3 Increase International Charges - Reason to terminate?

Mr_Zippy

diamonds wrote: »

in 3's defence it has the cheapest incoming calls in EU - 10p

Not any more as they will be 15p (50% increase).

Who cares if they are the cheapest, you agree to the rates when you sign up, if they change them to your detriment your contract says you can cancel.

diamonds

i agree but its personal choice, im in Europe several times a year as minimum & incoming is the cheapest way to communicate back home moreso on 3, I also roam on 3Ire, 3HK & 3AU and it costs me nothing

but if it effects YOU & your not happy then yes leave

3 over the last 18 months have changed their terms & conditions so many times they must have lost millions & thousands apon thousands customers,the CEO was drafted in from 3AU & he has lost a lot of customers, not gained/retained them

nickbo

I wrote an email to three and they just called me saying that because the contract i had with them concerned only the monthly line rental and number of free minutes and texts this is not detrimental to me. Bull. If the cost of calling abroad was not part of my agreement, surely I am not expect to give them money for calls I make abroad.

Not sure what next action will be, have asked for a written reply as to why I can't end my agreement... anybody else had any luck/similar story/know what to do next?

redux

3's outgoing tariff in Europe is 25p not 20p. It's a pity they think they need to put it up, but considering changes in the exchange rate perhaps not too surprising

Mr_Zippy

nickbo wrote: »

I wrote an email to three and they just called me saying that because the contract i had with them concerned only the monthly line rental and number of free minutes and texts this is not detrimental to me. Bull. If the cost of calling abroad was not part of my agreement, surely I am not expect to give them money for calls I make abroad.

Not sure what next action will be, have asked for a written reply as to why I can't end my agreement... anybody else had any luck/similar story/know what to do next?

I have written to them too, but I expect the same response as additional services are excluded from a reason to cancel - 4.1 (b) "relates solely to additional services".

Additional Services are defined as "additional or supplemental services for which a charge is made in additional to the fixed periodic charges for your Price Plan or Add-on(s) (if applicable)"

So it looks like unless they increase your actual price plan you are stuck with them....

I already have 3 appealing a decision by OTELO, and this has taken several months so far... When I finally end my contract with 3 I will never go near them again, no matter how cheap, and all my friends know not to go near 3.

diamonds

^ 3 is an awesome product, its just always been mis-managed because it drafts in other Hutchison Telecom staff to run it, it gets worse & worse

nickbo

Mr_Zippy wrote: »

I have written to them too, but I expect the same response as additional services are excluded from a reason to cancel - 4.1 (b) "relates solely to additional services".

Additional Services are defined as "additional or supplemental services for which a charge is made in additional to the fixed periodic charges for your Price Plan or Add-on(s) (if applicable)"

So it looks like unless they increase your actual price plan you are stuck with them....

I already have 3 appealing a decision by OTELO, and this has taken several months so far... When I finally end my contract with 3 I will never go near them again, no matter how cheap, and all my friends know not to go near 3.

Yeah I read than and thought if they could get out of it anywhere, it would probably be that. Problem is the person who rang me up to tell me knew absolutely nothing about anything, he'd clearly just been told to tell me I couldn't leave, so you can't even have a discussion to try to reason with them (which is likely what they want).

It's all very iffy anyway, they have to put the clause in about people being able to leave if they introduce a detrimental change because of a law (I assume, can't see them adding it just to be nice), therefore not sure they can just turn around and say this is excluded because it's an additional service...

Oh well, let's see if anybody else hears anything different.. oh and also remember not to sign up with them ever again!

mattbates

I've spoken to them at length now and similar to other's experiences it is hard work trying to have a reasonable discussion through their lack of knowledge (one operator hadn't even referred to the T&Cs!).

They flatly refuse to terminate the contract, claiming the international calls are an additional service and one that cannot be of detriment to me (how?!). Of course, nowhere in the T&Cs do they define 'detriment'.

However, if this clause is valid, it means they can raise the rates on any call rates or add-ons outside the price plan. This is completely unfair and I cannot believe this practice can be allowed, otherwise it allows mobile operators to 'steathily' increase rates (as 3 are quite clearly doing now). I wonder how many customers have actually reviewed the new rates?

treb1971

How can using the phone to call or contact someone be 'an additional service'? What did we sign contracts for, if not to call people or text them?
I shall be leaving Three in August unless they have the Omnia at that time.

mattbates

To those that are affected, can I ask how you'll be proceeding given the 'variation' takes effect tomorrow? I'm aware that any continued use of 3 Services constitutes an acceptance of the changes, which of course I'm not happy to do. Switch the phone off and set up a contract elsewhere? If OTELO / OFCOM take their time - as I expect - then I could be requiring a contract for several months elsewhere!