Phone Company Muppetry

[D-Rider]

Two days, Two events

Event 1: The future really isn't Orange

• I have recently started using the GiffGaff network - and great it is too.
  I have been with Orange PAYG for donkeys years - ever since I've had a mobile phone.
  I wanted to keep both phones live but move my Orange number (the one everyone knows) to GiffGaff.
  I phoned Orange for my PAC code (as you do when you want to move your number).
  Orange rep: "Why do you want to leave Orange"
  Me: "I don't. I just want to move this number to my new SIM and you can give me a new number so that I can continue to use my Orange phone too"
  Orange rep: "We can't do that. If you move your number your old SIM will be deactivated. You can apply for a new SIM"
  Me: "Seems a bit pointless but OK. So how will you transfer my remaining credit and phone fund that I've built up over the years"
  Orange rep: "We don't do that - you have to start again from scratch"
  Me: "But why should I do that - I'm not wanting to leave Orange"
  Orange rep: "In that case you will need to aply for a new SIM and start again"
  Me: "In that case I don't think I'll bother"

So Orange first wanted to know why I wanted to leave. I didn't .... but they made me leave anyway ..... Muppets

Event 2: Skype

• I've been with Skype for years but it's always annoyed me that whenever they send me an email, it's in Japanese. That might not be so bad if I could actually read Japanese.
  I decided to do something about it so hopped on their website and found their customer support Live Chat (which turned out not to be a French cat in the best of health).
  I couldn't find an appropriate category to select to initiate the conversation but started one under some random topic - and fair play, the chap on the other end was very helpful.
  It took a while as I don't think this was a problem that occurs every day.
  It seems that their systems automatically select your email language based on the country of registration of your IP address on the day you sign up with them .... and at present there is no way they can change this.
  I guess I was probably on one of my trips to Japan when I signed up in the first place and so I'm locked in to receiving Japanese emails.
  The only option was to go into the settings and turn off their emails completely!

Muppets

[Dalemac]

This is what happens when people design systems and dont think thing through properly.

On the phone front, I have just got a HTC evo 3d on vodafone, bloody good deal too. Phones for you paid off the last month on my contract, then gave me another £100 on top of that. I now have a top spec phone with 300 minutes, unlimited texts and 500mb of internets for £31 per month. :) And they gave me a free 'backup phone' and a phone starter kit, which has a cleaning cloth, cables in etc.

Dale

[D-Rider]

Never had a contract - and doubt I ever will - always PAYG

With giffgaff for £10 a month I have unlimited texts, unlimited internet and 250 minutes (of which I've used about 5mins).

.... and if I decide I don't have much need any month, I don't need to buy a goodybag and can just pay for calls, texts and internet at the following rates:

[paddyz1]

If you have built up credit and phone fund 'over the years' it is obvious that you are not using it that much so therefor you will not really miss it.

I think the easy way is to just move your number to giffgaff. You don't need two phones/numbers after the way you have described it in your posts.

[D-Rider]

If you have built up credit and phone fund 'over the years' it is obvious that you are not using it that much so therefor you will not really miss it.

I think the easy way is to just move your number to giffgaff. You don't need two phones/numbers after the way you have described it in your posts.

Indeed - I'd probably never use the phone fund and I'd almost used up my last lot of credit - it's just the principle of the thing - along with keeping a SIM on another network as backup.