We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
3 (UK) Nightmare
Options
Hi
I was planning to go to Ireland for summer holidays but found out that 3 had discontinued 'Three Like Home' service whereby I was entitled to use my free minutes from any country with Huthinson 3 network. This was a clear breach of my contract as I was given this service when I started my contract with 3. I asked them to terminate my contract on this technicality. My contract was running out in July any way. First they tried to brow-beat me out of this but when I persisted they started making all kinds of offers. I needed a phone for my wife but wanted to keep my number so agreed to conitnuing using them for £8.50 a month on the condition that they woul send me the PUK Code for my 3 years old number and give me a new number for the new upgrade/contract. They sent me a rubbish Sony-Ericsson set against my repeated requests to the contrary. When I phoned them for the PUK Code after a couple of days, they said that I had started a new contract upgrading my old deal and I would have to wait 18 months to get a PUK Code. I said that I wanted to exercise my right to cancel the contract within first 14 days. They asked me how I felt about the handset they had sent me. I said I didn't like it (I never use anything made by Sony). They asked me if I had tried it and I said yes I had switched it on but I didn't like it after setting up date and time so put it back in the box. They said that I had "personalised" the handset by changing date and time. I was gobsmacked. They said that they would take the handset back but if it was personalised they would debit £105 from my account. Next day they sent me a pre-paid envelope for the phone, I sent it back right away. When I phoned them again for the PUK Code, they said that I had personalised their phone by changing time and date therefore the contract could not be ended before 18 months. I asked them to give it to me in writing but never received anything. I sent them a very angry letter demanding an explaination of how the phone had been 'personalised' by just adjusting time and date because these settings could easily be reversed. I also asked them why I was promised that I could ask for a new number for my new 3 upgrade and a PUK Code after three days of agreeing to that deal. I told them that if I did not hear from them by the end of the last week, I'd cancel my direct debit and contact Offcom.
As expected, I never heard from them. Now I have cancelled my direct debit as I do not want them to debit £105 from my account. I am worried about the next step though. How should I make a complaint about this. Please help me as this thing is getting on my nerves. They promised me a PUK Code after a few days so I went ahead and got myself an iPhone from O2. Now I am stuck with a very expensive phone and I can't use my old number on it. Please guide me from here on.
Thanks in advance.
RRS
I was planning to go to Ireland for summer holidays but found out that 3 had discontinued 'Three Like Home' service whereby I was entitled to use my free minutes from any country with Huthinson 3 network. This was a clear breach of my contract as I was given this service when I started my contract with 3. I asked them to terminate my contract on this technicality. My contract was running out in July any way. First they tried to brow-beat me out of this but when I persisted they started making all kinds of offers. I needed a phone for my wife but wanted to keep my number so agreed to conitnuing using them for £8.50 a month on the condition that they woul send me the PUK Code for my 3 years old number and give me a new number for the new upgrade/contract. They sent me a rubbish Sony-Ericsson set against my repeated requests to the contrary. When I phoned them for the PUK Code after a couple of days, they said that I had started a new contract upgrading my old deal and I would have to wait 18 months to get a PUK Code. I said that I wanted to exercise my right to cancel the contract within first 14 days. They asked me how I felt about the handset they had sent me. I said I didn't like it (I never use anything made by Sony). They asked me if I had tried it and I said yes I had switched it on but I didn't like it after setting up date and time so put it back in the box. They said that I had "personalised" the handset by changing date and time. I was gobsmacked. They said that they would take the handset back but if it was personalised they would debit £105 from my account. Next day they sent me a pre-paid envelope for the phone, I sent it back right away. When I phoned them again for the PUK Code, they said that I had personalised their phone by changing time and date therefore the contract could not be ended before 18 months. I asked them to give it to me in writing but never received anything. I sent them a very angry letter demanding an explaination of how the phone had been 'personalised' by just adjusting time and date because these settings could easily be reversed. I also asked them why I was promised that I could ask for a new number for my new 3 upgrade and a PUK Code after three days of agreeing to that deal. I told them that if I did not hear from them by the end of the last week, I'd cancel my direct debit and contact Offcom.
