I am losing the will to live

[meriad]

this darn phone!!!!!

February 2012 I moved my phone contract from O2 to what at the time was Orange; a smooth swop over and I was happy (still am really). January this year I was able to upgrade and got a new phone and contract, the new contract being with EE. As far as I am aware Orange took over T-Mobile and their new combined entity is now called EE - but maybe I'm wrong?

Anyway today I went up to the EE shop to buy a new pay as you go SIM card for my old mobile, come back to work, put in said SIM card only to find out it won't work because it's an EE SIM in an Orange phone and the only way around it is by paying to have the phone unlocked. Now I don't see why I should be paying to have an Orange phone unlocked to use an EE SIM because realistically Orange became EE and quite honestly I think they should ensure that both Orange and the EE SIMS work in their phones.

It's just such a money making racket and I'm just a tad (well very) p*ssed off because I feel like I'm being held to ransom by the phone companies

[Workingman]

Apparently the 'official' ending of Orange and T-Mobile came in April this year.... so, Orange no longer exists.

However, I am on your side, Ria. EE took on Orange's responsibilities and it is up to them to make sure that Orange legacy phones still work. If it was me I would take the phone and sim to the EE shop and make them unlock if free of charge.

[Kaz]

That is just plain wrong Ria!!!!! No wonder you are so annoyed xxxxxxxxx

They took over Orange so should honour Orange's obligations It still says Orange on the ATMs when I use them to top up my PAYG phone

[meriad]

Thanks both of you - I'm glad you agree. Talking to the people at EE I really felt that I was asking for something really outrageous.

I'm going to the EE shop in Woking tomorrow where I originally bought the shop from and they're going to have to come up with some compromise

[saundra]

its a scandle i hope you get it sorted or you will have to use smoke signels
my P as you go from vodaphone had 10.oo credit 2 years agoits probably got 9.00 left
never use it i send e mails from my kindle

[Workingman]

Ria, according to this swapping payg sims is simple!

i hope you get it sorted or you will have to use smoke signels

[meriad]

thanks for that Frank but unfortunately the problem is with my actual old phone - it's locked to Orange as I got it on an Orange contract; it never was used as a pay-as-you-go phone. So the only SIM it'll work with as it is, is one from Orange

But what I'll do is print that out and take it as ammunition. If the pay as you go phones can do it then there is no reason why the contract phones shouldn't be

[Workingman]

With my logic it makes no difference.

It was an Orange phone on the Orange network, whether it was contract or PAYG makes no difference. The Orange network is now defunct due to EE's takeover and you want to use the phone on EE. You are requesting EE to do the job of unlocking it so that you can stay with them and not go to a competitor. Simples!

It takes seconds to unlock a phone if you have the kit, and EE will have the kit.

[victor]

E.E. American -nuff said as far as i am concerned

[Workingman]

It's not Yank, Vic, it is a joint venture between Deutsche Telekom and France Télécom - the owners of what were T-Mobile and Orange.

I am no telecoms expert, but I would think that under EU law they have a duty to offer an in-house switch free of charge. It is different if an old Orange customer wants to migrate to a competitor, say Vodafone. EE's site says that the unlocking for such a move costs a £20.32 admin fee.