leaving 3 network - customer support claims

kramerica

hey y'all,

My 3 contract expires on 11th September (hallelujah!) so I am away like a scalded cat to Vodafone/O2...

I called the 3 'support' this morning to ascertain the expiry date and obviously he asked into why. When I told him I'm leaving for Vodafone soon he said I need to give them 30 days written notice to that effect. When I corrected him that I'm not leaving now, and therefore not breaking my contract, but waiting until expiry, he said that I still had to do this.

I then explained that I was told in a Vodafone store only yesterday of the process involved in leaving, I simply give Vodafone my number, NAC code if I have it (to make things quicker) and they will intervene with 3 on my behalf. The whole process should take 2 hours or so! I also work in the telecoms industry so am well versed on the regulatory matters.

No, this didnt make a dent with him, he continued to toe the party line as if a robot, that I may know the industry but they have their own policies and I cant escape 30 day notice. Oh yeah, and that Vodafone were just wrong.

The call finished with me summarising what I'm going to do i.e. port my number to Vodafone AFTER expiry and do it all in one day, and he summed up by saying he was going to log that I refused to speak to cancellations dept over this but I plan to leave. I (fuming) told him to do whatever he wanted but that once mid September comes I'm off, without needing their poxy 30 day notice.

So what I'm wondering is, was this call just a pathetic attempt by 3 to 'scare' customers into staying longer by making leaving seem really problematic, is there ANY truth in his claims and has anyone else seen the like when dealing with them (most probably to leave as their coverage is a disgrace)

dade

i reckon he wanted you to talk to cancellations so they could persuade you to stay with them offering you free minutes etc. AOL use to do this years ago and you'd be surprise how often it worked.

i'd double check your contract to make sure you can just walk away without the 30 days notice.

Sam Vimes

you don't have to give 30 days notice but 3 will charge you for it anyway. the guy at 3 was of course wrong. you can tell he's wrong because he works for 3

Oryx

Im currently with 3.:o

When I ported from o2, I was breaking my contract, but they just charged me for the days till the end of the contract (it was a month). No notice needed to be served, and the charge was what they were entitled to till the end of the contract.

Ive just read 3's t&cs. They do state on page 16 of the pdf file that you must give 30 days notice to quit the service even if you are out of contract.

You may end this agreement in the following ways.


c) On 30 days’ notice, outside the Minimum Term.
You can end the agreement if your Price Plan does
not contain a Minimum Term, or if you want to
end the agreement at the end of your Minimum
Term or any time after your Minimum Term has
expired, provided you give written notice to 3

Customer Services at least 30 days before the date
you want to end the agreement

So they may not be doing what the others do, but they seem to have it in writing.

N_Raid

Oryx wrote: »

They do state on page 16 of the pdf file that you must give 30 days notice to quit the service even if you are out of contract.

But can they hold you to the terms and conditions of an expired contract? I'm with 3 at the moment and am going to be moving soon too.

Oryx

N_Raid wrote: »

But can they hold you to the terms and conditions of an expired contract? I'm with 3 at the moment and am going to be moving soon too.

Your minimum term may have expired, but as long as you use their service you have an existing contract with them, and their t&cs would apply. That's how I would understand it.

My use of the word contract in my other post should probably read minimum term!

drunkmonkey

You can give your 30 days notice on the 11th Month, therefore your contract ends on the day it should...you are then free to port, you will have to settle your bill for the 12th Month which dosen't include your line rental as you payed that in advance when you signed up....

Besides customer care, why the move to Vodafone? I know they had a problem with signal last week but that happens with all networks....

Danbo!

I moved to vodafone with 3 months left on my contract (yeah, had to get out). I rang up, cancelled my addons, and then went to the vodafone shop and ported across. I assumed i would be charge a flat €25 for the next 3 months, but the following week I got a bill for €75, which said

"thank you for paying by direct debit and using 3. We cancelled your contract on <date>"

And that was it.

Doctor DooM

dade wrote: »

i reckon he wanted you to talk to cancellations so they could persuade you to stay with them offering you free minutes etc. AOL use to do this years ago and you'd be surprise how often it worked.

i'd double check your contract to make sure you can just walk away without the 30 days notice.

