3 is the cheapest, but is it best

pmduk

Handset: HTC Wildfire

Most commonly used location: Salford/Manchester City Centre

Ease and reliability and connection: I was already familiar with the phone, so was able to use the phone as soon as it was out of the box. Everything does what it says. I love the all you can eat data for streaming radio, tethering etc

Any other problems: Customer Service particularly useless. It's taken me months to remove the content lock from my account. It took them a long time to tell me about the spotify premium upgrade that was included on my account.

Overall service and rating (out of 10): 8/10

Incidentally, I got mine via topcashback and the cashback arrived to the very day it was expected. But topcashback has always seemed reliable.

Crabman

Jonno71 wrote: »

3's "all you can eat" data - I see their website says that on PAYG, their first tariff is £10 for 30 days with 500mg of data. The next one is the £15 deal with the "all you can eat". I guess this is more than 500mg?

Yes it's completely unlimited, although I'm not sure it applies when a phone is tethered to a laptop.

Tunster2

Crabman wrote: »

Yes it's completely unlimited, although I'm not sure it applies when a phone is tethered to a laptop.

As far as I'm aware, tethering is allowed with no extra cost. Where most other networks charge you for the privilege (as I've discovered with T-Mo lately and when the iPhone 4 personal hotspot feature came out :mad:)

My T-Mo contract is coming to an end, but as an iPad user as well; the unlimited data would be handy from the Three network as I could terminate my 1-Month rolling 3 contract for my iPad.

I don't think I'm going to miss my friends and family discount as the contracts aren't very competitive (and all the T-Mo deals are now based off the Orange ones as they're merging).

Jonno71

Crabman wrote: »

Yes it's completely unlimited, although I'm not sure it applies when a phone is tethered to a laptop.

Thank you Crabman

elvinag79

In uk network quality wise vodafone is best but its expensive, O2 is good value for money. 3 network is cheap but poor. T mobile and orange are recently merged so their customer can use both network reception. honestly I love to join O2, but 3 network give me cheap contract Because I m loyal customer since 5 years.

Lstuff

Tunster2 wrote: »

As far as I'm aware, tethering is allowed with no extra cost. Where most other networks charge you for the privilege (as I've discovered with T-Mo lately and when the iPhone 4 personal hotspot feature came out :mad:)

My T-Mo contract is coming to an end, but as an iPad user as well; the unlimited data would be handy from the Three network as I could terminate my 1-Month rolling 3 contract for my iPad.

I don't think I'm going to miss my friends and family discount as the contracts aren't very competitive (and all the T-Mo deals are now based off the Orange ones as they're merging).

I've been on a rolling contract with Vodafone after switching from O2, but just ordered the HTC Desire S on 3 on The One Plan.

The Desire S has a WiFi hotspot function and The One Plan does allow tethering - I've also just ordered a WiFi only iPad 2, so I'll be able to use both devices using just the one data plan without worrying how much data I'm using. This was the attraction for me.

As for how good 3 are - well I've taken a chance. I've had contracts with all the major providers over the last few years except 3, and had average signal coverage and customer service from most of them, so I figured I might as well give them a try.

Much like a lot of service reviews (Trip Advisor for example) a lot of reviews are negative, granted, but I also find that often happy customers aren't as motivated to write a review than people who've had a bad experience. I'll just see what awaits me.

I also took out the contract via Quidco who were offering £109 cashback on the tariff I've taken out - again I've never had a problem getting cahsback via Quidco so I'll wait and see if it's any different this time.

watcherman

Lstuff wrote: »

As for how good 3 are - well I've taken a chance.

To give you some comfort, I use 3, and always travel around with three other people with me, and it is never markedly worse or better than any of the other main networks for voice, for data, it is always the strongest if 3G is available for whoever I am with.

Lstuff

watcherman wrote: »

To give you some comfort, I use 3, and always travel around with three other people with me, and it is never markedly worse or better than any of the other main networks for voice, for data, it is always the strongest if 3G is available for whoever I am with.

Thanks for this. The main reason for taking up the contract was for the data service, which by all accounts seems to be pretty good.

Tunster2

Lstuff wrote: »

As for how good 3 are - well I've taken a chance. I've had contracts with all the major providers over the last few years except 3, and had average signal coverage and customer service from most of them, so I figured I might as well give them a try.

Much like a lot of service reviews (Trip Advisor for example) a lot of reviews are negative, granted, but I also find that often happy customers aren't as motivated to write a review than people who've had a bad experience. I'll just see what awaits me.

Well, I've decided not to go with 3 in the end. To go on an unlimited contract (at half price line rental) in terms of voice and texts is important now my circumstances have changed. Hoping the merger of Orange and T-Mobile may change things with regards to data usage.

In terms of data, I'm going to keep my 3 sim for the iPad as a 1 month rolling contract is perfect unless I need more on the road access.

Lstuff

Just an update on my experience so far with 3.

So far, can't fault it.

The phone arrived 11 days earlier than expected. The phone is superb (HTC Desire S) and I couldn't be happier with it.

I've also got a full signal in the office - full HSDPA, the whole hog. Considering previously I've had no signal with O2, no signal with Vodafone and our work Orange phones have no signal here either (which is useful!), this came as a welcome surprise.

I called 3 yesterday and I did have some trouble with the automated system for taking my PAC and phone number (it wouldn't recognise the number I wanted to transfer), so was put straight through to an operator. After expecting the worst from the reviews I've read, I was dealt with promptly by a very pleasant lady in India who spoke perfect English (some reviwers have said this was an issue - no issues here). My details were taken and the number has transferred over this morning.

No problems at all - I've had a decent signal so far in Leeds, Ilkley and on the train between Ilkley and Leeds.