As expected, I never heard from them. Now I have cancelled my direct debit as I do not want them to debit £105 from my account. I am worried about the next step though. How should I make a complaint about this. Please help me as this thing is getting on my nerves. They promised me a PUK Code after a few days so I went ahead and got myself an iPhone from O2. Now I am stuck with a very expensive phone and I can't use my old number on it. Please guide me from here on.
Thanks in advance.
RRS
0
Comments
-
Its not the same, but I am having problems like this I cancelled due to the 3 Like Home service and was harassed most days by them offering me retention deals if I took out a new contract. They offered to drop the line rental from £35 to £15 for the same tariff I am on now and a new Sony Ericsson phone(which is worth £300 new sim free)
Instead they sent me a 4 year old model worth £50 new in shops in town and charged me £50 when it should of been £15!0 -
It clearly states in a leaflet in your package stating 'terms of purchase'
it must be returned unused this means you can:
inspect the phone and accessories (without damaging the box, phone or accessories in any way)
turn the phone on
view display and check menus and options
insert a sim but not use any services.
YOU MAY NOT
personalise the phone in any way (eg set the time and date, alter the menu views or ringtones, add content of any kind)
use any services
take or store any photos, videos or store any data of any kind.
IMO you havent got a leg to stand on, you clearly accepted the contract by setting the phone up.
if i were you i wouldnt have cancelled the DD once they try and take payment and it fails your credit rating will be affected and itll get passed to a DCA
regarding the PUK code and other things you need to get them in writing before accepting the offer, or im the eyes of any network (not just 3) they werent offered, a sales rep will say anything to get their bonus0 -
There was no leaflet or any paperwork with the phone when it arrived, nothing whatsoever that indicated that I could not set time and date. I could not check menus etc without going through this process as the phone would not let me. If I had 'restored factory settings' it would have gone back to the original state, if I had pressed *hash7370hash it would have gone back to be like new asking for setting time and date etc again. I was disgusted by the quality of that phone. I switched it on and got rid of it. It was naive of me to even tell them that I had set time and date. They would not have ever realised if I had kept my mouth shut. Is it really stupid to be honest with crooks? But if everybody tries to beat dishonesty with dishonesty, threre'd be no honesty left in this world. There was no paperwork with the phone indicating that I could not do that. They should have recordings of all the phone convesations I have had with their reps and Data Protection Act 1998 should give me access to these conversations. Where is my contract? I have never seen it! Why was the phone sent to me without any paperwork whatsoever indicating what I could and what I could not do with that phone?0
-
Any more ideas? Please help.Whom should I complain to? Is there any link for Ofcom now that they have taken over Oftel's responsibilities? What should I write in my letter of complain?0
-
Any more ideas? Please help.Whom should I complain to? Is there any link for Ofcom now that they have taken over Oftel's responsibilities? What should I write in my letter of complain?
try the CEO, I think his email is [EMAIL="kevin.russell@three.co.uk"]kevin.russell@three.co.uk[/EMAIL]0 -
Hi
.... PUK Code for my 3 years old number and give me a new number for the new upgrade/contract. They sent me a rubbish Sony-Ericsson set against my repeated requests to the contrary. When I phoned them for the PUK Code after a couple of days, they said that I had started a new contract upgrading my old deal and I would have to wait 18 months to get a PUK Code.
RRS
You mean PAC code not PUK. PUK is used when you have entered the wrong SIM code PIN three times in a row.0 -
I just want to transfer my old number to my iPhone. They promissed me they would let me do that after a couple of days of starting the new contract. Now they have totally forgotten about it. This must be the biggest fraud I have ever faced in any transaction. How can these people do business in a civilised world? Is this why these companies are running to India, to use 3rd world type business practises to make money in the west? Unwritten and unsigned contracts should be banned- full stop.0
-
I will never go to 3 again and will advice anybody and everybody to avoid them like plague.0
-
After reading all the nightmares people are having with 3, I tend to agree about avoiding them. They have gone downhill so fast the last year or so with regards to Customer Service, and people seem to be leaving in droves. I always used to recommend them before, but feel somewhat bad about that now!0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

Categories
- All Categories
- 351.2K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.2K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.7K Spending & Discounts
- 244.2K Work, Benefits & Business
- 599.3K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177K Life & Family
- 257.6K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.2K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards