Thinking of moving to 3. Whats it like.

Tallarico · 08-04-2007, 22:41

I am thinking of getting the £15 a month contract. What is 3 like. I remember seeing a watchdog type show on bbc about 3 years ago where there was a lot of complaints from people using 3. Any advice will be appreciated.

Radio Ga-Ga · 08-04-2007, 22:47

I'm on that contract. Got a K610i 600 texts 75 minutes for £15 a month. So far no problems. Had it little under a month. I've heard the customer service is mediocre. But as long as you don't need it you should be fine. But so far yeah... it's great, much better than O2.

wernroe · 08-04-2007, 23:20

Their customer service is in India. That should tell you all you need to know.

intheknow · 08-04-2007, 23:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by wernroe

Their customer service is in India. That should tell you all you need to know.

Exactly, it means you save money and get good value. They always answer straight away and are generally good if you have good communication skills yourself and can explain things well. 9 times out of 10 you can find out what you want from the website, I never need to call them. I'm happy with the savings I make month in month out, and the great packages like 5 pounds for 2 gigs of internet a month, included in that skype, live messenger etc...

takot · 09-04-2007, 02:02

yer iv also just bought the £15 a month 600 text 75mins contract, its a much better network than it was.... say even a year ago when i left 3 on pay as you go because I didnt like the network coverage, they have now improve it 100% in my opinion, plus better phones which are quicker at dealing with 3G, its excellent, go for it!

thats not cool · 09-04-2007, 02:05

if you can speak urdu then great

mediafriendly · 09-04-2007, 02:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by intheknow

Exactly, it means you save money and get good value. They always answer straight away and are generally good if you have good communication skills yourself and can explain things well. 9 times out of 10 you can find out what you want from the website, I never need to call them. I'm happy with the savings I make month in month out, and the great packages like 5 pounds for 2 gigs of internet a month, included in that skype, live messenger etc...

oh come on, it's dreadful. You could be charitable if it was just a language thing and the operators were struggling to understand you, but they do understand you and just refuse to answer your question, or put you through to a supervisor or manager if you are not satisfied. Their lousy customer service was a major reason for my leaving 3. I was hoping it had improved because their internet tariffs look attractive.

takot · 09-04-2007, 02:21

(just speaking about everyone) people who arent on 3 always get wound up, just because they have never tried it, and if they have tried it then it was when the service was pretty shocking, even say a couple months ago, you would have probably been lumbered with a chukyish phone and a service that was noway near worth the money
...it is now

stevejk75 · 09-04-2007, 07:12

Been there, dont it, forget it.
They are really bad.

chris20 · 09-04-2007, 07:31

i have been with 3 since the start and only had 1 problem with 3 and that was when i went on to contact but the executive office sorted it for me and gave me £50 credit and new phone so i am well pleased with 3 there customer service has got so much better since they first started. i recommend you join they have some grate £15 offers.

wernroe · 09-04-2007, 09:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by intheknow

Exactly, it means you save money and get good value. They always answer straight away and are generally good if you have good communication skills yourself and can explain things well. 9 times out of 10 you can find out what you want from the website, I never need to call them. I'm happy with the savings I make month in month out, and the great packages like 5 pounds for 2 gigs of internet a month, included in that skype, live messenger etc...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Aw come on, that was a very poorly disguised attempt at sticking up for your colleagues!

As customers, we don't need good communication skills. In fact as long as we pass the credit check then we qualify to be customers. If the CS agents can't understand us that's their problem.

Anyway, back to reality for a moment, 3's customer service is dreadful, absolutely abysmal. When-they-talk-it-is-always-like-this-in-that-complete-monotone which is really annoying, they annoyingly and rigidly stick to their script (which means if you come at them with a problem which isn't listed they're then knackard), on the rare occasion you get through to someone who understands you (and you understand them) you can never ever get back to them and there won't be a record of the call.

Honestly, keep away from 3.

