Orange 'Free' Broadband

A question about : Orange 'Free' Broadband

I've been an Orange broadband user since the days of Wanadoo takeover.
Now, when I took out a phone contract a few years back I was given Home Broadband 'free for life' or so I thought. This was provided you kept the phone contract and it was a plan over Ј30.

Two years ago I left my contract and went Orange Pay as You Go as I was informed that as long as I kept my Orange phone and kept credit on it, the free Broadband would still continue.

Today, I get an email from Orange informing me that my 'Free for life' Broadband will cease from 17/10/12 as I no longer have a contract with them - even though I left my contract in October 2010.
To continue with this offer I have to take out an Orange phone plan again and also take a Home phone plan.

Where do I stand with this?

Best answers:

• Did you get the previous acceptance (two years ago) in writing? If yes, did this offer come with any terms attached - specifically that they reserve the right to change the acceptance criteria at any time?
• It's probably free to customers or something like that.
• *Update*
  I've just had a call from an Orange representative confirming that free broadband is ending as of 17/10/12.
  I've decided to move to Plusnet instead now as well as moving my mobile to Giffgaff.
  Orange have lost my 8 years of custom for good now. Shame, as I never had any real issues with the service.
• I have had a nightmare ringing Orange today about the same email. Spent 1.5 hours and have got pretty much nowhere.
  The only reason I carried on paying a Ј30 a month mobile contract with Orange was to keep my free broadband. Orange are saying it will cost me to end my mobile contract as my pmobile is a seperate matter. Im arguing that the only reason i took the contract was the for the free broaband.
  Surely if they can no longer deliver what they promised i should be allowed to leave with no penalty?
• No, because the broadband was a 'free' offer which could be terminated . That does not void your mobile contract.
• I'm in the same position - Orange took over my Wanadoo broadband account in 2006 and offered me free broadband if I took out an 18 mobile contract with them which I did and have continued to renew as the cost overall was cheaper with the free broadband despite their mobile contracts, coverage and service not being the best available.
  My contract period ended in May but I stayed with them whilst researching iphone contracts and to stay with Orange, whilst not the cheapest contract, worked out about the same taking the free broadband into account and the hassle factor of moving both contracts. So, at the end of June I upgraded to a 2 year iphone contract (which was more expensive than my previous package and longer) but checked with Orange on two separate occasions before committing that I would still retain my free broadband and was told that I would so I proceeded on this basis which I would not have done if the free broadband was no longer part of the deal. If they are now removing the free broadband offer, I am definitely going to be paying more for the next 22 months. I rang them today and they kept saying I could keep the broadband provided I moved my line rental over to them but I can’t do this as I renewed an 18 month contract with BT recently so I’m stuck. I’ve been trying to find the terms of the original offer on the net but am not having much luck so apart from having the names and dates of conversations with their sales people who confirmed I would retain the free broadband, I’m in a weak position. I just don’t see how they can get away with enticing customers to renew a contract with them with a free offer that they then recind less than 10% of the way through the contract.
• I to have been with Orange since around 2006 and I have kept up my mobile phone contracts to enable me to continue to receive the free broadband. So far I have not heard anything about my free broadband ending.
• https://web.orange.co.uk/documents/ic...ions/terms.pdf
  It does not mention "free for life" in the t&c
  I received free broadband in 2007 but upgraded to the Ј5 unlimited and free 2nd line service. My mobile contract finished in April 2008, but I have still been getting broadband for Ј5 since then. I had heard that Orange was going to stop the free 2nd line from their broadband package.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livebox
  Discontinuation of Second Line Service
  The Second Line was a VOIP service which included a separate telephone number, was withdrawn for new customers on 17 September 2010[1].
  In September 2011, Orange Shops in the UK began offering the Netgear DGN1000 router which has no facility to accommodate a Second Line making the service a legacy only facility. As of August 2012, existing customers are being notified that the Second Line service will be discontinued from 17th September 2012 and any calls made using the Second Line will be charged at the standard rate by the customer's line rental provider.
