How to alienate customers
By Koalemos
@Asylum (47893)
Manchester, England
October 1, 2015 10:24am CST
I have been an Orange mobile customer for over 15 years now, although they are now known as EE. Since my current mobile phone is no longer usable, I went into the EE shop today to request that my current contract be transferred to my old Sony Ericcson W995, which I also acquired via contract with them.
My problem was that the sim card was a different format and therefore would not fit the old phone, so the assistant provided the correct size fitting in which I could insert the sim. However, when I switched the mobile back in it reported “Insert sim”.
I was then informed that this was because my old mobile was locked to the Orange system. Naturally I pointed out that EE was the same company using a different name, but was assured that this was the issue. Next I was advised to take the mobile to a repair shop where they could unlock the phone for a fee.
My old mobile is now at the shop and is due for collectiuon tomorrow at a fee of £15. This is not a great deal of money and not a concern to me as such, but I am furious that I need to pay a third party in order to use the phone.
2 people like this
2 responses
@rachelyoung13 (64)
• United Kingdom
1 Oct 15
EE are absolutely useless, when they gave me my new phone they sent me the wrong sim card twice and then proceeded to cut my old phone off despite saying that they would keep my old sim working until they had sorted out my new one...
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
1 Oct 15
This must have been a seriously annoying scenario. A new phone usually requires activating by telephoning the company, after which it usually springs to life a couple of hours later.
Since they have to actively involved in the process, there is no excuse for making such an outrageous mistake.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
1 Oct 15
I had broadband issues with EE that kept me offline for two months and involved BT engineers before they finally accepted that I just needed a new modem as I suggested on day one
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
1 Oct 15
Like most people I am constantly being approached by someone trying to persuade me to change my ISP. I remember several years ago that Orange offered me a free connection for as long as my mobile phone contract existed, but I declined because I am happy with my provider.
I wonder how the change to EE would have affected me if I had accepted the offer.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
2 Oct 15
@arthurchappell I had no idea that Freeserve had been absorbed by anyone else. I also used Freeserve many years ao because it was 56 kps dial up at the time and constituted a telephone call which was chargeable.
The only problem with Freeserve was trying to uninstall it. You would be convinced that it had been removed, then months later that yellow and black design would pop up somewhere.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
2 Oct 15
@Asylum I started with them when they were Freeserve, as I was unhappy with BT. Freeserve then became Wanadoo, then orange, then EE and now they've been bought up by BT so ended up coming round full circle.
