Anyone else having mobile phone probs?

[sair5412]

I am currently "trapped" in a contract with a certain mobile phone company bearing the same name as a popular fruit. I have always been with this company since my first mobile phone in 1997. Now, I am experiencing very patchy signal, going from full bars to none in the space of meters. When I do get a signal I can NEVER finish a conversation as after about 3/4 minutes the phone goes silent, although the seconds are still ticking by as if the conversation is continuing. This is infuriating as the other person doesn't know you cannot hear them!! Sometimes, it comes back on but the majority of the time it cuts out all together or you have to hang up to save yourself paying to listen to silence. This is not a problem with my handset as I have spoken to 6/7 other people all with different handsets who describe exactly the same symptoms. I have called the company (on the house phone as the mobile wouldn't work long enough to keep me in the queue) and they said that as I had signed up for 18 month contract I cannot leave of change my tarriff until August 2007!!!! They also said to me that they have had no other reports of problems in my area, yet talking about it at a barbeque on Sunday, 3 people butted in the conversation and said they had been on to the company that week and they had been told the same!! I am furious that they refuse to do anything! My bills are evidence of the fact that I simply cannot use my mobile anymore as they have gone from over �100 per month to just �30 this month. (inc line rental, the total call charges were 32p) I am aware that I am not the only one with this problem in my area, but what can we do? I simply don't want to pay �30 a month line rental inc 200 free mins, if I can't get a signal strong enough to make the bl**dy calls! They said I could buy my way out for �350! Thanks! Any advice on where I stand and what I can do? I am refusing to pay June & July's bill until they do something to help me.

[LeMarchand]

I unlocked my old phone and stuck a free Orange SIM in it - the missus has it now, and has had no prolems. Southampton area.

[camioneur]

me and my mate have about 30 business phones on orange, and we have no problems that we didn't experience with O2 or T Mobile before we swapped. Same dead spots but overall a great sevice, I guess your problem must be parculiar to your area. If you don't keep a signal long enough to make a call, then Orange are in breach of contract anyway so you're noy obliged to pay anyway whatever they say. By the way, our no prob Orange area is North Lincs.