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Fed up with Orange!


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Oliveau,

you are paying a lot each month.

Assuming your line is eligible, you could save a fair amount by changing your package - with Orange or others.

For example, Orange Livebox Star including livebox rental, unlimited VOIP calls to French mobiles as well as 100 other countries landlines, without any FT line rental to pay, is 42 euros TOTAL per month

If you want to keep your fixed line, Orange also have a new package called Optimale Internet.

This is FT fixed line rental, Internet service up to 20 Mb, unlimited calls to fixed lines of more than 100 countries. Calls are by normal fixed line and not VOIP. No TV service or calls to mobiles are included.

Including livebox rental of 3 euros (not obligatory, you can use your own modem if you wish) this is 42 euros TOTAL to pay per month

There are plenty other options/offers. Note that your line may not be elegible for all of them.

You can also check the other offers from SFR or FREE and other companies.

If you want English speaking help then stick to Orange or Teleconnect or a few others.

Danny

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[quote user="Jane and Danny"] If you want to keep your fixed line, Orange also have a new package called Optimale Internet. [/quote]

At a cost of 38€90 using your own modem/router this must the first time I have seen a genuine 'real deal' from FT since we arrived in France in 2005. At long last they seem to be responding to customer needs; especially as some people are unhappy using VOIP or have not had happy experiences with it. This seems to be a good alternative to Neuf/SFR and the like.

Thanks for the info Danny.

Sue

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Update: I spoke to the Orange English helpline. The guy there was busy trying to sell me a service including TV - I said I didn't want it, so he tried to sell me free internet with free phone via a phone linked to the computer. I persisted that I wanted unlimited Internet & unlimited landline calls as per the Optimale Internet described on their wesite, and he told me that as I was an existing customer he couldn't set it up. After a certain amount of choice Anglo-Saxon he suddenly discovered that he could set it all up for me - We'll see!
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There is obviously more commission for the sales people selling packages which include TV. I suppose Orange think that once you have the free service installed and running you will be tempted to choose extra paid for services - films on demand etc. This is why only upgrade packages including TV are available online via their 'espace client'. This forces you to call up so they can push certain more profitable packages.

There are charlatan sales people in all of these companies it is the nature of the beast, unfortunately.

This is a good product for those who want to keep their fixed line and get unlimited landline calls and internet. It is a 12 month minimum contract too don't forget.

Danny

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I couldn't find anything on the Orange website called Optimale, maybe looking in the wrong place. When I fed in details for what I thought would suit me it came up with the offer "Livebox zen jusqu'à 20 méga + téléphone" at 21.90€ a month or 18.90€ without the livebox. I presume the landline cost would then put the price up to 34.90€ or 37.90€ with the livebox. Is this the offer you are talking about Danny?

I was actually interested in a package with mobile phone and they seem to offer some reasonable deals with 1hr/month talk time, a nice phone and internet via landline. Any recommendations for that type of package?

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Jay, I gave the link earlier but here it is again, it is not well publicised on the Orange site.

OPTIMALE INTERNET

If you want to keep a fixed FT line, it is the cheapest at the moment with inclusive unlimited landline phone calls.

Otherwise,

Livebox Zen is 28.90 (18,90 for first 6 months for new clients) +16 euros extra to keep the FT line Livebox is also obligatory +3,00 if rented.

Livebox Zen is 33,90 (23.90 for first 6 months fro new clients) with no FT line at all livebox obligatory +3,00 if rented

All inclusive free calls are by extra VOIP number. Current FT numbers may be transfered to new VOIP number if desired.

Livebox Star is the same but 5 euros extra per month. This brings unlimited call to French mobiles and some TV advantages especially if one has Orange TV by ADSL and not by satellite.

As far as packages with mobiles go, that gets more complicated.

The OPEN offers (mobile and internet packages) all require that one has no fixed FT line so if that is important you may want to look at other options.

Hope that helps

Danny

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Thanks for that. I missed your links before, didn't see the underline.

It is a bit odd they try to hide the Optimale offer, I even fed that into their search facility and it didn't come up with the offer.

I find their mobile offers strange too, I think I'll stick with my Lebara pay as you go for now!