I am reasonably sure this was covered by the same legislation which covered full number porting, and you shouldn't be charged out of contract. I'm no legal eagle though so I would like to hear from someone with knowledge on the specifics of that.

However as Sam Vimes has pointed out you are dealing with 3, which means you will probably ring up tomorrow and get another, conflicting answer.

foggy_lad

if you are out of contract just say nothing to three and cancel the direct debit with your bank preferably in writing or by calling into your branch as then you will have something to say you have cancelled.

they may have a 30day policy but once you decide to leave and are out of contract you are not bound by three's terms and conditions except for any charges up to the point/date you cancelled

Slice

The 30 days notice is standard across the industry and means that you have to give 30 days notice, contract or no contract, of your intention to terminate your account with them. Even in the case where your account is terminated within the 30 days (including termination by switching to another network) your existing provider reserves the right to bill you for the period of 30 days after the notice is received (usually required in writing).

If you just walk into a phone shop and ask to switch networks then the notice is taken as the date you asked to make the switch, and if the switch takes place on the same day you request it then you're looking at paying line rental for a period of 30 days in excess of the service provided by your previous operator. However, you can get around this by notifying your network 30 days (or more) in advance that you intend to switch. Obviously, it's always a good idea to keep a record of all communications of this nature

Sam Vimes

foggy_lad wrote: »

if you are out of contract just say nothing to three and cancel the direct debit with your bank preferably in writing or by calling into your branch as then you will have something to say you have cancelled.

they may have a 30day policy but once you decide to leave and are out of contract you are not bound by three's terms and conditions except for any charges up to the point/date you cancelled

that is 100% wrong. Withdrawing from a contract does not excuse you from the obligations of that contract and cancelling the direct debit so they can't take the money you owe them is no better than stealing a phone from the shop. Yet again you've shown that you accuse companies of trying to screw you when really you're just trying to screw them, and morals don't really come into it, unless having morals would benefit you

foggy_lad

Sam Vimes wrote: »

that is 100% wrong. Withdrawing from a contract does not excuse you from the obligations of that contract and cancelling the direct debit so they can't take the money you owe them is no better than stealing a phone from the shop. Yet again you've shown that you accuse companies of trying to screw you when really you're just trying to screw them, and morals don't really come into it, unless having morals would benefit you

try reading my post! TWICE i say if you are out of cantract. what is your problem with me this time??

Sam Vimes

it makes absolutely no difference whether he's had the contract for more than 12 months or not, he's still required to give 30 days notice

and my problem is that you hold companies to impossibly high moral standards but you think that it's ok to just cancel the direct debit if the terms and conditions don't suit you.

foggy_lad

Sam Vimes wrote: »

it makes absolutely no difference whether he's had the contract for more than 12 months or not, he's still required to give 30 days notice

and my problem is that you hold companies to impossibly high moral standards but you think that it's ok to just cancel the direct debit if the terms and conditions don't suit you.

why should companies not be held to high moral standards? customers are only going to respect them much more for this which may not increase profits as much but will leave people feeling like they have got value for money and much more likely to return and reccommend the company to others

Cabaal

foggy_lad wrote: »

if you are out of contract just say nothing to three and cancel the direct debit with your bank preferably in writing or by calling into your branch as then you will have something to say you have cancelled.

they may have a 30day policy but once you decide to leave and are out of contract you are not bound by three's terms and conditions except for any charges up to the point/date you cancelled

ah yes you are, your bound to the contract until you leave, for example if there service has a set amount of limitis you are still bound by these limitis, download allowances, txts and min used

if you breach them then in-line with there T&C's they could terminate or charge you for this excess and your in the wrong, this goes for not following there cancellation procedure whether you are in or out of the min period of contract (12 months)...canceling the DD without notifying Three is retarded and is not advisable to anyone.

