MSE News: Three to raise mobile prices

tiggybear

I have three accounts with Three and because I have had them years I do not pay full price on any of them. Please don't take this as a plug for Three - as anyone who is with them will understand, I have spent many hours in the last few years ranting to some fool in Mumbai and getting nowhere.
The point I am trying to make is that if you stay with these people then upon renewal you can always negotiate a deal that more than trivialises the cost of this 'inflation' hike in the discount you will receive.
Of course we don't want to pay more but play the critters at their own game. Currently I pay £17 less than the advertised costs of my tariffs (and wrangled free/discounted equipment on their advertised deals).

alanw888

Hopefully MSE readers wont switch to Three after the price hike but if they do I hope they check if they are getting ANY (2g, 3g or Data) signals in the areas they might wish to use the phone. 3 seem to be systematically turning off their 2G masts and leaving large areas without signals, They told me that this was to improve the data services!! and it might be better to switch to Orange/t-mobile (how right they are!! maximun bars of signal). I now have no 3 signals to my phone (emergency calls only) for upto 5 miles radius of my home ( on coast of West Sussex). Even in larger towns, Bognor Regis, extremely patchy outdoor signals except in town centre. 3 did offer, after a 'fight', to reduce my rental and also offered to cancel my contract but had to return phone after 14 months of 24 month contract with no compensation as phone was 'free'.
Dont believe 3 web coverage maps they show the old 2g signal areas which may not exist any more.
To finish off 3 decided to advertise their 'services' on the local bus stops even when there is no signal for miles....

A previously very satisfied 3 user now totally alienated by their off hand attitude and unusable phone service.

KTF

tiggybear wrote: »

I have three accounts with Three and because I have had them years I do not pay full price on any of them. Please don't take this as a plug for Three - as anyone who is with them will understand, I have spent many hours in the last few years ranting to some fool in Mumbai and getting nowhere.
The point I am trying to make is that if you stay with these people then upon renewal you can always negotiate a deal that more than trivialises the cost of this 'inflation' hike in the discount you will receive.
Of course we don't want to pay more but play the critters at their own game. Currently I pay £17 less than the advertised costs of my tariffs (and wrangled free/discounted equipment on their advertised deals).

You are going to be in for a shock the next time you come up to renew They are nowhere near as generous as they used to be.

aldredd

alanw888 wrote: »

3 seem to be systematically turning off their 2G masts and leaving large areas without signals, They told me that this was to improve the data services!!

Always thought 3 only ever ran a 3G network, never 2g - hence the name.

davethorp

aldredd wrote: »

Always thought 3 only ever ran a 3G network, never 2g - hence the name.

Three have a 2G roaming agreement currently with orange to provide a 2G fallback in areas of no 3G coverage. Three have been disabling this fallback in areas they feel the 3G network is sufficient to serve that area

real1314

Is this the right bit of the contract?
I can't see a clause that refers to a price change at/below inflation.

4.1 (b) (iii) refers to an above inflation increase. So that isn't the one. (and you can cancel on that change)

4.1 (b) (ii) refers to a material detriment, but the cancellation right still applies.

"4. Variations to your agreement or prices
4.1 We may vary any of the terms of your agreement,
including our Packages, on the following basis:
(a) any updated Packages and new terms will be
available on our website and on request to Three
Customer Services;
(b) we will let you know at least one month in advance
if we decide to:
(i) discontinue your Package; or
(ii) make any variations to your agreement which
are likely to be of material detriment to you; or
(iii) increase the fixed periodic charges for your
Package (if applicable) by an amount which is
more than the percentage increase in the Retail
Prices Index Figure (or any future equivalent) in
any twelve month period.
You can end the agreement for such variations as
explained in Section 10.
Subject to the above, you will not be able to end the
agreement if such variation or increase:
(i) is due to changes to the law, government
regulation or licence which affect us; or
(ii) relates solely to Additional Services; or
(iii) relates solely to Add-on(s) (if applicable to you).
In such circumstances you will not be able to end
your agreement but you will be able to cancel the
Add-on(s) by giving us 30 days’ written notice; and
(c) if you carry on using Three Services after the
variation commences, you will be deemed to have
accepted the variation.
4.2 If we offer a range of Packages, you may change from
your Package to one of a selected range of other
Packages on such terms as agreed with us."

Anyone got any thoughts on this? (haven't seen this mentioned in the thread; might have missed it though)
:cool:

MarkBargain

Very poor from Three, as their 24 month contracts read as though the price would be for those 24 months. It's especially unfair on anyone who joined Three on 7th March on £30-a-month contract. They would have planned to spend £720 (24x£30) but will now be charged £741.60 ((4x£30)+(20x£31.08)), and more than that if Three do the same next year.

Tamarak1

Can I cancel my direct debit with three and continue paying the agreed monthly tariff by standing order? I will be still paying them as per my contract last year. Do they have a right to demand the balance?

KTF

No and yes.

tomc1984

(ii) make any variations to your agreement which
are likely to be of material detriment to you; or
(iii) increase the fixed periodic charges for your
Package (if applicable) by an amount which is
more than the percentage increase in the Retail
Prices Index Figure (or any future equivalent) in
any twelve month period.

It does say that the price rise is in line with the RPI as of April 17th. 2012, the RPI as of April 17th. 2012 was 3.5% and a rise of 3.6% is MORE than that, therefore cancel away folks!