Actually no, the product itself is good - I never had a problem with it. But when something goes wrong, don't bother. A good example was when I called them up to tell them when I was going to pay my bill (I hadn't had a DD set up)

Quote:

Me: Hi I'd like to let you know I'll be paying my bill a week tuesday.

3: You-want-to-pay-your-bill-today?

Me: No, a week tuesday

3: You-will-pay-your-bill-on-tuesday?

Me: No no, a WEEK on tuesday

3: You-want-to-pay-your-bill-one-week-from-today?

Me: NO, a week on tuesday.

3: You-will-pay-your-bill-one-week-from-today-on-tuesday?

Me: (after looking at a calender) I'll pay it on the 1st.

Save yourself a lot of hassle - avoid 3.

pje1979 · 09-04-2007, 12:26

Been with 3 for two and a half years. Best 3G coverage of any networks, lots of minutes and texts for little money, however customer service can be hard work if it's anything technical. Overall 3 are great and I will be renewing my contract again in 6 months time.

hoofy · 09-04-2007, 14:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tallarico

I am thinking of getting the £15 a month contract. What is 3 like. I remember seeing a watchdog type show on bbc about 3 years ago where there was a lot of complaints from people using 3. Any advice will be appreciated.

3 are a very good network, Value for money and excellent network coverage and the customer services have improved a lot

09-04-2007, 15:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoofy

3 are a very good network, Value for money and excellent network coverage and the customer services have improved a lot

I got put on Three because I liked the phone (N70). As above, it is the best network coverage I have ever experienced, very few lost signals where I live and on my travels.

My gripes with them are: charging £25 to downgrade to a different calling plan, that's just in case you decide to upgrade it in the future and try to downgrade again. The deal you are looking at seems good.

The other gripe I have, is calling the off-shore call centre or getting calls from them. If it's not in the script they can't answer your query. As my accent probably sounds strong to them, I have had similar problems with theirs.

I am looking at a Blackberry when my current contract with 3 is finished in a few months, for push email. But will also check out 3 for their upgrade offers, especially if I can get a free N95 with maps out of them.

squawkBOX · 09-04-2007, 16:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by epsomsalts

My gripes with them are: charging £25 to downgrade to a different calling plan, that's just in case you decide to upgrade it in the future and try to downgrade again. The deal you are looking at seems good.

Just a quick update to say that this has changed once again.

Depending on when you had taken the contract out. You can downgrade one Price Plan free of charge as long as you have had the contract 6, 9 or 12 months (again depending on the terms when you had taken it out). i.e. from a £35 to £30 PP.

This is free. If you want to jump more than one (up to a maximum of four Price plan levels) you pay a one off admin charge of £25. [Note each level usually being £5).

For new customers though (again I can't remember the date this came into effect). The Price Plan that you take at the beginning cannot be downgraded till the end of the contract.

Knowing 3 though, these probably will change again...

chris20 · 09-04-2007, 16:26

you don't need to pay £25 any more to downgrade its free now but you have to be 9 months in to a contract on a 12 month and 12 months on a 18 month contract i think

Aye Up · 09-04-2007, 16:52

What can I say about Three.......

A couple of years ago I was Three with one of the popular but faulty line of LG clamshell phones......I often found that when moving from one cell to another phone calls and connections would drop. It was supposed to seamlessly switch between 3G and 2G this was never the case, the call would just drop. As a result of the crap handset, one occasion I needed to dial emergency services......well to put it short I wasn't able to due to no reception from three, and even then it wasn't able to do the SOS.

Customer services was diabolical.....I wanted to change price plans, downgrade from Video Talk 700 to the Video Talk 500, I was told I wasn't able to do that, I can only downgrade one price plan at a time i.e. I could only go from 35 quid a month to 30 and so on. This annoyed me no end, So I took out another contract with Orange and started up service with them......

