Nuisance calls from 'Orange'

[Metr0Land]

OK guys and gals I know you all know to avoid these calls but this one doing the rounds is particularly annoying if you’re an Orange customer (Maybe they’re doing it on others as well but my annoyance is with Orange as well as the scammer).

 

Call or missed calls are coming from 0845 450 3102 and if you trawl the interweb you’ll see it’s happening a lot.

 

Normally I would simply ignore these calls (or waste their time if I’m at a loose end when they call).  Usual thing – they purport to be from Orange and then try to scam you into something you don’t want/need.

 

As I say, I would normally just ignore them but the automated dialler on this one seems frequent and persistent hence it’s been leaving ‘silent calls’ on voicemail. When I switch my mobile on, I can’t tell if voicemail/s are from this lot or someone I want to talk until I’ve played the voicemail.

 

As it happens my mobile is paid for by the Head of Household so I asked her to call Orange to get this number blocked.

 

1^st problem (you’ve all been there haven’t you?)  Of all the options in the menu system what do you press to report nuisance calls and block numbers?  Eventually my wife just plumped for something and to be fair to the girl who answered she was happy to try and help but of course is limited by what’s on the screen in front of her and whoever writes the scripts.

 

“Sorry she said, we can’t actually block numbers”. Eh what?  In 2013 and you’re a high tech company?

 

“As a last resort we could change your number but that’s a bit drastic”.  Oh yes, and what if a new scammer makes nuisance calls to the new number like they do, what then?

 

“Well, the other thing you can do is register with the Telephone Preference Service”.  Don’t Orange read the press or the Web?  The real PITA’s can’t be bothered with the TPS and in any case phone from outside the UK.

 

As it happens (and I’d have thought Orange would know this as they know what handset I have) we discovered the answer.  I have an HTC smartphone, and once you know the blocking feature is there, and how to get to it, blocking the number was quite simples.

 

Do you ever wonder why big firms spend zillions on branding and marketing and don’t then give a chuff about how their name is abused?  I used to, but then as a customer I can go elsewhere…. To another telecomms company that can’t communicate but that’s modern life for you.

[Horsetan]

Agent Orange. Poisonous.

[Happy Hippo]

Orange don't exist any more!

 

They are now known as EE. (But sadly not a Type 3)

 

Regards

 

Richard

[Oldddudders]

Orange don't exist any more!

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_(telecommunications)

[Ian J.]

The brand still exists, but the company kind of doesn't. On the Orange.co.uk website, the 'About Orange' link goes to the EE company website.

[beast66606]

Vodaphone are similar, I had a lot of missed (deliberately) calls in a short period, when I answered I told them I did not want to be pestered by marketing calls - however I told them that last time too... (but they did stop for about a year)

[stewartingram]

SO how does one use this blocking feature on HTC Smartphones, I didn't even know it was there on mine (or maybe it isn't?)

 

Stewart

[Metr0Land]

SO how does one use this blocking feature on HTC Smartphones, I didn't even know it was there on mine (or maybe it isn't?)

 

Stewart

 

 

My phone was similar but not exactly the same but easy enough to find the right buttons once you've seen the video

[AndrewC]

Trouble with the blocking is the b*stards all seem to have a set of numbers. Blocked 1, 3 days later got the same **** calling with the same pre-recorded message from a different number. At the moment I've got about 20 blocked numbers in my phone. Most are from only 4 or 5 companies.

[Oldddudders]

On 26.6.13, Orange.fr sent me a txt stating that from 30.6.13 they and France Telecom would "fuse" to become Orange. So while their brand may be disappearing in some markets, it's taken the reins in France.

 

There is something slightly bizarre about electronics etc organisations using the word 'fuse'.

[lankyphil]

In my experience, that's pretty typical of Orange... Hence why my contract is no longer with them.

 

Possible tips,

 

- Unrecognised number? Don't answer it. Apparently if you do answer it, the nuisance company knows that the number is "live" and sell it on to other "companies that will bug and annoy you"

 

- Any that I've realised/found out are spam calls, I save them to a contact called "SPAM DON'T ANSWER" just in case SWMBO picks up my phone.

[Platform 6]

“Sorry she said, we can’t actually block numbers”. Eh what?  In 2013 and you’re a high tech company?

 

 

The technology to block number does exist. It has done so for a long time and on most systems. As you say, first line operatives can only do so much and even they probably believe it can't be done.

 

The real problem is the cost of implementing such blocks as the Telcos don't wish to take the extra.costs on  E.g. proving a block is a genuine request, removing blocks when a number is later given to a bona fide customer, etc etc.