FatHand Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 I've just completed an 18 month contract with 3 mobile and phoned up to see what the deal was... I'd been paying stupid bills recently due to increased usage over and above my contract entitlement so wanted something more appropriate or I would look elsewhere. I've not had the luxury of that in ages as my contract expired in May, they have usually sorted you out and pinned you into something new long before that (perhaps I'm not really surprised considering I was paying through the nose... ca-ching!!!). So I'm out of contract entirely when they then offer me a sweet deal and an awesome phone for my loyalty and probably because of the excessive bills I'd been getting.So I get my phone today and it's not the one I was offered, lower quality and all that. It's got a similar name/number so easy mistake to make perhaps. I phone them up to tell them their mistake only for them to tell me I have to pay nearly 100 quid extra for the phone they offered me for free. It just annoys me that they lured me into a new 18 month contract only to not fulfil their end of the agreement. I could have easily shopped around more and maybe gone to a different company. I'm not hugely concerned about the type of phone I use, I'm not that kind of person, it's the lying aspect the company use to catch you and then make you feel like it's your fault to try and get away with not giving you what they offered!Any of you legal types got any views on this? I'd probably leave the company out of spite if I could. Is what they have done breach of contract? They should have the telephone conversation recorded as they state this at the start of the call "for quality assurance purposes and training". They guy even repeted all the details before we ended the conversation!Needless to say, I did the British thing and wrote a sternly worded letter (email). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 3 are a bunch of crooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkaline Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 3 are a bunch of crooks.I've been with them for 5 years, had no problems at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaki Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 They usually say calls may be recorded blah blah which I assume to mean any calls that incriminating of their crooked ways will not be recorded (or marked as non-pertinent!)All phone companies are absolute cunts. My shrink advised me not to speak about my problems with Orange's Customer "Care" so I won't go in to it......other than saying they are crooked cunts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatHand Posted June 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 I've been with them for 5 years, had no problems at all.Not the first time they have fucked me over. If you make a stink about it though they tend to bend to your way of thinking. If my stern letter doesn't work I will move on to newspaper watchdog style columns (done this before). They hate those, the bad publicity is worse for them than providing you with the services you agreed and pay for. Dicks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 ive had the same 02 phone number now for 6 years, had no problems what so ever. All this tosh about searching round for the best deal is rubbish, i pay 30 a month, get free unlimited calls to any number any time of day (barring abroad) unlimited free txts and shit loads of internet time and every year they give me something else and make my bill a bit cheaper, plus i get to choose any phone they have on offer for free everytime im due for an upgrade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatHand Posted June 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 ive had the same 02 phone number now for 6 years, had no problems what so ever. All this tosh about searching round for the best deal is rubbish, i pay 30 a month, get free unlimited calls to any number any time of day (barring abroad) unlimited free txts and shit loads of internet time and every year they give me something else and make my bill a bit cheaper, plus i get to choose any phone they have on offer for free everytime im due for an upgrade.Looks like you have the best deal there... better than my new one and plus they took the phone I was offered away from the package! So searching around might have been better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 ive had the same 02 phone number now for 6 years, had no problems what so ever. All this tosh about searching round for the best deal is rubbish, i pay 30 a month, get free unlimited calls to any number any time of day (barring abroad) unlimited free txts and shit loads of internet time and every year they give me something else and make my bill a bit cheaper, plus i get to choose any phone they have on offer for free everytime im due for an upgrade.Not sure I get your point. That tosh doesn't apply to you because you've got a good deal. If you are stuck with a shit contract with no freebies or perks, searching for a better one makes sense. I doubt you started on 30 a month with unlimited calls and texts 6 years ago, correct me if I'm wrong. Most companies have some sort of loyalty scheme where you get better and better deals as time goes by and if the particular company you're with doesn't improve its deal then it pays to look elsewhere. My gf and I have the same call/text package with vodafone except she pays a bit extra for no other reason than she didn't look around for deals when she got it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Not sure I get your point. That tosh doesn't apply to you because you've got a good deal. If you are stuck with a shit contract with no freebies or perks, searching for a better one makes sense. I doubt you started on 30 a month with unlimited calls and texts 6 years ago, correct me if I'm wrong. Most companies have some sort of loyalty scheme where you get better and better deals as time goes by and if the particular company you're with doesn't improve its deal then it pays to look elsewhere. My gf and I have the same call/text package with vodafone except she pays a bit extra for no other reason than she didn't look around for deals when she got it.sorry that was kinda my point, that sticking with the same phone company can end up being cheaper than always searching around for a new deal each year. Although it sounds it, i wasnt actually trying to brag just pointing out what im paying for having stuck with O2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 sorry that was kinda my point, that sticking with the same phone company can end up being cheaper than always searching around for a new deal each year. Although it sounds it, i wasnt actually trying to brag just pointing out what im paying for having stuck with O2.I see. Although I do kinda like the idea of people bragging about their contracts. I can imagine the minks that hang out outside mcdonalds going 'aye min, my da's got a hunner million texts a month and free