Orange Chepstow: Minister's Reply Doesn't Help Customers

12.00.00am GMT Wed 31st Oct 2007

Orange customers still left in the lurch after Minister's response

In a further development in the ongoing problems suffered by customers of the mobile phone company Orange in Chepstow, a local Assembly Member has described a letter from a Welsh Assembly Government minister as "doing nothing to help customers."

Michael German AM, a leading member of the National Assembly and leader of the Liberal Democrats, had written to the Deputy First Minister, Plaid Cymru's Ieuan Wyn Jones, to support the complaints of constituents who have been left without a mobile phone service and trapped into contracts which they could not cancel.

In his reply, the Deputy First Minster, who also looks after Economic and Transport matters, says that he has been in contact with Orange and their response was "if your constituents are dissatisfied with the service provided, ultimately, they are free to terminate their contracts in accordance with the terms and conditions to which they have agreed."

In response, Mr. German says "This does little or nothing to help my constituents. In other words the company has said to the second most senior government minister in Wales that Orange customers in Chepstow will be held to their contracts for anything up to 18 months before being let go.

"The Deputy First Minister should instead have insisted that Orange contact all their customers in the area and ask if they want to leave the company and help them transfer to a mobile company that can provide a service."

Mr. German described the company's response as "disappointing, but not surprising on past form" and he added that he wasn't surprised that a senior Board Member of the company had recently left the company due to falling sales and a decreasing number of contract customers.

"If Chepstow is an example of Orange's attitude to its customers, it's no surprise that they are losing customers hand over fist."