3 is the cheapest, but is it best

andy.m_2

3 cold call.
They pass all the details onto another arm and you get the "we are calling from 3 to offer you an upgrade" calls.
They come in fits and starts and some months can seem relentless.

Probably helps if you work for three

andy.m_2

in fact for those that want to block the number it is 08454593125, they call at all times of the day or night and a quick view of google will highlight that 3 are very guilty of spamming forums with 1 post users that claim all sorts and never come back.

davehutch

Well, I think I'm going to have to pass on 3 and stick with O2, as much as I resent paying their prices.
I got a PAYG SIM from 3 last might and tested the signal strength at home, travelling and at work.
All three location are definitely worse by three bars or so on an iPhone 4, despite the coverage maps saying they are much better.
I'll keep the PAYG credit for tethering at the in-laws house where, again, it should be better...time will tell

dulcificum

If you need unlimited data, the £15 deal does seem the best especially since they have easily the faster PAYG 3G network.

emylou

I'm very interested in 3's one plan for the amount of data, texts and calls but worried about signal and customer services, I also have reservations as it states in their returns policy that in order to return & cancel the contract the phone has to be unused!? How can you test the signal strength and ease of phone use if you are not allowed to use it???

Supatramp

Firstly, I have to admit that I haven't been on here for a while, and have only read the last 3 pages of this thread, but I have to laugh at these folk who get all irate about '3', and come on places like this advising people "never, never..........................." use '3'.

Sadly, they don't seem to realise how stupid they're making themselves out to be! And then there's those who claim to have been on every network going at some time or another, so can speak with authority!! Why have they kept changing networks, because the previous one was so good? Wise up!!

My wife's been with '3' for several years and is perfectly happy with them. I've been with VF for 2 years and I've no complaints. I've had a '3' dongle for 2 years and I've been reasonably happy with it. I'm using it to write this, in a location where according to '3''s own info I shouldn't be getting a connection at all. Ok, the connection drops every so often but so what? In another location I regularly frequent, in a supposedly marginal area, I get a perfectly acceptable connection in the middle of the old Caledonian pine forest deep in the Highlands, surrounded by dirty great pine trees!!

The simple fact is that EVERY network has 'black holes', and you need to do some homework before you sign-up with a particular network. That means YOU doing a wee bit of work but obviously too many people can't be bothered with that, so Hell mend them!

MOST technology companies currently have their CS departments abroad, in countries where English isn't their first language, and they're pretty useless, one's as bad as the other!

So wise up folk, and go about things properly, do a bit of homework, do a bit of research, and save yourself unnecessary hassle.

Raven

emylou wrote: »

I'm very interested in 3's one plan for the amount of data, texts and calls but worried about signal and customer services, I also have reservations as it states in their returns policy that in order to return & cancel the contract the phone has to be unused!? How can you test the signal strength and ease of phone use if you are not allowed to use it???

How about getting a payg sim and checking how well it works before signing up for a contract, its really not a lot of hassle but will put you in a position where you will know exactly what you are gonna get (in the various locations) where you are likely to be using it.


If you experience signal issues then you'll have saved yourself a lot of trouble - to me thats a win/win situation and has worked well for a few of my friends.



Raven

dulcificum

Supatramp wrote: »

The simple fact is that EVERY network has 'black holes', and you need to do some homework before you sign-up with a particular network. That means YOU doing a wee bit of work but obviously too many people can't be bothered with that, so Hell mend them!

Yes, but as you say it's pretty easy to check coverage online using something like mobile coverage checker.

Then there's the issue of outages which every network suffers from too but the interesting thing is seeing how long they last and how the networks react to them.

Sapple

Hello all,

I've spend the last 3 years with 3 mobile and until fairly recently (last 6 months or so) I hadn't had any major issues... but then...

1.The signal inside my house fluxtuated greatly, the signal dropped out completely quite regularly (I had never had this before). I tried to explain this with customer services and their response was "the phone signal is very strong in your area" They told me that an engineer would investigate the local service in my area and phoned me back a few days later to ask if the problem was resolved (it wasn't). I asked the advisor what the engineer had done, he told me "I don't think anything has been done and that in reality I should expect some disruptions". This isn't any sort of resolution - but thats is as far as this ever got, after getting the same response a number of times I gave up.

2. I'm currently on a cancellation period, and I have requested a PAC. I was told I could only have this if I restarted my cancellation period (which would result in me paying a further months bill). Apparently I had requested the wrong type of cancellation... and its in the terms and conditions that I must request my PAC at the same time as making the cancellation request. Well I don't see this condition on the online "pay monthly terms and conditions". I called back and spoke to someone else and they said the same thing, but they said that I could get around the problem by getting a "Manual pac" after cancellation period is complete. I'm not filled with confidence that this will work but I'l give it a try. Either way can they really refuse to give me my PAC? I was under the impression that I was legally entitled to this? They have the dam code but won't give it to me unless I give them another months bill! - it really seems like an incredibly obtuse thing to do, just to cause a problem for customers who are leaving!!

3.Customer service and sales are distinct things.... why must I put up with offers when I want customer service!!

Beagal

All of a sudden no reception in and around my home no call backs from customer services. Good luck to anyone trying to cancel their contract my friend tried they refused to cancel it on a phone call and couldn't understand why he would want to go with another mobile phone company because there was nobody cheaper. He ended up confirming it in writing and guess what..... they denied ever receiving the letter despite it being sent recorded delivery and signed for.