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[quote user="oliveau"]Update: I spoke to the Orange English helpline. The guy there was busy trying to sell me a service including TV - I said I didn't want it, so he tried to sell me free internet with free phone via a phone linked to the computer. I persisted that I wanted unlimited Internet & unlimited landline calls as per the Optimale Internet described on their wesite, and he told me that as I was an existing customer he couldn't set it up. After a certain amount of choice Anglo-Saxon he suddenly discovered that he could set it all up for me - We'll see![/quote]

oliveau,

a word of warning...

I have changed my Orange package recently to the OPTIMALE INTERNET. It has taken about 10 days so far to transfer the service and it is still not complete yet. The internet did not go off at all by the way. I am still waiting for the activation of the inclusive free calls on my fixed line. I received an email to say it would be active within 5 days. Hold off on the long calls abroad until you are sure it is active!

The old VOIP call number ceased to function a week after I did the order.

But..... I also just noticed that they have added lots of so called new "services" to my fixed line account by default.

Things like caller display, call signal, extra message services etc. These are all paid for extras to your fixed line bill - various amounts per month. So if you don't want/need them, go to your espace client/mon compte fixe/mes services/resilier un service and click on 'resilier ce service' for each you do not want.

It may take a week or two for your new 'compte fixe' to be changed over to 'Optimale Internet' from 'abonnement principal' so just keep checking every day.

If you compte fixe is not showing in the Espace client, you need to add it. Ajouter un compte/ajouter un compte téléphone fixe à mon espace client, then enter your telephone number and client number on the next page and click on 'valider'

Danny

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"Things like caller display, call signal, extra message services etc. These are all paid for extras to your fixed line bill "

But with this tariff, they are all included, aren't they?

Ce forfait comprend : ... Des services offerts et activés automatiquement : la présentation du nom, le signal d'appel, le transfert d'appel

The only additional charge seems to be if you actually use the Call Transfer?

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Richard bk said (I can't get the quote system to work):-  <<0845 is free for UK land line callers>>

No it isn't.    Not for those on the very basic (Option 1) package,   such as people like us who think BT charges are a rip-off (12.5 p set up charge for each call for example).

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumer/assets/downloads/BT_PhoneTariff_Residential.pdf

pg 5.

Sorry to nit pick.

Incidentally,   FT are saints compared to BT.    Last October FT made all calls within France local tariff,   whilst BT have recently (as far as I can see) abandoned the old geographical local system entirely and a call to next door is charged at full national rates.   Of course one can take out one of their "packages" but for those of us who have watched them rip off all and sundry over the years....no,  can't do it.

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[quote user="Martin963"]Richard bk said (I can't get the quote system to work):-  <<0845 is free for UK land line callers>>

No it isn't.    Not for those on the very basic (Option 1) package,   such as people like us who think BT charges are a rip-off (12.5 p set up charge for each call for example).

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumer/assets/downloads/BT_PhoneTariff_Residential.pdf

pg 5.

Sorry to nit pick.

Incidentally,   FT are saints compared to BT.    Last October FT made all calls within France local tariff,   whilst BT have recently (as far as I can see) abandoned the old geographical local system entirely and a call to next door is charged at full national rates.   Of course one can take out one of their "packages" but for those of us who have watched them rip off all and sundry over the years....no,  can't do it.

[/quote]

This is more a general complaint of BT. My post was about alternatives to 0844 using what is available.

BT call set up fees are the same for 0844 as they are for 0845. For non BT plans 0845s have a cheaper flat rate than 0844 and in addition these drop considerably at weekends and evenings.

BTW I'm not a supporter of BT. I moved my uk local line number to a VOIP service to get away from their ridiculous prices.

PS - why doesn't this forum process quotes properly (I'm using chrome)
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Danny - thanks for the links, the .pdf file is more informative. I've searched for a list of the "100 destinations" and can't find it! This may be a silly question, but is UK included in the free calls list? I see that "special numbers" are not included. I use Telerabais currently, charged at local call rate, but for the new offer is classed as a special number (0811) I think; obviously I wouldn't need it if I could just phone UK direct!

The Optimale service works out for me to be the same total price for the "abonnements" (telephone fixe + internet decouverte), but I would gain on the call costs, for me around 8€ pm !! 100€ is not to be sneezed at! 

Looks like a good offer!

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