I’ve been a Three network customer for about 15 years. For most of that time, I worked from home, staying connected to WiFi, and didn’t go out much, so I never noticed any issues with the network. When my son started secondary school, I got him a phone on my Three account to ensure I could track him and stay in touch.
Recently, I’ve started working from the office and going out more socially, and I’ve discovered how poor the Three network is. I can’t track my son reliably, which was the main reason for getting him a phone. I’ve also been stranded a few times because I couldn’t book an Uber, and I’ve had to cancel plans with friends because of the network issues. I can’t browse when I’m out, and I’ve resorted to connecting to WiFi in shops because my phone doesn’t work.
My partner blames me for choosing Three for my son’s phone because we struggle to contact or track him on his way to and from school.
On Monday, I called Three to make a complaint about the poor network and their service, asking for compensation for the inconvenience and frustration. They promised to call me back within 24-48 hours, or a maximum of 5 days.
On Thursday, while I was at the office, they called, but it rang for less than a second—clearly not intended for me to answer. I later checked my account and saw that my complaint had been closed. They likely noted that I “didn’t answer,” but the call wasn’t genuine.
I called back and insisted on speaking to a manager, but it took me over an hour of pressing for someone senior before I got through. After threatening to escalate to social media and a regulatory body, someone claiming to be a manager finally spoke to me. They promised to call back the next day, Friday, and I gave 4 PM as the best time because I needed them to check my son’s phone while he was home from school.
At 4 PM, they called, but I was dealing with an emergency and couldn’t talk. I asked them to call back this morning. They offered 50% off my phone bills for this month, but I said that wasn’t enough given the long-standing issues, embarrassment, inconvenience, and poor customer service.
This morning, they called again and offered 50% off once more. I refused and spent a long time on hold before they came back offering a 100% discount for both phones for December. I still said this wasn’t enough compensation, but they insisted they couldn’t offer anything more.
When I said I’d take this further—via social media and the relevant regulator—I demanded to speak with a manager. They agreed to a callback within 24-48 hours, but I said I don’t trust them and want the call today. I also instructed them not to close my complaint.
Questions:
1. <strong>Is the offer fair and reasonable?</strong>
Personally, I don’t think it’s sufficient for the scale of the issues, including the poor network, inability to track my son, and the inconvenience caused.
2. Which regulatory body should I report Three to for poor service and customer support?
I believe it’s Ofcom, but I want to ensure I’m following the right steps.