Orange mobile signal

Tue 27 May 2008, 23:04

Good news with Orange as below. Something is actually being done -Hurrrah!

Hello Charlotte

Thank you for your reply about the signal in your area.

I can confirm that there is a fault with a transmitter in your area and I confirm that maintenance work is being carried out.

I trust it will be resolved in due course.

Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Kind regards

Steven
Orange Customer Services

Fri 16 May 2008, 19:53

Yesterday and today, yet again I have had hours of no signal and I missed two very important phone calls.

This is the email I received from Orange……

----- Original Message -----
From: customer.services@orange.co.uk
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 6:23 PM
Subject: Re: Case 9641551 webpaygphoneadvice

Dear Charlotte

Thank you for your reply.

I am sorry to hear that you are still experiencing problems with the signal on your phone.

In order that we may investigate this problem, please reply to this mail with the postcode area in which you are experiencing the problem, and an alternative contact number incase we need to contact you.

Alternatively, please call our Customer Services on 450 from a pay monthly Orange phone, or 07973 100450 from a landline, where one of our representatives will be pleased to assist you.

Kind regards

Charlotte
Orange Customer Services
-----------------------------------------------------

It does help – if others also report this issue and then something can be done about it! This is obviously the cheap way, via email - as above!

Sun 11 May 2008, 15:22

Dear Harriet, yes you’re right on sim cards. My five year old sim card was working perfectly, until I spoke to one of those 0800 technicians.

You are very lucky not to be reliant on your phones. I am most envious of you.

I’m trying to run a successful business, and have to apologise all the time to suppliers, clients and colleagues, when I the phone gets cut off. I then have to ring then back and that costs me money.

And, when I miss essential phone calls, this also costs me money, when I have to ring them back.

I’m virtually bankrupt and am working very hard. I am your modern day Cinderella. However, I’m very lucky to have my talent. I wish you well.

Sat 10 May 2008, 16:44

Orange always has a bad signal here, it varies between rooms in the house, generally it's best out in the garden, but not always. This has been the case for years. What you're talking about is a fairly regular occurrence on our phones, we never worried about it since we're not dependent on them.
As for updating sims cards, my sim card is over 4 years old, it is still working as well as ever.

Fri 9 May 2008, 18:26

Actually, I have to say that when you speak to someone from Orange in this country, they are very efficient and have been extremely helpful. I’m very impressed! They even managed to save me a journey down to Witney. Very clever what they can do with our sim cards!

Thus, don’t bother ringing their 0800 tel no - to someone wherever in the world. - ring the 07973 100450 number and ask for them to ring you back!

Our, still on going low signal problem is because of this one mast, that is used for all these phone companies. Orange said to me – to campaign for that planning permission for that new mast to be built! Has anyone any information from out planning department? Love to know!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Thu 8 May 2008, 16:37

I still unfortunately have wait for my new sim card to arrive in the post and then go down to Witney to sort this out at their Orange shop. What’s the bet that they try to flog me a new package or/and phone!!!!!

More wasted expense and time, due to incompetence with the lack of understanding of client’s requirements.

This is truly a very sad time that we live in, with lack of good communication and care from these national companies. They always seem to have an excuse and nothing ever seems to get done!

Would still love to know reports from anyone else who have contacted Orange or other mobile phone companies, who have experienced similar issues?

Thu 8 May 2008, 15:30

What is a "normal" signal? My daughter's Orange mobile is back up when I looked at it at about 12 noon today, Thursday, but I noticed that the signal strength was modulating on a pretty regular interval of a few seconds between 0,1,3,1,0 ad infinitum (I got bored watching after a short period, this isn't exactly entertainment). Having never had occasion or need to actually observe a mobile signal for a few seconds or a minute or so (usually one just glances to see if there is a signal quality or not while leaning precariously out of upstairs windows etc.) I don't know if this sort of modulation is common with some carriers. Perhaps due to piggy-backing of aerials with other services as Terry suggests, and the mast is sending out stay-awake signals at intervals, or whether bandwidth is being "packet switched" between carriers unless a phone is "locked in" by being actively used. Anyone with any technical nous ref. mobile phone operation can enlighten me?

Thu 8 May 2008, 15:05

My Orange phone was back to normal when I woke up this morning.

What a joy to be uncontactable for once :-)

Thu 8 May 2008, 14:40

My3 mobile phone suddenly came to life early AM. signal fully restorerd to normal. Does this apply to Orange users? Wouldn't it be polite if someone ever thought of sending out an explanation? But no chance, we don't live in that sort of society anymore.

Wed 7 May 2008, 22:22

This is the automated email response I received this evening with their website help/support-email address, etc, as below......

