3 is the cheapest, but is it best

fruit-shoot

I just got an upgrade from 3, 12 months contract SE W850i, video talk and text 700, £35 a month, with £111.06 cash into myaccount, so effectively 3 months free line rental and the phone was FREE.
Website as a new customer on the same tariff and 12 months phone was £69.99, and 3 months half price line rental.
I don't think it was a bad deal.

Managed to upgrade 15 months into an 18 month contract although my new contract won't start until Feb when this one ends, but can upgarde again in Nov next yr, I don't do 18 month contracts.

fruit-shoot

Does anyone have this problem....I have set up pop3 email in my browser for blueyonder, it gives me the option of leaving a copy on server which I need to do as I want all emial on PC too, however when I check email it gives me email, but if I check email again in say an hour it will download the same emails as I already got plus any new ones I may have got.
Its not a problem, just a bugbear

FTD

My experience of Three during my 12 months contract

I ended my contract over two months ago by giving 30 days notice towards the end of my 12 months. I wasn’t happy with the wrong advice I was given on more than one occasion:
I wanted internet access for email, I was advised which bolt on I needed, paid the additional fee, got the ‘limited’ internet access of twenty sites!

Asked for email, was advised sending and receiving would be no problem, paid the bolt on fee, got the mail program that can only download emails.

One of my main gripes was they simply do not listen to your requirements, they insist on talking over you when they want to put their sales pitch across!!! My second main gripe was always getting cut off when using my handset and having to use my landline to ring them.

Anyway, back to my story:
I was asked if I would like to port my number, so I thought, hmmm, maybe a good idea, ok. Got given a code asked a few more questions then, surprise suprise got cut off. The phone got switched off and left, probably in a drawer

Next month (last month around the 21st Oct) I got not my ‘final bill’, but a new bill, rang up and asked what was going on? They said as I had not ported my number, they did not disconnect the line! They also argued that I agreed to these terms. At no point was I informed verbally, by written notice or by recorded message that if I didn’t use my pac then the contract would not be ceased!!
I argued with this chap, who as usual, would not listen to me and continued to raise his voice over me without letting me explain or ‘get a word in’. I asked to speak to his manager as I wanted to make a complaint about his attitude, towards me, the customer. He refused, obviously he had been reported for this behaviour before. Anyway, he eventually spoke to his supervisor and he confirmed that my contract would be ceased immediately, a credit placed on my account to cover the line rental, and I would be liable for any usage over and above my allowance on the final bill.
Great.

 or so I thought!!!

Came home from work yesterday to find a reminder for the twenty five odd quid.
Rang up, and got the same old story, my account and line is still active, I was supposed to give 30 days notice, they would take today as my notice date but I would be responsible for TWO months line rental now!!


I hit the roof! DO you know what they offered me by way of compensation? They would be willing to give me another 12 months contract at the absolute bargain price of £3.99 a month! The cheek of it. I had to threaten them with court action and speak to a supervisor for nearly an hour to get them to sort it out. Eventually he agreed, I obviously hadn’t used my phone for over two months as, as far as I was aware, after following the advice from their customer support, I assumed the contract had ceased.
He was willing to make me an offer, he would waive this months line rental, and half of last months line rental!

I hit the roof again! If I accept those terms, I am accepting that I am responsible for the bill. This supervisor continued reading through my notes, and came up with, when I last spoke to the chap who was rude and raised his voice to me and wouldn’t let me speak (no mention of that in the notes), I apparently was ‘cut-off’ before the call was resolved!!!! The notes said they tried contacting me, but as my phone was switched off, they couldn’t get through so nothing happened!

I hit the roof again!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, after pointing out they have my landline number and email address, and that I’m going to report them to ofcom and begin legal proceedings against them, all of a sudden, as if something clicked in his brain (or maybe read something in my notes that suddenly made sense to him) he agreed to waive this two months line rental and cease my contract immediately.

In my experience, it’s not too easy to leave, and they are simply rude who do not listen!

bitemarx

Handset: Motorola V3x

Most commonly used location: Ilford

Ease and reliability and connection: This is a really good handset though a few simple features (you can't mute the key sounds!) are missing. To make things worse, the 3 branding restricts the performance of the handset in terms of the battery retaining charge (something to do with 3 having set the phone to a particular GSM band, I think... sorry, not a techie!) as well as a few features on the handset being deactivated by the 3 firmware(or whatever you call the OS on a phone!). Voice quality of the handset doesn't come anywhere near that of a Nokia or a Sony Ericcson.
The network reliability and connection strength are a bit frustrating at times since there are numerous pockets of zero reception both in Ilford and central London. I suspect the decreased voice quality is also down to the weak network, to a certain degree.

Any other problems: None.

Overall service and rating (out of 10): 6.5 (mainly hinging on the superb packages<600 mins+1000 texts> they have!)

Sui_Generis

Anyone know what retention deals they're offering before I phone to cancel? Have read of 200 mins a month for £5 a year after cashback but I probably won't get that lucky...

bitemarx

Aiadi wrote:

I was also reading the specs and it has a radio and FM radio but did not come with a headset. I'll try and get in touch with them but if you manage Dave then please let me know.

3 don't give out accessories with their handsets, usually. No memory cards, handsfree sets, etc.
I think it's got somethin' to do with the fact that their handsets are mostly refurbished units?

rosebyanyothername

ZTE flip 3 g camera phone 3 network solid design and have dropped it quite a few times but still okay works well in an around bristol and bath area no problems in flats and everywhere i go. never had a dropped call over the month i have had it 3 customer service gre4at from mumbai india but call centre v helpful if u can make them understand what u need!

shortguy4u

glorybe wrote:

I have been with 3 for two years now and although getting through to customer service is a bind I don't seem to have the same trouble with this network as many others seem to have, I can only think I have been lucky. I do have a LG phone but my family have just bought me a samsung D500 because I liked it so much however, I am told you can't unlock this phone to enable it to work on the 3 network , does anyone know if you can.

Hi...you def cant use the D500 on the three network because the phone is simply not three enabled.

I am using the SE K610i and that is a good little phone and better and much easier to use than the D500 (have that too). Either that phone or the SE K800i...both awesome phones.

shortguy4u

Sui_Generis wrote:

Anyone know what retention deals they're offering before I phone to cancel? Have read of 200 mins a month for £5 a year after cashback but I probably won't get that lucky...

I didnt know that they had such good retention deasl...but a friend did get a SE k880i on Talk and Text 700 for £10 a month in JUly time...and that was when the phone was brand new. I am sure they would offer just as good offers if not better now...especially if you are a high user.

nickkaric

Handset: Nokia 6630, nice phone, easy to use.

Most comonly used location: Southampton :- good signal in most places
also on Exmoor: mostly good signal with a few dead spots and very little 3G coverage.

Ease, reliability and connection: currently no easy way to use the phone as a modem on this network unless you pay an extra £15 a month for it. customer services are not that great although i think that is due to a language barrier. for some reason my phone won't connect when i make a call so i have to restart the phone, then it works

I'd give it 7 out of 10

Nick