15 posts tagged “333”
That's right - 3 Mobile decided to call me at 11pm at night (not that there's an 11pm in the morning...)
Just a quick update on my trials and tribulations on 3UK, and my experience of their abysmal customer DISservice. Anyone that knows me knows that 11pm is waaay before my bedtime, so I wasn't too bothered, although I did question the fella on the phone as to why they thought it was appropriate to call customers at that time. Moving on...
The chap wanted to know if I had my dongle at the ready. Why? Because he wanted me to play with it to satisfy his needs. I wasn't having any of that nonsense and told him so. He put me on hold and, after a minute or two, agreed it wan't necessary. He went on to tell me that there was a 'reverse' or something now applied to my account and that I was to expect a call back to confirm this in the next few days.
So is that, that? Well I haven't received this callback yet but I'm optimistic that it is.
This is all such a shame as this time last year I wouldn't have hesitated recommending 3 Mobile to friends. Back then, the network used to work well - at least for me it did. I had a great signal in most places, connection rarely dropped and I was able to use data services, make calls and send texts with few issues. Their prices were unbeatable and were crystal clear (unlike with other networks).
Sadly though, when things started to go wrong (in January) they went REAL wrong and then I had to deal with their customer services. I wouldn't recommend that to my worst enemy. Apparently Vodafone's is great - but, fortunately, I've yet to have to call them.
By simply topping up you can make unlimited Skype-to-Skype calls, Skype-to-Skype messages. It doesn't matter how much you top up, you only have to top up four times a year to use Skype (if you don't, you don't get to use Skype).
I highly recommend these despite the current issues I have with 3 UK, which says something. Want to know more about these issues? Of course you do...
In a nutshell, they are as follows: I can't access the internet half the time, can't send or receive MMS half the time, can't make (or, presumably) receive calls half the time and this is despite being in a good coverage area. 3's CS have known about this for nearly two months now and haven't rectified the problem. They haven't given me a time frame as to when the problem will be solved. They've offered me a less than generous £5 for my inconvienence and that was only after I spoken to numerous call centre folk for hours on end. FWIW I declined. I don't want credit on my account, I simply want a service that works again and, as a goodwill gesture, be allowed to change my tariff to one that's far more suitable than the one I'm on now (yet costs the same per month).
Anyone that follows me on Twitter has had to endure way more moaning from me of late. Why? Well I've been tweeting about the technical issues that have been plaguing me and my phone since around mid January. I say 'phone' when in actual fact it would appear to be the network itself that is at fault.
Because the problem(s) is (are) quite difficult to explain (and as I'm sick and tired of explaining them to 3's CS folk) here's a video that sums it up..
The reason I chose '333' to ring as a test number was that I didn't want personal numbers in the video, didn't want to annoy anyone and 333 is free. I assure you any number could've been substituted and have produced the same results.
Hopefully someone at 3's technical department will see this video and know exactly what's happening and be able to fix it. If it can't be fixed I either want a whole new number/SIM/account or I want out of my contract early. That's not too much to ask is it? I mean this has been affecting me one way or another for 6 or 7 weeks and they've known about it for 6 or 7 weeks. I've spent hours on the phone to them and am paying for a service that can't be relied upon.
Anyway, enough of my whining for now. Check the video out and if anyone has any idea as to what's causing this, drop me a line!
Currently I'm on a terrible mobile plan that no longer suits my needs. As much as I like 3 Mobile, their customer service sucks as does their inflexibility. There's a plan that would be ideal which is exactly the same cost as I'm paying right now. Will they let me change to it? Will they hell!
So, instead I have a plan that doesn't have anywhere near the amount of texts I need (damn you friends, family and acquaintances with your new fangled unlimited tariffs!). Can I get an add-on that gives me unlimited texts? Nope. Can I get an add-on that at least gives me a significant extra bunch for a reasonable sum? Again.. nope!
What does that leave me with? Well I'm in one of those bloody 18 month contracts. Off the top of my head, I don't think I'm yet halfway through it. I need more texts - that is that. The only sensible thing to do would seem to be to get a short term contract that offers me more texts and carrying yet another mobile around with me. As such I've been keeping an eye on what's on offer. Oh, and despite all of this - I'm still looking to 3 first, hence I discovered this...
(even though I was meant to be looking at contract, not PAYG...)
That price rise pales into insignificance when you look at how much the Sony Ericsson W595 has gone up (I believe it's around £50 more expensive on PAYG now!)
I still don't know what to do. Right now I'd just be happy to be able to use the internet I'm paying for on my existing phone to work. As it is its routinely blocking my attempts to connect and as such MMS and push email isn't working either. But that sorry state of affairs is for another post entirely!
My mobile internet connections issues and the unbelievably stupid things I have to listen to and/or follow continues!
Okay, right, here we go! I'm typing this at midnight and I'm both tired and pissed off so forgive the quality of this post!
I'm still having nothing but problems connecting my N95 8GB to the internet on 3 Mobile. It's been like this for months now and is just getting worse. It's probably a very simple problem to solve but I only ever get to talk to Mumbai and quite frankly they haven't got a clue! They are pretty good at following a script and spouting nonsense but are absolutely rubbish at everything else.
I have to do what they say before we progress and it usually involves something really comical like touching my nose whilst standing on one leg and holding my handset in my mouth with my teeth. Okay, not quite as stupid as that, but not far removed!
Earlier I had to listen to the CS guy tell me a bunch of balloney about how my phone was like a little computer and as it was so small it became burdened by all the cookies. I knew this was a load of crap but you have to play along. So there I am clearing my cookies from my browser - knowing full well that that couldn't possibly fix it. And you know what? It didn't!
