[rncd2010]

I am an Orange UK PAYG Customer and pay £5 a month for the Blackberry Internet Service. Despite this, when I access the Internet on my Blackberry (except via Wi-Fi) I am being charged for data. Repeated phone calls to their Customer Services Team either tell me that the problem is solved or that I should access the Internet first via either the Orange Home Page or the Blackberry Home Page. Neither solves the problem.

Most recently, I was told authoritatively by the Blackberry Team at Orange that I should go via Orange World to the Orange Home Page and then my Blackberry would 'know' not to incur a charge. I have since discovered that having done this, I have been charged £2 each day for my first visit to Orange World and then the rest of the data that day has been free!

I really don't know what to try next - and help or advice much appreciated?

[MidnightDraven]

Try changing the APN setting to blackberry.net.
BIS should use blackberry.net regardless of the APN set; but it appears not to be.
Changing this might force it to use BIS and not incur charges.

[aiharkness]

Wirelessly posted

What about clearing the APN settings for now, as a test?

Yeah, some apps may need TCP/IP, but if that incurs unwanted charges, then there's a choice to be made about whether the app is really necessary or not. But BIS will still work.

[the-economist]

BIS on Orange PAYG covers transport ONLY over BIS. WAP access is charged per kb (that's the reason you had a couple of quid charges per day, it's the daily cap)

Direct tcp is also charged. Any applications you may have installed that drop transport outside BIS would ALSO incur charges.

One solution may be to go to your Service Books in Advanced Options and delete the WAP BrowserConfig and WAP Transport service books. That way you wont be able to drop transport to wap. When you reboot you'll get them pushed to your handset again so that's not a permanent solution.

You also need to make sure the default browser is set to Internet Browser. If the default is listed as Orange World ALL your traffic goes over the wap access point of Orange and WILL incur per kb (daily cap) charges.

Blackberry service on PAYG is a royal pain and i would advice you get a cheap contract with inclusive internet access and then add BIS service as a bundle on top of it. That way you wont get charged extra whatever method you use to access data.

[the-economist]

Wirelessly posted

Seems we need some more spam police around, or a good therapist.

[dc/dc]

Originally Posted by the-economist

Wirelessly posted

Seems we need some more spam police around, or a good therapist.

I reported this guy yesterday, but they haven't gotten to him yet.

[Noodle22]

I reported him days ago. Spam on our forums makes me sad.

[rambo47]

It makes me want to send my Brighton Beach pals over to the spammer's house to "discuss" things with him.

[johnnycab]

I am in the same situation as the OP and pay £5/mth for BIS and still getting charged intermittently for using the Browser and was recently also charged £2 for using BB App World - which has not happened before! I also get charged around 2p a pop randomly, just for firing up the Browser - the settings are as per some of the posts here and reported elsewhere on the net - NO Orange World! But, I have not yet tried to get rid of the WAP based service books yet. The other apps like Google Maps or Twitter/Ubertwitter etc. seem to be fine and don't incur any charges and the mail works ok, albeit a bit slow.

I have had numerous explanations and all of them contradictory from the numpties in the CC and Blackberry team and still none the wiser - they say that all my settings seem to be correct. However, it would seem that the service drops to the WAP transport, when it sees that I have enough credit in my account and wants to pay for the incompetent arseholes who work for Orange and think I am a lemon. I will eventually leave Orange and probably never return to them, due to this sour experience. Although I like my Blackberry a lot and also have a brand new boxed 9700 staring at me for a while. I am considering taking a leap and going towards an iphone/Android device instead, with a different carrier.

I crossed over to Orange PAYG about 2 months ago after being on O2/Cellnet for nearly 15yrs. However, before I ported my number, I tested the Orange service with a temporary number (with only £1.50 credit) for a month and giving them the £5 for BIS and it worked flawlessly. Although, I am one of the lucky ones without a contract and not getting shafted every day for 18-24 months. I am seriously considering taking this matter to the regulators, as I have spent more money and time calling CS than using my BB - just to see what they are going to do, as this seems like a blatant fraud.

Any thoughts or views are most welcome...

[the-economist]

Get a cheap contract and add BB service over it. Another alternative would be to stay on PAYG and just add the monthly "Internet" bundle so any net traffic that drops transport outside BIS would be inclusive. It would add another fiver to your bill.

I understand that you shouldn't be forced to commit to a contracted agreement or pay more money just because they're incapable to manage efficiently the pre-paid service they offer but that's the reality of it.

