three.ie demanding money for no service

Hardy Eustace

money. This follows an agreement made to resolve the situation, which they now seem to be ignoring. It may seem like a minor irritation, but I can't afford the money they're demanding and it's actually debilitating and depressing.

I was cold-called by three four/five months ago, offering a high speed wireless connection. I agreed and they sent me the router hardware. Next day an installer came and after some testing he told me there wasn't a strong enough signal and abandoned the installation. I continued using my existing connection and equipment from a different supplier.

I did no more and didn't really think about it any further. I suppose I assumed the installer would report to them and they would contact me with arrangements to collect the hardware.

I heard no more until three weeks ago, when I received a bill for €830-odd. I called and they said I had a 14-day cooling-off period from the original agreement over the phone and after that I owed them this money if I didn't proceed. (The reason I didn't hear from them in the meantime was, I assume, because the offer was three months free up front.)

"It's in the contract", they said. Maybe it is (I didn't keep it), but it's obviously entirely outrageous to expect an €800 ransom for about €100 worth of equipment that they didn't bother to collect or never asked for before demanding the money. I never even opened the box.

After a 45-minute heated argument on the phone, they agreed to reinstate the contract on a line connection and cancel the €830. They would now get €50/month that they wouldn't otherwise get. I would have to pay an early cancellation fee to my existing supplier but I was satisfied to settle for that and relieved that the hassle was over, as I thought.

A few days later, I get a call – "you owe us €830". I get this call every day now. Every day I tell them about the deal, ask them to check their records and the recording of the conversation about the deal and ask them not to call me back again except to confirm. Next day, "you owe us €830".

Any ideas or help or is there a consumer organisarion/forum that can support or advise? 

Hardy Eustace

Apologies. I omitted the first line of the post above:

I'm being harassed daily by three.ie for an outrageous (to me, anyway) amount of money. This follows an agreement made to resolve the situation, which they now seem to be ignoring. It may seem like a minor irritation, but I can't afford the money they're demanding and it's actually debilitating and depressing.

I was cold-called by three four/five months ago, offering a high speed wireless connection. I agreed and they sent me the router hardware. Next day an installer came and after some testing he told me there wasn't a strong enough signal and abandoned the installation. I continued using my existing connection and equipment from a different supplier.

I did no more and didn't really think about it any further. I suppose I assumed the installer would report to them and they would contact me with arrangements to collect the hardware.

I heard no more until three weeks ago, when I received a bill for €830-odd. I called and they said I had a 14-day cooling-off period from the original agreement over the phone and after that I owed them this money if I didn't proceed. (The reason I didn't hear from them in the meantime was, I assume, because the offer was three months free up front.)

"It's in the contract", they said. Maybe it is (I didn't keep it), but it's obviously entirely outrageous to expect an €800 ransom for about €100 worth of equipment that they didn't bother to collect or never asked for before demanding the money. I never even opened the box.

After a 45-minute heated argument on the phone, they agreed to reinstate the contract on a line connection and cancel the €830. They would now get €50/month that they wouldn't otherwise get. I would have to pay an early cancellation fee to my existing supplier but I was satisfied to settle for that and relieved that the hassle was over, as I thought.

A few days later, I get a call – "you owe us €830". I get this call every day now. Every day I tell them about the deal, ask them to check their records and the recording of the conversation about the deal and ask them not to call me back again except to confirm. Next day, "you owe us €830".

Any ideas or help or is there a consumer organisarion/forum that can support or advise? 

 

CrookedJack

Get on to ComReg and open a case with them. They'll advise you specifically what to say to Three, and then if you don't get any further they'll pursue it for you.

https://www.comreg.ie/help-complaints/

Hardy Eustace

Crooked Jack, thank you for that. That will be my next step if necessary. In the meantime, after two further 30-minute-plus phone conversations, I have got them to agree to waive the bill when I return the equipment and provide a tracking number. I have given them the number this morning and await confirmation.

Interestingly, and I think cynically, they refuse to confirm this arrangement in writing or electronically, so I'm relying on their word.. I can only assume this is so that they don't set a precedent. Meanwhile, the threatening and harassing texts arrive daily ...

Thanks again for the help.

Dempo1

I'm afraid getting onto comreg at this late stage may be pointless.

Comreg will only deal with a complaint if an attempt to resolve a dispute has not been successful, this includes proof of an attempted resolution has been made, Written, communication, Case Number etc.

They rarely get involved in Billing disputes, mainly lack of service or poor service disputes or contractual issues.

I do sympathise but the problem now seems to be a financial dispute, I'm assuming the €800 or so being demanded is either an early termination fee or perhaps non payment (I'm not making any judgements)

Unfortunately the mistake people make in these scenarios is not documenting dissatisfaction, follow complaints procedures, fail to get a cae number and on occasion refuse to pay bills until matter is resolved. These are red flags to a bull as far as comreg are concerned.

OP could belatedly get a case number, start the complaints procedure and then contact comreg, but I'd not be confident of resolving the Demand for €800.

Hardy Eustace

Thanks for the insight, Dempo1. This is an 'early termination' fee, though, as far as I'm concerned, there was no contract to terminate. I have a case number and I'm just hoping at this stage that they'll keep their word and write it off on receipt of the returned equipment.

roboshatner

Someone on boards back in the 2000s had a thread

So 3 are meant to let customers know if they are changing / updating the contracts they have with there customers.

3 Do not do this whatsoever

They change the contract all the time and never tell customers.

So when they change the contact they are meant to inform us customers and when they do they void the contract with us and we can leave.

So the thread user told us now is the time you send your letter so they told us what to say.

I personally walked into 3 head office beside St Stephens Green and handed the letter in they were so pissed off an actual customer came into them I handed them the letter and they took it.

A week later I got a call and they said sir we understand that we did not let you know and you wish to cancel your contract I said yes and they canceled it.

And I have never looked back or ever went near 3 ever again.