3 want ME back!

rabialiones

just received some mail from 3, trying to woo me back with following deals:-
700 video talk and text
3 months half price rental- 12 month contract
6 months half price rental- 18 month
£75 credit to my account at end of second monthly billing cycle
£5 free downloads every month
btw almost forgot - free Nokia 6280 or lgu880
tempted, but would prefer to go for free line rental deals.
or does this seem a good offer? your views please!

dave49

Are you sur it is 3 themselves. There are loads of scumbags constantly phoning me with deals claiming they are from 3. When pressed they admit they are 'authorised' dealers. Beware.

Anon

What you have been offered is available to anyone on the high street (nothing personal, not trying to burst your bubble!). There are much better offers out there on the high street and even better online - some of the other threads are discussing this at the moment. Three apparently make your details available to their dealer network and as a result, you get pestered by companies like this (I have had them claiming to be from Three or Orange previously but I have no time for them and say I am registered with TPS and ask where they got my number - invariably they hang up).

Anon

redux

I had one ringing me asking if 3 had been in contact about a renewal offer. I don't think 3 give them the details as Anon suggested; maybe there are records elsewhere that the numbers were released to use about a year ago.

I realised he knew nothing at all about my account so told him to get lost, then decided to call back and ask a manager to delete me from their records......... "Welcome to the Virgin mobile answering service" - that's a very impressive call centre they've got, I thought.

mike_paterson

There are much better deals to be had.

There are some websites that list the best deals currently around - search on google for cashback mobile deals or something similar.
Remember that when you find a deal that you like, you can usually save even more money by buying them through the likes of quidco, ipoints, rpoints etc.

rabialiones

thanks for all replies and advice.
i actually received details thru post this am and assume they must be from3. my contract with them ended in november.

Amba_Gambla

I've just renewed my 3 contract and got 9 mo 1/2 price, t&t 700, free 6280, £5 free content, & £17.50 one off credit to the account on a 12mo contract...

Anon

CPW offer 6 months half price on a 12 month contract/18 month half price on 18 month contract (on their home page) which illustrates that there are better deals out there even with the established companies than stated in the original message.

I would suggest pushing for more discount or go somewhere else.

Anon

blue_monkey_2

Beware, it is not 3 offering you these services. I have spoken to 3 before and they told me that they do not offer the disocunted packages - the telpehone companies do themselves. Be careful who you sign up with - avoid Tulip (who told me they were ringing on behalf of 3) because I have not got anything yet.

mike_paterson

blue_monkey wrote:

Beware, it is not 3 offering you these services. I have spoken to 3 before and they told me that they do not offer the disocunted packages - the telpehone companies do themselves. Be careful who you sign up with - avoid Tulip (who told me they were ringing on behalf of 3) because I have not got anything yet.

This is absolutely true - the same goes for Redcube mobile Linited, though you will not know it is them that have called you as they maintain throughout that they are 3. They are generally calling fom India (like 3) and use ridiculous monikers like Steve Jones and Dave Willis in an attempt to sound as if they are in the UK. I complained to 3 about them, but 3 don't give a damn that these companies are passing themselves off as 3. I personally reckon that 3 are in on it and help these companies out so that they can get some more customers. Red Cube blatantly lied to me on the phone. I asked very specific questions and they lied. I managed to get my money back this way as the sales calls from India were recorded.

It does not stop there - once you have been a customer for a while (I eventually signed up through OSPS) they then start calling you saying that they are from 3 and offering you another line at a discounted cost (though not as good as you could get elsewhere). They know information about you - name - phone number - address and also they know that you are up to date with your 3 payments, so they are getting this from somewhere - smacks of illegal breaches of data protection to me though I'll warrant that 3 have some small print that allows them to disclose business information to 'partner companies'.

All things said and done 3 seem to operate in a fairly shoddy manner using any tactic to get sales. The service is OK and is cheap so if that is what you need, then I'd recommend them, but do buy from a well-known UK outlet and never ever buy from a cold call !

blueghost

the easiest way to know it is 3 is to phone 3 yourself direct