Looking for new contract, is three mobile any good?

finallydebtfree!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL ON MSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My current contract with vodafone is due to expire in april and have started looking around for cheaper contracts.

I am paying out nearly £40 a month on my current contract which I cant quite remember what I get, its something like 200 texts and 200 anytime, any network minutes (contract taken out 18 months ago in april)

Looked at three as my friend said she had a good deal with them. Taking a look online I can get an 18 month contract with three that gives me much more than my current contract for £25 a month and thats reduced to £12.50 for 6 months. Also through quidco it says I could earn £100 cashback.

Im new to quidco and searching for mobile contracts as I have been with vodafone for 8 years, but through this site have realised I would be better of searching elsewhere. Hope somebody can give me some usfeul information

stressedaah30

i have been with 3 mobile contract for 3 years for same ammount u could get about 300 mins + 100 text mite be good to look thru dialafone or similar as u can get better deals with free months and sometmes gifts like ipods or psp customer service wise i,ve hadno probs

lovemystudentloan

I wouldn't touch 3 with a barge pole. If you read some of the threads kindly put on by other MSEs you'll see they have introduced a downgrade fee of £25 as of December 14th and a large number of people are being ripped off on their cashback contracts - they're not going to receive their cashback, at least one of the companies involved has known this for ages and 3s response is 'tough'. I'm absolutely gutted because I still have 8 months to go on my contract. 3 are out to get your money and once they have their claws in you it'll cost a bundle to get out of them. be warned :-)

MickKnipfler

Are the cashbacks anything to do with 3?

gkf

Both daughters and their partners have been with 3 for at least 6 months. Very happy so far with monthly charges, services etc. I will be getting £100 through quidco this month for signing one of them up.

Mobile_Mole

lovemystudentloan wrote:

I wouldn't touch 3 with a barge pole. If you read some of the threads kindly put on by other MSEs you'll see they have introduced a downgrade fee of £25 as of December 14th and a large number of people are being ripped off on their cashback contracts - they're not going to receive their cashback, at least one of the companies involved has known this for ages and 3s response is 'tough'. I'm absolutely gutted because I still have 8 months to go on my contract. 3 are out to get your money and once they have their claws in you it'll cost a bundle to get out of them. be warned :-)

3 themselves do not offer cashback contracts. These are offered by dealers, not the network operators.

I think when you say "I wouldn't touch 3 with a barge pole" you mean to say "I wouldn't touch the 3 dealer I used with a barge pole".

As it happens 3 is probably the most proactive network at tackling the dealers that are failing to deliver cashback to customers. Several dealers were struck off in 2006 and in October they issued a set of minimum business standards for dealers running cashback offers.

I do agree with you regarding the £25 downgrade fee though. However, other networks have also made changes to downward migration policies. It is to encourage dealers to stop using downward migration as a sales tactic.

finallydebtfree!!, if you are going to consider 3 make sure you check the coverage where you live / work / will be using the phone most. Do not rely on coverage checkers. If possible get a PAYG SIM and test the coverage yourself.


Cheers
Mark

hurrah

Have a read of this thread .( Sticky).

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=193

impy78

I am on T-mobile on their flext tarriff, and for £35 a month (or £30 a month at the moment), you get £180 of credit a month, which equates to 600 minutes, 500 texts and 50 mms messages, although, you can use the credit however you want.

I have had no bother at all with them.

WHISKEY_2

watch the contract they have just changed the charges so if you wanted to lower your tarrif you would need to pay them £25 to do so no matter how long you have been with them or extend your contract by 6 months changed 14 december no consultation with any body you only find out when you lower your tarrif good luck.

MORPH3US

Mobile_Mole wrote:

3 themselves do not offer cashback contracts. These are offered by dealers, not the network operators.

I think when you say "I wouldn't touch 3 with a barge pole" you mean to say "I wouldn't touch the 3 dealer I used with a barge pole".

As it happens 3 is probably the most proactive network at tackling the dealers that are failing to deliver cashback to customers. Several dealers were struck off in 2006 and in October they issued a set of minimum business standards for dealers running cashback offers.

I do agree with you regarding the £25 downgrade fee though. However, other networks have also made changes to downward migration policies. It is to encourage dealers to stop using downward migration as a sales tactic.

finallydebtfree!!, if you are going to consider 3 make sure you check the coverage where you live / work / will be using the phone most. Do not rely on coverage checkers. If possible get a PAYG SIM and test the coverage yourself.


Cheers
Mark

Great balanced and sensible post there, rather than rushing in and tarring everyone with the same brush!!!

One correction, three do offer cashbacks themselves (or at least have done in the past to me) but that might have just been because it was an upgrade.

Basically, they did me first 3 months half price then about £90 cashback (on my bill) after 6 months putting me in credit for about 3 months!

M

Mobile_Mole

MORPH3US wrote:

Great balanced and sensible post there, rather than rushing in and tarring everyone with the same brush!!!

Thanks! Far too much misinformation has been getting posted recently.

MORPH3US wrote:

One correction, three do offer cashbacks themselves (or at least have done in the past to me) but that might have just been because it was an upgrade.

True, but these these type of direct credits are generally limited to upgrades either when opting not to take a new handset or when haggling hard with retentions.

Credit is always applied directly to your service provider account whereas cashback from a dealer is usually received via cheque or BACS.

To prevent confusion, I still think it's best not to refer to a direct credit from the service provider as cashback. As networks aren't particularly keen on dealer cashback schemes they tend to avoid the term anyway.


Cheers
Mark