KnowJunkie.com

In a recent tussle between customers and mobile broadband service provider Orange, the latter was forced to revoke its proposed hike in charges for a number of services including out-of-bundle call rates and handsets enabled with data access.

The case goes against the belief that service providers can take advantage of customers signing a contract and can force them to agree to their unreasonable policies.

The hike in prices by Orange was so exorbitant that the customers started protesting against it on the ground that the hike was against the Terms and Conditions of the original contract signed by them. The customers also came to know that when the company itself was breaching the terms of contract, they could get out of the contract without any legal hassles. This was followed by introduction of a guide by website Bitter Wallet on how to get out of such contracts.

Orange started witnessing large scale revocation of contracts by its customers who could keep the basic low-priced handsets given to them under the terms of their original contracts. There was however an initial reluctance on the part of the company, but it had to give in before the mounting pressure of consumers pressure, and to avoid further exodus of their customers to broadband deals from the other internet service providers they decided to bring the prices back to normal.

This example of consumer power and combined struggle against a service provider could provide inspiration to customers who are often victimized by service providers on the basis of such contracts.