I had a contract with Orange and smashed the screen on a field trip, the mobile was insured, but I started a new contract for the upgrade and gave my father the replacement. The old contract hasn't been used since (~15 months ago) and I cancelled the direct debit to Orange after the 18 month period had expired.

Orange are now threatening to sue my girlfriend (she bought the original phone as a birthday present so it has been under her name) for bills totalling £138 even though the contract has long since expired. We are both on Orange so there must be some leverage with threatening to leave, but surely they can't continue to bill someone outside the time period of the contract...?

iceteria:

This will seem harsh but your contract hasn't expired, only the minimum term has expired.

Your agreement says something like this....

what happens when the minimum term ends

2.2 After the Minimum Term ends, we will continue to supply you with Services as normal until your Contract is terminated in any of the ways described in Section 4.

Sh*t way to treat a customer but that's business for you. I hope you find you do have some leverage.

if you didnt put in your disconnection request of 30 days notice to cancel, you will still be billed until you do. a contract doesnt just end on the date, it can role over month to month until your ready to upgrade. it works the same way with orange, they wouldnt just suddenly cut off your phone at the end of your contract, they provide a service until the 30 days notice is received

not a sh*t way to treat customers, surely logic would say that if you dont want something you have to cancel it. if this is too hard, then theres pay as you go. that way if you dont want to use it dont put money on it as opposed to stop paying bills.

flying-pig:

But this is a consumer forum, not an industry/trade apologist forum.

My comment considered the whole of the OPs post, particularly the word "sue". Personally I understand about small print (including the difference between 4.3 and 4.3.1 which can't reasonably be answered without details of the change which I'm not party to).

I agree I don't expect my phone to stop working automatically after the minimum term but the OPs case concerned (I assume) a case where the Direct Debit had been cancelled and no further use was being made of the number. Where is the evidence of "customer service" proactively exploring that and finding out what further service Orange could be to the customer?