Stolen phone, insurance and Three's incompetence

Zuzi

I was going to post this in Phones but then found this section, since this is a vent incl. warning it's probably more suited.

I'll try to cut a long story short. Mid May, my phone was stolen, snatched out of my hand by a guy on a bike. Filed a crime report, phoned Three (my provider) the same day to block the SIM and order a new one.

The phone was luckily insured so once I found the contract number, few days later I started compiling the claim (it's with insurance2go). My first insurance claim ever, so it was interesting to see what documents I'd need to provide (proof of purchase, proof of usage, proof of barring).

My phone was directly from store, not via Three, but it's only ever been used with a Three SIM card. That's when the "fun" started with Three's CS. Don't get me wrong, their team are polite, but it is starting to rub me up the wrong way because even though in each interaction they confirm how "they care", "everything will be sorted out at the earliest", "rest assured this will be done today" - in spite of all these assurances I got NOWHERE in a month and counting. 

First it took an unreasonable amount of time to explain what I needed from them (proof of usage and barring, you'd think they provide these frequently so it's a form that just fills in with the customer data), then there was an issue that I wasn't receiving their emails to my main inbox so we had to update the email address. Then I received the document, but for some reason as "last usage" it had an April date on it. 

I submitted that to insurance2go but this was of course rejected, they said they need to see usage up until the incident.

Naively, I responded to Three's email with the original document asking for an update to the document. Don't think anyone's read it, apparently they use a CRM system that doesn't even flag that a customer tried to communicate with them.

So again, I live chatted to someone who two weeks ago promised the document would be updated to include the day of the theft (Three have of course charged me for connections up until that day, so it is curious why they did not use the same data for "usage" purposes). After a week of waiting I raised a complaint via their online form, saying I really need the document rather than yet another discussion about this, when forced I said OK contact me in the evenings if necessary. 

They tried calling Sunday lunch-time, and then sent a text that I need to get back to them because there has been an update to my complaint. So this morning, reluctantly, I live chatted to them again, and they said they need the first and last usage dates - from me, to provide the document. The absolute lack of proactive outreach probably masks the fact that they work in a chaotic, uncoordinated way, and I am only waiting for the document to sever all my ties with Three and never be their customer again.

They promised a credit of 5 (five) pounds, which 5 minutes later became 10 pounds, and said the document would be with me today (something I do not believe, based on the experience so far). I then politely ended the chat since I had to start work - 30 mins later got a text "sorry we got disconnected" and they tried to call again!! There is NOTHING more that I want to discuss with them.

I have, in the meantime, sent itemised bills - which fortunately are available online - to insurance2go, so hoping that will be enough as proof of usage. But I still find it shocking to see how Three handles these situations where their customers are hundreds of pounds out of pocket and stressed.

TLDR: prepare for a lot of back and forth if your phone with a Three SIM ever gets stolen, and you need Proof of Usage for your insurance claim.

Thanks for reading, if anyone has any comments or question I would be happy to respond, might provide an update when this saga ends.