Three mobile broadband contract

sjrw123

I had a three mifi contract for 15Gb/month and had no problems. Then we moved home and I changed my address with three AND with my bank. I carried on paying various bills online and over the telephone with no problems.
BUT
When I tried to pay my three bill online the payment was refused. They said it was an address mismatch. So I called and tried to pay over the telephone and it was refused. I had no problems with any other company.
AFTER I tried to pay I was cut off.
As I use my dongle all the time I had to get another which I now use regularly, but three decided that they want me to pay to the end of the contract.
Now I believe that they broke the contract when they cut me off AFTER I tried to pay my bill - on SEVERAL occasions. I have told them this but they continue to harass me with emails and with telephone calls trying to say it was my fault. All I did was move home. No other provider had a problem with it.
My most recent phone call, this morning, they said it was because their systems are just so much more secure than anyone elses. But they will not admit that they broke the contract.
I am now feeling anxious because they are a big company who can afford to pursue me through the courts and the bailiffs. I am an ordinary person who was forced to find an alternative means of internet access while at work and does not want to pay for two dongles.
Any suggestions.
They say my contract will end in July 2013, although I think that date was plucked from the aether.

starrystarry

I'm confused. When you phoned them to try to pay and discovered they hadn't updated your address, why didn't you just ask them to update it then?

sjrw123

I updated it with them on the same day as I updated it with my bank. Halifax

starrystarry

But when you rang them to pay your bill they still had your old address, so they wouldn't accept your payment? Why did you not get them to update your new address at that point, then make the payment? You rang to pay, your address didn't match, so you just didn't bother?

sjrw123

1. I changed my address with both my bank and with three on the same day around (before) the end of 2011
2. At the beginning of 2012, when I tried to pay my bill online it was refused.
3. I called three to explain.
4. I was asked to pay whilst on the telephone, which I agreed to.
5. They could not even take payment over the telephone.
6. The next week I was cut off.
7. I tried to pay online again, unsuccessfully.
8. Gave up as a bad job after again contacting them so had to find another way of connecting to the internet.

THEIR systems didn't allow me to pay. So I am saying that THEY have broken the contract by firstly not allowing me to pay, then by cutting me off when I was ready to pay, willing to pay and able to pay.

And now they harass me trying to tell me it is my fault so I can cancel the contract but have to pay up to the end of it.

When they broke the contract that was the end of it.

If there is a contract/tort lawyer out there please let me know what I should do.

sjrw123

For whatever reason...
THEY could only pass a payment using my old address.
I had almost the same problem with my new three phone - but to make a payment I changed my address online to my old address and the payment went through.
However, using the old address I could not pay any non-three bills.
So to me it looks like a three system problem, as everything else (non-three) could only be paid using my new address.
When they said it was an address mismatch I went to my bank to check - they said that payments had not even been requested from three, as declined payments are always flagged.

visidigi

whether they had a problem or not, it does not negate you from your contractual obligations. You took out a contract, which you agreed to fulfill for the period over which it was agreed, you stopped paying for it due to an issue, an issue which you could have followed up further, but chose not to.

You took out a new contract thinking that just because there was a payment issue your obligation went away.

You had the option to go to a Three store
Write an email/letter to Three
Ask Three for Internet Banking details to wire them the money

Looks like at the first sign of difficulty you thought you could just walk away...afraid contracts don't work like that.

The way other companies dealt with it is not of any consequence - its Three's systems and three's systems alone you need to address in this case - remember, as you correctly pointed out, you moved, Three didn't.

sjrw123

I have emails about this backwards and forwards as long as my arms. They only say that I have to pay, not how they expect me to pay. And do you seriously think that a large company is going to give me their banking details and let me loose with them. I could be nigerian for all they know. Actually, at the eight hundredth sign of difficulty I became so frustrated at THEM not being able either to let me pay or to communicate how they expect me to pay (This IS after all a communication company) that I realised they had broken the contract - it is a dead contract, extinct, it is no more, it has passed away.
By the way, do you work for Three...

wealdroam

Firstly, let me make one thing very clear...

I do not work for Three.

Secondly do you owe them money?

If so, you must pay it.

Thirdly, I really cannot understand why you think Three would not give you their bank details. Whether you are from Nigeria or not, it should not take you long to find that information on the Internet.

To save you the trouble, and any other Nigerians reading this, here is exactly that, from their Ways to Pay webpage...

Phone or internet banking. Use your bank's automated phone system or internet banking to set up bill payments using these details:

• Sort code: 40-02-50
• Account number: 81238817
• Your Three account number which you'll find on the front of your bill.

vax2002

Last time I had any dealings with 3, I had to go get Saj from down the road to translate to the operator what I was trying to say.

visidigi

sjrw123 wrote: »

And do you seriously think that a large company is going to give me their banking details and let me loose with them. I could be nigerian for all they know.

Oh my, and this is why there's evidence that there was way more options to resolve, wealdrom's post shows this.

sjrw123 wrote: »

it is a dead contract, extinct, it is no more, it has passed away.

If it was, you wouldn't be being chased for it - if three haven't told you its gone, then it hasn't, your perception of company does not prevent you being bound to the terms and conditions which you signed to take out the contract.

sjrw123 wrote: »

By the way, do you work for Three...

Intelligent comment, clearly I do, yes I do, and every thread I reply I work for that company too - what difference would it make if I worked for three or not (I don't) - you signed a contract, and you moved house.

It is you who caused the need for the change of details and its you that has to accept that this may not always be as easy as you would like...please don't start asking people if they work for the company when they don't agree, it makes you look silly.