[wavejockglw]

OK, so OFCOM are following government policy and letting 3G run free and be subject to market forces for the first few years.

Good idea?

What about quality of service?

Reliability?

3 just don't deliver on either and back-up is horrific.

You can get a free contract phone and lots of inclusive minutes of chat etc for a cheap price. ThreePay offers contract terms if you pay up-front (at 3X the cost of current contract cashback incentives), but it's nothing like the service you can get from GSM networks.

3's network drops calls even with newer handsets (I have tried it with current models), it refuses to connect with error messages and texts/MMS messages get lost regularly (you still get charged though). 3 has no Internet either. Just their own very poor video/content that often crashes and stutterers (if you can get access). Its utterly appalling. Cheap....yes. Also Nasty and its questionable that such a product should be allowed to be sold alongside other things that actually do what they are advertised as.

Speak to OFCOM if you have concerns with 3, and ask why they have been allowed to sell something that is clearly so wide of the mark in terms of 3G and mobile communications.

If you are thinking aboutr 3, consider very carefully before falling for this Mug's Eyefull.

[David Boreanaz]

The videos on my 3 phone are fine and i have never had a call dropped

[steve007]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wavejockglw

OK, so OFCOM are following government policy and letting 3G run free and be subject to market forces for the first few years.

Good idea?

What about quality of service?

Reliability?

3 just don't deliver on either and back-up is horrific.

You can get a free contract phone and lots of inclusive minutes of chat etc for a cheap price. ThreePay offers contract terms if you pay up-front (at 3X the cost of current contract cashback incentives), but it's nothing like the service you can get from GSM networks.

3's network drops calls even with newer handsets (I have tried it with current models), it refuses to connect with error messages and texts/MMS messages get lost regularly (you still get charged though). 3 has no Internet either. Just their own very poor video/content that often crashes and stutterers (if you can get access). Its utterly appalling. Cheap....yes. Also Nasty and its questionable that such a product should be allowed to be sold alongside other things that actually do what they are advertised as.

Speak to OFCOM if you have concerns with 3, and ask why they have been allowed to sell something that is clearly so wide of the mark in terms of 3G and mobile communications.

If you are thinking aboutr 3, consider very carefully before falling for this Mug's Eyefull.

I have to agree. I think its fine as a portable media device, but its not dependable for use as a phone, or at least, I wouldnt drop my Orange phone in favour of Three....yet.

Mind, from what I've read on this forum, I'm not sure that 3g is even ready on any network. It seems Orange 3g phones have similar problems too.

But I do like the three content, music videos etc are great

[lalaland]

I had the first dropped call for about 9 months on my Three phone the other day.

I tried to call out and it said call dropped on the screen, before connecting. I then redialled and it went through fine and no problems since.

I still argue that Three is great, cheap and reliable with pants customer service reps in Asia and decent reps in Scotland.

The signal, like any network, varies in quality as to where you are and it's improving all the time.

It would appear that it's not a good signal in parts of Scotland (from wavejockglw posts and my own travels), but I travel around a lot and it's fine in the rest of the UK, even when driving on the motorway at speed (using handsfree).

I think it's unfair to warn people off Three these days, fair enough 18 months back when I first got mine it was crap, but now it's much better and improving constantly.

I seem to be in a 3G signal 95% of the time now, which I admit is a recent improvement, but it's been quite fun calling Ms Lalaland on the video calls from time to time.

If you want a decently priced contract then I still say give Three a go. If you don't like it take it back during your cooling off period, you can't get fairer than that. Please don't let people put you off Three, you'll never know what you are missing out on. I am glad I stuck with them as now I am over the moon with my service and price. Ms Lalaland still can't out talk the 8 1/2 hours any network any time minutes she gets for £25 per month, so that's got to be a good tarrif!

[Mr Cable]

Wavejock, something recently go wrong with your 7600?

BTW, how much experience exactly do you have with the Motorola A1000?

Everyone else, try 3 for 14 days - if it doesn't work for you, hand it back. If it does, which it is for more and more subscribers, you'll save a fortune on your bill.

Also, to my knowledge I've never lost a text.

[MacattacK]

This is almost like a family reunion here! I feel all warm inside.

