3 is the cheapest, but is it best

maninwhitecoat

I just got my bill, i thought i'd let you know it £0.085, thats 8.5p, not 85p!

lorre

I Have just come across this site and haven't read all the threads but have a general idea of what's being said.
I have been with 3 for two years now firstly with a Nokia 7600 this phone was very reliable (never had to return it etc), hardly ever dropped calls etc i'm based in South London and at the time had no problems with the customer service, well i never had a reason to speak to them. About a year ago i got an Lg u8120 looks great not to bulky and easy to use one problem it didn't work on the 3 network it constantly dropped calls.
To cut a long story short the handset was replaced at least seven times i also had a u8130 and a Motorola V975 they all dropped calls at an alarming rate.
I have constantly been in touch with 3 and even they have admitted the LG hansets are a nightmare and even refused to send/stock anymore until LG have resolved the problems. I have written to the Head office and am now awaiting a Nokia 6680 Bluetooth headset 6 months half price line rental and a £25 cashback all on a 12 month contract.
My old contract has also been cancelled 6 moths early.
The best way i feel to approach 3 is to:

1. Think long and hard before you port/cancel your existing provider, i have always kept my main number with t mobile so it least people can always reach me and use 3 for outgoing cheap calls only.

2. Get some background info on the handsets LG are having a really bad time at present and the Nec seem just as bad Nokia seem ok if you can get a Nokia that has been made in Finland even better the Chinesse ones have inferior components.

3. Be calm with customer services i know they are generally rubbish if need be write in to head office or call.

4. If you really want to cancel and leave 3 don't be threatened by early termination fees etc again if you have no joy with customer services write to Head Office and even demand a refund for the payments you have made, you will be surprised what they will do, they know the Network isn't what it should be.

5. Remember 3 are about 3 years old and 3g is new but it uses the O2 network for 2G calls so in theory it should be fine for just voice calls as i said earlier my Nokia was alright but the Lg and Motorola was rubbish.

And finally good luck i will let you know how i get on with the Nokia 6680 and overall marks for 3

CUstomer service 0/10 they have a lot to learn, it's no good shipping handsets around the country if they don't work.

Network coverage 4/10 They need to sort it soon no point having loads of minutes if you cant use them.

maninwhitecoat

I've had people reporting bad connections though, is that due to the handset or 3?

lorre

I think there are two issues regarding the 3 network dropping calls the first i believe is something to do with the actual network the 3G working in conjunction with 2G, the handset will always default to the 3g network and i believe the software on certain handsets can have a problem when this change happens. 3 use 02 for 2g calls and the 02 network is fine if you speak to 02 2g customers normal voice calls not video calls).
There was a rumour about 3 taking 02 to court regarding this issue, having said that i now hear that 02 have started to implement a closer working relationship with 3.
The second issue is the Handsets and software the LG phones are rubbish and 3 have stopped using them completely, don't just take my word for it speak to 3 themselves and if they are honest they will tell you the LG handset has been nothing short of a disaster.
Nokia's seem to be a lot more solid
I have tried the Motorola V975 and that was terrible.
I will be trying the new Nokia 6680 when 3 get there act together and i will post the results on the site.

It would be interesting to see how the other networks are coping with 3g and 2g can someone let me know. thanks

rotate

3 are rubbish,rubish,rubish,never be tempted to use them.Today the service was worse than usual,every call I made dropped out,so I thought I would try once again with customer service.
I had to try 39 times to complete the call as the previous 38 attempts dropped out somewhere along the line.I then had a long conversation with various people,who variously told me A-The service was good and I was imagining the problem.
B-I had to do something to change the service,I explained that I was not technical and just wanted to pick up the phone and call reliably.
C-There is network congestion.
D-3s T&Cs did not promise 100% service,I suggested that a success rate of 1 in 40 ie2.5% was not close to 100%.
I had great difficulty understanding the people I was talking to.Nobody would give me a UK telephone no or address to contact.
Does anyone have UK contact details.
Thanks

lorre

I agree with everything you are saying contact details for the people who can actually help are hard to come by in nobody wants to give out that information they will try to fob you off.
Anyway the best thing to do is list your complaint and what you want as an outcome and send it to the:

Chief Executive office
3 Customer Services
PO BOX 333
Hemel Hempstead
HP2 7YW


Make sure you send it recorded or specail delivery and they have to reply within a given time i think it's ten working days usually a phone call. They're the people who have the power to cancel contracts etc etc, If you want to speak to somone in the UK try 333 option 1.5.2 the upgrades team but's it's a lottery.

redissue

LD wrote:

Yes it's true, it's also the cause of the many problems as 3 sets the phones up to use 3g no matter how weak the signal is as they have to pay O2 to use their 3G network, but if you get your 3 mobile unlocked you can set it to use the 2g (shame no video calls)

Are you saying that by unlocking my Nokia7600, presently on a three 12 month contract, then I can use a different network at no cost to myself, or is this still a three 2g network / O2 2g network?

I am not bothered about video calls - the only reason I am on this is for the cheap contract.

rachelo83

I'm looking at 3 because i'm moving away from my boyfriend who lives in London to Sheffield, and their offers seem good.

1. Does anyone know what the signal is actually like in Sheffield, on the 3 website it says it has coverage?

2. If you switched your phone manually to O2 would it work perfectly fine? (obviously just voice calls). Also would the phone stay permanantly on the O2 signal if you did this and which phones can you switch networks manually with?

3. Which phone is the best with 3?

Cheers

lorre

You can unlock most makes of phones to use on different networks, but the charges incurred will relate to the sim card you put in the phone. Your phone already uses the 02 network for 2g calls And as far as i know the Nokia 7600 was never a full 3g phone more like a 2g phone you would never be able to make video calls on it. Unlocking your phone simply means you can use it on other networks.

lorre

I Think 3 would generally say they have good coverage across the country but i reality it's not too good (I'm based in London) and the amount off calls that are dropped is a joke.
The problem may also be down to the handsets and the way the phone automatically goes between 2g and 3g i'm not to sure if you can overide this, i have tried with LG and Nokia phones. Personally i have had less dropped calls with Nokia's I had a 7600 The LG phones i had U8120,U8130 and a U8138 are nightmare phones, I'm just about to get the new Nokia 6680 and after being a 3 customer for 2 years i would never advise anyone port their main number to 3.