Is this a good offer from Orange?

[David]

We are presently on a France Telecom telephone line with a telephone, and we also have an Orange live box for internet access.  We keep the FT phone line for service and repair reasons, but this means we pay for both the FT phone line with three hours free calls to France (we use about 30 minutes a month), and also the Orange internet access which we use a lot, but also an internet phone which we rarely use.

We have now been offered a "Formule everywhere forfait bloqué" for 39.90 euros per month which seems very good as we spend about two months a year at our holiday home where we have no phone or internet access.

Is this offer as good as it seems?  If we do sign up for this, will we separately have to cancel the FT phone line and the Orange livebox?  Both contracts are several years old so should be easy to cancel.

I really do not understand all the units quoted on the Orange web site, particularly in relation to the mobile key, so is this offer really as good as it seems?  We would save money by combining FT and Orange, and also get internet access at our holiday home.

Many thanks,

David

[BJSLIV]

If you want to keep your FT line you will still have to pay 16 Euros a month for that so no change there.

I don't know how much you pay for your 3 hours of French calls , but if you aren't using it all it's probably not economic.

The new deal is probably not much more than you are currently paying, it will include 99% of your French calls anyway with the internet phone. The wifi access may be handy for you , as long as you don't make heavy use of it while you are away, as it soon gets expensive if you download too much stuff. 400mg per month goes very quickly!

If its like most FT deals wou could pay an extra 7 Euros per month and get calls back to the UK included.

So if you want to stay with Orange it could well be cheaper than you are currently paying. with a bit of access while on the move.

 

 

 

[Quillan]

You need to be careful when reading special offers from Orange (and other ISP's). There are two offers involving Internet and telephone but if you look deeper they are two different things. The cheaper at 29.99 is basically a Skype type setup which allows free calls to other IP (Skype type) users in France. The other is quite different, you get it for 29.99 for the first three months then it goes up to 39.99 per month thereafter. For this you get Internet, TV and phone which is free calls to all French landlines, this is the most common one. However unfortunately the price does not stop there, you need to either buy or rent the ADSL box, the bit that plugs in to your phone socket and to which you attach your PC. I personally go for the rental which adds a further 3 Euros to the bill. I went this way because what happens when the warranty runs out and it fails, by renting it's theirs and if there is a problem its their problem if you get my drift.

The next thing you have to pay for is getting free International calls. The way this is done is buy buying an addon package which gives you 1 hours free calls to French mobiles and free International calls to every country bar 2. The 2 countries not included are so small (I was going to say inconsequential but that would be rude) that you need not worry about them. This will cost you another 7 Euros per month. So to tot it all up you will be paying 49.99 Euros per month (give or take a Euro) for Internet, TV and free International and domestic calls plus 1 hour of free mobile calls every month (this rolls over by the way). I forgot to add that you also get free calls to US and Canadian mobiles as well.

You will no longer have to pay rental on your FT line. All your calls are made through the ADSL box (referred to as the LiveBox), you simply unplug your existing phone and plug it in to the LiveBox. You can opt, when ordering, to keep your existing FT phone number which is handy. At the beginning of this year call forwarding was introduced so when you are not there and even if the LiveBox is turned off calls can be forwarded to another number. You can check your voice mail via the phone or Internet which means you can check for messages from anywhere in the world.

So you can now sit and work it out yourself how much you currently pay and if its worth moving over. One good point is that Orange and FT are one and the same so you should expect better service rather than buying services from 2 different suppliers and being pushed from pillar to post if there is a problem.

A very important question should be is it any good. Well I have had Wanadoo, which Orange bought a few years back, and Orange for 9 years. Many years ago I had a line problem which required a FT engineer to come out and replace the line from my house to the main junction box in the street, thats life and it would not have mattered who we had our Internet contract with but it was dealt with in 48 hours. I have had to reset my Livebox twice in two years, once after a power outage and things restarted in the wrong order and again about two days ago but I had been fiddling with my home network and suspect thats what caused the problem. The quality of calls is actually better than we had with the old phone system although once or twice we have had the 'echo effect' like you get sometimes with mobile phones, a redial has always fixed the problem. For me it has saved about 40/50 Euros per month so its a no brainer as they say.

So now you have to do the figures [;-)]

[David]

Many thanks BJSLIV and Quillan for two very helpful and informative replies, both of which are much appreciated.

I must apologise for the delay in responding, but I have been having internet and computer problems.

