Rants

This is the blog entry where I am excited because I have a new phone. I am excited for many reasons:

1) It’s a smartphone – an HTC Desire and I love it.

2) I’ve never had a nice phone before. I’ve always had a cast off.

3) The contract is in my own name. Last one was in my sister’s name as my credit rating sucks. However, now it is good enough for my own phone. Yay.

4) When my friend Jimmy phones, a green alien pops up.

So, excitement aside, let me start my rant about Orange. The future is dim. Bah.

So, I ordered the phone online on Monday. Several reasons for this, one being if I’m gonna fail a check, I’d rather fail it in private, I got cashback through Quidco and I was also able to get a better deal as Orange often knock a couple of pounds off the monthly cost, if you take out the deal online. Anyway, I ordered the phone and arranged to pick it up from my local store on Wednesday. The confirmation page also told me that a copy of the confirmation would be emailed to me. It was not, however I did make a note of the confirmation number because I’m sensible like that.

After becoming impatient on Tuesday, it was finally Wednesday and after my morning run, I took myself down to the store to collect it. The 12 year old with a beard serving me informed me that I could have collected Tuesday. I shrugged and said ‘oh well, it doesn’t really matter. The website said Wednesday and I’m here now.’ Nope, this was not good enough, he continued to whinge on about how I could have collected it on Tuesday. Bah. I eventually pointed out it was all irrelevent and could I have the phone.

SO, he gets the phone, he gives it to me and I am excited. Then he asked for the confirmation email. I explained that I hadn’t received one and that I’d checked my junk mail but I definately hadn’t received it. He said he couldn’t give me the phone. I gave him the confirmation number, showed him my passport and also a council tax bill as proof of address. He still said he needed the email. I told him I didn’t receive it. He asked his manager. His manager asked for the email. I once again said I hadn’t received one. They said I must have. I said I didn’t. We had a stand off and I won. FINALLY, when I think I’m free to go the guy asks if he could just check my passport again. Eventually, I’m free.

Off home I run, to play with my new toy. I followed the instructions to activate the sim card and it doesn’t work. I leave it a little while and it still doesn’t work. So, I ring customer services and get a non English speaker who informs me that the phone is PAYG because the phone number is registered to a PAYG phone, but it has been disconnected. I inform him that no, it is a contract. He tells me that can’t be the number. I tell him it’s the number I’m given. He eventually unbars it and tells me it will be working in thirty minutes.

Two hours later it still doesn’t work, so I phone back. A similar conversation unfolds, but with extra annoyingness. The woman asks me if she’s speaking to Emily (my sister). I say no, but I am using the phone because I have a new contract which doesn’t work. She says she needs to speak to Emily as the owner of the phone I was using. I tell her that the new contract is in my name and I needed to use another phone to contact Orange as mine didn’t work. She again said she needed to speak to Emily as the owner of the handset. I tell her would she be ok to speak to me if I phoned from the landline. She said yes. I told her that was stupid.

EVENTUALLY, she looked at the phone and said it was barred because it was a disconnected number and it couldn’t be mine. I told her it was the number I was given. She said she’d unbar it. I was suspicious.

Three hours later, the phone finally starts to work.

Bloody Orange.

The phone is great though.