Orange's £12 broadband switch fee

By MARK PRIGG
Updated:

 

Orange is set to impose a £12 charge on some customers wanting to change their broadband supplier.

The move is set to enrage customers and trigger a battle with regulator Ofcom, which recently launched an investigation over claims suppliers were making life difficult for people wanting to end their contract.

The French telecoms group is set to introduce the charge to those who make a repeat request for a so-called mac code needed to change suppliers.

The company has also announced it is to introduce for the first time a £5 charge for broadband customers who do not pay their bill on time.

The group, which has 1m broadband customers, claims the £12 charge will only be imposed on customers who repeatedly request the code.

The first application for a mac (migration authorisation code), will continue to be free. The new charge is targeted at those who receive a code but allow the 30-day usage period to elapse, then request a new one.

A spokesman said: 'Each time we have to generate a code it costs us.'

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