Dearest Wavejock,

Having had extensive play with the Motorola A and E1000 on 3 and the Nokia 6630 on Vodafone I have come to the conclusion that you are talking crap. Again. Your personal agenda/bitchfest against 3 rears it's ugly head every so often and every so often other people have to step forward to explain that you've had a bad experience but this time your rant is ridiculous!

Which of the latest handsets have you tried and had problems with? Was it any of the 3 I mentioned? WHich ones was it? Was it only on 3? Did you try taking them to an area with decent coverage (i.e. moving more than 10 metres away from your soap box) as I think you'd be pleasantly surprised. I have friends who live in Glasgow, one of whom I regularly videocall, and they have no problems with 3. They sport LG8120's and NEC 313's!

To any potential new subscribers, I urge you to just try them admittedly the customer service is quite poor when you call India or wherever but when you go into the shops themselves you find a good bunch of people who really want to try and help you out. The cooling off period where you get at least 14 days to try it and if you don't like it you can take it back makes it very difficult to say, "Why not?"

On a final note to Mr wavejock - could you please ask your friends at 3GNewsroom.com to update their figures on the first page. They say that 3 only have 400,000 subscribers which we both know to be a fraction of the truth. You click on the link next to it and you'll find that the data is from almost a year ago! Come now, jolly bad show and a bit of misrepresentation there don'tchathink?

[Steven L Hunter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lalaland

Ms Lalaland still can't out talk the 8 1/2 hours any network any time minutes she gets for £25 per month, so that's got to be a good tarrif!

Hi,
I'm not being rude but is Lalaland a second name?
I'm just interested

[steve007]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lalaland

I think it's unfair to warn people off Three these days, fair enough 18 months back when I first got mine it was crap, but now it's much better and improving constantly.

I seem to be in a 3G signal 95% of the time now, which I admit is a recent improvement, but it's been quite fun calling Ms Lalaland on the video calls from time to time.

Fair points, but equally people should not rubbish other people's opinion just because their own experience is good.

My experience with three as a reliable mobile comms device is not good. Call dropping and poor voice quality when outside or switching 3g coverage is the main problem.

Depending on where you live seems to indicate what type of experience you will have (endure).

[MacattacK]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve007

Fair points, but equally people should not rubbish other people's opinion just because their own experience is good.

My experience with three as a reliable mobile comms device is not good. Call dropping and poor voice quality when outside or switching 3g coverage is the main problem.

Depending on where you live seems to indicate what type of experience you will have (endure).

Well with continuous problems with successive handsets it just has to be a location problem. It's all well and good warning people of the dangers but I felt the top post went too far.

[steve007]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacattacK

Well with continuous problems with successive handsets it just has to be a location problem. It's all well and good warning people of the dangers but I felt the top post went too far.

Its all relative. One persons bad experience can be catalogued as "not that bad" if your experience is worse.

Therefore I can understand his frustration. Its a rant based upon his own experience, which is perhaps worse than most, but nonetheless still relevent.

[lalaland]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve007

Fair points, but equally people should not rubbish other people's opinion just because their own experience is good.

I wasn't rubishing his opinion, just making a comment that I thought he was being unfair to Three.

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve007

Depending on where you live seems to indicate what type of experience you will have (endure).

This is the same with any mobile phone network. All networks have parts of the country where their own reception is crap, but other networks may be better in that area.

[Everything Goes]

If anyone wants reliable service that offers full internet access then you should buy the Orange SPV C500. Its a 2.5G phone not 3G!

http://shop.orange.co.uk/shop/show/h...all/orange/all

[steve007]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lalaland

I wasn't rubishing his opinion, just making a comment that I thought he was being unfair to Three.

This is the same with any mobile phone network. All networks have parts of the country where their own reception is crap, but other networks may be better in that area.

Why is he being unfair if his experience is bad?

I've experienced analogue and digital networks since 1988, I dont believe that my opinion, or anyone else's opinion of three is driven my some irational manic plot to bring them down, but simply by their/my own experience while using the network.

From my experience, three does not work as well under fringe coverage conditions, as Orange ( or virgin) does, perhaps when I try Orange 3g I may experience the same call dropping, in which case I'll state that, but at this time I'm more inclined to trust my standard Orange network/handset more than a 3g one from any network.