Finally I managed to get into my online FT phone account, only to find that I cannot open the Adobe monthly bills!  However, from bank accounts I seem to be paying about 52 euros per month for the phone alone, plus about 33 euros per month for internet.  From the Orange web site it looks as if I am paying about 20 euros per month for 3 hours of calls to French land lines per month, of which I use about 30 minutes, so it is a no brainer to change to the new offer. 

I have a FT land line phone account set up before FT and Orange merged, and an Orange livebox account with a rented livebox.  In order to change to the new offer, do I just fill in the online application, or do I also have to cancel both the existing FT and Orange accounts?

 

Any practical advice as to how to actually make the change would be welcome.  Would the live box also change, or would Orange merely put a dongle in the post for the wi-fi access?  Or does an Orange engineer come to install the devices?

 

Many thanks,

 

David

[Quillan]

You can do it all through the www.orange.fr website and they will deal with everything for you. You need to login then go to your account and then select 'Ma Formule' and then you can "Changer d'offre".

[Sunday Driver]

David

The 'Formule everywhere forfait bloqué' package gives you the standard internet plus internet TV plus internet phone via a Livebox connected to your fixed phone line, with the addition of a 3G dongle which gives you limited mobile internet access through the Orange mobile phone network and Orange WiFi hotspots.

However, the 3G dongle doesn't allow voice, so you must retain your FT phone landline in order to make calls from home, either using a normal phone or via your Livebox internet connection.  It also means that whilst you'd be able to get basic mobile internet access at your holiday home, you'd still have no phone access there.

 

[AnOther]

Note that you also have to pay €49 deposit on the TV decoder and if your internet speed is not up to it, about 4mb I believe, then you will need a dish pointing at 13/19deg to receive it.

I have the 3g dongle but in all honesty it's of no real use to me as I don't need to make calls in France, and in any case, in the event I did need to make a call I don't habitually carry a laptop with me so couldn't anyhow. For that rare, one or twice a year occassion, I'll pay to use my normal UK mobile.

Even if the dongle doesn't allow voice calls I can't see why you couldn't use Skype with it, not tried though.

[Quillan]

[quote user="AnOther"]Note that you also have to pay €49 deposit on the TV decoder and if your internet speed is not up to it, about 4mb I believe, then you will need a dish pointing at 13/19deg to receive it.
[/quote]

Actually the box is free, the deposit is for the card. I have tried the decoder and its very slow, takes about 3 minutes (or longer) to start up. You are better off buying a TNT box and using that. You can't rent films on demand if you have a dish and it does not play films in the original language as they claim, in short it's naff. Unfortunately we can't get terrestrial TV as there is a big mountain in the way so I thought this might be a good idea for me but its a waste of time. Sadly to get the other 'goodies' you have to sign up for TV as well although I know quite a few people who leave the decoder in the box. The other pain is that it has to connect physically to the LiveBox which can be difficult or expensive else it will not work.

You need the decoder irrespective of how fast your Internet speed is.

I think I am right in saying that if you use Skype to a landline you still have to pay (a small sum), its only free Skype to Skype. Seems to defeat the object if you get free international calls as part of your package.

[BJSLIV]

I can't see why you couldn't use Skype with it

From the Orange 3G terms and conditions

"Votre forfait Internet everywhere vous permet d’accéder à internet en mobilité sur les réseaux mobiles 3G+, 3G, EDGE, GPRS et Wi-Fi uniquement en France métropolitaine. Il s’agit de pass de connexion « data only », c'est-à-dire de transmission de données ; les usages de type streaming, voix sur IP et peer-to-peer sont interdits"

And they block it to make sure.

SFR do the same. 

[AnOther]

Well I guess it makes sense blocking Skype but equally there is probably some workaround. The truth I have not even bothered to install the dongle nor really study the T&C's so I accept what you say.

Q: Card/box, same difference really as its still €49 whichever [;-)]

My decoder was very slow initially but shortly after I got it it did a big update after which it worked much nore quickly, not instant but we're talking seconds now not minutes as was. I already had an ethernet hub in the lounge for my TiVos so that side of it was no problem at all. It's only really 'er indoors who watches French TV and although we haven't tried it the option for VOD seems to be there.

Skype out does cost but it's reasonable.

[Quillan]

The card is not needed if you run just over the internet because the LiveBox is physically linked to your account (as discussed when we talked about emails and website) so what you can view is controlled via the internet and the LiveBox where as you need the card with a dish because of Canal+ and the movie channels etc. The option for native language is there but if you switch it on it makes no difference. If you go with Canal+ then stuff like NCIS etc can be heard in English.

I have now put a Hauppauge WinTV Nova-S Plus card in my PC and use the dish I set up for the Orange decoder. I can record and playback via a media extender on my TV. It's nice having all my media in one place.

