buy another Orange SIM Card and use my iPhone for 3 months before it could be unlocked This was the first time that I had been told this and I was astounded.I asked to speak to the manager, I think his name was Abhijit, who very politely confirmed that the only way to unlock my iPhone was for me to buy another Orange SIM card and use it for 3 months. This I declined to do.

I cant understand how Orange after all this time, have the right to force me to still use their services when I have told them I want to leave and am prepared to pay 20.14 for my iPhone to be unlocked. This process began in September, 2012 and it is now January, 2013 and I am still unable to use my iPhone and I am now expected to wait yet another 3 month, buy another SIM card and then pay 20.14 for the privilege. In the words of a well-known TV character, I DONT BELIEVE IT!

.CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.