Everytime there is a thread about three it becomes a battle about who is right, which in this case is noone - everyone has a valid opinion and experience from using three and should be able to give it in order to paint a bigger picture than any one person can.

[riaz]

i have had three for about a month and a half. never a call dropped but signal strength is quite irratic! also the quality of phone calls isnt brilliant even thought its a 3g reception signal. why is this?
overall offers all excellent tho!

[lalaland]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve007

Why is he being unfair if his experience is bad?

His post made out that that Three was useless full stop. I consider this to be unfair and although I respect he has a right to post based upon his experience I think it's unfair to put Three in this light.

Even when I posted about how I thought it was unfair, I made allowances that in some areas what he posts may be true and posted that the signal varies in quality depending on where you are.

Again I am not trying to stop posting what he wants, but surely making a comment on his post is not rubishing him?

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve007

I've experienced analogue and digital networks since 1988, I dont believe that my opinion, or anyone else's opinion of three is driven my some irational manic plot to bring them down, but simply by their/my own experience while using the network.

I doubt someone's posting for those reasons either, but perhaps driven by their own anger and this could be a way to hit back, which may then result in an unfair comment being made.

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve007

Everytime there is a thread about three it becomes a battle about who is right, which in this case is noone - everyone has a valid opinion and experience from using three and should be able to give it in order to paint a bigger picture than any one person can.

True. But I think that because people are arguing in this way it would seem to show that, like any other network, Three has it's good coverage areas and it's bad coverage areas and it would be unfair to class Three as being no good full stop which is the kind of image that the original poster made with his / her post.

[steve007]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lalaland

But I think that because people are arguing in this way it would seem to show that, like any other network, Three has it's good coverage areas and it's bad coverage areas and it would be unfair to class Three as being no good full stop which is the kind of image that the original poster made with his / her post.

I agree. Even though I would not use three as my main phone, I do agree that three does have alot of positives. The content and videos are great, the weather report is good, news good, big brother good. Video calls interesting (!), handsets cheap and great value, calls cheap, email fast and when it all works great its f******* awesome, its just those odd moments when you dont have time to redial, or you have spent 10 minutes on hold to get through and have your call dropped that let it down.

I agree this can happen on all networks, probably any 3g network (orange state that calls may be dropped when switching from 3g in terms and conditions), but 3g isnt what bothers me, its when I'm in a 2.5g area, making a normal call and it drops or voice quality is poor even when signal is strong and its not switching modes.

[lalaland]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve007

I agree. Even though I would not use three as my main phone, I do agree that three does have alot of positives. The content and videos are great, the weather report is good, news good, big brother good.

I agree, the content is good and the location stuff and A-Z maps system that guides you to your place via GPS is excellent (used it the other day when lost in a town centre). I am currently debating adding the extra Video bundle to my price plan to use this stuff as much as I want for an extra £5 per month.

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve007

Video calls interesting (!)

I originally said I wasn't too fussed about these, but I have definately started using them more and more. They are quite fun, handy when away from Ms. Lalaland for the night (romantic touch, brownie points etc.), amusing when out pissed with mates (ok, trouble and embarrasment next day garanteed) and we recently discovered a use when Ms Lalaland was buying something for me in the shops and instead of a photo message she was showing me via video call the item. She may have looked daft in the store, but I got exactly what I wanted.

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve007

handsets cheap and great value, calls cheap, email fast and when it all works great its f******* awesome,

The prices seem unmatched by any other network and are indeed excellent. The email is a major winner with me. I have the A1000 handset and have sent many emails with attachments from the handset (not browser) at impressive speeds. It's very usable and the attachments are compatible with my phone. Ideal for work and fun. Best bit is that I don't seem to get charged for sending emails from my phone (from the phone itself, not the online browser) and the A1000's email software is quite handy too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve007

its just those odd moments when you dont have time to redial, or you have spent 10 minutes on hold to get through and have your call dropped that let it down.

I don't seem to get these problems, apart from the odd drop, but I obviously live in a better signal area than those of you that do. All networks will drop calls and we all seem to agree on this, all networks have good and bad areas, again I think we all agree on this too and it's because of this that I think anyone who's interested in trying Three should do. If it doesn't live up to your expectations then take it back during the cool off period, nothing lost.
Steeve007 you are a good example of trying it and being suprised. I am glad that you tried it and although you aren't as keen on it as your Orange service, you have said that it's definately improved since it started.