Three will continue to charge and will have an outstanding amount on your account which will then go to debt collection etc and as you have no proof you even bothered to tell Three you wanted to cancel then you have no argument and Three are well within there rights to charge you any outstanding amounts which you have on your still active account.

foggy_lad wrote: »

why should companies not be held to high moral standards? customers are only going to respect them much more for this which may not increase profits as much but will leave people feeling like they have got value for money and much more likely to return and reccommend the company to others

ah why should a consumer be able to break the law because your logics certainly comes across as if its ok to do so,
tbh Sam Vimes is 100% correct with his posts


foggy_lad, everyone gets it, you hate Three and you also seem to hate alot of other companys...thats grand you can do this all you like, but don't give misleading advice to people that could only make things worse for them

Sam Vimes

foggy_lad wrote: »

why should companies not be held to high moral standards? customers are only going to respect them much more for this which may not increase profits as much but will leave people feeling like they have got value for money and much more likely to return and reccommend the company to others

companies should absolutely be held to high moral standards but if you're holding them to high standards you should hold yourself to the same standards and not, as in this case, cancel a direct debit so they can't take money that's rightfully theirs without setting debt collectors on you

jimbo007

even worse than this...

I've taken out two contracts with three, and am coming to the end of my second one.

I notified them with around 7 weeks to go that I wanted to cancel my contract at the end of my contract (if you know what I mean).

I then rang them back yesterday to confirm that my contract would end (in about a weeks time). They said they required another 30 days notice as I only "enquired" about cancelling my contract but didn't confirm it (I actually did confirm it).

After arguing a lot, I eventually very reluctantly agreed to the additional 30 days from yesterday and to agree to the termination of my contract with them until the 19th of November.

I rang them again today, and they had the same line, the cancellation was just an enquiry, and I would have to give 30 days notice from today. This turned into a big argument, where they tried to force me into another contract. They said that it would be 20th November when the contract ends. Even though they keep confirming each time that the cancellation has gone through, they talk a lot about "callbacks" that they were supposed to have given you last time but were too busy, and they never ring you back.

It's getting completely rediculous, I got the guy I was speaking to to eventually agree that the 19th of November is the end of my contract. It actually suits me not to end it until then, so I'm not going to bother arguing it again, I haven't time and don't feel like being put on hold for another half an hour. Each phonecall to them is averaging around 50 minutes.

I think they are trying to deliberately force people into new contracts, and am thinking about contacting comreg.ie. What do people think?

jimbo007

and by the way they never once asked for cancellation in writing, but stated each time that the contract was cancelled and the 30 days notice was given to them.

Sam Vimes

the lesson to learn is that you only deal with 3 through registered post for important things where they can deny all knowledge, as many boards users already do. you are far from the only person that this has happened to

Sam Vimes

also, the chances of something positive coming from contacting comreg are very slim indeed

northdubgal

Sam Vimes wrote: »

also, the chances of something positive coming from contacting comreg are very slim indeed

I wouldnt say that.

I have had two issues with 3 in the past year and Comreg sorted both out for me with positive results. I'd say comreg are well used to dealing with 3 by now:rolleyes:

One problem was they refused to give me my unlock code even though I had spent over 800 euro on top ups since I got the phone and the second problem was cancelling my bb. They kept saying that I did not cancel, even though I confirmed it over the phone and sent it in in writing to the cancellation dept and the name of the team leader!

They are unreal in the way they do business.

Sam Vimes

northdubgal wrote: »

I wouldnt say that.

I have had two issues with 3 in the past year and Comreg sorted both out for me with positive results. I'd say comreg are well used to dealing with 3 by now:rolleyes:

One problem was they refused to give me my unlock code even though I had spent over 800 euro on top ups since I got the phone and the second problem was cancelling my bb. They kept saying that I did not cancel, even though I confirmed it over the phone and sent it in in writing to the cancellation dept and the name of the team leader!

wow that's surprising. this is the first time i've heard of them actually doing something. what exactly did they do? was it just the act of contacting comreg that scared 3 into stopping lying or did they apply pressure?

northdubgal wrote: »

They are unreal in the way they do business.

they are indeed

jimbo007

As an update: I've just rang them again and they said it would be 30 days from when I just rang... After an argument, I made the girl I was speaking to give me the names and dates of everyone I was talking to in the last two months and what they have recorded in their system.. She then confirmed that it would be cancelled 30 days from yesterday rather than today..

