When teenager Ben Fitchett, 14, killed himself his family were understandably devastated.
Now the family’s grief has turned to anger after Orange refused to cancel the dead boy’s BlackBerry smartphone contract.
Dad Peter, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester tried to cancel the contract after explaining the tragic circumstances of his son’s death but was amazed at the response he got from Orange which told him the contract could not be cancelled.
Peter was so angry that he posted the entire email exchange on his Facebook page.
He wrote to Orange:
“My 14 year old son has recently died, and we buried him this week. All of our family are on Orange. When we got his Blackberry for his birthday last year, we were advised by the Orange store to add him onto my account for payment as he was a minor.
“I wish to cancel his part of the contract due to his death, but upon trying to cancel the shop is now telling me it’s not possible and I am liable for the full term of the contract as it’s in my name.”
The email he got back said:
“Unfortunately, as the contract will be under your name and you are still able to pay for the agreement, it cannot be cancelled…
“Your best option, will be to find out if a friend or family member can take on the contract…so you are no longer liable for the cost.
“There is always the option of buying out of the agreement and whilst we can understand you may wish to keep your son’s phone, you could sell the handset, to offset the buy out fee.”
The furious father then replied to Orange and posted that email on Facebook too.
He wrote:
“My remaining family and I are already on Orange but will probably cease to be very shortly given the amount of compassion shown by your company. Likewise, do you really feel that friends would also want to take over the contract knowing the circumstances.
“I’m sure my 14 year old son wasn’t really thinking about the repercussions we would have having to deal with such a heartless moneygrabbing profiteering company as he threw himself off a motorway bridge to commit suicide. Maybe it is in good condition after such a fall, although I genuinely doubt it. Would you like to make me an offer?
Now allow me to make a polite suggestion. Instead of yourself, who is clearly at the lowest echelons of the Orange “tree”, trying to deal with this matter, I suggest that you ask a SENIOR manager to contact me.
“PS. Do I get a Customer Satisfaction Survey to fill in, please ??”
After the email exchange was made public Orange was swift to act and said in a statement: “We have been in contact with Mr Fitchett to offer out sincerest apologies for any distress caused and can confirm that we have fully resolved this matter with him. The company is reviewing the case.’
Picture: © Peter Fitchett/Facebook