Moving abroad and keeping my UK number.

System

3 will just convert his/her existing sim to PAYG on an agreed date.
The only difference will be that my3 will show PAYG.

HGS

d123 wrote: »

From memory they stopped it in early 2013, so you just made it .

Two years ago I changed my monthly rolling contract to PAYG to keep my number whilst in Spain. I did this on the advice of Three staff who were fully aware I was going to be out of the country for the majority of the year and going forward.

The phone is a point of contact for my seriously ill mother. In year one my internet failed so when I visited the UK I had no internet and it was a sim only 3-2-1 account with credit. They took 11 days to fix it by which time I was back in Spain.

This year they cut me off completely as allegedly that sim only works for holiday use of 2 months (was 3).

I phoned for my PUK code to move to Vodafone as they don't cut you off if you make one phone call every 3 months, O2 have a similar service (6 months) but Vodafone is good in my Spanish town.

I was forced to agree to cancelling my account to get a PUK code but then was refused the credit on my account. Customer Service in India is close to being like dealing with politicians, if they speak they are generally lying.

3 month on I am about to sue THREE so I would say to anyone it's a company to avoid and chose a company abroad that has English speaking Customer Service which for reference Vodafone does have. Vodafone is not perfect but Three seems to use India to screw customers on every level.

Hope my brief story helps anyone needing an overseas sim AND a service that works.

d123

HGS wrote: »

Two years ago I changed my monthly rolling contract to PAYG to keep my number whilst in Spain. I did this on the advice of Three staff who were fully aware I was going to be out of the country for the majority of the year and going forward.

The phone is a point of contact for my seriously ill mother. In year one my internet failed so when I visited the UK I had no internet and it was a sim only 3-2-1 account with credit. They took 11 days to fix it by which time I was back in Spain.

This year they cut me off completely as allegedly that sim only works for holiday use of 2 months (was 3).

I phoned for my PUK code to move to Vodafone as they don't cut you off if you make one phone call every 3 months, O2 have a similar service (6 months) but Vodafone is good in my Spanish town.

I was forced to agree to cancelling my account to get a PUK code but then was refused the credit on my account. Customer Service in India is close to being like dealing with politicians, if they speak they are generally lying.

3 month on I am about to sue THREE so I would say to anyone it's a company to avoid and chose a company abroad that has English speaking Customer Service which for reference Vodafone does have. Vodafone is not perfect but Three seems to use India to screw customers on every level.

Hope my brief story helps anyone needing an overseas sim AND a service that works.

No idea why you quoted my post to JB in your rant, the post isn't even about PAYG but references his sim zero plan he was able to get some years ago.

But to add, Three has pretty good customer services in Glasgow, you just need to make a formal complaint to the normal customer services in India or email the executive.office at three to get them involved. Glasgow CS are as good as any other network to resolve problems.

Also, the terms quite clearly say that Feel at Home can only be used for 2 full months in a year, it's in the terms and has even been discussed here in the past.

No network refunds PAYG credit when you leave them, again in the terms and conditions (of all the networks).

joeluken

marcus-darkus wrote: »

I'm moving to Cambodia for approx one year next month. My Sim only deal with Three network is out of contract next week. I called them and said I want to change to PAYG, but their best offer for me to keep my number was £8 one month rolling contract.
I noticed Gifgaff have £5 with no contract.

I will get a local Cambodian number while there, but is there any cheap way to keep my UK number running? I would also use for whats app etc, and like to keep the number so when I return.

Can I just change to PAYG, is this possible? In theory I will not be spending any money on the sim. But I want to keep it live, maybe send a text each month. Are phone companies obliged to let me change to PAYG knowing I will barely use the sim.

Thanks

I recently moved a Three contract number to Three PAYG without issue at the end of the contract minimum term. Have Three not offered this option ?

diamonds

HGS wrote: »

if they speak they are generally lying

So true, worse since 3care (cough) was sold off to third party, it was bad enough before.

eDicky

marcus-darkus wrote: »

I will get a local Cambodian number while there, but is there any cheap way to keep my UK number running? I would also use for whats app etc, and like to keep the number so when I return.

The WhatsApp installed on your phone will continue to work normally with the Cambodian sim, or any other. Only if you set up the same WhatsApp account again, such as in a new phone, do you need the sim with the original number to receive the code.

Make sure that whatever PAYG sim you choose is able to roam in Cambodia, to send/receive SMS. A Three sim failed to roam in Bhutan and Singapore for me last year, for unknown reasons (but worked elsewhere).

My daughter was able to keep her number while overseas by having it suspended on request, O2 network I think.

IcingQueen

If you can't to keep your number, your apps like whatsapp, viber will still work based on the old number even if you change your sim card to cambodian one- so long as the phone is unlocked and the apps are installed based on old phone number it should be fine. A network as big as 3 should be able to help transfer your number (usually for free)-you just have to ask for PAC and then transfer that to a network with a pay as you go sim on any network that has no contract. Sims can be monthly bundles or pay as you go without monthly rollover. Please google (I can't paste link) kenstechtips and pac code and three keep number or just google keep 3 number they should give you PAC for free to transfer your number to new network.

HGS

Apologies the integration with my iPad seemed to have gone haywire.

Glad to hear you have had good service in Glasgow, and were able to find he executive department but given you are not in Spain, and I only got passed to the Excutive Office after two months of email exchange with India and requesting the address for service of County Court Papers I don't see the comparison.

I was also told to go PAYG by customer services having fully explained my situation and had no access to any paperwork at the time of transfer (2 years ago).

I was trying to give a balanced answer to the guy going to Cambodia as I have been away a while so don't shoot the messenger.

System

I'm struggling to find what 3 did wrong in your case. I would personally never rely on a roaming sim for long term emergency use.

HGS wrote: »

Apologies the integration with my iPad seemed to have gone haywire.

Glad to hear you have had good service in Glasgow, and were able to find he executive department but given you are not in Spain, and I only got passed to the Excutive Office after two months of email exchange with India and requesting the address for service of County Court Papers I don't see the comparison.

I was also told to go PAYG by customer services having fully explained my situation and had no access to any paperwork at the time of transfer (2 years ago).

I was trying to give a balanced answer to the guy going to Cambodia as I have been away a while so don't shoot the messenger.

HGS

They advised me it suited my needs when it didn't.

For reference they have now admitted their failings, did return my credit and gave me more compensation than I requested.

Had I been able to avoid India from the equation the outcome would have been a speedy resolution and my simple request for the refund of my credit on the mis sold sim which is all I originally wanted would have sufficed. The compensation was for two months of lies and misinformation from a customer service and complaints department that did nothing more than compound the situation leaving me no option than to seek a legal judgement on the facts.

When a product is mis sold when you clearly explain that you are not going on holiday but leaving the country for the foreseeable future then you do have a right to expect a fair resolution and I got that today.

In my opinion there are better companies to use for extended travel but clearly some don't agree and I don't have a problem with that but was surprised they have a problem with me getting the justice I deserved and that they seemed to think was not possible.

This is a money saving forum and I saved my money because I knew my legal rights.