"3" customer support experiences?

[rafletcher]

Ok, I'm looking to upgrade my phone, currently on Vodafone via Carphone Warehouse. I'm out of contract with Vodafone, and am considering going over to "3" for the unlimited data. I can try and do this either with CPW (there may be an issue as it's only available as a "new" contrcat not an upgrade) or migrate direct to 3.  I've not has reason to call CPW support, so can't judge it's efficacy, but I was wondering about anyones expereince direct with 3? 

[Jaded]

Yes, but it was quite a few years ago. They may well have sharpened their act up since then.

[lou boutin]

I tried their mobile broadband dongle a few years back.  I couldn't get any coverage if I wasn't in a city, eventhough they reassured me that I would get coverage in all the areas I told them that I would like to use it.  As I could send it back within two week and not be charged, I chose to do this.  Initially it was a pain; the customer services people kept saying that there would be better coverage in 3 weeks, so I should keep it until then.  A colleague did and regreted it.  I sent mine back and I did get a full refund. 

[mrcharly-YHT]

Coverage is crap. Daughter is on 3 and can barely get a signal in centre of york

[Cudzoziemiec]

I had - still have in fact - one of their broadband dongles. Normally it works very well, but some time ago they announced there would be "network upgrade works" which may result in temporary reduction in service. In fact they resulted in total loss of service. I sent them an email and they got back to me, fiddled around with things, and eventually they must have re-upgraded a mast or something cos it all started working again. They did refund part of my sub.

[Arch]

Coverage is crap. Daughter is on 3 and can barely get a signal in centre of york

Odd. I have a 3 mobile broadband dongle, and get pretty good signal in central York.  I am two floors up, if that helps.

I use it a fair bit on the transpennine train, and get a signal most of the way - the bits where I don't are as you'd expect, tunnels and cuttings and the wild blue yonder. Listening to mobile phone conversations around me suggests I'm doing as well as anyone.  I did struggle a bit at my sister's in Winchester, and all the way there and back on the train.

I do have a gripe with their mobile broadband topping up online, where I tried to edit my default card details when my Mastercard was renewed, and the form insisted on an issue number, (which it said was for HSBC Maestro only). I eventually entered 00 and it let me gon on, and then when I tried to top up a few weeks later, refused because I'd entered an issue number. I emailed them, (they promise a reply in 10 days), and have had no response three weeks later. I haven't tried ringing....

[Cunobelin]

I use their MiFi and it is very rare that I do not get a signal

[mrcharly-YHT]

Coverage is crap. Daughter is on 3 and can barely get a signal in centre of york

Odd. I have a 3 mobile broadband dongle, and get pretty good signal in central York.  I am two floors up, if that helps.

We are up off Blossom st, and she only gets a signal if she goes to the first floor.  Vodafone, Orange, O2 all have high-strength signals.

[rafletcher]

The question wasn't aimed at coverage questiions - that's so l, and the weather, what room or building etc that you're in can and does affect that. Also I think the type of phone you're using can affect it - my non-smart company mobile on Orange always has a good signal indoors at home and in the office (in the centre of a building 8m from an outside wall) where my Vodafone Nexus (aka HTC) and now iPhone3GS both struggle to get data connections, and indeed at home even voice connection is dodgy, despite a "good" rating from the vodafone coverage checker. I know I could get a "suresignal" from Vodafone - but that uses my home BB data allowance for both data and calls.

I was more wondering about dealing with their customer services via telephone/email etc.

[Jaded]

Well, as I said, my experiences were a few year ago, but I ended up hang to write to board directors to get them to understand how they had broken the Sale of Goods Act and should therefore call off the debt collecting dogs of war. The drones were completely unable to understand.

[Plug1n]

Same bad experience here about 5 years ago.

I got overcharged on data but many, many, many calls to India just resulted in "you must have used the data".

Eventually resolved by a letter to head office and refunds.

I left anyway and went to Virgin

[citoyen]

I was more wondering about dealing with their customer services via telephone/email etc.

I switched to 3 recently and ported my old Orange number across. I've had cause to make a couple of calls to customer services and I found them fine - much better than Orange, who have an appalling automated menu system that makes it as hard as possible to speak to a human being. My calls were only for minor matters though, so I don't know if that's a reliable yardstick.

Incidentally, I find coverage much better than when I was on Orange too.

d.

[lou boutin]

As I said, customer services gave me 'strange' advice which was aimed at trying to convince me to keep the dongle.  But I insisted on sending it back and I was fully reimbursed, although I did have to chase them a few times.

[perpetual dan]

I've been on 3 a while. Mostly works OK (any provider's coverage has holes, just need to know if they matter to you regularly).
I had to remind them that the free texts and data were not time limited (when they sent the contract, they never tried to charge) and ask them not to bother calling to offer me upgrade phones. Otherwise, not needed to interact with their customer services.

[Pancho]

My broadband is via a 3 mifi dongle and is better than the old BT landline we used to use.

My phone is 3 and I've never had any problems.

I've only had to call customer service once and they responded quickly and efficiently.