3 (Three) Mobile Broadband USB Review - UK

Grandmama

Before I start this I have no connection with the 3 mobile firm. I bought a PAYgo Dongle beginning of August. Put £10 only on. Used most days of the 30 days allowed. In my Campervan so used it from Stoke on trent, Camping Southwards to Southampton and back up as far as Carnforth. No problems with connection anywhere. Surfed the net for at least half hour each day during August and accessed and sent emails. Only used 400mb in total for the £10, there was actually some money left before the 30 days expired.
What web pages is everybody accessing to create large downloads? Although my friend on a contract Vodaphone dongle went well over his limit, found it was google earth that was gobbling up the megabytes and the fact that he did not log off properly one day.

olaf-the-hairy

Really encouraged to see that so many people rightfully despise three as much as I! I have just paid a £75 cancellation fee so that I no longer have to deal with their shameful customer services department.
There is however a silver lining for any poor souls who have experienced the frustration of the over inflated data costs (£50 for 500MB!) when they exceed the monthly data allowance (contract only).

Although three will never disclose this information (and will purposely mislead their customers to prevent them from finding out), should you find yourself about to exceed your monthly data limit, you can simply buy a PAYG SIM and some credit for a few quid from a local 3 store and use that in your wireless dongle at the standard '£25 for 7GB' rate.
Little wonder that three don't want their customers to know when they can charge them 28 times the going rate for data outside of their monthly allowance!

Personally, I find that level of dishonesty to be nothing short of a disgrace to the industry. Legally, I suspect that they are also on pretty shaky ground as if you challenge them on it, they will knowingly withhold this information in order to leave you, the customer with no other option but to pay their extortionate premium rate.

I only hope that people will see this and pass it onto others so that they can save themselves time and money in future.

Oh, and the broadband service is painfully slow, bordering on useless and ground-breakingly unreliable too, even in a city centre!

bstock

olaf-the-hairy wrote: »

Really encouraged to see that so many people rightfully despise three as much as I!

Me too, bought mine on website, terrible service!
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1139653&page=2 for my posting

HelenYorkshire

My rant is on Internet Access board. Short version - live in "turbo" area, no signal problems, have been fightin with them since JANUARY about complete useless-ness (if that's a word!).
Have now reported them to consumer direct, OFCOM, BBC Watchdog, am about to email CEO and send complaint by recorded delivery (they ignored a normal letter).


:mad::mad::mad:

Dreamnine

I use a cheap 3 mobile a bluetooth dongle (£5) and a £5 internet add-on. For that I get speeds of 115.2kbps and about 3 or 4 gigs a month. Streaming video stutters a bit but I have only ever paid £5 a month.

redkitty_3

Ranty update: Wish I'd re-read this forum before I wrote my letter of complaint! I wrote to 3 explaining that I wanted my contract cancelled (without having to pay a cancellation fee etc) as the speed isn't broadband, but poor dialup and therefore isn't as described/up to scratch! I didn't expect to receive a call from a guy in India, who then went on to try and lie his way out by saying that my local exchange was having work done on it, hence the problems!! Outrageous!!

I challenged him and asked him how long this 'work' had been going on as I've been having these issues for 6+ months and after he couldn't answer, I told him that I had been having these issues all over the blasted country, and not just where I live!! Tosh!

They're sending someone to pick it up for 'repair' (as there's clearly something wrong with the modem and not their network!) - I asked him what would happen when I got it back and it was still the same and all he could say was that they would then sort the problem out again! I told him that by law, I was only going to give them one opportunity to repair and then would be cancelling my contract as the service clearly isn't as described and they're ripping me off. He then immediately told me that I couldn't cancel, to which I sharply said that I knew my rights (they obviously don't lol) and I damn well could and that they could try and sue me if they dared! Again, he just kept saying they would 'sort it out at their end'.

I am so angry - like I said, I'm giving them one chance and I'm really not expecting the problem to be resolved. I therefore suggest that ALL MONEYSAVERS/ANYONE ELSE should band together to try and sue the pants off 3 to get our money back! I really think this is the only course of action they'll take seriously..is there a Facebook group I can join on this? If not I'll set one up! Sure we can get a million members!

Who's with me?? :cool:

wheeze

I'm in for a fb group.

Mine disconnects every session, the most I manage to stay on line is about 20 mins

truly pants:mad:

shellnkeeley

wish i had read these before i went through the hassle of signing up to them, when i took it out i got told the area had very good coverage but when i got it home it was beyond slow, i rang up the technical support and the very helpful man asked me to put the extension thing onto the dongle, once i had done that he asked me to move it round and try holding it higher up, asked him if i was expected to sit with my hand over my head every time i wanted to use the internet? then was told to try and see if it worked in the garden, explained it was pouring down with rain to which his reply was well you wont know if it works if you dont try lol gave up in the end and took it back luckily it was within the cooling off period so didn't have any problems doing it, found tmobile much better

iamnotagiraffe

I have been shopping around for mobile broadband and it seems from 3 it is very cheap, cheap in the sense of not costing a lot, but not when it comes to value for money http://www.reviewcentre.com/products5362.html

I still might risk going with them but first I'd like to find something out. How does getting a contract with a free laptop complicates matters.....when it comes to a refund if service is poor etc (been told there have coverage in my area but barely get phone signal so I'm dubious).

Thanks

lauzjp

Am I alone in actually liking my 3 mobile dongle then?