3 Broadband.

[patkins]

Anyone out there with bad experience of 3 Broadband? Today I tried to cancel my 3 Broadband (usb portr dongle) only to be told that the cancellation fee is 150 euro.I took out their woefully inadequate service at the beginning of Feb. this year and they told me that I`d signed a 1 yr. contract. I told them that I had not signed any documents and then they changed to a verbal agreement which I told them I had also not been given. They then directed me to contact the store from where I purchased the broadband for them to cancel my account. The store manager told me that it was policy to inform customers of the 1yr. agreement and that he would have done so at the time. I told him that I had not dealt with him but with a woman who was in his place in his absence. I won`t be bullied into believing something which never happened nor will I pay their exit fee and I have mentioned to them of involving Consumers Affairs Ombudsman. I will fight this to it`s conclusion. After they take the next payment at the end of this month, I will inform the bank not to pay them anymore money.

[davieboy.rfc]

ive got a 3 dongle iv had it about 1 year & pay 5 quid a month ive been told i can cancel anytime & also the price wont increase for years 2 come if its more than 5 to 10 euro ur payin then i would try to get that reduced & wait for ur year to expire good luck pat..

[patkins]

It`s 19.99 euro per month and thanks for the info. and good wishes.

[ianmac]

Pat is there anything on a website or store poster stating about the details of your 19.99 euro offer?

[Walkinmyshadow]

Pat.. last year i was in exactly the same position as you regarding 3 broadband (Ireland), I told them i wanted to cancel my account, i was told that i had a contract/agreement and couldnt cancel till the year had subsided,
told them that if there was a contract, then it was THEY who were in breach of it, as the service that was being supplied was not up to scratch. told them if they wanted to pursue it through a court of law then they were entitled to do so. they said ok send us back the dongle, i said if you want the dongle back, you know where i live, send a courier to my house and i will gladly give it to him.
Needless to say that was the last i hear from them, and i still have the dongle!!!

[patkins]

Thanks for the interest Ian. I walked in off the street and asked for broadband. The manager told me I needed 2 forms of i.d., Ionly had my drivers licence. I returned 2 days later and he was 15 miles away and I was served by a girl.,No mention of 1yr. was made. The bottom line Ian is that the speed is crap and three times the service stopped and started during downloads which I had to abort. 7 to 8 mins. to load a 3min. song on Youtube. My new broadband (wifi via Eircom the national carrier) is like dying and going to heaven compared with the other bag of shit.

[patkins]

Thank you Walkin... I think the problem is that the manager had a girl stand in for him when he was elsewhere and she made a cock-up. Thanks for the encouraging reply regarding your situation. I`ll do jail first before pay for crap service.

[ianmac]

Thanks for the interest Ian. I walked in off the street and asked for broadband. The manager told me I needed 2 forms of i.d., Ionly had my drivers licence. I returned 2 days later and he was 15 miles away and I was served by a girl.,No mention of 1yr. was made. The bottom line Ian is that the speed is crap and three times the service stopped and started during downloads which I had to abort. 7 to 8 mins. to load a 3min. song on Youtube. My new broadband (wifi via Eircom the national carrier) is like dying and going to heaven compared with the other bag of shit.

Hi Pat, sorry to hear that you still have internet troubles m8.

You say that they took 2 forms of i.d. Off you, that to me would mean the words Contract, you also said that they bill you 19.99 euros each month, so they must have your bank details.

Do they send you monthly paper statements? If so is there anything in writing about terms + conditions, or contract?

Also you said that the store is 20 miles away, did anyone check their network coverage for your area?

I have had a quick look @ the 3 mobile broardband in Ireland & from what I saw there are quite a few grey areas that cannot receive their network, but without knowing your postcode I can't check where you live m8..
Type your postcode in their coverage map to see what it looks like where you live.


3 - Help & Support - Coverage - Mobile Broadband coverage - Checker

Even if it does state that you have got coverage in your area, you could still have a case, as it states @ the bottom of their map:

"the information is only a guide and doesn?t guarantee service availability in a particular location"

But it would be good to know what it does say about your area.. (That's if you can get on the BL**DY Internet to find out)

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Anyway. How I see it is: If you are having lots of trouble getting a signal or getting dropped connections & they did not make the effort @ the store to check this first, then you could have a case for "Mis-informing" you, or "Mis-selling".

You might even have a case for "Goods not fit for the purpose"...

Have a look @ some of the reviews below.



3 Mobile Broadband - Is it the best?

Here are a few other cases of mis-informing, mis-selling ect.



New rules to combat mobile mis-selling come into force | Ofcom



BBC - Watchdog: Mobile charges but no signal



mobile phone contracts in The AnswerBank: Civil

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After seeing some of these, I would be inclined to print up some of the bad reviews & arm yourself with a few facts, go back to the store with the dongle + whatever else they provided you with & tell them unless they take the stuff back & give you written confirmation that you will not be charged for anything else to do with this product or services, then you will take matters further & will take this to the "Small claims court".

Hope some of this info I found is some help to you Pat...

--- Ian ---

[patkins]

Once again thank you Ian for this effort and your support before. The manager was in another branch 15 miles away and because I had spoken to him 2 days previous and he told me he would `book` a dongle for me,I assume that the assistant thought that the manager had versed me on the finer details ie 1 yr term-14 day trial etc. I`m gonna sit tight and wait. I don`t thing there will be a problem as the buzz on the street is that this is not the first time someone has cancelled in the `contract` period. The mindset in Ireland at the moment-bearing in mind the corruption in Government, the Banks running wild , the builders with their own mansions while they leave unfinished houses and estates- is, Fu*K Em all if they can get away with it then so can I.

[patkins]

Yesterday 3 broadband sent me another bill for 44 euro and a threat of a collection agency to collect it. To day I phoned and requested someone high up. I told him that I did not have a contract with them as one was not given. That they could get The Viper (notorious gangland thug who now does collection agency) if they liked but neither they nor he was getting any money and that I looked forward to my day in court with them and would give them all the publicity they dont need should I win lose or draw. 30 minutes later the agent who sold me the pup in the first place rang me to say that the matter was settled and that no further demands, inc. the 44 euro would be made on me and that the matter was finished. Thank you to all of you who supported me on this one and mark it down to a victory fore the small guy. Well , the 5ft 7 guy then.

[andymc1s]

good on ya for not allowing yourself to bullied by these moneygrabbing ~~~~ers.
victory is yours.