3rd Party Apps on 3

culabula

Bluefrog wrote:

I do run a Fedora (Linux) box here as a file server and for messing round with Linux apps. Does that redeem me a little?

Course! :-) You can come and install Yellow Dog Linux on my PS3!

Bluefrog

...not reckless!

tallus

Suse all the way

postie

I am still having port blocking on my 3 BB unlimited. I still can't use fring,msn,real or sling (not the 3 version) on WM6. Does anyone know are these Apps working with x-series? Is it worth swapping from the unlimited BB?

Bluefrog

For me on X-Series Gold but who knows how long that will last - I'd keep your powder dry for a few weeks more Postie and see how things pan out here. This is the first couple od days in over 3 weeks that I've had these services working.

When I switched from unlimited BB to X-Series for the same reason they attempted to double bill me. That is still being disputed.

postie

Last week I lost the only things besides normal web that work-MSN and unbelievably MMS.
Rang three last week and they blamed a faulty sim (must have been all the cleaning:D ) So got a new sim but no joy. MMS came back a day later but MSN still intermittent.
I refuse to cancel my broadband add-on because it is the only reason I moved to 3 after being with Vodafone (Eircell) for nearly 10 years, and I would rather keep the pressure on them to make it work again.
Bluefrog-who and where have you being addressing your correspondence to?
No Fring
No POP
No Skype
No MSN
No Working Java Apps that use internet
No Sling

mkennedy

postie wrote:

Last week I lost the only things besides normal web that work-MSN and unbelievably MMS.
Rang three last week and they blamed a faulty sim (must have been all the cleaning:D ) So got a new sim but no joy. MMS came back a day later but MSN still intermittent.
I refuse to cancel my broadband add-on because it is the only reason I moved to 3 after being with Vodafone (Eircell) for nearly 10 years, and I would rather keep the pressure on them to make it work again.
Bluefrog-who and where have you being addressing your correspondence to?
No Fring
No POP
No Skype
No MSN
No Working Java Apps that use internet
No Sling

Postie I've been thinking about moving back to three again given the poor usability of the vodafonelive apn.
How do you get around the fact that you are using a non-three handset when making a complaint about the broadband add-on.
CS would surely just pounce on this as the perfect excuse.

Java apps worked for me when i was with them.
Sounds like the internet usability is slowly dwindling so.
WM 3rd party apps like RSS readers worked as well.
Are these gone as well do you know.

postie

mkennedy wrote:

Postie I've been thinking about moving back to three again given the poor usability of the vodafonelive apn.
How do you get around the fact that you are using a non-three handset when making a complaint about the broadband add-on.
CS would surely just pounce on this as the perfect excuse.

I Just tell them I'm using the handset they gave me...I think you could tell them you are using bean cans and string and you might have a better chance of getting problems sorted.

Bluefrog

I really don't think they can discriminate between phones - not that I would do anything like that such as using an N80 on their fabulous network - that would be well, just wrong - ehem.

First, latest report on X-Series Gold - still working fine - no port blocking and I haven't seen these new 'splash' pages that people have mentioned in other threads asking if I have visited this page before and telling me that if I'm not on an addon its going to cost me more.

As stated elsewhere in the thread I have instigated a policy where I only deal with Three in writing now. That way I have a record of their incompetence. They tried to wriggle out of that arrangement by saying I needed to verify my email address with them by phone but I pointed out that it was the address I had always given when I used their support form and they were forced to deal with me.

The issue with using the form on the website is you have no record or proof of what you did or didn't say so no way would I recommend anyone to use that interface with them.

First to get their atIention I emailed their head of PR <snip>- [email]<snip>/email] who undertook to pass on my issues to tech support. I made it clear in that email that no way was I going to accept any communication from them that wasn't in writing. Now as it happens that didn't actually come about. Instead CS called me a couple of times but when I reiterated my policy to them and refused to take the call they got the message eventually.

Things quietened down for a bit from their end so to give them a little more to think about I went on a blog commenting fest. I figured that most people interested in the data addons with Three would be more technically inclined and therefore more likely to research online before signing up with Three. So basically the idea was to undertake a little search engine optimisation of my own to put some more pressure on Three. Everywhere I saw the X-Series mentioned I posted about my experiences, linked back to here where I could and basically tried to ensure that anyone looking for X-Series Ireland in Google was going to learn of my experience. I even posted on Three's own X-Series blog. I also emailed their managing director Robert Finnegan guessing his address was either [/email]robert.finnegan@three.co.uk or robert.finnegan@three.ie cc'ing <snip>of course so they couldn't deny they got the email as well as making the contents of that email public here in the 'Communications with Three about Firewalling' thread. Just over a week after that my ports magically open and I finally start getting the service I am paying for - the first time since August 9th.

