Orange care

[Frasman77]

Anyone had any good or bad experiences with Orange care recently?

Unbelievably, after waiting about 6 weeks for my 6680 to arrive, I went out cycling on Saturday and lost the blasted thing. Much weeping and gnashing of teeth ensued.

However I have been paying £5 a month for Orange care insurance. Having phoned up to report the phone as lost, and having waited a couple of days, the insurers have decided I've 'failed to take reasonable care' and so am not covered. Carrying your phone in your pockets while cycling is, apparently, a 'failure to take reasonable care'.

Sounds like a bit of a sneaky get out clause. It is wide enough to cover just about any circumstances that you might lose your phone. I can't imagine in what circumstances one would be deemed to have taken 'reasonable care'.
I am quite surprised as this seems like a very hard line to take.

However, the good news is that despite that, Orange are going to issue me a free replacement as a 'good will' gesture. Just as well.

[3g-g]

Funny it should be brought up. A close friend of mine dropped her phone down the toilet, completely by mistake, it had fallen out of her handbag. Not to worry she thought, I've been paying £5 a month for the last year, it'll cover the handset. So when she called Orange she was told she'll need to pay a £15 admin charge?! So what's the £5 a month going to if when you do need to claim you need to pay more again?!

[Ben]

Insurance always carries an excess. With Orange Care if the handset is faulty the admin fee will be waived. However, if accidental damage, loss or theft has taken place they'll still charge.

Your case is somewhat disheartening, Frasman77, as that was clearly a case of accidental damage. Obviously if this was your second or third cycle-related claim they might well refuse you, but I can't see any reasonable explanation for their attitude.

Still, at least you got provided with a new handset regardless... it'd have been a different matter otherwise! Never had any problems, personally, but I've never had anything other than technical issues happen to my phones.

[Schockwave]

Well, that is strange, because when I had Orange care, I dropped my phone in the bath and got a replacement, no problems, and cannot remember having to pay anything towards it at all. This was nearly two years ago. I believe it was 31st December 2005, I am sure I got a replacement on 1st January 2004, should have come by 13.oo hours as I went out in the afternoon, but came in the evening instead!

[miffed]

I got my 9500 contacted to orange , Immedietely put my O2 sim into it and shelved the orange one
Then , about three weeks later I broke the front screen while out on the Piss
I rang orange and made up a cock and bull story to cover the fact that the phone and sim had not even been registered on their network (lol) - and that when I went to use it I realised the front LCD was broken
They told me that I was unable to claim as I could not tell them EXACTLY how the damage had occoured , but the guy at Orange hinted strongly that if I suddenly "remembered" what had happened to it they would be able to proccess the claim
Needless to say , I suddenly recalled my wife telling me she knocked it of the shelf , and all was good , replacement was there next day (as is usually the case with Orange Care )
Also , as I am a business customer , there is no excess - although for peasants , sorry, domestic users the excess is quite normal and has been around on care for a few years now

On the whole I think Orange Care is the best mobile insurance I have ever used

[crowfield99]

I bought my Orange Phone for £35 the Mot C975, not really a good idea paying £50 a year plus any admin fees. I dont take out insurance anymore, instead everytime you get a new phone, tv set etc etc put the money for the policy in a bank account and then when something goes. Just use the pot! Much cheaper that way.