3 mobile broadband

DEBTMONKEY1A

Hi all,

Due to a not very good at all (! ) credit rating....I'm very interested in the THREE pay as you go dongle. Where I live my other 1/2 pays phone bill (phone not used 99% of the time!) & my current internt is provided by my old employer & will be cut soon. So I don't really have the need for a phone line...

my current connection is only 1/2gig-fine as I just browse really-if I do download anything big-such as a bit torrent (& even then it's only every 2 months or so!) i just leave computer on overnight. Apart from that-browsing only+e-mail.

Best price I've seen is £45 delivered from Amazon-anyone know of any better deals or if in fact I'm doing the right thing??

Anything that involves a contract I will be turned down for..& am reluctant to put any new braodband contract in other 1/2's name...

Comments/help appreciated??

Edinburghlass_2

Edinburghlass wrote: »

Pre-pay dongle available on Play.com for £39/99

http://www.play.com/Mobiles/Mobile/4-/5180741/USB-Pre-Pay-Broadband-Modem-Dongle-On-3/Product.html

...............

Dead1nside

angusforbes wrote: »

It's been pulled - must have had a huge sign up
Angus

Thanks for clarifying that. Anyone expect them to come out with another hot offer or should I use my £50 Off from my student account on any 18 month package? Cheers.

HelenYorkshire

fifitrix123 wrote: »

3 executive office number is 08707330295

I am battling with them too about mobile phone signal

Loadsa peeps having trouble with net and they are not budging or doing anything so try ofcom tooo!!

Address email to KEVIN RUSSEL CEO

Hi,
Silly question - where would I stand? I got a contract in Dec 07, either 12 or 18 months can't remember! but since Jan 08 I've had such problems - not with the signal strength (number of bars) - this is always fine. Here's a summary I sent to 3 today: (modem was "repaired" about 2 weeks ago - only a few months after problems started :mad:)
"Despite repair the same problem persists, i.e. when on HSDPA the modem functions well but when it is on 3G it does not function AT ALL (I don't mean it's slow - I mean nothing comes up, I constantly refresh the page, it times out, and this can go on for 10, 20 minutes). The signal strength is always on 4 or 5 bars (i.e. it is not due to poor signal).
I am fully aware that 3G is slower BUT as I keep telling tech support, it is NOT acceptable that NOTHING can be loaded.
The broadband speed tests are often invalid as my modem "flickers" between 3G and HSDPA every minute or so.
This problem has been ongoing for several months now (first occured in January 08!), unfortunately I am now considering terminating the contract due to lack of service.
Please advise."

Is your problem similar? Is there some kind of reference I could quote to ofcom to bunch all our complaints together as it were?
Also would their cruddy service and reluctance to do ANYTHING except quote scripts at me be grounds for cancelling the contract with no penalty?
If they'd charge me for rest of contract regardless then I'll keep the scraps of service I do get but NOT amused!

To anyone reading - AVOID.
Use your local library instead :rotfl:

HelenYorkshire

You gotta laugh - 3mobile is now refusing to load Ofcom webpages.....
Guilty conscience perhaps??

Oskness_Monster

Just thought I'd add in my own experience of 3 and their mobile broadband...

Went in to the shop on Sunday and went for the £15/month, 5GB limit, 18month contract option (having missed the Quidco option). I had some minor problems installing the modem (took ages for my computer to recognise it as a non-corrupt device, and the autorun died in mid-application so I just browsed the "drive" and installed it manually), and I had to reboot my computer a few times before the 3 modem program declared my modem valid, but otherwise it seemed ok. Until I tried to use it... Even google took about 10mins to load, so I went to a few braodband speed checker sites and found out that my download speed was 10Kbps (which by the way is less than 20% the speed of dial-up). Despite this the internet icon in my system tray said I was getting a speed of 3.6Mbps, and the signal icon in the connection box (i.e. the thing you bring up to connect to the net) shows a great signal (or maybe it's not a signal indicator and is just a non-changing picture, although I don't see the point in that). Very early Monday morning I was getting a mighty 300Kbps which felt like lightning in comparison, but since then it's been about 40Kbps constantly. I returned it within the 3 day returns policy and they seemed to think that it might be a dodgy modem so they've given me a new one with the promise that I can return it again if it's still rubbish (which it is btw). So that's where I'm going tomorrow after work!

