3 Retention Deals

mariusvb

Lynsey wrote: »

Do you need to ask for your PAC code to get the best deals??
If I get the £5 deal I stay, if not I don't.

Lynsey

Always worth trying. They rang me back today with an offer for SE W910, £15 a month. But they wanted to cut in half available minutes and text messages (250/50). Refused that and will wait for a week. Then off to another network..

cluuuuur

My current mobile phone contract will run until 7th April 2007. I'm on 3 currently, happy with their service, etc, but out for a better deal really since I'm expecting my first baby at the end of April, and as such will be on very little money (thanks SMP/lack of contractual maternity pay!)

With 3, I currently pay £35 (I think...) for 300 any network/time minutes, 1000 texts, 50 MMS and the other stuff 3 throw in; downloads, MSN, video minutes. Ideally I need around 4-500 minutes and at least 600 texts - I'm a heavy user and it's only going to worsen when I'm on maternity leave as my mobile is my method of contact with the outside world.

Until coming back to MSE yesterday, my original plan was to cancel contract/get PAC code on 7th March (thus giving me 30 days notice as 3 stipulate) and go for Orange Dolphin at Carphone Warehouse, keep my own number and get 500 x-net anytime mins and unlimited text for £35 a month - first 6 months at half price and new phone.

Then I read the 3 retentions thread, and now I'm confused

I'd be so greatful if someone could check my new plan of action (!) to make sure I'm understanding this process correctly - I really don't want to lose my number (I've had the same one for 8 years and it's important that I keep it) and I'm now stressing myself between trying for a good retention deal and keeping my own number for definite - as well as making sure I've officially cancelled my 3 contract if I don't get a good retentions deal!

Plan of action is: early March call 3 and request PAC code and give notice that I want my contract to finish on 7th april - when my 18 months is up. Hold fire until approx 4/5th April and cross fingers that 3 come up with a retention deal to suit me. If they don't, on this date go to Carphone Warehouse and purchase shiny new phone/contract and give them the PAC code - number is ported over.

The thing that's stressing me most is that on 3's website it says PAC codes last for 30 days. My understanding is that porting takes around 7 days. So do I have to sign up for a new contract, say, around day 23 of my notice to ensure that I keep my old number, or do I just have to literally give the PAC code to my new provider on day 30 and it will definitely still go over? If my 3 contract ends on day 30 and I'm not using the PAC code until day 30, that technically means that the number won't port til day 37 - a week after my contract expires. So would I still be able to keep my number leaving it until this date?

You can probably see how I'm confusing myself, right?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give. Apologies if I shouldn't have started a new thread for this - wasn't sure whether to or if I should post in 3 retentions.

samba

cluuuuur wrote: »

Plan of action is: early March call 3 and request PAC code and give notice that I want my contract to finish on 7th april - when my 18 months is up. Hold fire until approx 4/5th April and cross fingers that 3 come up with a retention deal to suit me. If they don't, on this date go to Carphone Warehouse and purchase shiny new phone/contract and give them the PAC code - number is ported over.

Why not ring them early March to give notice to cancel contract, then call a week or two later to request PAC code?

diamonds

technically up till the 30th day you can have the port actioned by your new network on thier system, so as you say to avoid the 7 day over your 3 contract period hand it to your new network on the 23rd day

cluuuuur

Brilliant, thank you!

cluuuuur

Decided to give 3 a ring to check on my contract situation - it actually expires 2 days earlier than I'd thought...bonus.

Got offered
750 x-net anytime mins
650 texts
50 pic messages
50 video minutes
N95
For £35.

She's ringing me back tonight.

Now I'm really tempted, since this suits my needs (and the picture messages are a real bonus, since on Orange I'd be paying for them, and I imagine that once I've had my baby I'll be wanting to send some out) but I'm torn in case they offer me something better - reading through the whole of this thread would indicate that offers usually get better as time goes on, but I'm also scared of losing an offer that suits me nicely.

I'm going to ask her tonight what it would cost WITHOUT the N95, even though I want a new phone. I guess I could always pick one up off Ebay or something with the excess cash and I don't really need a new phone. It's just I'm a sucker for a gadget, and...mmm, shiney.

Anyone with more experience of haggling than I do like to give me some thoughts?!

JohnnyL_2

Just rung 3 as my contract is up in a month and told them I wanted to terminate. I said I was leaving as I wanted a cheaper deal and they offered me a K800i with 250 mins and 50 text for £15. I said some of my friends had been offered retention deals for £5 and £10 recently. He said they had stopped offering them due to the fact they were offered without a phone and customers were calling in after 3 months looking for a replacement as there's had broken. I told a white lie and said a friend had been offered the deal on Saturday, hence the deal must still be alive. He denied it.

I then proceeded to take my pac number and 30 days notice. I suppose I just wait now to see if they ring with a better deal.

Anon

JohnnyL wrote: »

I said some of my friends had been offered retention deals for £5 and £10 recently. He said they had stopped offering them due to the fact they were offered without a phone ...

From previous page ...

sam1970 wrote: »

i took my pac code from 3 on monday as their offers were no good for some one like me who has been with them from day one when they started...they denied the existance of £5/month for life deal which i wanted....passed the pac code to vodafone to get the new samsung f700...on wednesday 3 called me to offer me 500 min and 100 texts per month for £5 for life with a new handset (SE k800i)....i happily accepted the offer:D

It seems being patient and waiting can pay off. Deals seem to change by the week (day ... minute :rolleyes: ) at Three Retentions and some CS then appear to forget they existed ...

Anon

northernlights

JohnnyL wrote: »

denied it.

I then proceeded to take my pac number and 30 days notice. I suppose I just wait now to see if they ring with a better deal.

They wouldn't give me my PAC number and let me give 30 days notice at the same time, said it was either one or the other, due to the fact the PAC expired within a month if you don't use it, so I decided to terminate my contract. No deal was offered, all I got was the explanation of when my final bill would arrive....

Maybe they aren't interested in keeping their customers!

Ferris

northernlights wrote: »

They wouldn't give me my PAC number and let me give 30 days notice at the same time, said it was either one or the other, due to the fact the PAC expired within a month if you don't use it, so I decided to terminate my contract. No deal was offered, all I got was the explanation of when my final bill would arrive....

if you do want to keep your number, ring up closer to end point (if they haven't offered any deals) and ask for your SIM to be converted to payg at the end of the contract. that way the contract definitely ends on the last day of the contract, but you still keep your number, and you can get a PAC on the PAYG at a later date should you wish. the conversion from contract to PAYG can (in theory) be done overnight, so no need for notice periods.

beware though, although mine went through smoothly enough, my sister had problems (they put her onto a new contract at £21/month without asking her!), as did gunjack on this thread.