Cancelling 3 Mobile Phone Contracts - Tips!

Jennifer_lp

As a customer you should have the right to cancel a contract whenever you want to and without giving any reasons why.

But with 3Mobile, it is near impossible to cancel without being repeatedly asked why you want to cancel it and being given sales pitches for deals you just don't want or need.

I wanted to start this thread to let everyone know the experience I and quite a few of my friends have had when trying to escape 3Mobile. And if you want to cancel your 3 contract, maybe this will help you!

To get through to cancellations, dial 333 from your 3 handset, then select options 3, 2, 4, 2. Best to cancel when you have 1 month or less to go on your contract. You'll pay for the remaining month, plus any extra days beyond that, since when you call you are giving your 30 days' notice of cancellation. If you try to cancel more than 1 month before the end of your contract, you'll be charged a cancellation fee, plus you'll pay for all the months' line rental left on the contract.

Don't give away any piece of information no matter how insistent the operator is, or they'll rope you into a new deal you don't need, not saving you any money at all. Be firm! Don't give in!!!

Here's how my cancellation phone call went today:

14 mins waiting for them to answer the phone
Jenn "I'd like to cancel my contract please"
Woman "What is the reason?"
Jenn “I don’t want a phone anymore”
Woman “Do you want an upgrade?”
Jenn “No, I just don’t want a phone anymore”
Woman “But what about an emergency?
Jenn “Doesn’t matter I just don’t want a phone anymore”
Woman “A young girl like you would normally want a handset, it just seems very strange to me”
Jenn <long pause> “Cancel my contract please”
Woman “OK your account is documented, I’ll just transfer you to cancellations”
Cancellation man “I understand you want to cancel your contract but first I have certain authorisations. Why do you want to cancel?”
Jenn “Don’t want a phone anymore”
Man “Just to let you know the deals…”
Jenn “ I’d just like to cancel my contract please”
Man “But just to let you know the deals…”
Jenn “You’re not going to be able to sell me anything, just cancel my contract please”
Man “Why? Is it not a good handset? This 5000 text deal is only £18 a month”
Jenn “Doesn’t matter, I don’t want a sales pitch, please cancel my contract”
Man “OK. Any feedback?”
Jenn “Yeah, it’s too difficult to cancel 3 contracts”
Man “I’m sorry, I just wanted to make you happy. This deal is not available on the internet, and it’s a lot cheaper”
Jenn “It’s cheaper not to have a phone, just cancel my contract please”
Man “OK, it’s done. Sorry.”
25mins in total!!!

The thing is, I learned that the call centre in Mumbai gives targets to its call centre staff - if they do not meet their quota of contract renewals in a 2-week period, they get fired. I don't know if this if true, but if it is it would explain why they are so extremely persistent (even aggressive, I've heard!), and it's an awful way to treat employees, and an awful way to treat customers.

Probably better just not to go with 3 Mobile in the first place.

Good luck!!

CoolHotCold

Not really a consumer right.

It's no surprise that companies that have subscriptions like broadband companies and mobile phone companies all go through a checklist before cancelling the subscription.

I'd suggest posting or moving it to the mobile phone area.

wealdroam

Probably best suited to the Praise, Vent & Warnings board.

Or is there a Consumer Rights issue in there somewhere?

Jennifer_lp

Well I was really referring to the fact that you should be able to cancel a contract without it being so difficult and without being harassed with deals you don't want, rather than "Consumer Rights". It's obvious that any company will try to keep you as a customer and offer you a new deal, but my thread is about how incredibly persistent they are, to the point that many people eventually give in and end up with a new contract they didn't need or want. Once you say you're not interested you should be left alone, and it shouldn't take 25mins of pestering to put a cancellation notice on a contract. I've never had this experience with any other company other than 3 when I have tried to cancel or switch to another company.

New to forums, sorry it went in the wrong section, will post again in the correct one!

Cheers!

CoolHotCold

It's quite easy really.

You phone up, go through the menu and say "I want to cancel and as my contract has ended I no longer wish to do any sort of business with your company as I have already changed suppliers and no longer interested in any offers you can offer. If you don't process the cancelation I will raise a complaint with Ofcom. Thank you."

JReacher1

Every company I have ever cancelled with has tried to change my mind. You just have to give a convincing excuse if you can't be bothered with the sales spiel.

E.g I want to cancel my phone because I have got a phone with another network provider and I have already signed up.

fozmcfc

I agree, cancellations should be made easier.

I know a couple of people, who have had the same experience with trying to cancel with 3, but it's not just them, it many companies.

I personally think, you should be able to log into your account online and hit cancel contract and providing you are within your rights to cancel, it should be done.

Sure when you hit that cancel button, it could throw up a page of offers for you to stay, before the customer confirms they wish to cancel. It could even say, we have some great offers for you to stay, give us a call. But the choice should be there without any sales pressures.

If I miss out on some great offers, because I don't want to speak to someone and have to go through some sales pitch, then that's my loss, but it should be my choice to cancel as painlessly as possible.

I did have the opposite with T-Mobile though, when I rang a few years back, it was cancelled, without any sales. I was ready to vent about how they had charged me incorrectly and expected to be pursauded to stay.

But when asked, I explained calmly, because they had charged me incorrectly and that was that, she cancelled it, no sales, no offers etc...

MothballsWallet

CoolHotCold wrote: »

It's quite easy really.

You phone up, go through the menu and say "I want to cancel and as my contract has ended I no longer wish to do any sort of business with your company as I have already changed suppliers and no longer interested in any offers you can offer. If you don't process the cancelation I will raise a complaint with Ofcom. Thank you."

Ofcom are a complete waste of time: iirc, they've never punished an offending company under their jurisdiction, been too busy making friends with them.

We'd be better off with a chocolate teapot full of hot water as a regulator...