Switched from 3 to 3. Odd process.

Beartricks

Hi,


I'm with 3, was looking to upgrade and wasn't happy with any of the deals. I found an affiliate link on a tech website that offered a better deal than searching onthe 3 website. Essentially, I clicked it and it took me to the official 3 site with that deal now in my basket.



I contacted 3, they told me that they couldn't find the deal on their website so I just went ahead and bought it through the affiliate link. There was an option to port my number over during the process. I picked the phone up from the 3 store the next day.



On the day my number was due to port over, it didn't. I contacted them and the advisor said it would be quicker and easier just to change the terms of my current contract and put my old sim in the new phone then cancel the new contract. I said fine, and it was processed. They said I might receive a call to confirm.


I got a call a few minutes later. The advisor told me I'd be receiving my new handset the following day. I told them I didn't need a handset because I already had one, but apparently I was to call up the next day and cancel the new contract then return the first handset to them. I was baffled. They actually called me the next day to arrange this, and immediately transferred me to another team who had no idea what I was talking about but tried to cancel the new contract anyway for me. They eventually couldn't because I didn't have the phone number or serial number on me so I have to call back when I do.


This seems like an incredibly convoluted way of doing things but it is the norm? I already had a phone, which I luckily hadn't really used aside from activating the sim just before I contacted about the number. It seems ridiculous to send me an additional phone, then to send the other one back which will now presumably have to be sold as a refurb? Could they not have just allowed me to put my old sim in the phone?


My guess is that either the advisor didn't know what she was doing, or has engineered a return on an item that the 3rd party site possibly earns commission on in order to earn the commission herself? Is it worth complaining to 3 about this?

[Deleted User]

Beartricks wrote: »

Hi,


I'm with 3, was looking to upgrade and wasn't happy with any of the deals. I found an affiliate link on a tech website that offered a better deal than searching onthe 3 website. Essentially, I clicked it and it took me to the official 3 site with that deal now in my basket.



I contacted 3, they told me that they couldn't find the deal on their website so I just went ahead and bought it through the affiliate link. There was an option to port my number over during the process. I picked the phone up from the 3 store the next day.



On the day my number was due to port over, it didn't. I contacted them and the advisor said it would be quicker and easier just to change the terms of my current contract and put my old sim in the new phone then cancel the new contract. I said fine, and it was processed. They said I might receive a call to confirm.


I got a call a few minutes later. The advisor told me I'd be receiving my new handset the following day. I told them I didn't need a handset because I already had one, but apparently I was to call up the next day and cancel the new contract then return the first handset to them. I was baffled. They actually called me the next day to arrange this, and immediately transferred me to another team who had no idea what I was talking about but tried to cancel the new contract anyway for me. They eventually couldn't because I didn't have the phone number or serial number on me so I have to call back when I do.


This seems like an incredibly convoluted way of doing things but it is the norm? I already had a phone, which I luckily hadn't really used aside from activating the sim just before I contacted about the number. It seems ridiculous to send me an additional phone, then to send the other one back which will now presumably have to be sold as a refurb? Could they not have just allowed me to put my old sim in the phone?


My guess is that either the advisor didn't know what she was doing, or has engineered a return on an item that the 3rd party site possibly earns commission on in order to earn the commission herself? Is it worth complaining to 3 about this?

Complain? What exactly about? What resolution are you after?

sal_III

You are free to complain, likely will get a quick £5-10 in account credit to close the complaint there and then.

jb66

You cant port from three to three, its the same company

flashg67

to keep your number on any network, you need to port out to a different network (new sim) then port back in to the original network. - doing this might stll be the best option - doesn't take long
It looks like you've just bought another contract and phone with a new number and are trying to port your number within the same network, which can't be done. 3 sound like they've tried to untangle this by cancelling your new contract.

alfie1950

On 3 you just take out a new contract ( from wherever ) then ring 3 and ask them to convert your existing contract to pay as you go because you want to transfer your number to the new contract. It isn't porting because it's the same network and it isn't instant.
When I did it , the old contract converted to pay as you go after 30 days and they then ended and transferred the number.
It worked seamlessly but as I say , you have to wait 30 days until the old contract converts.

PHK

If they have cancelled the third party contract you might find yourself with a bill. Several of the cheaper third parties have clauses that say if you cancel (which means they don't get their commission) then you have to pay the subsidy amount for the phone.

mobilejunkie

PHK wrote: »

If they have cancelled the third party contract you might find yourself with a bill. Several of the cheaper third parties have clauses that say if you cancel (which means they don't get their commission) then you have to pay the subsidy amount for the phone.

They can't charge if purchased remotely and cancelled within 14 days of receipt.

PHK

But this doesn't look like a cancellation under consumer legislation. It looks like Three initiated it and it's unclear if the handset has been returned to the third party seller.

Beartricks

Hi everyone. It wasn't a third party seller, it was with Three but it was a deal not normally available on their website which was only available through an affiliate link with a tech website.


I'd imagine that the tech website gets a kickback from Three for the referral under normal circumstances. I'd spoken to Three beforehand and they were not willing to give me a good deal as an existing customer so I went via the affiliate link and just started a new contract, I also went through TopCashBack at the same time to maximise my profits.


I checked my bank statements at the weekend, it does seem like Three have charged the up front cost for the handset twice. They have also failed to knock £10 off my bill for the disruption a few weeks ago (which genuinely left me stranded in the middle of the countryside) as they said they would.


I have the phone now, my contract has changed and they sent me a pre-paid envelope in which to post the original phone however none of the advisors I have spoken to seem to understand what I am talking about when I try to explain the situation to them. Trying to figure out how to explain that they now owe me about £40.