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Orange - a waste of time?

turbohobbit

Android Enthusiast
Aug 2, 2010
665
19
England
Looking at threads here, it seems that a number of them are centred around data issues, messanging issues, tethering issues, update issues, signal issues, customer service issues, and all with Orange. Is this a serious measure of the abilities of Orange to run anything more than a basic voice network, or is it that all networks are as good or bad as each other and it's just that there are a lot of Orange customers on this forum? Just wondering. I for one wish I'd never moved from T-Mobile, but that's just my personal feeling.
 
Looking at threads here, it seems that a number of them are centred around data issues, messanging issues, tethering issues, update issues, signal issues, customer service issues, and all with Orange. Is this a serious measure of the abilities of Orange to run anything more than a basic voice network, or is it that all networks are as good or bad as each other and it's just that there are a lot of Orange customers on this forum? Just wondering. I for one wish I'd never moved from T-Mobile, but that's just my personal feeling.

I have been with Orange for roughly 10 months and their service has been the best compared to other phone companies and i have spend over 12 months with every single one (in the UK). o2 wasthe worst along with 3 Network.

Everything i have asked of Orange they have delivered, when my phone was faulty they took it and replaced it without moaning like o2 within 3 days. Whenever i phone them up enquiring about a service or why has this not happened yet or whatever, they give me clear down to the point answers and if they need to, apologuise for their mistake and offer me something in return to keep me on good terms.

The only thing Orange have messed up on is the updates and android 2.2 or whatnot, but i waited for a month, it didn't show up so i debranded my phone and got on with things... This update stuff, i don't think its all Oranges fault...HTC and Orange talk to each other, they have marketing plans, future investments, new products forming the two companies...They didn't update 1.15 back couple of months ago for good reason, not just because they "couldn't be bothered"... But if you can't wait for the update, debrand...

Apart from that Orange have been the best provider to me since i picked up my first phone...Ahh nokia brick, you will always have a place in my heart you lump of crap...It was worse, it was on ONE TO ONE...If anyone remembers those days lolol...
 
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I've had no problems with Orange in 5 or 6 years on various contracts. The only issue is the poor 2G signal inside my house, which I'm hoping will improve in the next few weeks as Orange and T-Mobile customers get the chance to roam between networks depending on which has the best signal strength.

Also worth remembering that Forums always attract negative feedback, simply because it's where people come to get help when there's a problem.
 
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I've been with Orange since getting my phone around June time.

I've had issues with sms failures, mms failures and the calls straight to answerphone. I was able to isolate the issue to a local mast that Orange will have been aware of yet they obviously didn't want to admint it.

Customer service hasn't been great. Not attrocious, but not really good enough. It's an overseas call-centre (I will actively avoid companies that don't have UK call centres, for practicallity and economic reasons) unfortunately I didn't realise Orange's was non UK until after the cooling off period.

I have been called back only once in approximately 7 times that I've been promised a contact.

So my view is: They're not the worst, but they're not great. The Orange network is ok, but it depends where you are when you need it to work.
 
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I have been with Orange on and off for about 15 years. I have tried all the others bar 3, and I always end up coming back to Orange.

The worst in my opionion is Vodafone, wherever I have lived Cumbria, Lancashire, Essex, Suffolk there signal is always rubbish, where I live now NO vodafone signal all the others are fine.

I find Orange very open, and I am on a great deal with them.

Andrew:)
 
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ONE TO ONE...If anyone remembers those days lolol...

I remember "rabbit" mate :), Who were Hutchison communcations, who later owned (but not anymore) Orange.

Used to see signs at services that said "Use your rabbit phone here", and there would be a big mast.

To be fair, I was a little kid, but I remember.
 
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Calls aren't great on Orange, but text messages are just AWFUL.

My fiancee and I are both on Orange, and even when I have 4 bars of 2G and she has 5 bars 3G, texts sometimes don't get delivered for about 2-3 hours, sometimes longer. I once received a text 7 hours after it had been sent.

That's the worst thing about Orange; the phone will send the text but the crappy network won't deliver it for ages. With O2, my previous network, if the phone sent the text, the text was delivered 99% of the time.

The worst thing is.. Orange has degraded since I joined. It was never great but now it's just hideous. Surely the fact that it has degraded should allow me to break contract? Orange says no but I'm suspicious!

PS. this is more noticeable in my house but isn't limited to just my house.
 
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HAHAHA!!lol holy crap, dude i don't mean to be rude but how long ago was this because i have been around phones since 1998 and as far as i could remember i can't remember rabbit lol

Brilliant! I'd forgotten all about Rabbit. They were great. Basically a cordless phone - and you had to stand by one of their bases to use it.

They had bases on the underground. Couldn't handle incoming calls tho.

Ahh - Spectrum 48, Amstrad, calculator watches - it's all coming rushing back...
 
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I've had no problems with Orange in 5 or 6 years on various contracts. The inly issue is the poor 2G signal inside my house, which I'm hoping will improve in the next few weeks as Orange and T-Mobile customers get the chance to roam between networks depending on which has the best signal strength.

Also worth remembering that Forums always attract negative feedback, simply because it's where people come to get help when there's a problem.

I'm hoping that too :)

I don't know if it's me but when my phone's on G or 3G nothing much happens. If it goes to H it zings along, really quick. Even E gets some, albeit , slow data, but G or 3G - hopeless.

It isn't just you mate trust me, mine is exactly the same.

This is the only thing that lets Orange down IMHO.
 
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I don't know if it's me but when my phone's on G or 3G nothing much happens. If it goes to H it zings along, really quick. Even E gets some, albeit , slow data, but G or 3G - hopeless.

G is hopeless on all networks tbh, but I agree about 3G. I get better speeds on E than 3G, really odd..

But yeah, HSDPA on Orange is good - that's the one good thing about their network!
 
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I've had no problems with Orange in 5 or 6 years on various contracts. The inly issue is the poor 2G signal inside my house, which I'm hoping will improve in the next few weeks as Orange and T-Mobile customers get the chance to roam between networks depending on which has the best signal strength.

Also worth remembering that Forums always attract negative feedback, simply because it's where people come to get help when there's a problem.

From what I've read it's only when you lose signal on Orange completely that you can roam to T-Mobile.. hope that's not the case :(
 
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... I'm hoping will improve in the next few weeks as Orange and T-Mobile customers get the chance to roam between networks depending on which has the best signal strength.
Is there any update on this yet? I remember filling in a form on the Orange website to be advised of news, but haven't had anything and sure you had to opt in to something to be able to use it! I'm looking forward to this too!
 
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I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure the network-swapping will only occur when you get no bars of signal on one of the two networks.

Nearly every site I've read says "when signal is lost from one network, you will be able to use the other if it has a stronger signal."

It doesn't say anything about picking up the stronger signal if you have an "ok" signal to the currently network.

Edit:

I'm right.

Source.

"As soon as customers register for the feature, in case the signal is lost on the existing network, the handset should pick it up automatically from the other network when it is available, which means that connectivity is now available in more areas than before.

........blah blah..............

Starting with the next year, users should benefit from enhancements such as automatic switching to the network that has the strongest signal in the area, even when in the middle of a call, not to mention that enhanced data and Internet coverage are also coming to them. "

Cheers.

If it improves my 3G any I'm all for it.

It won't, 3G roaming isn't until next year.
 
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