MSE News: Three to raise mobile prices

completelyterrified

ferrit44 wrote: »

So I guess I can do that now considering my initial complaint regarding the price increase apparently can go no further? Did you raise that through a website, or via a phone call?

Went to Ofcom website - you have to raise an ADR request via one of the two appointed Ombudsman - there's a link on the site which shows you which scheme a company is from. Takes a few weeks, but it's the next step.

Quentin

grumbler wrote: »

As I said many times, pay them the ETC under protest, then sue them for this amount plus court fees plus inconvenience. They will settle before the court.

Their current tactics is based on the correct assumption that very few people have guts to do this

This involves an innocent customer in a lot of hassle - and extra cost for a court claim, which has to be paid upfront, then gets repaid to the claimant by the defendant only after the claimant has won.

All you need to do is pay them what you do owe them from your final bill, then "dispute" the rest, on the grounds that 3 are breaking the ts + cs by charging an ETC, (if that's why the bill is disputed)

Then if it comes to the crunch, it is 3 who would have to do the sueing!

And if you are right, (when you say they won't go to court to enforce this), then they won't be doing any sueing anyway!

ferrit44

Just raised a complaint via the Ombudsman. Likely will come to nothing, but we shall see.

With regards to cancelling with three, should I do so in writing and request a final bill, or ring them? When I spoke to them about cancelling over the phone they advised they will only accept a cancellation if I pay the ETC up front, does that sound right?

If it means cancelling, them sending me a final bill with 15 months of charges, and me just paying what I believe I owe them and disputing the rest i'd prefer to go down that route as opposed to paying up front.

KennyEvil

I've just finished a phone call with someone from the executive office about this and they just wouldn't budge from the following.

1. The T&Cs allow 3 to do this and this is the first time in nine years where they have done so
2. They checked with OfCom before they did so, and OfCom said it was okay as they'd approved similar action from Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone.

It turns out that even their own employees who are on 3 contracts are subject to this increase as well. No matter how many times I pointed out that the lack of definition of "material detriment" should favour the person who didn't draft the terms & conditions, he wouldn't budge.

I felt badly for the guy, he sounded tired and I don't think that this was the first or last of these phone calls that he had to deal with today.

I'm just incredibly !!!!ed off though to be honest. I was expecting something like this to happen when Orange tried this in December and OfCom allowed it. OfCom basically gave all of the other companies an approval on similar price rises when they were ready.

I don't care that Three haven't done this in nine years, it doesn't excuse the one time where they do.

He also couldn't really provide a satisfactory answer for why customers who signed on the 9th March would end up with a lower priced contract than people who signed on the 7th of March. All he could offer up was that they needed to decide on where the cutoff rate would be and that 8/3/2012 was what they decided on.

I'm just tired of it all I guess. 3 obviously don't seem to care and I suspect that's because the other phone companies have been allowed to get away with it, so they don't have to worry about losing customers to anyone. I'm 10 months from the end of my contract and I let the guy know that I won't be a 3 customer after that. I think I'll just buy my next phone outright and go with Giffgaff. I just don't ever want to be in this position again.

digp

Sounds like it is time for the courts to decide.

grumbler

Quentin wrote: »

...And if you are right, (when you say they won't go to court to enforce this), then they won't be doing any sueing anyway!

They won't, but they will cowardly ruin your credit history and will set the debt collectors on you.

ferrit44

grumbler wrote: »

They won't, but they will cowardly ruin your credit history and will set the debt collectors on you.

What can they do to your credit file if you've cancelled, and requested a final bill? I was under the impression they had to take you to court, and win, in order for a CCJ to be placed on file?

The worry would be late payment markers I guess, would they still pursue this even if you've cancelled?

grumbler

ferrit44 wrote: »

What can they do to your credit file if you've cancelled, and requested a final bill?

Add the ETC to the final bill and report the default to CRAs if you don't pay it.

I was under the impression they had to take you to court

They don't have to and never do.

, and win, in order for a CCJ to be placed on file?

Yes for a CCJ.

The worry would be late payment markers I guess, would they still pursue this even if you've cancelled?

What matters is that you don't pay, not that you cancelled.

ferrit44

Can you default on a service agreement? I thought defaults were relevant only to credit agreements?

grumbler

No. I suggested another way above, but don't take my word for it.