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.

I've resisted blogging about this far too long.  One, because I've simply had enough of it and two, because I actually like the company, the services it offers and the ideas they come up with.

Okay, so what am I talking about?  3 Mobile, that's who.  Why?  Well it all goes back to January of this year - but I think I'll spare you all that.  Or, at least, try to be brief.

So, to cut a long story short - 3 UK's services have been flaky in my home town and anywhere I've traveled in the country in the last seven months.  We're not talking traditional not-spots - I've often got a full signal - no, these are times where using data services, such as internet, email, Skype and MMS won't work regardless of signal level.  On some occasions I've not been able to make even a phone call or send a text message.

I can't begin to tell you how many long, drawn out phone calls I've had to endure, the nonsense questions I've had to answer, the ridiculous things I've been asked to try.  This spanned months.  For the first month or so I didn't get anywhere further than Mumbai.  As any customer of 3's who's ever had the misfortune of needing to call customer services will attest, Mumbai can never sort these issues out - you're effectively talking to a human robot.

It's effectively a magical merry-go-round.  Stay on and you go around and around in circles, getting you nowhere.  Or you get off and don't go anywhere.  Rock meets hard place.

As this is the abridged version I'll move on past Mumbai and the beginnings of my dealings with 3 Mobile's "Executive Team"  - and on to the bit where I, eventually, was allowed out of my contract.  The gentleman I was dealing with and myself, we got on fairly well to begin with but, in the last few weeks of our "relationship", things broke down.  I won't go into all that here other than say that he agreed that I could leave both my mobile phone contract *and* my mobile broadband contract early - and without any penalty...

Guess what?  He was true to his word in regards to my mobile contract - I promptly received my PAC (the code needed in order to keep your number when switching providers) but my mobile broadband was a different story.  Obviously there was no need to keep numbers for that so I figured I just needed to ring them up and make sure it was cancelled.  This was important as things got a little confusing...

God, this is the abridged version and it's already longer than the bible and the complete works of J K Rowling combined...

A day or two after I received my PAC, I got a call from 3's retentions team.  They offered me my existing contract at under £5 per month on a 12 month contract.  They were even throwing in a phone.  So, I figured, hey, what the heck, I may as well keep the contract.  I'd sell the phone (which I did) and effectively have a generous amount of minutes and texts for essentially just a pound or two a month.  The issues with their network wouldn't last forever and it would give me time to find another, more reliable, provider.

I guess taking up this woman's offer was the beginning of my subsequent headaches.  3 now seem determined not to let me cancel my mobile broadband account, despite their "Exec Team" promising me I could.  The second to last person I talked to also told me I could cancel (after a heated conversation).  Again, this was a false promise.

I've got the fun of calling them again, I put it off over the weekend as I didn't need the stress.  I know exactly how the call will go and I know they won't do what they promised.  What can I do about this?  Well nothing seems to work but I'm open to ideas.

I've lost all faith in the company now.  Sure they have some cool people working for them, filled with cool ideas and forward thinking vision - sadly none of them have been anywhere near their customer service folk.  And all the PR you can buy doesn't patch over the cracks in a network suffering service outtages due to a mast share programme with another provider (they more-or-less confirmed this was the problem) and rude, dishonest argumentative customer "service".

It seems doubtful I'll ever recommend them ever again.  It seems likely that any time I hear anyone mention them I'll put stick my oar in.  And, once my bargain basement phone contract is up, it's highly unlikely I'll stay with them.

My whole opinion of the company has changed.  Even though I love the work they're doing elsewhere - such as teaming up with Skype, offering free calls, messaging and the launch of the two new INQ handsets from spin-off sister company.  I should also point out that without even asking him, INQ Mobile's CEO put in a good word for me at 3, in the hope of resolving this issue a couple of months ago.  Which completely came out of the blue and was truly appreciated.

That kind of thing makes this whole mess even harder to fathom.  Why is 3's customer service so lacking?  Surely they know they're losing customers unnecessarily and are unlikely to ever see most of them back.

I don't know, I'm just tired and I've had enough of it.

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!

Anyone that's been following my Twitter stream of late will know that I have been having tremendous difficulties getting a rather big issue with my contract phone sorted out.  Basically the internet works less than half the time, sometimes it's out all day, sometimes just minutes (usually only lasts a few before the cycle repeats).

Anyway, I brought this to the attention of 3 UK's customer service folk on 333 over a month ago.  Only now, in the last few days have they decided to take my complaint seriously.  I must've wasted hours on the phone to them over this and plenty more following their idiotic suggestions as to how to resolve the issues.

In the meantime I haven't been able to rely on receiving push emails on my handset, nor MMS.  Worse still, I've been unable to make phone calls on occasion too (despite being in good coverage and my reception bars all the way to the top).

So, this dropped through the letterbox earlier...

Here's your replacement SIM card

I'm about to try it and, fingers crossed, it will work.  If not, I don't know what to do next.  Any ideas?  Shame as on the whole I like 3 Mobile.  It's not just the free Sony Ericsson I got in a goody bag, the 3 or 4 free t-shirts, hats and mousemats nor the yummy cakes I've had off them that makes me say that either.  I like the service they provide and how much it costs.  Although now things have soured considerably and it's not just about the aforementioned technical issues currently being endured or their comical out-sourced CS number.

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...)

INQ1 - £79.99 - PAYG

Note the price?  Good!  That was back in December.  Now let's have a look at how much it costs two months later...

INQ1 now £88.29. Success gone to it's head

A couple of months ago, if you were using Quidco, you could've had the INQ1 on PAYG for just £58.99... see

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!

I've been having a look over at 3's online store (for reasons I won't bore you with right now) and can't seem to find their Skypehone S2.  Is it just me or has it vanished?

Stuff.tv: Vodafone readying 28Mbps mobile broadband

Something that they're about to announce at this year's MWC in Barcelona apparently.  I'll believe it when I see it.  As useful as mobile broadband is and as much as I've had to rely on it from time-to-time over the past few months, it can be a complete and utter pig.  Connection issues aside, there's the real speed you get as opposed to the advertised speed.  Plus, even your 'real' speed is often not as fast as it should be - I've had many a web session grind to a halt for no apparent reason.

Having said all that, that wasn't with Vodafone.  I have no idea what their service is like.  Maybe it's significantly better than 3's?  Although I have a feeling it isn't

I'd heard something about this earlier in the week and totally forgot about it until today.  GoSpoken, a company specialising in audio books that was set up by ex-SAS soldier turned author, Andy McNab and a pal of his is now offering their wares on both UK's 3 and Vodafone networks.

Although neither the concept of digital downloads nor audio books are new, it seems like no one else had thought of doing this on mobile until now.  Well maybe not 'now' but, at least, until recently (just spotted an article over at what was, at the time, SMS Text News about this from May last year).

GoSpoken on 3

I might have to give this a go. I'm interested to know quite how it works, how much it costs and if it's any good.  Does it use the media player that's built-in to one's phone or is there a special app?  If it uses the player that's already there, chances are it won't remember where you are in the 'book' if you have to stop and pick it up again later.