I was an Orange customer for approximately ten year, but that all changed when O2 won the contract to supply the iPhone to the UK market. At the time, I was reluctant to go, but I had to have the iPhone. That’s when my issues began.

Leaving Orange was a nightmare. They didn't cancel my contract when I had asked them to, they then proceeded to charge me and kept billing me. They didn't acknowledge the recorded delivery letter I sent to them, and after a long battle, and several hours on the phone to them, they finally credited my bill.

They left me with 1p outstanding on my bill. I was aiming to go into an Orange store to pay my 1p, but they rang me to collect payment, which I happily paid using my credit card. I did ask them if they really wanted to collect 1p, with a 20-30p charge on the transaction, but they wouldn't credit the 1p!

I will never go back to Orange, and after talking to a sales woman at phones4u, it sounds like they treat most of their customers like trash.

So I moved to O2. Mmmm, everything went well, with helpful staff and new iPhone. Then came the end of my contract. I love my iPhone, but I needed to reduce my contract, so I called in to the Lincoln branch of the O2 store to see about cancelling my current contract, with a view to getting a new contract on the Pre or an Android phone later in the month.

The lady in the store said she could help me out, by reducing the cost of my contract, by putting me onto a simplicity sim contract, which is a 30 day rolling contract with 600 minutes and 600 texts for £20/m. It also came with unlimited data and wifi, which for £20, is better than the original contract! The deal went through within the hour and all was well in the world.

I was checking my bill/contract online, when I noticed that I had been charged £2.85 for data, and that I only had unlimited wifi on my contract. Expecting the same treatment that I received at Orange, I braced myself for a battle, as I had a paper contract showing I was entitled to unlimited data.

The guy on the line listened to my plight then asked me to bear with him as he checked the details on my contract. He came back to me within 30 seconds, and said that he thought it was down to the system, as normally you can only get either FOC wifi or data, and I had been given both. He said he would credit the amount showing on the bill, so that would clear that, and he would get his manager to add the FOC data on, and it would become active within the next 24 hours.

I was left speechless and stunned. I expected a fight, and received really good service.

I have just learned that Orange may be getting the iPhone, and my suggestion to you, avoid Orange, and go with O2.

On a side note, I had to organise a new mobile phone contract for the company I work for, and guess what, yes, we left Orange for O2, and yes, they did try to bill us an extra month, and didn't cancel the contract when we asked them to. The business manager that I dealt with was very good, and did provide the best quote for the 20 mobiles I required.