3 Retention Deals

dominiquereynolds

Mrs_Know_It_All wrote: »

! I am trying to avoid calling 3 cs :mad: as they are useless, I think last time was on the phone for over 1 hr and I hate it!.

Last month I found the process straight forward and got an amazing deal on Sim only £7 a month for mix and match 900mins, 2gb data and 3300 3 t0 3 call. A 12 month contract but I know I will just stay on it afterwards!!!

The CS person was extremely polite and helpful. The call only lasted 10 mins.

bachgammon

I called CS and pushed for an 18 month deal on an HTC Desire for £25 a month but they only offered it to me for £33 a month.

I like the idea of the Sim only deal though. I might push for it.

Do you think that actually obtaining a PAC code strengthens my negotiating hand or weakens it?

I'm paying about £20 a month for my current contract. Not sure how valuable my custom is for them.

I'm hoping for some good introductory deals next month with another network..

R

starM

Hi,

My partner is currently on mix & match 500 and pays £10.50 (normal line rental is £18)

I rang 3 and we have been told that if she do an upgrade she loose her discount of £7.50.

Is that true? or is the advisor was just telling me lies.

MS

JamesLB

starM wrote: »

Hi,

My partner is currently on mix & match 500 and pays £10.50 (normal line rental is £18)

I rang 3 and we have been told that if she do an upgrade she loose her discount of £7.50.

Is that true? or is the advisor was just telling me lies.

MS

I was told the same when I rang up. I would hold out and not accept losing your loyalty discount. I've had to renew two contracts recently and both times they had 'forgotten' or "not noticed" my loyalty discount - even though both times I had told them how long I'd been a customer and outright said that I knew how much loyalty discount was on the account.

Seems to me that the upgrade process with Three has gotten a lot harder and misleading. They seem boarderline aggressive when you don't take the first offer they give you and I had one salesman demanding I give him the website address for the company who could offer anything close in price. When I did he just ignored it.

One of the new 'tricks' seems to be telling you that you lose your loyalty bonus if you change price plan. Logically, this makes no sense at all and one thing with Three is that persistence pays off. I've lost count how many times I've said to them "...but that's the same price as on the website for new customers".

My advice - don't bother haggling - know what price you can get the phone/tariff for elsewhere and tell them. When they start interrogating you and confusing you by "analysing your usage and needs" just tell them your grateful for their help but that you'd rather cancel your contract and have your PAC code (the code you need to set-up your mobile number with another network). I'm almost certain that it's the PAC code request that triggers the process for the Options Department (these are the people who have a lot of discretion when offering deals) to call you back with deals that are comparable and sometimes better than the cashback deals from places like e2save.

Until they're calling you with deals, you're unlikely to be taken seriously and the hours you spend discussing your upgrade are a waste of time. Three always used to be the cheapest but the deals they offer now are often more expensive than elsewhere - unless they're calling you.

In answer to your question, I don't know if I'd go so far as to say they're lying, but over the past few months their strategy seems to have changed and they're getting as sly and tricky as the dodgiest of used-car salesman. Get yourself in a position where the Options Team are calling you and at least then you'll know that whatever they offer you, it really is the best deal they can provide.

ace101

JamesLB wrote: »

I was told the same when I rang up. I would hold out and not accept losing your loyalty discount. I've had to renew two contracts recently and both times they had 'forgotten' or "not noticed" my loyalty discount - even though both times I had told them how long I'd been a customer and outright said that I knew how much loyalty discount was on the account.

Seems to me that the upgrade process with Three has gotten a lot harder and misleading. They seem boarderline aggressive when you don't take the first offer they give you and I had one salesman demanding I give him the website address for the company who could offer anything close in price. When I did he just ignored it.

One of the new 'tricks' seems to be telling you that you lose your loyalty bonus if you change price plan. Logically, this makes no sense at all and one thing with Three is that persistence pays off. I've lost count how many times I've said to them "...but that's the same price as on the website for new customers".

