Help leaving 3! They aren't listening!!

hattiefats

My 3 mobile contract ends on Friday so I rang them to discuss giving them notice. The woman on the phone went on and on about new deals I told her I wasn't interested and wanted to give my notice period as from Friday.
I didn't get anywhere so hung up in frustration but am going to call back on Friday and cancel my contract. I'm worried though as it is impossible to get them to listen and I've read lots of stories about them not cancelling contracts and billing people for several months even though they have phoned and cancelled.
Any advice please? If anyone has got away successfully I would love to know. I've never had such a hassle doing this before!!

bubblesmoney

ask for a pac code. this will be needed for transferring the number to another provider.

but if you are not moving to another provider and just need your contract cancelled then call them. see on your bill if there are any contact details for emailing or writing to them

in my experience they can be very obstructive even giving the contact details for the complaints section of their company and i myself am trying to find those details from them. their website doesnt give the details, neither does their blog, neither are their helplines willing to give me their complaints section contact details. i am not sure if they even have a complaints department in view of their difficulty in giving those contact details to me inspite of repeated requests.

gjchester

hattiefats wrote: »

My 3 mobile contract ends on Friday so I rang them to discuss giving them notice. The woman on the phone went on and on about new deals I told her I wasn't interested and wanted to give my notice period as from Friday.
I didn't get anywhere so hung up in frustration but am going to call back on Friday and cancel my contract. I'm worried though as it is impossible to get them to listen and I've read lots of stories about them not cancelling contracts and billing people for several months even though they have phoned and cancelled.
Any advice please? If anyone has got away successfully I would love to know. I've never had such a hassle doing this before!!

You contract doesn't end on Friday, you have simply hit the end of your mimimum term and it becomes a rolling monthly contract.


Put the cancellation in writing, post it via a signed for service (registered or speical delivery) to 3. Keep a copy and the proof of delivery. You probably will get calls offering you deals to stay but a written letter is harder to lose than a call or email.

You probably have to give 30 days so the sooner you get the letter to them the better.

hattiefats

Thanks. I am not having a new phone so don't need the pac code. I will ring them back and hopefully bulldoze through them but its like they have a list of things they have to say regardless of whether you want to hear them.
I thought about writing to them as well but there doesn't seem to be any address!!!

hattiefats

Thanks gj
I will try to get an address and send it recorded delivery. Wish me luck

missprice

AAARGH 33333333333333333333333333

i hate this company and wont ever have a contract phone with them again

i canceled my contract last august 2009 (by phone call)
cancelled the DD in sept
since dec 09 i have had multiple letters from 3 and a debt collection agency, they refuse to believe i cancelled the contract
they keep asking for the pac code and i keep telling them i didnt bother as i have new phone and number now
am going to send them a bill for my time and phone calls if they ever send me another letter

parallax_20

If you are not looking to transfer your mobile number to another network. I would recommend you get them to switch you over to PAYG after your contract expires and tell them you've been made redundant and cannot afford the monthly payments.

3 dislike people cancelling, so by switching to PAYG you are still a customer and save yourself the ear ache. Once switched over to PAYG, either throw the sim in the bin or keep it as a backup for emergency use.

Good luck.

gjchester

hattiefats wrote: »

Thanks gj
I will try to get an address and send it recorded delivery. Wish me luck

Look on the back of your bill or contract.

Failing that it's on Three's website

Our address is:
3 Customer Services
Hutchison 3G UK Ltd
PO Box 333
Glasgow
G2 9AG

gjchester

missprice wrote: »

AAARGH 33333333333333333333333333

i hate this company and wont ever have a contract phone with them again

i canceled my contract last august 2009 (by phone call)
cancelled the DD in sept
since dec 09 i have had multiple letters from 3 and a debt collection agency, they refuse to believe i cancelled the contract
they keep asking for the pac code and i keep telling them i didnt bother as i have new phone and number now
am going to send them a bill for my time and phone calls if they ever send me another letter

This is why I said put it in writing. In fact most contracts specify termination has to be in writing, although they may accept it over the phone, so it may be that by phoning you never gave a valid cancellation request (and yes I know they are a phone company and should do things over the phone but that's a different issue)

A signed for letter is usually harder to deny than a phone call. A registered letter once signed for would be accepted by the courts as delivered, a phone call is not.

In your case did you ask to cancel or to get a PAC code? You mention that you got a new phone and number so did you try and port it before you got the new number?

If you asked for a cancellation than then asked for a PAC code the cancellation request would be canceled as the PAC code needs the contract active to work. If you asked for a PAC code *AFTER* asking for a cancellation, then the PAC code request over rides the cancellation. PAC Codes are valid 30 days and if not used then the contract continues.

You can try and bill them for time and trouble, but if you didn't follow 3's procedures or you asked for a PAC code and then didn't use it, then you have never really canceled the contract, so three are correct in billing you.

I'd strongly suggest you try and call them and resolve it, if you don't then debt collectors will lead to court cases and ultimately a possible CCJ on your credit file.

Reeves

My wife started the process of cancelling her contract with 3 a couple of weeks back by asking for her PAC code as she wants to move to another provide after problems with losing her signal mid call and she is in the last month of an 18 monther.

I had primed her to be firm after reading this forum but we were laughing as the operator totally ignored what we were saying.

Promises of a better network and our area has strong coverage were reeled out along with "great" offers but she just still just kept telling them "I want to leave ... let me have my PAC code".

30 minutes it took in the end after just saying the words "PAC CODE" after every sentence uttered by the operator ... but the story didn't quite end there.

After not receiving it after 24 hrs she rang back to be told it had been texted (no it hadn't! .. only the net link that doesn't work) but they will send another one out that day but it would be from that point meaning going into another 30 day period with them ...aRRRgggh!!

Sorted now (we hope!) but you have to be firm!! Just remember "PAC CODE .. PAC CODE .. PAC CODE ... say it with me!!! :):)

bubblesmoney

gjchester wrote: »

Look on the back of your bill or contract.

Failing that it's on Three's website

Our address is:
3 Customer Services
Hutchison 3G UK Ltd
PO Box 333
Glasgow
G2 9AG

does the company have an email contact address. it is much faster and cheaper that way than mailing them and one will have proof of delivery as well.

one will be saved from listening to the yak yak yak from the 333 number team.