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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To feel ripped off by 3

51 replies

NoMarymary · 15/10/2014 13:13

Yes another bastard mobile phone rant!

I year left to run on existing mobile and an unsolicited call from 3 offer me an all singing all dancing new mobile and contract for a few £ extra. I ask lots of questions and am a bit by having to have a new number with this new phone, but as I hate the Nokia one I agree.

Happy with new phone, sell Nokia no problems, until I see I've been charged for both contracts.

Call 3 and I am now saddled with 2 contracts. AIBU to expect 3 not to lie by omission? No mention of not cancelling old contract, no indication this was anything other than an upgrade. Have had plenty of upgrades and the only difference was the number and the word contract.

With hindsight of course I was stupid but honestly? It was misleading and immoral not to make it clear to their loyal fecking customer that I was expected to use two phones simultaneously.

Have emailed but not holding breath.

OP posts:

PedantMarina · 15/10/2014 14:52

Not sure if this helps, but a couple of years back, DP cancelled his contract (it was for a dongle) and they claimed that they never received it and send collection agencies after him for £30 (then more, with penalties) - we had to put up with that for a year until they finally gave up.

We hates 3, we does.

PedantMarina · 15/10/2014 14:54

it = cancellation letter
send = sent

Sheesh, not even on the phone, so no excuses.

NorwegianBirdhouse · 15/10/2014 15:04

"When someone rings you up offering you a new contract and they are the other party holding the old contract then it's common sense they will end the old contract if you are in agreement with the changes."

You are so right about this. In my case I really was told that I could transfer my number and end old contract. No one checked any recorded calls so you may want to make this suggestion as they are being completely unreasonable to take another year of rental from you on original contract.

cheerupandhaveaglassofwine · 15/10/2014 15:14

Good advice from Clarabumps, stick to facts and mis selling use there twitter and facebook pages to ask why this act of misleading sales is taking so long to solve and i think things will speed up a lot, after all if you were them you wouldnt want all of your facebook and twitter followers to know just what a set of sharks you were to deal with

SoonToBeSix · 15/10/2014 15:39

EE definitely used the word additional. I have had my problems with three about ten years ago when a door to door salesman doctored a contract I had signed at changed 12 months to 18.
I hope you get it sorted .

HaroldLloyd · 15/10/2014 15:44

I think it wouldn't be obvious to everyone they were selling an additional contract. If they at no point told you that it was an additional phone.

Why are they cold calling their OWN customers selling second phones and not making it obvious?

Keep on at them and I should think they will allow you to cancel the older one.

When I had beef with orange I emailed the department with the CEO in it and that made all the difference, and I said I would have to take it to the regulator.

londonrach · 15/10/2014 15:48

Had a very small problem with a similar company. Nothing like yours. I went onto their fb account and put the words im having a small problem with someone could someone contact me. Someone did from them on fb behind the page. Problem was sorted. I couldnt access something. I then posted on fb wall saying thanks for their help. Worth a try. Be polite and factual. Fingers crossed you get it sorted

LemonadeRayGun · 15/10/2014 17:23

I agree with others use social media they won't like that, have a moan on Twitter, on their facebook page etc. I think you have been duped by a very underhanded method and it happens to many people - I have been taken in by a door salesman from Sky and I always wondered why people were stupid enough to fall for that kind of bollocks and suddenly it was me! I now don't agree to anything unless I have contacted THEM to sort something out! and even then I want to know every tiny detail etc. But hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Hope you get it sorted x

Original poster

NoMarymary · 15/10/2014 18:51

Thanks everyone .

I don't feel so bad now that I know I'm not the only one, and I will keep going with this as I can't afford to pay twice. I've battled PPI on my own and an insurance company and win, so will not give up.

OP posts:

Sallyingforth · 15/10/2014 18:54

Thank you for joining 3.... This is your new plan.... Like I was a new customer . No mention of my 'other' contract

Didn't that tell you it was an additional contract? If not, the new number should have warned you.

Original poster

NoMarymary · 15/10/2014 20:08

No they didn't mention my other contract. Just we can offer you a new contract and phone. You are a valued customer etc. The new phone number did put me off a bit but purely for the inconvenience factor. I just thought it was a business move on their part. Cancel my old contract and give me a new one at an increased cost to me. Seemed like a different way to sell me a contract. It's not what they said but what they didn't say.

To me it's like my toyota dealer saying keep this new car for 2 years, pay xyz for 2 years bring it back and you can have new car and continue the monthly payments. I don't expect to drive out with 2 cars and 2 contracts!

People in RL can't understand how a company can be so sneakily dishonest!

OP posts:

MrsPiggie · 15/10/2014 20:21

I think I would have been taken in as well. Since I have never had 2 contracts, nor been aware of anyone else who does, it wouldn't have occurred to me that it would be a new contract. To me, common sense says it would be an upgrade.
It was at least misleading, if not missold. Complain, complain, complain.