It reaches a point that you need to decide if your time could be used to produce something more constructive than calling every other day the support line and trying to explain to someone in far asian lands that a couple of pence charges here and a few there shouldn't be on your bill. And in the case of Orange(UK) being charged 20p a pop for the privilege.

Doesn't worth the hassle imho.

[johnnycab]

Originally Posted by the-economist

Get a cheap contract and add BB service over it. Another alternative would be to stay on PAYG and just add the monthly "Internet" bundle so any net traffic that drops transport outside BIS would be inclusive. It would add another fiver to your bill.

I understand that you shouldn't be forced to commit to a contracted agreement or pay more money just because they're incapable to manage efficiently the pre-paid service they offer but that's the reality of it.

It reaches a point that you need to decide if your time could be used to produce something more constructive than calling every other day the support line and trying to explain to someone in far asian lands that a couple of pence charges here and a few there shouldn't be on your bill. And in the case of Orange(UK) being charged 20p a pop for the privilege.

Doesn't worth the hassle imho.

yep agreed, it is not worth the hassle.

I am looking at other minimum contract deals with BIS services built-in or bolted on at the moment; but had to go with Orange because it was the only network with a signal inside the building I am working in.

As an explanation for pursuing this matter: Since I have decided to join this network on PAYG with an aim to go on some kind of minimum contract; having a few quid going missing every now and then is insignificant compared to the fixed amount I would have paid on 18/24mth contract and not using the full service. So, I have tried to justify this as normal problems due to the level of incompetence that exists inside this particular carrier's hierarchy. I believe that I will still have to deal with similar problems, when going elsewhere - just hoping that these idiots will see sense in holding on to another mug who will pay them good money for a small, but decent service; asking for a lot I think.

Yes it is not conducive to call these people every other week, let alone every other day for a service that you have paid for. But, I hoped that eventually someone will sort it out, so I don't get whacked for £2/day charge every time a link in my email gets downloaded! I wish that I could have that kind of luxury in my job and have an easy life for a change i.e. not doing a lot with minimal experience and calling myself a ****ing expert! Anyways I am just venting my spleen and even huge telco's cannot act like they are gods anymore, unless you got me on a contract.

[Red-Beret]

I've never been charged for my BIS plan...

I got an 8700 about 18 months ago, and got an Orange PAYG SIM on Camel (for the international deal)

I called Orange to activate the BIS service (£5 deducted from my credit each month) They activated BIS, waited 24hours and still got the 'gprs' telling me it wasn't working.

Called Orange back and they re-applied the service. They did this a couple of times before i spoke to someone higher up who told me my PIN had to be released from O2. (phone was given to me)

Called O2 and they released the PIN for me. Called Orange back up and they once again applied the BIS... after a week or two i noticed i was being charged for using the browser and a few apps so i called Orange again, they said they didn't understand why this was happening and told me to check my TCP settings etc..... to cut a long story short it took me many phone calls and searching to find how to disable the orangeworld settings and just use the blackberry browser itself.

Everything working perfect by this time..

First month comes and Orange didn't take the £5 for that month. Nothing the next month, and the month after.... basically for the past 18 months, the £5 for the BIS has NEVER been taken from any calling credit i've put on my PAYG blackberry.

I'm definitely not complaining.... but do Orange UK have some kind of deal, if you top up £30 per month or more the BIS is free on PAYG?

Also....

I've ordered a Bold 9000 online which should be with me this week (not from Orange) how do i go about switching phone. Swap the SIM yes, but do i need to deactivate the PIN in my current phone, or can Orange just transfer my number/details/BIS service straight over if i give them the PIN to my new phone?

I'm actually worried that when i call them to transfer my number, they will spot the mistake they made with my seemingly 'free' BIS and backdate the charges (£90 worth) LOL

[the-economist]

Originally Posted by Red-Beret

I've never been charged for my BIS plan...
basically for the past 18 months, the £5 for the BIS has NEVER been taken from any calling credit i've put on my PAYG blackberry.

Call Orange and inform them that there is an error to your billing and charges for the services you subscribe to are not applied correctly.

how do i go about switching phone. Swap the SIM yes, but do i need to deactivate the PIN in my current phone, or can Orange just transfer my number/details/BIS service straight over if i give them the PIN to my new phone?

No need to give them anything. When your handset arrives login to your BIS account and use the Change Device tab. Pop the old sim to the new handset. Enter new imei and PIN online and you'll receive your service books to the new BB.