My advice - don't bother haggling - know what price you can get the phone/tariff for elsewhere and tell them. When they start interrogating you and confusing you by "analysing your usage and needs" just tell them your grateful for their help but that you'd rather cancel your contract and have your PAC code (the code you need to set-up your mobile number with another network). I'm almost certain that it's the PAC code request that triggers the process for the Options Department (these are the people who have a lot of discretion when offering deals) to call you back with deals that are comparable and sometimes better than the cashback deals from places like e2save.

Until they're calling you with deals, you're unlikely to be taken seriously and the hours you spend discussing your upgrade are a waste of time. Three always used to be the cheapest but the deals they offer now are often more expensive than elsewhere - unless they're calling you.

In answer to your question, I don't know if I'd go so far as to say they're lying, but over the past few months their strategy seems to have changed and they're getting as sly and tricky as the dodgiest of used-car salesman. Get yourself in a position where the Options Team are calling you and at least then you'll know that whatever they offer you, it really is the best deal they can provide.

Just rang them yesterday to upgrade and they gave me the N8 (free) for £15 a month, with 500 mins, 5000 3-3, 3000 texts, 2GB internet usage, (18 months).

Gave this within 10 minutes of calling.

JamesLB

ace101 wrote: »

Just rang them yesterday to upgrade and they gave me the N8 (free) for £15 a month, with 500 mins, 5000 3-3, 3000 texts, 2GB internet usage, (18 months).

Gave this within 10 minutes of calling.

Yeah - as I said in my post it was only based on my recent experience. They seem to be trying to flog those N8s and were eager for me to take a similar deal on one but I'm not interested in a non-Android/non iOS phone.

Still a good deal for a fully-featured phone though you must have been lucky to get there after 10minutes - it also seems to be down to who you speak to on the phone.

spaceman5

ace101 wrote: »

Just rang them yesterday to upgrade and they gave me the N8 (free) for £15 a month, with 500 mins, 5000 3-3, 3000 texts, 2GB internet usage, (18 months).

Gave this within 10 minutes of calling.

they also gave me a free iphone 4 for £35 per month, which i gladly accepted, and it was their first offer, and i never go over my monthly allownces so not as if i am a big customer for them

ace101

spaceman5 wrote: »

they also gave me a free iphone 4 for £35 per month, which i gladly accepted, and it was their first offer, and i never go over my monthly allownces so not as if i am a big customer for them

Yeah its the same with me, have not really been over by a lot, so I took the N8 straight away, now I have two N8's

They offered me the iphone 4 (£349) on 12months at £20, think it was 300 minutes and the rest of the perks they give with it.

jam_tomorrow

Hi, I have thee contracts with 3 all are due upgrades as the contracts are up in January.
Myslf And boyfriend are on £20 texter ( 200 mins anytime, free 3 to 3 and unlimited internet) and we have a discount of £6. Son is on £15 texter (100 mins, free3 to 3 and free internet)

For Christmas daughter would like a blackberry on contract (she is currently on orange payg ) and son would like iphone if at all doable.

Myself and boyfriend are happy to keep are exsisting handsets

Any advice as to how to go about this as a package, ie could I take out a new sim only contract for daughter then use my upgrade to get her blackberry and swap the sims over so she doesn't end up with my number(can you do that).

What do you think they should be offering me given that I've been with them for 4 years, have 3 contracts and am looking to take out the 4th?

Any advice welcomed

Mrs_Know_It_All

jam_tomorrow wrote: »

Any advice as to how to go about this as a package, ie could I take out a new sim only contract for daughter then use my upgrade to get her blackberry and swap the sims over so she doesn't end up with my number(can you do that).

What do you think they should be offering me given that I've been with them for 4 years, have 3 contracts and am looking to take out the 4th?

Any advice welcomed

I think they should give you a pretty good deal. I have done this in the past when my husband got a phone I wanted (he has been with 3 for about 10 yrs) and then we swapped sim cards. iphone 4 may require haggling though...

Thanks all for the advice. I will call them in the next couple of weeks and let you know how I got on. N8 on £15 is a pretty good deal I would say (I think it's normally £35).