I think if everyone here took on the 'no correspondence except in writing' approach Three might get their act together a lot quicker than they seem to otherwise.

I am delighted Three came into this market and as a tech myself I understand that there will be teething problems but that's no excuse to misinform or fob off customers, charge them when the service doesn't work or arbitrarily change the scope of the services without warning (i.e. the port blocking). Nobody should take this lying down in my opinion.

postie

That's great Bluefrog, thanks for that. I have already fired off a mail to the CS address but all I got back so far is an acknowledgement mail.

Mumbai have promised several times they will get back to me but no joy so far.

My connection (Mobile BB unlimited) is now just webpages. Even their own MSN app does not work. This is now in conflict with their own advertising. MSN is part of how they sell their package. It is NOT a third party application on a non 3 phone. Therefore there are now grounds for me to take action.

Their customer service is appalling and because of this you need to resort to other ways of getting their attention. Over 10 years with Vodafone and I never had these problems.
Its a real shame that they have such an innovative network but such poor regard for their customers.

By the way Bluefrog..hope I never get on your wrong side with my company...;)

Bluefrog

postie wrote:

By the way Bluefrog..hope I never get on your wrong side with my company...;)

Well Postie, like you I did the merry dance with CS and it's pretty insulting to have to do that again and again. I don't want to take it out on the guys in India, the way I see it Three has severe managerial and technical problems and CS depend on them so of course they're not going to be great.

Also as Three are a relative latecomer to the Irish market and these data addons relatively new I think it's important they understand from the start that Irish consumers aren't fools and won't tolerate being treated like guinea pigs at Three's discretion.

I also personally think that the networks here are way behind on demand for mobile data from an admittedly limited at this point but growing segment of their customer base. People in general are coming to expect more from their phones than overpriced calls and sub-par photos. If you have no exposure to data services then how can you judge their value to you. Three definitely have grasped that to some extent and now is an opportunity for Irish consumers to shape their services.

Yet providing those services only to pull them away again arbitrarily just isn't on. When I go to the shop to buy a litre of milk I expect roughly a litre, not anything ranging from a drop to a half pint and I expect the milk to be homogenised, not spurting out of the carton in unpredictable lumps - why should data addons be any different. Sadly it seems that the regulatory authorities here who should be overseeing the running of the dairy seem to be still on the farm staring blanky at the cattle, up to their knees in the other main by-product of grass.

Three's brave foray into the mobile data area has to be applauded - you can already see how it has forced the main two carriers to respond. However, so far the execution has not been impressive and it remains to be seen if they can redeem themselves here. I hope so.

One other thing Postie, you might try asking them in what sense is the mobile broadband package you have with them is 'unlimited' since a fair usage policy applies which pretty much corresponds to a usage cap so could not unlimited that way and since ports have been blocked it's hardly unlimited that way either.

This was a point I raised with them myself though as yet I await a response on that.

mkennedy

Postie does PocketIE work with three.

mkennedy

Postie does Pocket Internet Explorer work with three.

postie

mkennedy wrote:

Postie does Pocket Internet Explorer work with three.

Yeah IE works fine on my phone.

Bluefrog wrote:

One other thing Postie, you might try asking them in what sense is the mobile broadband package you have with them is 'unlimited' since a fair usage policy applies which pretty much corresponds to a usage cap so could not unlimited that way and since ports have been blocked it's hardly unlimited that way either.
This was a point I raised with them myself though as yet I await a response on that.

I didn't get into the fair usage but I argued the port blocking and lack of messenger - a service they still advertise.
I have tonight sent a second email off as I was unhappy with the explanation they gave for loss of services on Mobile BB.

They say that MSN is being blocked by Microsoft, which is entirely possible as everyone logging in is registering the same few IP addresses. This is their problem though and my contract is with 3 not MS.

They claim they are not blocking any ports whatsoever but their network may not support the applications I am trying to run. They could not explain why they were working 4 weeks ago.

All in all it was a (very polite) waste of time and at the end of the day, they can't fix the 3 network from India.
It's frustrating that 3 hide behind those unfortunates in the call centre in Mumbai. No other mobile network here does that to my knowledge.

Anyway followed that email up with a fax of both letters to the head office in Dublin and requested a written response to both letters.

It is a lot of hassle for me but as you said Bluefrog, if you buy a litre of milk you expect somewhere in the region of a litre...at this stage give me even two thirds of a litre and I'll be happy!

neilled

Just acquired a sonyericsson p990i and have had no joy in getting fring or iskoot to work on the three network.