 

[Chancer]

Re the native language, it seems there are very few films programs etc that are screened actually carry the VO (version originale) soundtrack.

On my Freebox it used to have the soundtrack option of Français or "langue originale" which has since changed to Français ou Anglais, it looked encouraging but didnt really change much and it does vary channel by channel.

TF1 has the most with about one in 5 English language films having the VO soundtrack accessible, on Arté 100% of programmes can be switched to English but only the sort of English we would be speaking had we lost WW2 [;-)]

Direct8, W9, and some others sometimes have films in VO and the BBc nature documentaries shown on these channels often do but not when they are shown on Arté when the English becomes German.

Oh yes and you can also get NCIS (although it has a totally different name) and Desperate housewives in English

[David]

Help please.

 

I hope I have not gone and mucked things up, but I am now somewhat worried.

I had a straight forward Orange internet package for Euros 32.89 per month, plus a France Telecom fixed line for Euros 32.00 per month plus 3 hours France forfait for Euros 20.00 per month, plus other calls.

Following instructions on this thread I went to the Orange web site and changed the internet package to

Quote

Formule Everywhere FF bloqué internet+tél 18 mégamax

39.90 EUR / mois TTC

- Clé 3G+ E1752

1,00 EUR TTC

- Achat nomade de services sur Internet

gratuit

Unquote.

The New package was for Euros 39.90 per month and did not include TV as I did not want it, also there was no facility for asking to keep the same FT number.

I assumed that this change would either include the Euros 16 per month for the FT fixed line, or that it would automatically change the FT tarif.

I changed the internet packege at about 1200 hours today, and the present Orange internet site shows that my internet account is being changed.  However, there is no indication that the FT account is being changed.

I have tried to log in to change the FT tarif to line only, but I do not seem to be able to do it on the Orange site.  I can get into my fixed line account, but can find no provision for changing it.  I also tried to find out how to cancel the 3 hours in France, but could not see how to do it.

As far as I can tell, the Orange internet package is being changed, but not the FT fixed line package.

Please please tell me what I have done wrong, and how I can put it right.

I just want the internet package with the basic FT fixed line.

Many thanks.

David

[Quillan]

I have just had a look at the Orange website, there are 8 different services.

Formule, Surf, Surf for under 26 years of age, Net, Découverte, Formule Everywhere, Surf Everywhere and Net Everywhere.

(Link to offers.: http://abonnez-vous.orange.fr/residentiel/comparer-offres-internet.aspx )

The option you have chosen, Formule Everywhere, starts at 24.90 per month for 3 months then rises to 34.90 per month for then next 9 months after which you can change your contract. You get to keep your existing telephone line with its number, you will get another number starting with 09 for your free calls which are routed via your Livebox which explains your question about not being able to change the FT line. So to add it all together you will pay the following.

Formule Everywhere - 24.90 + Line Rental 16.00 + Cle 1.00 + Livebox Rental 3.00 per month TOTAL 44.90 per month (+ 7 (free international call option) = 51.90 per month*)

After 3 months it will cost the following.:

Formule Everywhere - 34.90 + Line Rental 16.00 + Cle 1.00 + Livebox Rental 3.00 per month TOTAL 54.90 per month (+ 7 (free international call option) = 61.90 per month*)

*If you want free international calls then you have to take the 1hr free calls to French mobiles which also gives you the free international calls.

The Cle gives you 2 hrs free mobile surfing per month assuming you have a laptop to use it with.

You still get the TV with this deal, its up to you if you connect it.

Personally I would have gone, if having a Cle is not important, for the Net option. If you still take the free international calls it works out as follows.:

Net - 29.90 + Livebox Rental 3.00 per month TOTAL 32.90 per month (+ 7 (free international call option) = 39.90 per month*)

After 3 months it will cost the following.:

Net - 39.90 + Livebox Rental 3.00 per month TOTAL 42.90 per month (+ 7 (free international call option) = 49.90 per month*)

With this option you keep your existing phone number but all calls are received and made via you Livebox (you simply unplug your existing phone and plug it in to your Livebox), if you leave the phone plugged in to your wall phone socket it won't work. Again you still get the TV but its up to you if you install it. In fact you get TV with all the packages although some you view via the PC and others via a decoder and possibly. With the latter if you don't have the bandwidth you will need a dish.

Could I suggest you 'Google' Google Toolbar and install it (don't forget to select the correct language before you install it) you will then get a Translate button which will translate any none English website in to English.