calls to the moon for 50p' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 I've been with them for 5 years, had no problems at all.Lucky you. My better half wasn't so fortunate - she ended up paying her bill twice and they were such a bunch of wriggly fuckers about it. I think she gave up in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkaline Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Lucky you. My better half wasn't so fortunate - she ended up paying her bill twice and they were such a bunch of wriggly fuckers about it. I think she gave up in the end.How did she end up paying her bill twice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stichman Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 3 are pish. Having been with four providers in my time, O2 have hands down got the best customer care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattJimF Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 I've just completed an 18 month contract with 3 mobile and phoned up to see what the deal was... I'd been paying stupid bills recently due to increased usage over and above my contract entitlement so wanted something more appropriate or I would look elsewhere. I've not had the luxury of that in ages as my contract expired in May, they have usually sorted you out and pinned you into something new long before that (perhaps I'm not really surprised considering I was paying through the nose... ca-ching!!!). So I'm out of contract entirely when they then offer me a sweet deal and an awesome phone for my loyalty and probably because of the excessive bills I'd been getting.So I get my phone today and it's not the one I was offered, lower quality and all that. It's got a similar name/number so easy mistake to make perhaps. I phone them up to tell them their mistake only for them to tell me I have to pay nearly 100 quid extra for the phone they offered me for free. It just annoys me that they lured me into a new 18 month contract only to not fulfil their end of the agreement. I could have easily shopped around more and maybe gone to a different company. I'm not hugely concerned about the type of phone I use, I'm not that kind of person, it's the lying aspect the company use to catch you and then make you feel like it's your fault to try and get away with not giving you what they offered!Any of you legal types got any views on this? I'd probably leave the company out of spite if I could. Is what they have done breach of contract? They should have the telephone conversation recorded as they state this at the start of the call "for quality assurance purposes and training". They guy even repeted all the details before we ended the conversation!Needless to say, I did the British thing and wrote a sternly worded letter (email).If you just got the phone today, phone them up saying that you are sending the phone back under the 14 day cooling off period, want you PAC code so you can move to a different network, tell them you will be confirming this in writing both by email and registered post and that the call is being recorded for your own record incase anything goes wrong, just to see what they say to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free Korps Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 If you just got the phone today, phone them up saying that you are sending the phone back under the 14 day cooling off period, want you PAC code so you can move to a different network, tell them you will be confirming this in writing both by email and registered post and that the call is being recorded for your own record incase anything goes wrong, just to see what they say to that.was gonna reply something similar to above, so erm, have nothing else to add really... well unless you want to talk about this matter at the Lemon Tree on Friday night?! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
framheim Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 also if they sold you a new contract and sent you a completely different phone then they've miss-sold you the contract and you can tell them to get to fuck. you can't tell someone they've bought a ferarri and send them a skoda, it's just not cricket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Jo-D Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 I've had 4 contracts with 3, decided to go with organe to make use of their unlmiited broadband for a fiver offer, but had so much problems I reverted back to 3 again and had no problems at all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Exposure @ Lemon Tree Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 Clear breach of contract. Problem being proof though. Unless they record ALL their conversations, they'll just say that's not what the guy said.You might not have a 14 day cooling off period - that only applies by law if they cold-called you and offered you a product. It might be in their terms and conditions though, so you'd be fully entitled to tell them where to shove their phone and contract if that's the case.If you do happen to want to stick with 3, do all of the above, send their phone back and say you've got exactly the same deal less a few quid a month, and with the phone you wanted in the first place for free, and I'm sure they'll just cave in.But, the only way to get round companies that have call centre people, is to send them a letter. The people on the phones have a list of things they're allowed to say and don't have any lee-way (I think anyway - that's what happened to me from experience. The "supervisor" I got put onto was every bit as stupid and ignorant as the call centre assistant I was arguing with. One letter (not an e-mail, an old fashioned letter) and the problem was instantly sorted). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatHand Posted June 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 This is the mobile phone companies are dicks thread, not the "well I don't have any problems with my mobile" thread ha ha. I'm just bitter cause they dicked up and I ended up wasting over 2 hours of my life on the phone to them, mostly on hold... I now officially hate Here Comes the Sun, Valerie, Blue Monday... anyway managed to get it sorted by changing my contract to include the good phone promotion. Turns out I pay less by nearly 10 a month for near enough the same thing. Almost not worth the bother of the hassle but that's the way they set it up so 9 out of 10 people give up. I had an issue with 3 about four years ago now when my phone broke. They took it in for repair but it never returned. I was without a phone for something like 4 months phoning them up every few days being told it had been dispatched and that I had it, brushing off any responsibility in various different ways until I wrote to the Independent with my story of woe getting it published. They ended up giving me a bunch of extra minutes and some cash back but 4 months paying for a phone you didn't have is just painful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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