If you use "3 like home" read this- possible reason to cancel??

FF99

Please excuse me not reading all 14 pages through from the beginning. I have a 2008 contract which still has 6 months to run. Can I cancel over the phone or do I have to write ?

Can I email and if so, what is the address ?

I am in the odd position of having a bust 3 phone and having now lost my SIM card in the messing around trying to ifnd another phone to put it into. All very unsatisfactory !

equesta

Newbie poster but long time lurker, this thread is getting quite long but full of very useful information sprinkled throughout. We started our contract in March '09 and successfully PAC'ed out and unlocked the phone from the 3 network.

After successfully ending my contract and unlocking my phone from Three based on the useful information here, I thought I'd summarise what everyone is saying and add my own experience on what you are able to do and what your rights are, hopefully to help those in a similar situation. Milage will vary, but persistance and knowledge will definitely work in your favour. I would like to prefix this with that fact that I don't want this to be used as an excuse for troublemakers simply wanting up upgrade their phones, etc, but rather a fair course of action for people (like us) who will be genuinely disadvantaged by this.

Apologies for the lengthy post, but a lot of this is needed to get through Three's attempts to keep/threaten you to stay.

Background
From 30th June, Three UK are ending their "Like Home" service, which enables you to use your minutes and data overseas in several Three sister countries without paying roaming charges. They are spinning this as something along the lines of "bringing things in line with EU roaming charges" but this is bovine excrement because this has also affected countries such as Hong Kong and Australia (which I frequently travel to). From what I understand, the "Like Home" (very quietly) became a "Promotion" from around 9th April, which entitles them to withdraw this "Promotion" at any time according to their Ts and Cs. But before April, there was no wording saying anything to that effect and generally considered to be part of the general service (like included minutes & texts).

Three sent out a text linking to a mobile web page (Unfortunately I can't post links as I'm a newbie, but look for previous posts from drbob, pg 3-4). Some people are reporting receiving different versions of this and some (like myself) didn't get it at all. But the key wording is "...because of the 3 Like Home change, it's only fair that we point out your right to end your contract with us, without paying an early cancellation fee...". It doesn't seem to matter what version of this notice you get on how you can cancel.

Am I eligible?
If you took out a contract before around 9th April (before "Like Home" became a "Promotion"), and you have or are likely to travel to a 3 Like Home country then you have a good case for cancellation. The key point is in the "Ts and Cs", clause 10.1d where you can cancel your contract without cancellation fee if "the change is likely to be of detriment to you". So in my case, when roaming in Australia where I would have paid £0 under "Like Home" and from June 30 (when I'm there!) I have to pay £1.40/min - this is a serious detriment to me under clause 10.1d.

Note the future tense "likely to be" and not "likely based on previous usage" - so you don't necessarily had to have travelled, only if you genuinely intend to travel soon (like in the case of us).

How to cancel
Advice: Be persistent, persistent, persisitent, and arm yourself with the Ts and Cs which came with your SIM pack, the alert/notice above and the knowledge on how to use it. And be prepared to be on hold for a while and be told a lot of spin.

Call Three customer services (you shouldn't need to write to them, though this may change) saying you received an notice which linked to Three's website saying that "Like Home" is ending and that it says you have a right to end your contract with them, and you wish to exercise that right. Some people are saying that CS are telling them that they never received such thing or that it was never sent to them specifically. This is not relevant (we weren't sent anything) and according to their Ts and Cs, anything on "Three's website" (whch the above link is) is classed as a "notice" (under Clause 14.1). Other things they will spin/threaten you with that have been reported here:

• "It's a promotion which can be withdrawn at any time" - This was never a promotion before 9/4 and no where did they identify it to be (challenge them to produce the documentation dated prior to 9/4 if they persist)
• "You've never travelled overseas/switched on roaming before/used "like home" service before" - This is irrelevant. As long as you are planning to travel (or say you are). In my case we're off to Australia in July and I visit Australia and Hong Kong regularly, and as mentioned before it only needs to "likely to be a detriment" to you.

Here you may be passed around a few times and be asked to go through the same points over again. Persist and keep on saying that the change will be a detriment to you under 10.1d of the Ts and Cs and you received the notice (above) which allows you to cancel (ie they admit it's a detriment). After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing they will start to budge and offer you something like a one-off £20 credit. Say "No" and repeat the above. You would eventually be passed to the "Customer Options" team. Expect to be on hold for another 15-30 mins.

Once through to the "Customer Options" team, you may need to explain the situation again, and possibly go through several rounds again as above. Again, persistence and re-quoting the notice, Ts and Cs, and the fact that you're travelling. Some people were threatened by the Early Termination Charge, but this is just a scare to keep you. Again repeat and repeat your points (adding that you're *not* subject to the ETC under the clause). Again they may throw in the one-off credit, but reject that.

Eventually, they'll give you the options of:

• PAC code, contract cancelled with 30 days, no Early Termination Charge (Best situation!). Get them to read the PAC code out to you, rather than wait for a txt (which can take up to 4 days)
• Reduced monthly fee on your contract (some are reporting £8/month on a Nokia E71)
• Switch over to PAYG

Make sure you get their name, and record what time you called.

Hang up. Breathe.

Tip: Make sure you call well before 8pm. The "Customer options" team closes at 8, but they don't tell you that they're closed - you just stay on hold!