So anyway I have to call 'em again - I need internet on my phone. Simple as that. This phone is practically worthless if I can't get an internet connection. I mean who buys a high end phone in order to just make calls and send texts?!?
Ho hum...
Oh and before I forget... I had something similar to this happen in the summer. Only when 3's UK tech guys got on the case could it be fixed. The bloke I talked to knew exactly what the problem was and fixed it ASAP. That's the bloke I need to fix this now. No nonsense, no waste of time, no stupidity. Simple as!
Am I? If the buzz on the interweb over the last 24 hours (or whenever it went live) is anything to go by... YES!
And it doesn't look like I'll be trying it any time soon. Well at least not on my 3 Mobile contract phone...
I'm gonna give 'em a call (for ships and giggles as calling 333 is usually a comical affair with misunderstandings that would seem OTT even in the craziest of sit-com set-ups!) This has been going on most evenings for much of this year.. (yeah I know we're only just in February!) Not good, not good at all!
Oh and here's another screengrab from one of those previous evenings...
Oh well, my loaner from O2, the Xda Zest is doing equally poorly - this despite having a good signal on O2 as well as on 3. Maybe mobile phones aren't meant to work after midnight or something? Gremlins in the works? Better not top-up the PAYG if that's the case! :D
Oh well (hmm, I must think of other ways to start sentences, oh well!) I can just read this round-up from Mobile Industry Review and imagine that I too am able to use Google's Latitude and the interweb on these phones I have here before me!
I usually have lots of good things to say about 3. And usually with good reason! But right now I'm not a happy bunny...
I'm in a situation where I want to change the plan I'm on. I don't mind paying the same amount as I'm currently paying and I'm not expecting the earth or anything. I just want a plan that is better suited to me here and now. I have no need for £5 worth of downloads per month. No need for 25 minutes worth of video calls. I want more text messages instead and perhaps, if they're feeling generous, more minutes.
Rang 3's customer services earlier on 333, couldn't get anywhere. Bizarrely the lady on the phone offered me less minutes and texts for the same price as well as the exact same amount of minutes and texts but paying more! Suffice it to say I declined both offers.
The £5 text add-on was pushed too. Another offer I declined. Paying £5 for 75 text messages is in no way a good deal. Certainly not when you have an idea as to how much SMSes cost the network to carry. And this comes from the network that brought you the immensely generous £5 internet?
Oh well, I've got nearly a year left on a tariff that doesn't suit and can't change it to a current equivalent that is more useful and the exact same price. Madness! If I were to use my unwanted video calling allowance or the £5 downloads each month to the full, I'd be using far more of their network than if I were sending hundreds of texts instead. You'd think they'd want me to change - it would be better for them as well as me!
Instead I've got many more months ahead of me rationing my texts and minutes. The situation getting worse with each passing month as more and more friends get better phone deals and forget that I'm still stuck in the dark ages!
So, T-Mobile UK have those ads for finding more minutes in the most unlikeliest of places. They're not entirely accurate (but then they're ads, are they not?) and so 3 UK made a spoof ad.
Well I'm out of minutes, opps. Can't find any cows as I'm a townie... 'what's a cow?' Tried getting me more minutes by ringing 333 but that just turned out to be a comically frustrating call. Good job I did find a friend to take pity on me, he'll be bunging me his spare phone tomorrow. It's contract, he doesn't use it but contract has yet to run out. Spare minutes aplenty!
Now to find the numbers for premium rate services in Outer Mongolia (only kidding!)
Him and his good wife have currently got my Eee PC as the muppet my mate spilt wine on theirs. Kinda feels like Swop Shop! Anyhoo, I hope talkToshiba don't want this Tecra M9 back anytime soon, I've grown very attached to it...
If you've got a 3 phone and/or have 3 Mobile Broadband you should pay close attention to this post. Might save you £24 per year!
As I've been relying more on mobile broadband in the last month than ever before (I'm still off the grid ADSL-wise!) I figured it would be best if I logged into my account to check my usage. Did I get a shock! No, I hadn't used more than my allowance, quite the opposite. What I saw was a £1 charge for paper billing. Seeing as I pay just £7.50 for my 3 Mobile Broadband, an extra £1 for a bit of paper I never even asked for seems pretty damn steep!
I knew they were about to charge for paper billing for phone customers - they sent out a couple of letters regarding my phone account. Never once did I get a letter regarding my seperate broadband account. I'd already switched to ebills for my phone (although I still have another active account open which I haven't been able to opt-out of but that's a whole different story...)
So to sum up. If you're a 3 customer on a monthly contract and you have either their phone service, broadband or both - opt for ebilling right away. As it's £1 per month per SIM, that's £24 per year if you have both.
Unfortunately I can't receive the ebills on my own laptop as I use Linux and that doesn't support SMS. Looks like I'll just have to make a point of checking My3 myself every month.
...I say that even though my problem isn't resolved!
Using a bit of the ol' grey matter I decided to choose the option for cancellations/upgrades when dialling 3 on 333 this time 'round. Bingo, straight through to Scotland!
Nice chap, went out of his way to help me despite my problem not being his department (and me explaining that I deliberately chose the wrong option in the hope of speaking to someone not in Mumbai!)
He understood the situation and tried to see if there was anything he could do about it. He couldn't, but he did really try and didn't suggest anything silly or repeatedly tell me the same thing. He also has a 3 handset and uses 3 services, that is fundamental to me. Speaking to someone who isn't a user themselves seems counter-intuitive.
Incidentally I can still use most internet services on my handset but some refuse to work (Jaiku) or have other issues such as web pages taking forever to appear and often getting a 'page cannot be found'-type error. Google Maps works a.o.k. (but that works even on an old prepay SIM that has no credit it on it!)
Oh and some sites work fine via Opera Mini but not through the Nokia web browser.
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