In the year I was with three I had three contracts on the account spending in excess of 300 quid a month. I was attracted by the cheap deals, but you get what you pay for a shit service overall with crap coverage and poor connection. When I come to cancel all three contracts, they were bending over backwards to give me new handsets and everything, even offering me half price line rentel for the next 12 months with free handsets. I told them I wasn't willing to spend over 3k a year on a crap service.....I have come full circle and went back to T-Mobile and now I got nowt to moan about...

chris20 · 09-04-2007, 17:33

well you was with 3 a long time ago when they where bad i bet if you tried them now you would be pleased there 3g is so much better now there phones are way better then before when the lg and nec phones where around.

hoopy · 09-04-2007, 17:49

I've been with 3 for about 3 years now. I'm quite happy with them and wouldn't change networks.

poppasmurf · 09-04-2007, 18:03

I understand that if you are on 3, it costs people who ring you using BT, Virgin, etc, about 20% extra compared with calling other mobile networks.

So go on 3 and increase all your mates and family's telephone bills. They'll love you for it.

takot · 09-04-2007, 18:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by poppasmurf

I understand that if you are on 3, it costs people who ring you using BT, Virgin, etc, about 20% extra compared with calling other mobile networks.

So go on 3 and increase all your mates and family's telephone bills. They'll love you for it.

Your wrong here, where the hell did you hear that from!?
Please backup your "claims" with evidence instead of just passing on mislead info

Aye Up · 09-04-2007, 18:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris20

well you was with 3 a long time ago when they where bad i bet if you tried them now you would be pleased there 3g is so much better now there phones are way better then before when the lg and nec phones where around.

Just shoved an old ThreePay sim card in my N73 and what dya know! no reception, should have at least a fiver credit on which it does.....but call dropped out. We can all go on to and fro about how good or shit the network is, the point for me is I value a decent customer service, I would rather recieve less allowance and actually be able to deal with someone competent when I call them up.

T-Mobile by no means are the cheapest, but I would argue their customer service to be about the best out there, I have experienced all of the networks first hand, T-Mobile wipes the floor with the rest of them. Yes it can be a bit of a pain in the arse to get through as certain busy periods, but once through I find the people there often bending over backwards to help.

My experience with Three was unpleasant, you get what you pay for, a cheap shitty service with frequent call dropouts.

Rumour has it however, that Hutchison Whampoa are looking to break even and then sell up....

takot · 09-04-2007, 18:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aye Up

Just shoved an old ThreePay sim card in my N73 and what dya know! no reception,

Rumour has it however, that Hutchison Whampoa are looking to break even and then sell up....

Well that wouldnt of worked well anyway because the N73 isnt 3G

And spread a rumour, i like it

chris20 · 09-04-2007, 18:53

the n73 is 3g it would not drop a call now you never hear of that any more the only problem with 3 at the moment is there customer service if they sort that out they could be the best network in the uk

poppasmurf · 09-04-2007, 23:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by takot

Your wrong here, where the hell did you hear that from!?
Please backup your "claims" with evidence instead of just passing on mislead info

Oh, someone has got their knickers in a twist then haven't they. I got the info from the BT website actually. As follows:

Daytime calls to O2, T Mobile, Orange, Vodaphone, 13p per minute. Hutchinson (3) 21.53p per minute. Evenings, 8p and 16.10p respectively, Weekends, 5p and 3.92p.

Check it out:

https://www.productsandservices.bt.c...?topicId=15741
Enough said!

Last edited by poppasmurf : 09-04-2007 at 23:07.

08-04-2007, 22:41	#1
Tallarico Forum Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Armagh Ireland Posts: 253	Thinking of moving to 3. Whats it like. I am thinking of getting the £15 a month contract. What is 3 like. I remember seeing a watchdog type show on bbc about 3 years ago where there was a lot of complaints from people using 3. Any advice will be appreciated.

09-04-2007, 02:21	#8
takot Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 359	(just speaking about everyone) people who arent on 3 always get wound up, just because they have never tried it, and if they have tried it then it was when the service was pretty shocking, even say a couple months ago, you would have probably been lumbered with a chukyish phone and a service that was noway near worth the money ...it is now Last edited by takot : 09-04-2007 at 02:29.