If you believe you have made a mistake then phone the Orange English speaking Helpline on 0969 36 39 00 and select Sales and talk to somebody. Explain you were confused and that whilst you want to upgrade you have chosen the wrong option/formula.

Hope that explains it for you.

Good Luck.

 

[Danny]

David,

Don't panic...

You have chosen the Orange Internet package (without TV - same price anyway) called 'formule' which does not involve any change at all to your FT line subscription.

So you will will still have exactly the same FT line package with your extra calls etc as well as the line rental.

You will need to contact FT to stop the extra call plans that you have and say that you just want the basic line rental. This will be 16 euros p/m.
this completely separate to the internet package you have chosen. I imaginr that you should be able to do this online but I can't be sure as I do not have any "offres tarifaires" to check.

On the Orange site, once you are logged in, you should be able to associate a 'ligne fixe' with your account if you have not done so already. There, you can check what is on the menu on the left of the page. If you find your 3 hour call plan, there should be an option to cancel ('résilier') it.

If you can't do this on line, can you go to an FT/orange shop and do it?

You will get a new telephone number to use with the livebox so you can benefit from free calls in France. If you would like international calls via the livebox too then you  need to choose teh option "Mobiles + international illimité" at (minimum) 7 euros p/m extra.

Your normal FT number and line will continue to function separately.

Hope this helps

Danny

[Danny]

Quillan wrote

"The option you have chosen, Formule Everywhere, starts at 24.90 per month for 3 months then rises to 34.90 per month for then next 9 months after which you can change your contract. You get to keep your existing telephone line with its number, you will get another number starting with 09 for your free calls which are routed via your Livebox which explains your question about not being able to change the FT line. So to add it all together you will pay the following.

Formule Everywhere - 24.90 + Line Rental 16.00 + Cle 1.00 + Livebox Rental 3.00 per month TOTAL 44.90 per month (+ 7 (free international call option) = 51.90 per month*)

After 3 months it will cost the following.:

Formule Everywhere - 34.90 + Line Rental 16.00 + Cle 1.00 + Livebox Rental 3.00 per month TOTAL 54.90 per month (+ 7 (free international call option) = 61.90 per month*)"

But David wrote

"Formule Everywhere FF bloqué internet+tél 18 mégamax

39.90 EUR / mois TTC

- Clé 3G+ E1752

1,00 EUR TTC

- Achat nomade de services sur Internet

gratuit"

 

which is this package http://abonnez-vous.orange.fr/residentiel/forfaits/formule-dualplay-everywhere-forfait-bloque.aspx?idnode=91119018

which is 29,90 for 3 months and then 39,90 after.

 

also the Clé USB is a one off payment of 1 euro - not a monthly charge

just to avoid even more confusion[:)]

 

Danny

 

[Quillan]

[quote user="Jane and Danny"]

But David wrote

"Formule Everywhere FF bloqué internet+tél 18 mégamax

39.90 EUR / mois TTC

- Clé 3G+ E1752

1,00 EUR TTC

- Achat nomade de services sur Internet

gratuit"

 

which is this package http://abonnez-vous.orange.fr/residentiel/forfaits/formule-dualplay-everywhere-forfait-bloque.aspx?idnode=91119018

which is 29,90 for 3 months and then 39,90 after.

 

also the Clé USB is a one off payment of 1 euro - not a monthly charge

just to avoid even more confusion[:)]

 

Danny

[/quote]

But David didn't write that originally, he had a different price, he went back and changed it afterwards.

In truth I didn't notice the Cle was 1 Euro single payment, sorry about that

I hope I have read this right, there seems to be a monthly internet usage limit?

 

[David]

Thank you Quillan and Danny, but unfortunately I am confused by Quillan's post.  I did not change the numbers, but they are all very confusing.  Many thanks Quillan for the tip about the Google tool bar - that could be very useful indeed.

Danny has the offer exactly right, and I think I understand what he is saying.  I chose that offer because I thought the Cle USB would be very useful when we are at our holiday home just to check the internet for emails, weather and news headlines - less than 30 mins per day.  In fact the Cle was the main reason for changing, plus trying to save some money but I am not sure if I have done that!

We do not have a phone line at our holiday home, but there we use LeClerc prepaid mobiles for phone calls.

I did not take out the free international call option, but that could be very good when we are at our main home.

It is also important for me to keep a FT line at home because we are at the end of a long 8 kilometer overhead telephone line which is very suseptible to lightning, falling trees and farmers tractors.  Also because I have blown two liveboxes and two laptop modems by lightning (even through a surge protector!!) I now unplug the internet if there is any remote possibility of lightning.  This can last several days, so we need the fixed phone line at those times.

