Three Itemised Billing Charges (merged threads)

NetV

This week 3 UK announced to it's UK customers that within the next 30 days they intended to start billing customers for the whole minute on the first minute of any call, whereas previously this was billed per second.

DO THE MATHS, if you are on a contact that gives 500 free minutes it will no longer be true, should you make any calls less than 1 minute.

Now the best bit - because this change is detrimental to you as the customer you can cancel the agreement with 3 UK with no early settlement charges.

Here is the section on the 3 UK T & C's which show this.

10. Ending this agreement and Disconnection of 3 Services
Pay Monthly Customers
10.1 You may end this agreement in the following ways:
d. Within one month of a detrimental variation to your agreement. You can end the agreement within one month of us telling you about a variation to your agreement (which includes your Price Plan) which is likely to be of detriment to you. You must give written notice to 3 Customer Services within that month and your agreement will finish at the end of that month once we receive your notice. (A Cancellation Fee will not be charged.)

I did this by email yesterday giving 1 months notice. Today I was contacted by 3 UK. I was given every incentive possible to keep me by a person at 3 who was not the 'normal' customer services type person. I had until Jan 2010 to run on my contract.

They eventually they gave up and agreed to cancel my contract with no cancellation fee- They even said I could keep the phone (Nokia N95 8GB). They did try to say there would be an early cancellation fee until I pointed out their own T & C's (above).

I urge anyone who is dissatisfied by 3 UK's customer service to use this loop hole to get out of their contract or at least get even better value for money. In my case they offered to add 50% to my call plan & add x-series Gold for no further cost to keep me.

Good luck!

sampbar

Is there a link to this announcement by three? Would be helpful to read for myself. Thanks!

Joyful

I read this as being applied to any call after your inclusive minutes. They also said if you get a paper bill there will be a £1charge shortly unless you either do it through your phone or online. Must go and action that now.

studio500

I had the exact same letter and have sent 3 my notice of cancellation for myself and my neighbour too.:beer: So no more chronic reception issues for me Yaaaaayyyyyy.

Marc

Beetrooper

I think that you have read this wrong, in the letter I received it states 'ANY call lasting 59 secs or less (inc voicemail) will be rounded up to a minute. After a minute you will be charged for each second'.
so if you make 200 20 second calls and have a 200 free minute plan than you have used ALL your minutes whereas before these would not have cost you anything.

With regards to the charge for a paper bill they are infact making you pay for something that you already receive in you present contract!!

sampbar

is this applicable for a 300 mix and match plan started october 07? I haven't received a letter yet! Might come in the post tomorrow?

silentalibi

There's already a big thread on this, but you can only cancel using the minutes one, not the billing one as i have found out. the billing they claim is not part of your t&c therefore they're not changing it, it was merely a free thing they gave us and if we choose to keep having it they will charge £1, but apparently its not mentioned in the contract t&c so no luck with that one

unless you get a letter about the minutes then you're stuffed : (

amz84uk

All, I had a call from 3 today and they've gone back on their word saying that I cannot cancel because of the change in t&c's - even though on Tuesday, I was told that my cancellation request had gone through and that my contract would terminate on 12 Sept.

Argued with them but they said that I need to pay the Early Termination Fee, so in return I said that I have bought out a contract with Orange under the assumption that this contract will terminate, so expect 3 to pick up the charges. They had the cheek to say that I should cancel with Orange as I have 14 day cancellation period, but I said that Orange are asking for £65 if I return the phone because I've made calls using it (3 charge a fee if you've made a call even if you are within the 14 days).

I threatened the guy that I will claim £600 minimum from them and made him write it on the notes. Considering on putting through a MCOL claim, but before that, will put it in writing to them confirming breach of contract stating their T&C's.

eddieh_2

I wouldn't want to be on the customer services on the next few days if this turns out to work.

Anyway - there is a thread already on this.. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1031365

brett_2

I got told its not my tarriff and its mainly mix n match