09-04-2007, 17:33	#18
chris20 Guest Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 3,556	well you was with 3 a long time ago when they where bad i bet if you tried them now you would be pleased there 3g is so much better now there phones are way better then before when the lg and nec phones where around. Last edited by chris20 : 09-04-2007 at 17:34.

08-04-2007, 22:47	#2
Radio Ga-Ga Banned User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Somerset, UK Posts: 329	I'm on that contract. Got a K610i 600 texts 75 minutes for £15 a month. So far no problems. Had it little under a month. I've heard the customer service is mediocre. But as long as you don't need it you should be fine. But so far yeah... it's great, much better than O2.

08-04-2007, 23:20	#3
wernroe Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 348	Their customer service is in India. That should tell you all you need to know.

08-04-2007, 23:54	#4
intheknow Banned User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bristol Posts: 4,837	Quote: Originally Posted by wernroe Their customer service is in India. That should tell you all you need to know. Exactly, it means you save money and get good value. They always answer straight away and are generally good if you have good communication skills yourself and can explain things well. 9 times out of 10 you can find out what you want from the website, I never need to call them. I'm happy with the savings I make month in month out, and the great packages like 5 pounds for 2 gigs of internet a month, included in that skype, live messenger etc...

09-04-2007, 02:02	#5
takot Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 359	yer iv also just bought the £15 a month 600 text 75mins contract, its a much better network than it was.... say even a year ago when i left 3 on pay as you go because I didnt like the network coverage, they have now improve it 100% in my opinion, plus better phones which are quicker at dealing with 3G, its excellent, go for it!

09-04-2007, 02:05	#6
thats not cool Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: carribean Posts: 1,497	if you can speak urdu then great

09-04-2007, 02:19	#7
mediafriendly Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 2,183	Quote: Originally Posted by intheknow Exactly, it means you save money and get good value. They always answer straight away and are generally good if you have good communication skills yourself and can explain things well. 9 times out of 10 you can find out what you want from the website, I never need to call them. I'm happy with the savings I make month in month out, and the great packages like 5 pounds for 2 gigs of internet a month, included in that skype, live messenger etc... oh come on, it's dreadful. You could be charitable if it was just a language thing and the operators were struggling to understand you, but they do understand you and just refuse to answer your question, or put you through to a supervisor or manager if you are not satisfied. Their lousy customer service was a major reason for my leaving 3. I was hoping it had improved because their internet tariffs look attractive.

09-04-2007, 07:12	#9
stevejk75 Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Kent. Posts: 805	Been there, dont it, forget it. They are really bad.

09-04-2007, 07:31	#10
chris20 Guest Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 3,556	i have been with 3 since the start and only had 1 problem with 3 and that was when i went on to contact but the executive office sorted it for me and gave me £50 credit and new phone so i am well pleased with 3 there customer service has got so much better since they first started. i recommend you join they have some grate £15 offers.

09-04-2007, 09:29	#11
wernroe Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 348	Quote: Originally Posted by intheknow Exactly, it means you save money and get good value. They always answer straight away and are generally good if you have good communication skills yourself and can explain things well. 9 times out of 10 you can find out what you want from the website, I never need to call them. I'm happy with the savings I make month in month out, and the great packages like 5 pounds for 2 gigs of internet a month, included in that skype, live messenger etc... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Aw come on, that was a very poorly disguised attempt at sticking up for your colleagues! As customers, we don't need good communication skills. In fact as long as we pass the credit check then we qualify to be customers. If the CS agents can't understand us that's their problem. Anyway, back to reality for a moment, 3's customer service is dreadful, absolutely abysmal. When-they-talk-it-is-always-like-this-in-that-complete-monotone which is really annoying, they annoyingly and rigidly stick to their script (which means if you come at them with a problem which isn't listed they're then knackard), on the rare occasion you get through to someone who understands you (and you understand them) you can never ever get back to them and there won't be a record of the call. Honestly, keep away from 3. Actually no, the product itself is good - I never had a problem with it. But when something goes wrong, don't bother. A good example was when I called them up to tell them when I was going to pay my bill (I hadn't had a DD set up) Quote: Me: Hi I'd like to let you know I'll be paying my bill a week tuesday. 3: You-want-to-pay-your-bill-today? Me: No, a week tuesday 3: You-will-pay-your-bill-on-tuesday? Me: No no, a WEEK on tuesday 3: You-want-to-pay-your-bill-one-week-from-today? Me: NO, a week on tuesday. 3: You-will-pay-your-bill-one-week-from-today-on-tuesday? Me: (after looking at a calender) I'll pay it on the 1st. Save yourself a lot of hassle - avoid 3.

