The perils of 3 PAYG Broadband

[3GScottishUser]

It sounds unbeatable.

Broadband Lite or Internet Max on a PAYG basis with a 3 dongle.

It is good value but there is a major drawback.

You have to be very careful when your 30 day top-up expires because if you dont renew it exactly on the due date you will find your credit being destroyed at £1/MB rate.

Its a hassle as 3 dont tell you when your existing broadband or Internet add-on has expired and unlike contract customers the add-ons dont automatically renew.

I have had enough and my dongle will be going on ebay where they currently fetch more than I paid for it on the student deal!!

Makes more sense if you are a 3 customer to get one on contract at 1/2 price. £90 buys you a smart new USB stick on an 18 month deal with 1GB a month and no chance of any of that £1/MB malarky!!

At just £5 a month with a free modem 3 have a very compelling product for those customers who have laptop PC's

[solo12002]

maybe a email to the ch exe of three to highligt this issue to them and reason why you leaving their PAYG BB package? See what results that bring? even a text message to your mobile to say you need to top up etc.

[Hands0n]

3 really should do better than sell these deals with such a nasty sting in the tail! It really is not acceptable.

[Ben]

Hmm annoying - how's anyone supposed to know exactly when to top up? A text would be logical if it's a handset, otherwise, an email?

[3GScottishUser]

When you buy an add-on it does show you the expiry date when you access your account information on my3. But that has a slight problem attached as by the time you navigate to it background processes like virus checker updates etc might eat into your remaining credit and if you dont get to the renewal page and buy another add-on you are charged at £1/MB.

I suppose you really need to buy the new add-on at least a day in advance to be on the safe side but that is not an option if you happen to go on holiday when your add-on needs renewing!!

I agree a text message would be helpful but I suppose you could also set a reminder on your mobile yourself!!

[bsrjl1]

I don't see any reason to hold any credit on a modem. Just add a broadband product, pay with credit card & when it expires do the same again.

[miffed]

Originally Posted by bsrjl1

I don't see any reason to hold any credit on a modem. Just add a broadband product, pay with credit card & when it expires do the same again.

^^ This is pretty much the workaround that I used , I only topped up by just enough each month
But that said , I also kept an eye on "My 3" - more our of curiosity to see how much of the allowance I was using
I have given up on 3 Broadband now though due to the crap speeds

[Ben]

So My3 shows actual data used as well? That's quite impressive. Does any other network have that? Should be a basic feature of 3G Broadband really, shouldn't it.

[miffed]

Originally Posted by Ben

So My3 shows actual data used as well? That's quite impressive. Does any other network have that? Should be a basic feature of 3G Broadband really, shouldn't it.

I'd have thought so ! - Interesting that the figures on My 3 and the e220's dashboard rarely match up

But yes , it is definately useful to get a tally from the people that are billing you's perspective

You only get this in the Proper Mobile Broadband Tariffs though , the £5 handset add on (which gives you a GB , just like Broadband lite but for half the price) simply has "Fair use" written where the meter usually sits , This suggests to me , you are more likely to get away with going over on the £5 handset add on that you would on the £10 BB lite package !! )

[Hands0n]

Vodafone and T-Mobile definitely do not have a on-line meter that you can check your usage against.

But then T-Mobile are probably the most flexible and do not charge you for going over.

Vodafone will charge you so be careful, although it is £15/1GB which is a lot more reasonable than 3's £100/1GB if you go over!!

[chaslam]

Well the good thing about vodafone which you cant do with the 3 software is actually choose a cut off point in the VMC program. Which is stupid is that its set to 50mb as default, as well parental control, and if we forgot to tell the customer we have droves of them coming back saying "I think ive reached my limit already and its stopped working, and I cant access my, erm 'Betting" websites!"

With vodafone you can simply set it to cut off at 3GB and you wont get over charged, which is a good idea.

[Hands0n]

Now I didn't know that I saw the controls in the VMC program but thought they were only advisory or for reference only. But the same control does not exist for Mac users - only Windoze.