Orange also tells me that they have applied for planning permission for a new mast in our area. They are still waiting for permission, so perhaps our planning department can update us here?

'Orange strive to supply customers with the highest level of service and we would therefore like to advise that this is an automated response.

Dear Sir/Madam

Thank you for your mail.

We have received your mail and will respond as soon as we can. Account specific mails or mails relating to lost, stolen, damaged or faulty phones cannot be answered by email and will not therefore receive a reply. Please call Orange Customer Services on 150 (07973100150 from a landline) for pay monthly or 450 (07973100450) for pay as you go or you may be able to find the answer to your query by going to www.orange.co.uk/mobile_help_and_support/

If you have an Orange phone and you are experiencing difficulties with your online account, you can contact our technical helpdesk by dialling 439 from your Orange phone or 07973100439 from a landline. Please note that callers must be over 18 and calls are charged at 50 pence per minute at all times. For any other queries, our customer services helpdesk will be pleased to assist and can be contacted by calling 450 from a pay as you go phone, or 07973100450 from a landline, or 150 from a pay monthly phone (07973100150 from a landline).

As this is an automated response, do not reply as we are not able to answer replies sent from this acknowledgement.

Kind regards
Orange Customer Services'

I dread to think what my phone bill is this month, sorting out issues! I do like to know however, that things are being done about this, so updates are useful to all!

Good luck!

Wed 7 May 2008, 21:42

Who is the carrier for "Fresh"? Ours are a pair of very old Carphone Warehouse sims dating back to 2001 or so. For some reason the signal strength in the house, as of just checking now, has gone up to 3 bars in the study - it usually struggles inside the house to even register a network without leaving the phone by a south facing window... Co-incidence, or...? Orange report line seems to be perpetually engaged, not even putting one onto a quieing list. Anyone know of any internet/email reportage method?

Wed 7 May 2008, 21:26

My daughter's had the phone for 3 months, not the lesser time I thought (tempes fugit eh). Until this afternoon we've had absolutely no trouble with getting in contact with her and vice versa around Charlbury, either voice or text. So the problem has arisen quite suddenly, and it looks like it has arisen today as I was in touch with her last night to tell her what time to be home. We all have to report the fault to get them to do something about it - they have certainly done something to change the broadcast conditions. I am ringing up now...

Wed 7 May 2008, 20:54

I am on 3. and today the signal has gone down for some reason. 3g apparently rent space on other masts, in other words they piggy back other major masts. So yes it would appear there is a problem and it is very frustrating. Are there any other mobile phone suppliers suffering the same problem?

Wed 7 May 2008, 20:07

I’ve just come off the phone again with Orange and they tell me that no other problems have been reported from our area, so cannot do anything.

Our area only has one mast that covers a huge area, from Chadlington, Ramsden and Chilson over to Stonesfield. And we are bang in the middle.

This single mast only covers Pay as you go and Pay monthly. And Pay monthly will always take preference over Pay as you go.

However, one should report this issue, so something can be done about it on 07973100450 from a landline or 07973100150 for Pay monthly.

They repeated to me once again, that as soon as other reports come in – more can then be done about this. I hope this helps!

I now have to go down to Witney Orange shop, once my new sim card arrives in the post!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh joy!!!!

Wed 7 May 2008, 19:53

The Orange signal is generally poor in Charlbury, especially where we live in Shilson Lane. As soon as I drive out of Charlbury I get a full strength one.

Wed 7 May 2008, 19:51

I can report my daughter's mobile, also on Orange and only month or two old, was also not receiving any signal. After a couple of power downs and restarts she got a very very weak signal sufficient for texts but not for speech.

How on earth can a sim card affect signal strength??? Yesterday everything was hunky dory, this afternoon at 3.30 when she got back from school, zilch signal outside the house, and then a very attenuated one at best, still outside the house. Inside the house nothing - No Network Found notification.

Wed 7 May 2008, 19:30

Thats a different excuse. Brian was told to do a'soft reset' and wipe off all text messages, take the battery out and replace it. When we walked up to Walcot this evening I was able to pick up a signal on my mobile. It disappeared as we came back into town. Does anyone have further information?

Wed 7 May 2008, 18:32

Yes, all day. This afternoon, when I rang Orange, they told me it was my old sim card. Now, a new one is on it's way. Hopefully all my numbers are still there. I knew something wasn't right! Now, I can't use my phone at all until the new sim card comes in the post!

Wed 7 May 2008, 17:20

We have just returned to Charlbury after a week away, and neither of us has a signal on our mobile- does anyone else have a problem with Orange?