  Orange help pages still refer to the Livebox when setting up broadband and include references to the Second Line[2].
  I have not received an email as yet from Orange saying that either of the services were ending.
• Same here very annoying, I've just got a letter today saying that it's Ј14 month now for Broadband, unless I sign up for their phone package. Annoyingly, I just signed up for a new mobile contract last month. Plus, I can't have their phone package as mine is under a contract with BT.
  Probably, will change my broadband supplier. I think there are a few cheaper alternatives.
• So it's not just me then...
  I phoned their executive office yesterday after not getting anywhere with their customer service providers and was on the phone with the executive office for over 50 minutes (I was waiting in for a delivery and there was nothing on TV!). I was unable to get anywhere with them. Sometimes the people in the executive office pull some strings or give you something as a sorry, but there was nothing offered.
  I was told that on this occasion they are not making any exceptions for anyone because otherwise what happens is that people go and post those details on the web and they get loads of people phoning them expecting the same. I was very surprised to hear that people post on the web trying to help others ;-)
  The executive office number is 0800 0790134. Perhaps others will be more successful than me; however on this occasion it seems Orange is standing firm.
  If you phone them, they will ask you where you got the number for their executive office - I told them an Orange customer rep gave it to me. The person I was talking to told me that they shouldn't have told me that. Well, 12 months ago when I took out my mobile contract, the customer service rep shouldn't have told me that me broadband would be free for the full 18 month term of my mobile contract when I specifically asked them to confirm the deal. (I am now locked into a contract with another landline provider like some others on here and so couldn't get out of it anyway.)
  When my mobile contract ends in March next year I will actively seek a cheaper mobile contract. Previously I haven't really looked because the free broadband was always the deal clincher for me (especially when I'm not paying that much each month anyway).
  If anyone does have a favourable response from phoning the executive office, I'd be grateful if they post it on here so we can all bombard them will calls asking for the same!
• So it does not look like they want to keep us as customers, I am going to lose cheap broadband, free anytime calls and free international calls. I am surprised that you guys who still actually have a mobile contract with Orange are going to loose out as well, I can understand them taking it away from people who are not paying anything to them, but I am still paying them Ј5.11 a month.
  I presume they want everyone taking out their phone line contract with their broadband.
• Spoke to Orange and requested to cancel my broadband, they didn't seem to budge on the broadband offer, unfortunately. They seem very keen to push the home phone offer.
  I explained I'm locked into a BT contract who I signed up to because I moved house and they were offering a cheap line activation fee. Was going to go through with the cancellation, but they offered to pay up to Ј50 of the cancellation fee of BT to get me out of my BT contract, so just trying to work out what's cheapest before I decide.
• Just spoke to the customer services rep with specific regard to the letter that I have just opened quoting
  "Our records show that you no longer have an Orange pay monthly mobile plan registered at your address."
  I did explain to him that the phone I was calling on was the one I pay Ј36/month to Orange and that my wife would be curious to know who the money was going to.
  At first he said that the quoted line should not be there and was a marketing error but did admit that he has had a few calls like mine today. Looks like someone gaffed on that one big style.
  I am not too worried about the free broadband as BT have Infinity in my area now and I will be moving anyway.
  Seems a shame really that Orange are doing this as I too have been a customer since the Freeserve days and al in all I have never had any problems with Freeserve/Wanadoo/Orange, perhaps this is a reflection of the merge with T-Mobile to make the group that no one hears about, "Everything Everywhere". Looks as though this could be moving to "Nothing, Nowhere"
• just got in from work and got the letter from orange, again as everyone else always stayed with orange mobile contract for years due to the fact that free broadband came with my phone package, looks they like they have us over a barrel still got 15months left on my contract and was also told i would keep free broadband if i signed up for another 2 years mobile contract. i also double checked this would be the case for the next 2 years and was assured this was the case.
  why is it these companys can just walk all over customers that have stayed loyal for years,