3 (three) mobile have charged me an exorbitant amount for going over the monthly 3GB limit.They mislead me instore by saying this was not possible, and the customer "help" is dreadful, both on the Indian no-help line and instore. I was notified (by being sent 50 messages all at once!!) 2 days after allegedly going over my limit, and later told they couldnt contact me sooner as I hadn't been online!Overall they charged me £39 for one month for allegedly using 3.3GB, just 10% over the 3GB, normally £15 a month, the 7GB bundle being £25. Normally I could only use less than 1GB, the download speed being so slow. Avoid if at all possible.Three 3 mobile internet is a disgraceful rip-off.If you go over by 1GB they will bill you £100 plus vat, so £117.50 for 1GB!!! How can this be legal, I think its fraud/extortion/a con-trick.What do you think? 4GB (one DVD) comes in at a bargain £470.00 !!!Some kind of regulation is urgently needed.

[Hands0n]

Unfortunately you are not the first, nor will you be the last. 3's charge for going over ("out of bundle") is £0.10p per one megabyte which, although looking cheap enough, is the most expensive in the UK working out at £100 per GB. That is the deal, and it is clearly posted on their website, regardless of what is told to you in-store.

In fact, as a general rule, you should never believe anything that a store salesman tells you unless it can be shown to you in print, and you can take a copy away with you. Consider that everything you are told in-store is a lie and you're starting off on the right footing Cynical? Maybe, but the industry has earned itself the reputation - if anyone watched Channel 4's Despatches last night they'll be looking at the industry with different eyes this morning.

I am not at all surprised at 3's CS and store reaction to your plea for assistance. All of the mobile operators have shown themselves to be completely and utterly insensitive to their customers plight. They see us all as cash cows and nothing more.

The above tale is a salutory warning - if you are going into this Mobile Broadband revolution make sure that you compare all of the offerings, look not only at the headline price but also what the out of bundle costs are. Look at what the operator will do when you go out of bundle (T-Mobile send you a warning letter but do not charge more, Vodafone charge £15 per GB etc...). And do not part with any money until you are completely aware and happy with what you are getting yourself into.

@scoobyjones1 - you should equip yourself with a data monitor/meter on your PC, these are often free licences to download - check out the likes of TUCOWS or Download.net. There are quite a few about, and more will come.

Thanks Handson, good advice I wish I had had earlier! I wasnt able to access the website in the store to read the small print, and I dont think that warning was up there 5 months ago when I signed? It is certainly not on the copy of the contract they gave me when I signed. 10p a megabyte sounds cheap until you work it out...the amount of 3GB you pay £15 for they will charge you £300 for if you go over that, for the exact same amount, same service, no quicker, no slower, no extra overheads for them.....how can anyone justify that?
Furthermore, I have now had it confirmed to my by 3 (Indian branch!) that it is possible to cap your limit, (I have now done that) after having paid a return visit to the Eastbourne store, where the "manager" Darren said this would not be possible (although the salesman,Daniel, originally told me I couldnt go over the £15 a month charge even if I tried) When I phoned him to tell him he said "we just sell the contracts the way we are told to by the company!!" Also as you say,T mobile internet do not charge you if you go over, just advise you as any decent company would, not sting you for £100 a GB "overuse"!! I would switch to them but I am stitched into an 18 month contract now, even though they signed me up under false pretenses...some urgent new legislation is needed because these companies are not fit to regulate themselves, and they are taking full advantage of the situation...that programme last night was very revealing, as you say...

[Hands0n]

I know mate, it is a right shock to the system to get hit like that. Imagine what that poor fella felt like who came home to a £20K bill He must have been suicidal.

3 especially, but not exclusively, are headliners. By that I mean their marketing is good, it is all about the headline. But you really have to look under the hood with that company. Good deals can go sour very quickly. Oh, I forgot for a moment, you already know that

But if you really do feel that you have been sold the contract under false pretenses, in official terms mis-sold by 3, then there is protection that you can obtain by the OFT. It is not good enough for the salesman to say what he said to you. That is simply not excusable, 3 have statutory obligations to meet. If you fancy a legal fight you'll need to be prepared for the salesman and manager to try to lie their way out of your accusations. Look on the OFT's website and see if you fancy your chances. You are not powerless by any means, and 3 may not want a fight with you. Just make up your mind what you want next, and be certain of it. These things do tend to require a rugged determination (my mum used to call it stubbornness, but she wasn't referring to me of course )