09-04-2007, 12:26	#12
pje1979 Guest Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 5,568	Been with 3 for two and a half years. Best 3G coverage of any networks, lots of minutes and texts for little money, however customer service can be hard work if it's anything technical. Overall 3 are great and I will be renewing my contract again in 6 months time.

09-04-2007, 14:43	#13
hoofy Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Sunderland Posts: 707	Quote: Originally Posted by Tallarico I am thinking of getting the £15 a month contract. What is 3 like. I remember seeing a watchdog type show on bbc about 3 years ago where there was a lot of complaints from people using 3. Any advice will be appreciated. 3 are a very good network, Value for money and excellent network coverage and the customer services have improved a lot

09-04-2007, 15:50	#14
epsomsalts Posts: n/a	Quote: Originally Posted by hoofy 3 are a very good network, Value for money and excellent network coverage and the customer services have improved a lot I got put on Three because I liked the phone (N70). As above, it is the best network coverage I have ever experienced, very few lost signals where I live and on my travels. My gripes with them are: charging £25 to downgrade to a different calling plan, that's just in case you decide to upgrade it in the future and try to downgrade again. The deal you are looking at seems good. The other gripe I have, is calling the off-shore call centre or getting calls from them. If it's not in the script they can't answer your query. As my accent probably sounds strong to them, I have had similar problems with theirs. I am looking at a Blackberry when my current contract with 3 is finished in a few months, for push email. But will also check out 3 for their upgrade offers, especially if I can get a free N95 with maps out of them.

09-04-2007, 16:18	#15
squawkBOX Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Central Scotland, UK Posts: 871	Quote: Originally Posted by epsomsalts My gripes with them are: charging £25 to downgrade to a different calling plan, that's just in case you decide to upgrade it in the future and try to downgrade again. The deal you are looking at seems good. Just a quick update to say that this has changed once again. Depending on when you had taken the contract out. You can downgrade one Price Plan free of charge as long as you have had the contract 6, 9 or 12 months (again depending on the terms when you had taken it out). i.e. from a £35 to £30 PP. This is free. If you want to jump more than one (up to a maximum of four Price plan levels) you pay a one off admin charge of £25. [Note each level usually being £5). For new customers though (again I can't remember the date this came into effect). The Price Plan that you take at the beginning cannot be downgraded till the end of the contract. Knowing 3 though, these probably will change again...

09-04-2007, 16:26	#16
chris20 Guest Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 3,556	you don't need to pay £25 any more to downgrade its free now but you have to be 9 months in to a contract on a 12 month and 12 months on a 18 month contract i think

