Is text INFO service binding? (Three)

nightowl45

I'm currently in a 12 month sim-only contract with Three started in September 2019, and am looking to to switch to o2 to use with a new Apple Watch.

There have been a number of system issues with Three preventing the text service from working and not being able to login to the website, but today I've finally managed to get hold of a PAC code.

I have a reply from the the text INFO service stating that my outstanding balance is "0 GBP", and a screenshot of the website telling me the same. Looking at the Ofcom site this service should be telling me if there are additional charges I need to pay to end my contract early, so in theory I shouldn't have anything to pay? I'm just surprised because I haven't been with them 12 months yet. If there was a dispute, would my text showing I don't owe anything hold up, or might I end up having to pay cancellation charges?

Obviously I've tried to contact Three but there's no live chat available and don't fancy spending hours on the phone, so wondered if anybody here knew.

5limJim74

I had exactly the same issue. I received a text message that said my final bill would have been £12, and including my PAC, I had thought there may have been some termination charges but the rest didn’t say so.. 

once I had switched to my new provider three sent me a final bill of 75 quid.. I went into live chat to raise a complaint, did the same as you, screen shot the message and quoted it when speaking to the advisor..  I said that had I known there were that much in the way of charges I wouldn’t have moved so used the information they sent me in good faith to switch.

they made several offers, I could have pushed a bit further to get it to absolute zero, but they agreed to reduce the charges to £15, I had thought there was one month left but turns out it was 6.. I may have got lucky... 

nightowl45

5limJim74 said:

I had exactly the same issue. I received a text message that said my final bill would have been £12, and including my PAC, I had thought there may have been some termination charges but the rest didn’t say so.. 

once I had switched to my new provider three sent me a final bill of 75 quid.. I went into live chat to raise a complaint, did the same as you, screen shot the message and quoted it when speaking to the advisor..  I said that had I known there were that much in the way of charges I wouldn’t have moved so used the information they sent me in good faith to switch.

they made several offers, I could have pushed a bit further to get it to absolute zero, but they agreed to reduce the charges to £15, I had thought there was one month left but turns out it was 6.. I may have got lucky... 

That's really helpful, thanks. I figured something like that must be going on.

I've just checked the text and the full wording is: "If you switch today, your final bill will be 0 GBP. Visit !!!!!!/2lPsxNl to find out more or call us immediately on 333 if you haven't requested switching information."

However, on the Three website it states: "You can also get your outstanding charges via SMS. Just text INFO and your date of birth (DDMMYY) to 85075. Your outstanding amount doesn’t include any discounts or charges." (my emphasis) so definitely making it ambiguous and confusing.

I think Ofcom would take a fairly dim view if they knew Three were excluding charges from the INFO text, as it appears they are from your experience.

Frozen_up_north

Three chat via their app was working yesterday morning, I started as 50 in the queue but only waited around a minute.