some advice please - Three UK :(

Liamh

I upgraded my contract/phone 2 weeks ago with a few months left on it.

The new package was for £32.50 a month for 24 months on a Samsung Omnia 7 with not many minutes and texts.

I asked whilst i was upgrading if i would be able to upgrade to the £35 a month Internet Texter 500 package that is listed on their site, as its only £2.50 more a month - if the minutes/texts were insufficient, and the guy on the phone said I could.

I checked my minutes/texts today and I've already gone over. So I call up 3 and ask to upgrade to the £35 a month Internet Texter 500 package. The guy on the phone tells me that it will cost £40 a month!

Now if I'm wanted to pay off my current contract - 4 months of £17 a month = £68 I'd be OK with that:

But at £5 extra a month for 24 months (£120 extra!) I may as well have just carried on paying for the last 4 months of the old contract and started a totally new contract on £35 a month - It would have been cheaper!!

Is this really how they reward customer loyalty?? I've been a customer with them for 4 years and it seems unfair that they give me a worse deal than they'd give a new customer


Either way, my question is - is there anything I can do about this?

Thank you,
Liam Howley

Guys_Dad

Liamh wrote: »

I upgraded my contract/phone 2 weeks ago with a few months left on it...................................................Either way, my question is - is there anything I can do about this?

Thank you,
Liam Howley

I am sure that others will be able to give you more specific advice here on your particular problem, but you have illustrated the danger of upgrading early when your existing contract is still in force.

You see, at that point, the network knows it has you hooked. They can tempt you with a new device earlier than their competitors which gets you drooling. Drooling so much that you don't spend sufficient time looking at what is available for new customers with your network or a competitor who are out of contract or waiting till you are in the driving seat during your last 30 days and the retentions team come into play.

That is when you will get the best offers - although the networks are not doing such good deals as in the past unless you are a high-roller. You also miss out on cashbacks, Quidco etc if you must enter a new contract rather than buying your phone and going sim-only.

robt_2

If the 'guy on the phone' did change your package, it wouldn't come into effect until your next billing date - has that passed yet? I'm guessing not if you upgraded as soon as you possibly could.

kingofherts

basically it goes like this


Three will allow any customer to do an Early Upgrade, anywhere between 39 and 110 days before their contract ends, if you do this the remainder of your existing contract is waived (if you upgrade to 24 month deal) but the offers are limited and may exclude certain offers/handsets etc

If you wait until you are 38 days from the end of the contract the full range of offers and handsets becomes available to you,

If you upgraded less than 14 days ago and have not used the handset you will be able to return it and upgrade again when you are nearer to the end of your original contract term