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve007

I agree this can happen on all networks, probably any 3g network (orange state that calls may be dropped when switching from 3g in terms and conditions), but 3g isnt what bothers me, its when I'm in a 2.5g area, making a normal call and it drops or voice quality is poor even when signal is strong and its not switching modes.

My 2g / 2.5g reception seems fine, but I guess this is again down to location. This should hopefuly improve as they work on the network over time, just as my location seems to be 3G all the time now, which is wasn't a few months back.

I think the fairest option for all you people not yet tried Three, but are tempted, is just try it. If you don't like it then fine, but try it or you'll never know what you missed out on

[steve007]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lalaland

I agree, the content is good and the location stuff and A-Z maps system that guides you to your place via GPS is excellent (used it the other day when lost in a town centre). I am currently debating adding the extra Video bundle to my price plan to use this stuff as much as I want for an extra £5 per month.

I originally said I wasn't too fussed about these, but I have definately started using them more and more. They are quite fun, handy when away from Ms. Lalaland for the night (romantic touch, brownie points etc.), amusing when out pissed with mates (ok, trouble and embarrasment next day garanteed) and we recently discovered a use when Ms Lalaland was buying something for me in the shops and instead of a photo message she was showing me via video call the item. She may have looked daft in the store, but I got exactly what I wanted.The prices seem unmatched by any other network and are indeed excellent. The email is a major winner with me. I have the A1000 handset and have sent many emails with attachments from the handset (not browser) at impressive speeds. It's very usable and the attachments are compatible with my phone. Ideal for work and fun. Best bit is that I don't seem to get charged for sending emails from my phone (from the phone itself, not the online browser) and the A1000's email software is quite handy too.
I don't seem to get these problems, apart from the odd drop, but I obviously live in a better signal area than those of you that do. All networks will drop calls and we all seem to agree on this, all networks have good and bad areas, again I think we all agree on this too and it's because of this that I think anyone who's interested in trying Three should do. If it doesn't live up to your expectations then take it back during the cool off period, nothing lost.
Steeve007 you are a good example of trying it and being suprised. I am glad that you tried it and although you aren't as keen on it as your Orange service, you have said that it's definately improved since it started.

My 2g / 2.5g reception seems fine, but I guess this is again down to location. This should hopefuly improve as they work on the network over time, just as my location seems to be 3G all the time now, which is wasn't a few months back.

I think the fairest option for all you people not yet tried Three, but are tempted, is just try it. If you don't like it then fine, but try it or you'll never know what you missed out on

I agree with everything you have said. I'm still hanging on to my three phone, although having used the c975 and the 8120, its suprising that I prefer the c975, I might even get myself a c975 instead....

Yes I agree, there is nothing like going down the pub with a video phone......I bought my ex a video phone and its great to be able to see and speak to the children everyday, so I guess thats a positive and my business partner has one now too, waking him up the other morning at 7am with a video call was hilarious because his wife answered and looked like edward scissor hands with hair all over the place

Yes I've noticed that using the handset email (not browser) I'm not charged anything - its an easy way to transfer pictures etc and free up some space when you run out of space on the phone while out.....

I've ordered some Nokia 6650 handsets (3g phones) and will try my three sim in it just to see if it makes a difference - it has an external aerial so it might be better.

I think I would recommend people try it on threepay rather than signing up for 12 months though. £40 for a c975 phone with credit is a good way to test the service in the area you live in

[jonat8]

I've been with 3 for about 9 months and haven't had real problems with dropped calls at all. The only problems I've had were if I was in a poor 3G signal area, the phone would frequently switch between 2.5G and 3G, causing drops of signal, but where I live now I have excellent 3G service (can see the tower from my house) and haven't had any problems with call reliability or quality.

Sometimes access to the services can be a bit tempermental but normally trying to reload the page fixes that.

The E-Mail is fast and is a godsend for getting pictures off the phone because as I have a Mac the data cable for my LG 8120 doesn't work. It seems to be free for me as well, as long as I send the file using the handset's e-mail client. It's also excellent for downloading your voicemail as an attachment, it's useful if someone sends you directions in a voicemail, you can pause and resume playback etc. without having to eat into your minutes.