Three - we dont do pay as you go phones anymore

Richard_TRichard_T Posts: 5,159
Forum Member
Crap service rant....

So today i popped into Nottingham and visited a three store looking for a basic ( ie old fashioned non smart) pay as you go phone, only to be told that they wont let me have one unless i take out a sim only contract with it ( sales assistant points to sim only deal poster on wall)
I asked if i could have it on pay as you go, and was told only with a sim only deal as per the board, then phone in question was the Samsung S5611 Utopia and the only way they could supply pay as you go phones was with a sim only deal - should i wish to use it on pay as you go I would need to visit a pound shop and buy a three sim card there and use the pay as you go sim with the sim only deal. I asked them So you dont do pay as you go phones, and was told only with a deal ( points at sim only contract board )

Comments

  • d123d123 Posts: 8,594
    Forum Member
    You should have asked for the Manager, it's obviously crap advice.

    S5611 is £39.99 on PAYG.

    http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Devices/Samsung/S5611_Utopia?priceplan=PAYG&featuretab=Design&memory=0&colour=Grey
  • mooxmoox Posts: 18,880
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Sounds like a classic case of "I'll sell you whatever makes me more commission".

    When I last went into a store asking for a PAYG SIM they tried to convince me to go on contract but weren't too fussed about giving me what I wanted

    I'd either buy it direct from 3 online or print out the page proving its existance, show it to them and demand that they sell you what you want
  • Randomguy1Randomguy1 Posts: 495
    Forum Member
    Three stores are really bad for this they are just as bad as phones4u were
  • biggytbiggyt Posts: 466
    Forum Member
    I asked in a three shop how much the Samsung S6 was on PAYG, the assistant said they didn't do it on PAYG
  • d123d123 Posts: 8,594
    Forum Member
    biggyt wrote: »
    I asked in a three shop how much the Samsung S6 was on PAYG, the assistant said they didn't do it on PAYG

    Why didn't you just go to the Three website and check? It's £599.99.

    http://www.three.co.uk/Samsung/Galaxy_S6?featuretab=Design&priceplan=PAYG&tab=Design.&memory=32&colour=Black_Sapphire

    You could even have done it instore and shown the salesman ;).
  • biggytbiggyt Posts: 466
    Forum Member
    d123 wrote: »
    Why didn't you just go to the Three website and check? It's £599.99.

    http://www.three.co.uk/Samsung/Galaxy_S6?featuretab=Design&priceplan=PAYG&tab=Design.&memory=32&colour=Black_Sapphire

    You could even have done it instore and shown the salesman ;).

    I was in town and saw the posters in the Three store advertising it, so thought I'd pop in and ask.
  • d123d123 Posts: 8,594
    Forum Member
    biggyt wrote: »
    I was in town and saw the posters in the Three store advertising it, so thought I'd pop in and ask.

    Bookmark the page (or print it out) and go back and educate the salesman in front of his manager.
  • OrbitalzoneOrbitalzone Posts: 12,627
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    It's probably his manager that's giving the staff pressure to sign up customers to contracts rather than PAYG :D
  • alan.walan.w Posts: 1,437
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    d123 wrote: »
    Why didn't you just go to the Three website and check? It's £599.99.

    http://www.three.co.uk/Samsung/Galaxy_S6?featuretab=Design&priceplan=PAYG&tab=Design.&memory=32&colour=Black_Sapphire

    You could even have done it instore and shown the salesman ;).

    £545 on amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Galaxy-SIM-Free-Android-Smartphone-Black-Sapphire/dp/B00UPCKMNI/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_4
  • mooxmoox Posts: 18,880
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    alan.w wrote: »
    £545 on amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Galaxy-SIM-Free-Android-Smartphone-Black-Sapphire/dp/B00UPCKMNI/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_4

    That isn't the european model though - it might have different 4G bands and you might have hassles if you need a warranty repair.

    I thought Samsung started a thing where the phone would not work unless a local SIM was used to "activate" the phone, is that still the case?
  • d123d123 Posts: 8,594
    Forum Member
    alan.w wrote: »
    £545 on amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Galaxy-SIM-Free-Android-Smartphone-Black-Sapphire/dp/B00UPCKMNI/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_4

    I wasn't doing a price comparison, just answering the OPs post about the S6 on PAYG in a Three Store ;).
  • GigabitGigabit Posts: 8,768
    Forum Member
    moox wrote: »
    I thought Samsung started a thing where the phone would not work unless a local SIM was used to "activate" the phone, is that still the case?

