Orange -- it's not just me, is it? What are your Orange experiences?

I’ve been thinking for a long time about signing up with Orange and getting an account with them. I have an account with each UK operator, with the exception or Orange and, as I’ve commented here before, I think it’s important to get an account to actually experience their service.

To date, apart from one or two brief experiences in the past, I’ve been living vicariously through the opinions and stories of others.

Every time I meet someone, I rarely part company with them without querying what kind of handset they’ve got and on which network operator. I know this might sound strange but it does give me phenomenally good feedback from everybody and anybody. I draw the line at asking folk at the checkout or anyone that I can’t have at least 5 minutes worth of conversation with. But taxi drivers, hairdressers… almost anyone I come into contact with, I ask them about their mobile phones.

Across the last year or so, I’ve noticed an increasing trend — dissatisfied Orange customers. Me? Well, the main thing I’m unsatisfied about is that they don’t seem to be focusing much at all on data (although, if you look hard enough, there is an ‘unlimited’ 250mb plan for 8 pounds — I think — per month), their handset range looks a little dated and you still need a passport and copious proof-of-address nonsense to sign-up for a contract account.

The dissatisfied customers typically report words to the effect of ‘Orange were great, but now…’ and then insert some type of complaint.

I’d like to discover the experiences of the SMS Text News audience. How are you getting on with Orange? I’d like to understand both the plusses and the minuses. If you’re an Orange customer (current or recent), and you’ve got a few minutes, please could you knock me over your experiences?

I’m ewan@smstextnews.com. We’ll get them published as soon as we can.