PedantMarina · 15/10/2014 21:38

A PP who is so convinced a contract runs exactly XX months has probably never been offered an early upgrade. A perfectly legitimate way of a phone company to keep you longer (unlike what OP described). DP & I were offered an early upgrade (c.6 months away from the end of a 24 month contract) at least once. It's not inconceivable that somebody would start a year early.

Clarabumps · 16/10/2014 12:40

Three tried this with me a few months back and I initially took it to be an upgrade, the way the salesperson worded it. I then asked about my existing contract and he avoided the question, it was only when I pressed to see if it would be cancelled did he tell me that it wouldn't.

He then tried to sell me the phone as a 'back up' phone incase mine ever broke even though I had insurance, or incase mine ran out of battery.
Yeah thanks i'll pay £35 a month for a phone to sit in a drawer...err no! My point is he was very persuasive, he avoided all questions until I really forced the issue. I feel that you could quite easily be persuaded into a new contract.
Hope you get this sorted OP.

Siarie · 16/10/2014 13:01

I've had the exact same call from 3, as well as my DH as we are both with 3.

Which is why I still stand by my original comments. When they called me they asked if I was interested in a new smart phone. I said no as I buy my phones out right, they then asked if anyone in my family would be intetested in a new smart phone. It was quite clear they were phishing for sales.

Also when they told you about the new number did you ask why? I would have thought that would have been a key time for the crossed wires to become uncrossed.

Also they send you your contract details via email mostly these days, which is where you would have been able to then use your cooling off period.

I wish you all the best with trying to get a refund/cancelled contract under the terms of being missold.

PedantMarina · 16/10/2014 14:00

Have you thought about raising it with Watchdog and/or OfCom? Sounds like a regular epidemic.

And, all, this might be a good time to mention the Telephone Preference Service (as well as the Mail Preference Service). Won't stop ever sales call, but will seriously diminish them. Also, if you've signed up to the TPS and get calls, you have another forum that can deal with it as a data protection issue.

sharon56bus · 16/10/2014 17:16

I very nearly got caught by EE on one of these scams for a G4 Tablet. This practice is borderline legal, they are very plausible and If I as someone who used to run Telemarketing teams for Business to business applications, can nearly get caught the unwary can be canon fodder ...................

bronya · 16/10/2014 18:37

EE tried to do this to me.

Original poster

NoMarymary · 16/10/2014 20:00

I'm shocked that other people have had the same calls from 3 and I will bring this up with them.

They cold called me and I was away from home at the time so not concentrating as well as I should have maybe. I didn't ask about the old contract as I thought it was just a new sales tactic for them to cancel early and tie me in for another 2 years at a higher rate. So something in it for both of us I thought.

No mention of it being an additional phone, just kept banging on about the minutes and data and how it was a good deal! Very persuasive and just skating over the facts. Not at all clarifying anything, ie having two contracts!

No email about the new terms and conditions at all which may have alerted me as I would have had time to think over the decision and ask for clarification re the old contract. In fact the phone arrived within 48 hours! Not aware until 2 direct debits paid, well after the cooling off period.

I've emailed rip off Britain.

We are with the TPS but apparently it won't screen out calls from companies you are known to, or from abroad. If one more boiler/loft insulation/PPI company calls is will throw the phone out the window.

3 and EE seem to be major culprits

OP posts:

carlywurly · 16/10/2014 20:50

3 are utter bastards for this. They phone me every few months to offer me an extra phone. Every time I ask them to take me off their marketing database. They never do.

They tried calling today but I answered then left the phone on the worktop until they got bored. No doubt they'll try again tomorrow. So intrusive and annoying.

bronya · 17/10/2014 19:13

We have our internet with 3 - they probably never got to try this trick because my standard answer to them is, "I'm not interested in any offers as I'm perfectly happy with my contract, thanks." Shuts them up nicely!!!

carlywurly · 17/10/2014 20:44

They tried again today - the 8th time this week. I'm individually blocking each of their numbers now. It's all very well telling them you aren't interested but they're back calling at all hours a few months later.

Cebro · 17/10/2014 21:57

Look at CISAS website who deal with mobile phone company complaints. Lots of information about making a complaint and what to do if your complaints go unheard. Mention in your complaint to Three you will go to CISAS.
We managed to get out of a 2 year contract with EE only 6 months in due to some amazing billing mistakes (taking over £6000.00 from our business account - accidentally!!!) that EE thought were reasonable but CISAS ruled in our favour and got out of contract.

Original poster

NoMarymary · 19/10/2014 08:42

Thank you I will look into CISAS. Never heard of it before. Not heard back from 3 so will email again tomorrow and learn how to do twitter

Such bloody vile behaviour!

OP posts:

carlywurly · 20/10/2014 19:07

I blocked my 12 th call today. Persistent buggers. I can't think they have many numbers left for me to block.

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