Asking for the phone back
Some are reporting here that Three is asking for phones to be returned, and some have received pre-paid bags for the phones to be returned. There is nothing in the Ts and Cs (either in the fine print, price guide, etc) that say anything along "the handset remains the property of three" or "cost for handset is due if the contract is terminated early". If they threaten you with this, ask them to show you the clause in the fine print where you need to send the phone back (they won't, as reported here). The store marketing always promote a "Free" (ie £0) handset on condition you take out a nice expensive contract, with the assumption that they would recoup the cost of the handset through the monthly contract. It is not a hire/purchase agreement.

People (ie CS) may confuse this with the SIM, which is indeed the property of Three. By all means, send that back if you want!

Unlocking your phone
Finally, you may want to unlock your phone to use on other networks. Again call Three CS saying you've received your PAC code to leave (or stay on from the initial call if you're in the mood!), and you'd like to get the phone unlock code. You will be transfered to the "Unlock team". When you get through, repeat you've got a PAC code and want to unlock the phone. All things going well, you will need to pay ~£15 "Unlock Admin Fee" (standard price really), and they will give you instructions on how to unlock the phone (depending on your handset). Sometimes (like in one of our handsets) they may need to ask the manufacturer for it which could take up to 15 working days. It's a bit rubbish, but I believe worth the wait and there's nothing anyone can do really - make sure you stay on it though.

If your phone is less than 12 months old, you may also be subject to an additional "Unlock Fee" which is equivalent to your monthly charges remaining on your first 12 months of your contract. This is fair and stated in your "Price Guide", neatly buried in Three's site:

(Again, can't post links but search "Three Important Documents" - fine-print city!)

However, if you have PAC'ed out, then the contract no longer applies and you should be able to unlock for only the £15 fee (as you're no longer under the "minimum term" of your contract).

Hope this helps, let me know if others have any handy tips and will add here.

Good luck, and power to the people!

Dan

Adamthwaite

balt wrote: »

Adamthwaite, Does that mean if you buy a payg sim abroad, you can top here and still get cheap calls? I was thinking of getting one in Hong Kong for example.

I’m not too sure of the 3LH service in Hong Kong, but I am seriously looking at getting a 3 Contract in Denmark and using this on my current handset as I would be better off when roaming, and over there contracts are all 6 or 12 month in length.

Well after one and a half hours of standing my ground and refusing the £5.00 then £10.00 monthly loyalty bonus (was holding out for £15) I have managed to get my account switched to PAYG in 30 days, and my handset unlocked. The guy then said that 3 had waived the £200 odd quid termination fee as it was their fault I was leaving, but he did also mention that they are possibly looking at back tracking on the 3LH withdrawal and to keep an eye on their web site. So I said maybe I will be a contract customer again some day, all in all the 3 product for me was a great money saver when in Denmark and Sweden but their customer services are just terrible, I hate Indian call centres at the best of times.

You just need to stand your ground with them and keep telling them that their change in the contract is detrimental to yourself and you legally have the right to cancel within 30 days of notification as they may well try and get you to phone back once the 3LH service is withdrawn on the 30th June, be wary of this as it would put you outside the 30 day cancellation period.

mishkanorman

when people are being offered the loyalty bonus/monthly discount is this with the condition that the contract is re-newed ?


mishka

equesta

Adamthwaite wrote: »

(snip...)... but he did also mention that they are possibly looking at back tracking on the 3LH withdrawal and to keep an eye on their web site. (...snip)

That's very interesting indeed. I wonder how many people have left because of this (it must cost them at least around £150+ in lost contracts and handsets average each time), if it's hurting them to consider a U-turn.

Personally I don't have any major beefs with Three. I've come into it knowing the bad customer services, but wasn't as bad as I thought if you know how to play the game. The Like Home deal is sweet though, especially if you travel a lot to the Like Home countries (been stung with a £500+ T-mobile roaming bill, but expected this...). So I may return to Three if they bring it back (but now on a 30-day SIM-only deal - Win!)

c-m

Cancelled today within 30minutes. I was firm and polite but didn't take any bull. Had my PAC sent to me within 15mins of the call ending.

majoringram

danny2324 wrote: »

has anybody had any decent retention deal?

A "special team" from Three phoned me and after a bit of negotiation, I managed to get:

For £9.79 per month (for life!)

750 mins
150 texts (not so great but im a talker not a texter)
£20 account credit (so 2 months free line rental essentially)
50 video minutes
£5 of downloads from the 3 site
A sony ericsson G502

Not too shabby, for the same money they also offered 1000 texts and 300 mins but i went with the above.

I've started a thread on HUKD but can't post links due to first post!

majoringram

:money:

Adamthwaite

mishkanorman wrote: »

when people are being offered the loyalty bonus/monthly discount is this with the condition that the contract is re-newed ?


mishka

The discount I was offered was for the life of the contract, even if I were to upgrade the discount would still apply on any plan of my choice as long as I stayed a customer, hence the reason i was holding out for a £15 discount.

andrewmp

I'd much rather get a discount than actually cancel (I only pay £12 per month anway (300 mins deal) and only 6 months to go). Is there any special way to get the sort of deal mentioned above?

diamonds

I was asked on my mates other 2 contracts not to cancel and give 30 days notice on 31/5 as to use 3LH before 30/6 ( they are ) & this is because 3 are looking into a similar replacement service for 3LH, or an amended service. The Exec Office was very non comment on it. If it comes out before 30/6 and is suitable for either or both accounts 30 day notice just takes a call to cancel. Which makes much goodness as mate will just order another 3 deal & have sim shipped to him if amended 3LH is anygood