    That happened with the Note 3. I'm pretty sure they backtracked when loads and loads and loads of people complained about it.
  • d123d123 Posts: 8,594
    Forum Member
    moox wrote: »
    That isn't the european model though - it might have different 4G bands and you might have hassles if you need a warranty repair.

    I thought Samsung started a thing where the phone would not work unless a local SIM was used to "activate" the phone, is that still the case?

    I think it's still in operation, from the S5.

    European Model: This product should be activated with a SIM card issued from a mobile operator within Europe. (as defined EU/EEA, Switzerland and the following Non-EEA countries Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (F.Y.R.O.M), Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino, Serbia and Vatican City.) To use SIM cards from other regions, a cumulative call over five minutes must first be made with the SIM card f
    http://www.androidcentral.com/heres-how-region-locking-works-european-samsung-galaxy-s5

    I haven't seen anything to say it has changed with this years models.
  • biggytbiggyt Posts: 466
    Forum Member
    d123 wrote: »
    I wasn't doing a price comparison, just answering the OPs post about the S6 on PAYG in a Three Store ;).

    I thought the OP was the thread starter, the Opening Poster? But thanks for your answer :)
  • Daveoc64Daveoc64 Posts: 15,374
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    d123 wrote: »
    I haven't seen anything to say it has changed with this years models.

    It's still there. There is a leaflet in the box explaining the lock.

    You must make a continuous phone call of at least 5 minutes in duration with a SIM from the region to remove the lock.
  • Everything GoesEverything Goes Posts: 12,972
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    d123 wrote: »
    I think it's still in operation, from the S5.



    http://www.androidcentral.com/heres-how-region-locking-works-european-samsung-galaxy-s5

    I haven't seen anything to say it has changed with this years models.

    That's shocking :o Didn't know they did region locks to prevent grey imports.
  • GigabitGigabit Posts: 8,768
    Forum Member
    Daveoc64 wrote: »
    It's still there. There is a leaflet in the box explaining the lock.

    You must make a continuous phone call of at least 5 minutes in duration with a SIM from the region to remove the lock.

    You see they said that with the Note 3 and it turned out that making a long call made no difference: the phone did not work outside the EU.
  • oilmanoilman Posts: 4,529
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    d123 wrote: »
    Why didn't you just go to the Three website and check? It's £599.99.

    http://www.three.co.uk/Samsung/Galaxy_S6?featuretab=Design&priceplan=PAYG&tab=Design.&memory=32&colour=Black_Sapphire

    You could even have done it instore and shown the salesman ;).
    What is point of buying latest phone at £600 and then using pay and go. Pay and go is for light users mostly or those who cannot trust themselves not to run up large bills.

    For £600 you could buy a moto g and run it for 20 months in a 25 monthly sim.
  • mooxmoox Posts: 18,880
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    oilman wrote: »
    What is point of buying latest phone at £600 and then using pay and go. Pay and go is for light users mostly or those who cannot trust themselves not to run up large bills.

    For £600 you could buy a moto g and run it for 20 months in a 25 monthly sim.

    Because 3's PAYG is actually quite good, with the bundles that they offer - unlimited data and all the minutes and texts you could want, which is more than suitable for a high end phone. Even the non-bundled rates are nice - 3p/min, 2p/text, 1p/MB

    Plus it keeps one advantage of buying phones outright, that you can move networks or plans when you want, you aren't tied into a long expensive contract if money gets tight
  • d123d123 Posts: 8,594
    Forum Member
    oilman wrote: »
    What is point of buying latest phone at £600 and then using pay and go. Pay and go is for light users mostly or those who cannot trust themselves not to run up large bills.

    For £600 you could buy a moto g and run it for 20 months in a 25 monthly sim.

    Why ask me and not biggyt who was considering it?

    Maybe he wants to be on PAYG and doesn't want a Moto G? Not everyone is happy with an old budget handset....
  • biggytbiggyt Posts: 466
    Forum Member
    I am on a sim only contract with ThreeUK already, so wouldn't be using it as PAYG. I don't really want to change my Nexus 5 at the moment. I was just curious.
  • enapaceenapace Posts: 4,303
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Err I don't understand why anyone would buy a High end device on Pay as You Go even if you want use it that way as the price won't be any different. Though Three does have there devices unlocked.
  • ard100ard100 Posts: 264
    Forum Member
    Samsung S5611 is a good non smart phone very long battery life plus the added benefit of not being a android phone so Google and the government can not track you,
Sign In or Register to comment.