09-04-2007, 16:52	#17
Aye Up Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: North West Posts: 4,885	What can I say about Three....... A couple of years ago I was Three with one of the popular but faulty line of LG clamshell phones......I often found that when moving from one cell to another phone calls and connections would drop. It was supposed to seamlessly switch between 3G and 2G this was never the case, the call would just drop. As a result of the crap handset, one occasion I needed to dial emergency services......well to put it short I wasn't able to due to no reception from three, and even then it wasn't able to do the SOS. Customer services was diabolical.....I wanted to change price plans, downgrade from Video Talk 700 to the Video Talk 500, I was told I wasn't able to do that, I can only downgrade one price plan at a time i.e. I could only go from 35 quid a month to 30 and so on. This annoyed me no end, So I took out another contract with Orange and started up service with them...... In the year I was with three I had three contracts on the account spending in excess of 300 quid a month. I was attracted by the cheap deals, but you get what you pay for a shit service overall with crap coverage and poor connection. When I come to cancel all three contracts, they were bending over backwards to give me new handsets and everything, even offering me half price line rentel for the next 12 months with free handsets. I told them I wasn't willing to spend over 3k a year on a crap service.....I have come full circle and went back to T-Mobile and now I got nowt to moan about...

09-04-2007, 17:49	#19
hoopy Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 490	I've been with 3 for about 3 years now. I'm quite happy with them and wouldn't change networks.

09-04-2007, 18:03	#20
poppasmurf Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Arley, Worcs Posts: 1,334	I understand that if you are on 3, it costs people who ring you using BT, Virgin, etc, about 20% extra compared with calling other mobile networks. So go on 3 and increase all your mates and family's telephone bills. They'll love you for it.

09-04-2007, 18:15	#21
takot Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 359	Quote: Originally Posted by poppasmurf I understand that if you are on 3, it costs people who ring you using BT, Virgin, etc, about 20% extra compared with calling other mobile networks. So go on 3 and increase all your mates and family's telephone bills. They'll love you for it. Your wrong here, where the hell did you hear that from!? Please backup your "claims" with evidence instead of just passing on mislead info

09-04-2007, 18:34	#22
Aye Up Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: North West Posts: 4,885	Quote: Originally Posted by chris20 well you was with 3 a long time ago when they where bad i bet if you tried them now you would be pleased there 3g is so much better now there phones are way better then before when the lg and nec phones where around. Just shoved an old ThreePay sim card in my N73 and what dya know! no reception, should have at least a fiver credit on which it does.....but call dropped out. We can all go on to and fro about how good or shit the network is, the point for me is I value a decent customer service, I would rather recieve less allowance and actually be able to deal with someone competent when I call them up. T-Mobile by no means are the cheapest, but I would argue their customer service to be about the best out there, I have experienced all of the networks first hand, T-Mobile wipes the floor with the rest of them. Yes it can be a bit of a pain in the arse to get through as certain busy periods, but once through I find the people there often bending over backwards to help. My experience with Three was unpleasant, you get what you pay for, a cheap shitty service with frequent call dropouts. Rumour has it however, that Hutchison Whampoa are looking to break even and then sell up....

09-04-2007, 18:46	#23
takot Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 359	Quote: Originally Posted by Aye Up Just shoved an old ThreePay sim card in my N73 and what dya know! no reception, Rumour has it however, that Hutchison Whampoa are looking to break even and then sell up.... Well that wouldnt of worked well anyway because the N73 isnt 3G And spread a rumour, i like it

DS Forums

Thinking of moving to 3. Whats it like.

09-04-2007, 18:53	#24
chris20 Guest Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 3,556	the n73 is 3g it would not drop a call now you never hear of that any more the only problem with 3 at the moment is there customer service if they sort that out they could be the best network in the uk

09-04-2007, 23:06	#25
poppasmurf Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Arley, Worcs Posts: 1,334	Quote: Originally Posted by takot Your wrong here, where the hell did you hear that from!? Please backup your "claims" with evidence instead of just passing on mislead info Oh, someone has got their knickers in a twist then haven't they. I got the info from the BT website actually. As follows: Daytime calls to O2, T Mobile, Orange, Vodaphone, 13p per minute. Hutchinson (3) 21.53p per minute. Evenings, 8p and 16.10p respectively, Weekends, 5p and 3.92p. Check it out: https://www.productsandservices.bt.c...?topicId=15741 Enough said! Last edited by poppasmurf : 09-04-2007 at 23:07.