They're unbelievable, she was saying things like "two days doesn't make a difference" etc.. my contract finishes on 26th October and I have to still wait until 19th November after originally giving notice on 2nd September! Hopefully comreg will do something or take some notice, not that it really affects me because I'm getting out of my contract anyway, but it means I have to pay them for an extra month I don't want..

foggy_lad

i have had to ask ComReg to intervene with three on a few occasions and on each occasion three realising they were in the wrong buckled under pressure from ComReg and resolved the issues i had with them. all the issues were to do with billing and the way three had no way of checking usage but expected customers to know when they had exceeded their limit.

ComReg were very easy to deal with and got the issues sorted with little fuss although it does usually involve waiting ten days etc to allow three to respond...

jimbo007

foggy_lad wrote: »

i have had to ask ComReg to intervene with three on a few occasions and on each occasion three realising they were in the wrong buckled under pressure from ComReg and resolved the issues i had with them. all the issues were to do with billing and the way three had no way of checking usage but expected customers to know when they had exceeded their limit.

ComReg were very easy to deal with and got the issues sorted with little fuss although it does usually involve waiting ten days etc to allow three to respond...

hey foggy, how did you contact ComReg, by phone/email/post?

scorcher6

Make sure to send your letter cancelling your contract by registered post. I wrote to three 30 days before my contract expired informing them i was cancelling. They never responded and after i had payed my 12 montly installments i cancelled my direct debit. About 2 months later three started ringing me looking for money overdue on my account. i explianed my situation and the fact that i had not used there broadband service since my contract expired but they stated they never recieved my letter. Eventually after two weeks of consistent calls i decided to pay the 20 euro as i was informed if i did this my contract would be cancelled. After paying i was tranfered onto another gentleman who informed me that i would have to give another 30 days notice before my contract would be canceled. I however have no ground to stand on as they claim they did not recive my letter. i have since send a letter via regristered post to the same adress which they did recieve. I konw my first letter srrived aswell but i cannot prove it. Therefore under the terms and conditions of my contract they can do what they are doing (charging me 70 euro for a service i did not use). i have informed both comreg and the consumer assosiation of ireland of the situation knowing that they will not act. I will never again buy a three product and am informing every one i know what a joke of a company three are. While they may have gained 75Euro through there dishonesty they will lose in the long run as you will only catch anyone once and eventually they will run out of potential customers and go bust. It makes me wonder where they found the management of three spending thousand on (false) advertising and then screwing over there customers creating bab will towards the company. The amount gained with there current tatics will be outweighed in the long run by loss of revenues.

Sam Vimes

i blame the postal service. they clearly don't know where the 3 offices are since no mail seems to ever reach them

foggy_lad

jimbo007 wrote: »

hey foggy, how did you contact ComReg, by phone/email/post?

by post originally after the famous radio program about three then by email

also if you are writing to three mark the letter "formal complaint" as any other post seems to get thrown into the "feedback" bin.

Musha

Thanks for all the help with this thread,
I shall be leaving 3 do to coverage issues and non return of a €600 security deposit in Jan when my contract is over.
I shall send the cancel notice by reg post and following up with regular phone calls. Was thinking of going back to O2 but they also seem to be having issues and their business plans are woeful.

jimbo007

scorcher6 wrote: »

The amount gained with there current tatics will be outweighed in the long run by loss of revenues.

That's exactly what I was thinking, I will stubbornly never go with three again, it seems to me to be a strange thing to do...

foggy_lad

Musha wrote: »

Thanks for all the help with this thread,
I shall be leaving 3 do to coverage issues and non return of a €600 security deposit in Jan when my contract is over.
I shall send the cancel notice by reg post and following up with regular phone calls. Was thinking of going back to O2 but they also seem to be having issues and their business plans are woeful.

might be an idea to copy the cancellation letter to ComReg with a covering not explaining why?