Thus the Cle USB, and the FT fixed line are important to me, but TV is not.

Regarding the fixed line, I can find the "Les Heures France 3H" on my internet Orange account, but I can find no way to cancel it, so I will have to try calling the English help line, or go to the local FT shop, but parking for the wheelchair is extremely difficult.

Regarding a monthly internet limit, I did ask that question on this forum in the LW radio?/uk thread earlier, but was told by Albert the info gypsie, and Cassis that there was no limit.

So if I keep the present internet package as described by Danny, and manage to get the FT line for Euros 16 per month, would that be the best package for me?

I really appreciate your kind help, and thank you in advance for your further assistance.

David

[Danny]

David,

from what you have said, if you get the FT line rental back to 16 euros p/m - you obviously want to keep the FT line - then it seems to me to be a suitable offer for you.

There is no limit on your internet usage via your livebox in your main home. You can surf all day and night at whatever speed your line can support.

But there are limits to your internet via the USB clé.

The details are very complicated but...if I understand it properly, with this package you have - per month - 200 MB of downloads at any time plus another 200 MB of downloading at weekends and school holidays.
Once you get to 80% of your main 200MB you will receive an SMS from Orange to tell you and when you get to 100% of your weekend 200 MB

According to Orange, 200 MB means on average...16 hours of ordinary surfing (not streaming of video or music), 40,000 emails without attachments.

This package is fixed at 200 MB and if you reach your limit, you have to call up to get a recharge - 1 Euro for each 15 MB (This price only applies to usage in France)You can use this service for use outside of France if you want but it is very expensive. This does not apply to your 200 MB weekends bit but does apply to any top ups (recharges)

It seems better to make sure that you don't use it out of France or it will be very quickly used up.

They have introduced this service after some people ran up enormous bills (up to 250,000 euros!! in a month) on an unlimited package by using it abroad or by being in France but close to the borders and the dongle connects to a neighbouring countrie's mobile network without them knowing! Well dodgy...

As mentioned, If you want the unlimited calls via the livebox you will have to call up and add on "mobiles et international illimité"
For 7 euros amonth extra this extends your unlimited calls via the livebox in France to 63 countries and also 1 hour to french mobiles.
Don't forget that this only applies to a telephone plugged directly in to the livebox. If you use a telephone directly in to the wall socket you will be charged by FT at normal FT rates.

Happy surfing

Danny

 

[David]

Danny,

Many thanks for your extremely helpful advice, perhaps I will be able to sleep tonight!

I phoned the English help line and got through straight away!  They were very good and very helpful.  They have changed the fixed line tarif to Euros 16 per month, and added the 7 euros per month free calls.  Very good , quick and helpful - they even asked why I had changed the internet package on the web rather than phone the help line.

One question remains, how do I receive the SMS to tell me I have used the dongle allowance?

Another question if I may.  I have bought a new computer with windows 7 and assumed it would connect to the Orange livebox, but another thread here now says that there may be trouble - is that correct?

Again, very many thanks for your kind help.

David

[Sunday Driver]

David

That other thread concerned difficulty in finding drivers for an obscure modem.  You will have no problems with your Livebox.

 

 

[David]

SD,

Very reassuring, thanks very much.

My next job is to get the new computer up and running.

Hope you are well,

Kind regards,

David

[Danny]

[quote user="David"]

One question remains, how do I receive the SMS to tell me I have used the dongle allowance?

[/quote]

well as far as I can read/see on the Orange page,

votre budget entièrement maîtrisé
Orange vous envoie une alerte SMS dès que vous avez utilisé :
- 80% et 100% de vos 200 Mo 24h /24 et 7j/7
- 100 % de vos 200 Mo week-end et vacances scolaires.

more than that I cannot find, I assume that you were asked for a mobile number at some point in the process or maybe they will ask you when it is enabled.

They may send you it via the dongle itself. I don't know the technicalities of this.

There is info about how it works here on this page

and checking your consommation online here on this page

Danny

[David]

Thanks for that Danny,

I guess I will just have to try it and see, while keeping a good check on the Orange account, and perhaps keeping a diary of time used.

From what I can see, while using it in France, it may be that the dongle simply will not work if the limit is exceeded, rather than carrying on and clocking up large bills?

Many thanks,

David

 

[Danny]

[quote user="David"]

From what I can see, while using it in France, it may be that the dongle simply will not work if the limit is exceeded, rather than carrying on and clocking up large bills?

[/quote]

that is correct - it says once you reach your limits you will only be able to use it by getting a top up (recharge)

Danny