I also had some strange problems with the modem itself, and wondered if anyone else has had the same problem. Think of what the computer does when you insert a USB flash drive (i.e. that dialog box that appears), and think of the error message you get when you try to launch a program when the CD isn't in the drive. Every so often these two messages come up in alternate pattern, and you have to close it to continue using the computer, but then it reappears less than a second later, and so on, about 30ish times, before it just leaves me alone again. This has happened with both modems 3 gave me. If I were keeping 3 I'd bother to find out why it's happening.

On the plus side though, their customer service in the store (Tunbridge Wells) was very good, none of this patronising talk that a female often can receive in such stores from a guy who pretends he knows something about computers when he knows less than my 5 year old nephew. Hopefully I'll be as happy with their service tomorrow when I return the second modem :-)

ian_h

I have just bought a new laptop with an integrated 3g Mobile Broadband modem, its unlocked and as i only need PAYG 3 seems to be the best deal.

Their local shop tells me I MUST buy a dongle to get service even though I dont need it and wont use it.

Does anyone know if I was to buy a SIM only (£9.99) on their site and then apply a top up and convert it to a data add-on whether this would work or do they issue a different type of sim for 3g data access?

carlm1984

Hi All,

I was asking the other day bout this and i got mixed reviews.
I was wondering what people think of this deal http://threestore.three.co.uk/dealsummary.aspx?offercode=24LP5GD001&hompepage=1
is it a gooden? cause im thinking of getting it but not to sure

x2o

carlm1984 wrote: »

Hi All,

I was asking the other day bout this and i got mixed reviews.
I was wondering what people think of this deal http://threestore.three.co.uk/dealsummary.aspx?offercode=24LP5GD001&hompepage=1
is it a gooden? cause im thinking of getting it but not to sure

Have you been to a local three store if not why not ring them up and see if they will give you a demo of the laptop and wireless connection.

It looks like you have 14 days money back so you got a chance to get a refund if your not happy:

Laptop Peace of Mind Guarantee
If you're a new Mobile Broadband customer who purchased or were supplied with your USB
modem online via 3 Store and you were also supplied with a laptop (by Westcoast Limited) as
part of your Mobile Broadband package, and for some reason you change your mind, you can
return your modem together with the laptop within 14 days of purchase. If you do not use the
modem or laptop you must return both the modem (and the SIM pack with the seals intact)
and the laptop. If you have used the modem and/or the laptop we will accept it back with the
seals broken provided that you have not used the modem (or the laptop) for more than 3
consecutive days. In both circumstances, both the modem (and the SIM pack) plus the laptop
must be returned in an 'as new' or 'as sold' condition within 14 days of the date of purchase. If
you do not do this, we may not permit you to return your modem and laptop and cancel your
agreement with us or we (or Westcoast Limited in relation to the laptop) may charge you for
any items or components that are missing or have been damaged from either the modem or
the laptop.
For the full details of our returns policy, see "Care3" on three.co.uk or the information
contained in your USB modem box.

To be honest it really depends what your looking for in your broadband and where you will use it if your just going to use it at home then their are cheaper options around with out a 24 month contract.

As for laptops you can pick them up around £150 so I would check the spec out too.

stephk_2

Hi All

I came across this thread a week or two ago - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1042957 and posted there but as this one is more current (and more people are on here) I will update here. I called the dreadful 'customer services' in India on 8th August and as usual you are on hold forever to get through to the technical team. They even took my fiance through some kind of re-installation process but to no avail and now it doesnt work at all - the light doesnt even come on. I called customer service again that day and spoke to Nishreen who told me she was the most senior person there and she had final say and I could not cancel my contract, if I cancelled then I had to pay £174. I told her that the contract was not being fulfilled from thier end, I had done everything asked of me and the product was not fit for the purpose etc. She then gave me some bu11 that I could have cancelled any time within 3 months and I had gone beyond that!! I challenged her to tell me which paragraph of the contract this was stated in and obviously she couldnt tell me as it was a downright lie. I told her that three are in breach of various UK consumer laws and I wanted to take the matter further so wanted to know who I could escalate to above her, if she was the most senior manager present there. She gave me the address of the Glasgow customer services. So I posted my letter to them and sent a copy to Andrew Mein in the Maidenhead HQ.

If I get no joy, I am fully prepared to go through the group suggestions of Ofcom/Watchdog/Trading standards and am happy to join any movement with people on here.

I will keep you all updated. Glad it works for some people though.