I feel like 3 (the operator) just screwed me over

[Ninjin]

Today I got an sms from my operator 3
In which they told me that surfing with my mobile unit was free of charge for one month, beacuse of their 5 year anniversary. Sceptic as usual I call the customer service to ask one simple question: Is downloading files free of charge too or is it the normal 10kr/mb? (1.7 USD/mb or 0.86 GBP/mb)The girl that answered first did'nt know anything so she forward me to some other guy called Robin, and he tells me that all data traffic is free, and that it wont cost me a thing. So I ask again, it's totaly free to download and use the internet on my phone for one whole month? And so he replies to me, yes it is. I thank him for the information, say goodbye and hang up.

I proceed to download a few demos fron ngage.com to test it on my n95 8gb and spend some time before I later come home and log on to my operators homepage (for none-swedes) to see what my phonebill is at. (they have that service i dont know if any other operators do but nvm) I check the total cost of my phonebill "so far" as it is called, to see how much I've called for before I actually get the bill home and have to pay for it. And it sais:
[ 2008-04-23 - 68493 Kb - 473,21 kr ] (translated into ~80,7 USD / ~40,7 GBP) This just lights a fire in me and I get really angry, beacuse it was free! He said to me that it was free, and yet it sais that I've got to pay for the data that I downloaded.

I call the customer service once again and talk to some girl named Anna, and I ask her about this. She ask whom I've spoken to eariler, and when I called. I tell her his name was Robin, and that the time was between 11:40 and 12:40 beacuse I knew I called them on my lunch break and that I did'nt know the exact time.

-Anna: Do you know his last name?

-Me: No, I only know his first name beacuse that was the name he greeted me with "Hello my name is Robin".

Do I HAVE to ask for their last names? I also tell her that Robin told me it was free to download, and Anna tells me it certainly is not.

-Me: So you are telling me that I must pay for this even though your co-worker "Robin" told me it was free?

-Anna: Yes beacuse its not just free of charge to use you have to activate it first.

-Me: Activate? The sms did not tell anything about this, neither did Robin.

-Anna: Did he get your customer id or name or anything?

-Me: No he never asked for such a thing, he did get my name but he never looked me up and no one said there was something that had to be "activated"

And after a long and tedious conversation with her I told her that I want to speak to someone that is in charge, her boss or someone else. (THIS is where I let her know I was angry beacuse I tried to be nice and keep calm up to this point) There is a long pause and she comes back to say that I can't do a thing, and that they wont remove the cost from my phone bill, EVEN THOUGH I was given the wrong information from them. And if I still wanted to remove that cost from my bill I'd have to wait until the end of the month when the bill has gone through (when I recieve the bill home in other words) And I was still reluctant to agreed on this beacuse by then it will probably be far to late to object on it.

I'm still * by their lack of support and service, and that they told me the exact opposite things the two times i called. I dont know what the hell I'm supposed to do but I really believe waiting is the wrong aproach...

Maybe this amount of money is not much to you, but it sure is to me, hell I need money for food, my rent. Im a * student I cant afford luxury... or a tripled phonebill plus the amount I usually pay every month.

Part of this post was to let my anger out, and part of this was to any of you who can assist with advice... if you want to say something stupid please just keep it to yourself.

[Bartmanekul]

Tbh if the SMS you recieved didnt say anything about activation, then you have the upperhand.

[Ninjin]

forgot to mention that they sent a webadress in that sms that said, "read more here"
but when i tried to go to that adress I just got the screen "This page cannot be displayed...
I'm guessing I'm pretty much screwed beacuse of that

[Gazzer]

Hi there i had similar problem, when i got charged for network use when useing the gps.

Phone them back and yes you will be speaking to a call centre in India, GREAT. Ask to speak to a manager do not take no for a answer they can not remove all the charge but they can remove 50% as they did for me.

But yes they will keep saying you used it you have to pay for it.....

Stay on the phone for as long as you can as the call is free to them as well give them hell i did.....

But this is THREE all over.

let us know how you got on......

[93tid]

This is so familiar, I wdon't want to even discuss 3's customer service. I thought they were terrible in th UK, but it seems to be a general issue.

It looks like no one at 3 really knows what's going on. There is the optimistic possibility that the charges will show on your account until the bill is issued, at which point they might deduct the data costs - I am far from sure, but it is possible they have set up their accounting in this way for the promotion - if it indeed exists.

Otherwise, the standard advice - keep a detailed record of who you speak to and when, and try to get as much as you can in writing - email, letters, doesn't matter. You probably have some sort of government body overseeing the telecoms services, find out who they are and how you can submit a complaint to them. Mention that you will do this in further communications with 3 customer service, maybe it will help.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

[Ninjin]

My girlfriends older brother is a Jurist and I'm going to call him tomorrow for more advice in how I can proceed with this and what to say. Ill try to update this post in the morning or on friday.

[Ninjin]

Ok this just came, ANOTHER SMS from Three:

Hi, Dont forget to first download the service 3mobile surf before you use our offer to surf for free, http://mobil.tre.se/snabb/555 // 3

seems I'm not the only one that has complained... or maybe its beacuse of me

[Gazzer]

Ok now you have a sms meassage on your phone, that 3 should have a log of with a time next to it......

Now phone them back and get your money back......

[tomzie]

Hey, 3 Customer Service is the worst customer service i've had from any company before, be it uk based or not. 3's policy (from personal experience) is that a customer that has a problem is the customers problem and not theirs. They also say different things depending on what agent you speak too. You get one awnser from one person and another if you call back.

I now only ask to speak to their supervisor. They are the only ones who don't read off the screen and actally do what the agents should be doing but more. 3UK really need to get off their arses and sort this bloody out!

How many customers do they need to lose before they relise that offering better services doesn't always have a good user end experience.

I rest my case.

And for you, CALL 3 BACK, get your money and some extra for your inconvience. Stay on the phone for a good hour just to piss them off. IT WORKS!!

TIP: When speaking to 3s supervisor, if you know a bit about british law then use it. It soon scares them and gets them to act.

ANOTHER TIP: If you get no luck, go to your local store and ask to speak to the Manager or Area Manager.

[ashpete02]

This may not be of much use to you as you are not in the U.K - maybe others can make some use - or maybe it's just rubbish information... I'm not yet with three but have tons of firepower bookmarked- much prefer hearing the good stories though ! ;)

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