Mobile Phone Companies - Good / Bad ?

[Ebeneezer Scrooge]

I joined their PAYG service in June 1999 (still have the same phone number from that time).

Are you sure it's *exactly* the same number? Most 07x mobile numbers didn't come into existence until April 2001. Orange numbers were generally in the 09xx range before that date.

Plymouth, you're wrong. I was on Orange from early 2000 and I've always had an 07 number.

[nwtv2003]

Are you sure it's *exactly* the same number? Most 07x mobile numbers didn't come into existence until April 2001. Orange numbers were generally in the 09xx range before that date.

Yep, exactly the same number. Orange were issuing 07xxx numbers to new accounts at that time - my dialling code is 07967 which you will find is an old Orange code. My dad who got a mobile just before me on Cellnet ended up with 0402 until that became 07702 after everything was standardised.

I joined Orange PAYG in January 2000 and my number was an 07. my Dad's Nokia on Vodafone was an 08 number and only 10 digits, they standardised them all around 2001 or so.

[Nick Harvey]

All the old mobile numbers changed on 28th April 2001; not a day before and not a day later. Trust me, I was there.

Here is a detailed list of what changed.

The 07 level was, however, available for allocation prior to that date, but only to companies (Orange included) who had run out of numbers on the old codes.

It's, therefore, quite possible that 07 numbers were allocated on codes which do NOT appear in the right hand column of that list, prior to 28th April 2001.

In summary, all of you are right.

[Cache]

For anyone who is interested, have now gone to Orange, who were very helpful. Got a Samsung G600 and they have shuffled some of my family around so we are all on Orange in some sort of loop that gets us all free calls to each other.

O2 were awful when i went and said 'This is what I have been offered' , the woman was like 'And what am I to do about it?'
But I am now much better off.

[cdd]

This thread really reinforces nini's comment, mobile networks have huge amounts of consumer dissonance associated with them, people are really passionate about their mobile network for no good reason.

[Stuart*]

All the old mobile numbers changed on 28th April 2001; not a day before and not a day later. Trust me, I was there.

Perhaps you should add your wisdom to the Wikipedia Page which shows:

Vodafone codes 0370/0374/0378 changing on 22 April 2001
Vodafone 0468 and Cellnet 0850 changing on 29 April 2001.

[Sput]

Alternatively, you could stop using Wikipedia as a source of all your knowledge.

[Stuart*]

Vodafone 0468 and Cellnet 0850 changing on 29 April 2001.

There wasn't a provider called "Cellnet" in 2001.

OK "BT Cellnet" in April 2001.

[Gavin Scott]

Vodafone 0468 and Cellnet 0850 changing on 29 April 2001.

There wasn't a provider called "Cellnet" in 2001.

OK "BT Cellnet" in April 2001.

Just a second - if one of the facts you're reproducing is clearly incorrect, would it not be the correct thing to do to withdraw your comment?

You can't press your point if your source material is patently wrong.

[Cache]

Aha! Again, for anyone who is interested, it seems that the way to deal with 02 is to e-mail the CEO. Found his address online and sent a rather annoyed message. Was then contacted by 02 head of Executive Relations who has dealt with the problem brilliantly, investigating what went wrong with my initial order and the service i received when asking 02 to match the Orange contract. I have been offered a very nice deal after my Orange contract expires, so, winning all round.

[MOD EDIT: Email address removed] is the address. It seems rather unfortunate that I had to go as high as the CEO to get any kind of reasonable service though

[Gavin Scott]

Aha! Again, for anyone who is interested, it seems that the way to deal with 02 is to e-mail the CEO. Found his address online and sent a rather annoyed message. Was then contacted by 02 head of Executive Relations who has dealt with the problem brilliantly, investigating what went wrong with my initial order and the service i received when asking 02 to match the Orange contract. I have been offered a very nice deal after my Orange contract expires, so, winning all round.

[MOD EDIT: Email address removed] is the address. It seems rather unfortunate that I had to go as high as the CEO to get any kind of reasonable service though

Yes, sometimes going to the top is an effective solution, but I'd prefer not to go publishing executive's email addresses, as they they are entitled to keep those private.

Anyone seeking to do the same are free to research for names and contact email addresses elsewhere.