3 mobile are shite

[Houseplant]

i've just come to the end of an 18 month contract with 3 and they have been bloody awful, so i'm doing the only thing i can do as a consumer, i've finished the contract with them and will tell anyone who listens how bad they've been.

1. the reception has been terrible from day one. i've never worked out whether it's the phone (sony ericsson K770i) or network or a mixture of both. it's totally unpredictable, apart from i can count on the fact that i don't get reception in most buildings, including my house - ask any of my regular dive buddies on YD.

2. due to issue 1, i sent the phone back to their leamington spa store for replacement/repair. they lost it. it took 3 months of visits, emails to HQ and arguments to get a replacement. apparently they didn't have a store manager for this period who could authorise it. they wouldn't even lend me a phone.

3. i came to the end of the contract and tried to call the HQ to cancel it. they didn't answer, simple as that. the longest i was kept on hold was 40 minutes. when i dialled alternative options, they answered straight away and just wouldn't deal with me. they insisted on putting me through to the extension that didn't answer - totally infuriating

i went in to a 3 store today (Exeter) and i'm sorry for the poor guy that i spoke to. i was polite, but i needed to get this sorted. after telling me it was a simple matter of calling the HQ, i said that i wasn't going to move from the reception desk until they answered. after 20 minutes of hanging on, he phoned some internal number and manged to get me put through.

apparently my contract ends 20th July, but we will see.

in summary, my experience of 3 is that they are shite. i don't have time to deal with crap like this. i would avoid them like the plague.

if you're going to post and say how good 3 are, then i'm not going to disagree and i'm happy for you. this has been my experience.

rant over. feeling somewhat better.

andrew

[SilvaFish]

Absolutely agreed on that sentiment. I know people on 3 who can't get a signal in LONDON of all places, and if that isn't a major city, then I don't know what is?

For your service, maybe a chat with Trading Standards is in order?

[Bottle Maker]

I have to agree 3 are sh+te. They may have great sounding deals but no net work to run on.

Graham.

[Sparky750]

That's the only reason i'm still on vodafone probably one of the most expensive out there but 99.9% of the time i get a signal i'd love to go onto o2 with an iphone but the signal in my house is terrible so blackberry on voda it is

[steveharriss]

I'm with 3. Left o2 after a ruck and it's the worst decision I have ever made. Vodaphone or O2. No other choice IMO.

[kato]

I have a 3 mobile broadband dongle thingie.

Reception is ok I guess, but i only use it when i take laptop away from home, ie on dive trips to check weather forecast.

[yazzyfooty]

I am on 3 mobile and have a Sony erickson K770i and have had this model for a year or so, prior to that I had the earlier model and never had a problem with either phones or reception or signal apart from there is a bit on my drive across the M66 where signal is poor as its just fields.

I have been on T mobile, Orange and 02 and if I was to move on purely because of a better package then it would be to 02 otherwise I stay with 3 mobile.

[MattS]

I was with Vodafone for ever. Whenever I dealt with customer service they were polite, expedient and efficient. I bought an iPhone contract last month and Voda were just as efficient moving my number and ending the contract. Just a shame Voda don't do iPhone contracts.

[dry suit diver]

I work smack in the centre of thr 'city' of London. 3 mobile is shit reception. 3 broadband dongle reception is absolutely spot on.
swap the sims and no change. the network was designed forData not voice, and voice should be simple.


orange 3 are no better. but at least on voice package I ncan get a 2.5 G signl.


and with browns " levy" on landlines, expect 3G to get busier.

[karlw]

I have been with 3 from when they started and have no complaints apart from when the call centre got moved abroad. Have an O2 phone for work and never get a signal.