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Certain customers getting Three UK price plan increase

No matter what you spend your hard earned cash on these days it seems most things are increasing in price, and at a time when many of us have little spare cash anymore. Today we have the not so good news that certain customers will be getting a Three UK price plan increase.

The UK mobile phone carrier has recently announced that it will be putting up some of its customer’s price plans, and according to Android Central this will be as much as 3.6 percent. The price increases come into force by July 16th but won’t affect all customers of the network. Any customers that join Three after March 8th this year, on a one month SIM only deal, or on a business or pay-as-you-go price plan will not be affected.

For those that are planning on picking up the new Samsung Galaxy S3 next week will continue to pay the price they sign up for, but for other customers that have been with the network for a while will be hit with the higher prices. The price increase will not be applied to any add-ons you may have on your account, and instead is added to your basic tariff price.

The company is saying that their price plans still offer “excellent value for money” and the carrier are still one of the few mobile carriers in the UK that offers unlimited data. Customers that will be affected by the increases will be notified by email, letter, and SMS showing the extra charges they will need to pay, and they begin to take effect from the first bill on or after July 16th.

This is the first time that Three UK has increased their prices on their pay monthly plans, and while price increases are never welcome, at least it is not too high.To find out more head over to Three support pages. Are you a customer of Three and annoyed at the price increases?

Comments

28 thoughts on “Certain customers getting Three UK price plan increase”

  1. Andy B says:

    “at least it is not too high”; agreed, but not the point. The point is the principle. I signed up for a fixed term & price. Nothing was stated at that time a la “prices may vary”, therefore the CONTRACT should be honoured or null & voided. 3 expect customers to stick to their side of the bargain (example: pay the bill whether the service is used or not), they should do the same.

    I’ll be taking legal advice — and at least wasting as much of their time as it takes to nullify the extra they may get from me.

    1. Mjennings23 says:

      As evidenced by Orange/T-Mobile price rises recently, operators are allowed to raise prices, so long as the raise doesn’t exceed the current Retail Price Index, which I believe is 3.7% or thereabouts currently.

      Also, from their published T&Cs:
      “Our terms and conditions allow us to raise prices in
      line with inflation so that we can cover our business costs. This means that
      you won’t be able to leave your contract early as a result of this
      change.”So there is no breach of contract on their part, unfortunately.

      1. Djl says:

         @Mjennings23:

        The quote you have reproduced is not “from their published T & Cs”; it is from their website. In other words it is THEIR interpretation of THEIR terms & conditions, and one with which, having read said terms & conditions, I wholly disagree.

        1. Dmcclymont says:

          Agree fully, and will file small claim court papers against three if needed, probably choose a court in the South West of England, see if they want to take a day out from their busy schedule and come argue a point that is already ‘won’, in black and white, on their own website????

          1. Dmcclymont says:

             Waiting for three to reply – does anyone know the official three address in the UK that I can serve notices on, court papers by recorded delivery should get them talkative again??

          2. Dmcclymont says:

             Ref :
             @Mjennings23:

            The quote you have reproduced is not “from their published T &
            Cs”; it is from their website. In other words it is THEIR interpretation
            of THEIR terms & conditions, and one with which, having read said
            terms & conditions, I wholly disagree.

            That IS their prevailing terms and conditions as published at 10/6/2012 in the public domain, there are no other (wet signed) T&Cs in use for me at this time.

      2. Dmcclymont says:

         No UK Contract can be varied to the detriment (or damage) of a party, three’s own T&Cs also state that any material change to your detriment means that you can leave without penalty – no mention of excluding the above. 
        Material change (price), detrimental  to me (yes).. simples
        Three will back down if court papers are filed, as T-Mobile did for me a couple of years ago – they will not want to risk a court agreeing that the T&Cs are not able to be enforced! 
        Happy Hunting…..

  2. Lanarkcd says:

    I entered into a 24 month contract at a fixed cost a few
    months ago on the understanding the 3 network would supply me a device plus
    agreed use of their network for which I would pay a fixed sum each month.  Hiding behind the small print of their
    contract 3 is insisting they have the legal right to hike the cost of my
    contract and that I have just got to grin and bear it. 

    This in my view is a pretty short sighted way of working,
    although I am tied into them for the next 20 months with this contract which will
    not be renewed, by a stroke of timing my other contract is due to renew within
    30 days.  Since I will not deal with an organisation
    I neither trust or respect this contract will be terminated, I have already
    swapped my son’s Pay as You Go onto another network, my wife with about a year
    to run on her contract and having the same increase on her bill will be leaving
    3 as soon as the contract expires.

     All in all a great
    bit of customer service and trust building by this organisation, I wonder how
    many customers they have lost by this increase. 
    If they had waited till the end of the contract and told me of an
    increase that would have been acceptable as I would have had the choice to
    accept or reject. This organisation have trampled all over my personal rights
    and liberties and to do so hiding under the cover of legalised claptrap is
    reprehensible therefore I will be glad to be rid of them.

  3. RSbiscuits says:

    I find it particularly annoying that I only signed up 6 months ago to a £35pcm iPhone 4 contract, but I could now get the iPhone 4s on a better contract for £34pcm – it would be nice if they gave existing contract holders the opportunity to move to another tarrif or buy out existing ones (without having to phone Mumbai to attempt to converse with their Customer Services – who I’m sure do a great job, but I really struggle to understand them).

  4. Dmcclymont says:

    Be careful here – mobile phone companies T&Cs DO NOT supersede UK contract law, I for one am very interested to hear if UK Contract law permits us to cancel contracts!!  – anyone got any legal thoughts on this?

  5. full says:

    I have 2 contracts with Three for iPhone 4’s, one 18 months into and the other 5 months. These were both sold verbally at the same Three shop on a price per month for a fixed period. Recently I have received a very cold email from the Three Managing Director stating that in line with the small print of the contract T&C’s the monthly tariff will increase by 3.6%. This is not how the contract was sold verbally in the Three shop at the time of purchase and anyway similar tariff’s are now available at less cost so how can Three justify this anyway.
    I have spoken with Three Customer Services on a very bad line (offshore?) whose reply is basically ‘you should have read the T&C’s’. Asked to speak with the MD but told he doesnt accept calls!! If Three continue with this stance then will terminate both contracts as soon as possible and currently looking closely at the contracts T&C’s
    Interested in anyone’s thoughts on Section 10…does this apply?

    10.1 You may end this agreement in the following ways: ((d) Within one month of a detrimental variation to your agreement. You can end the agreement within one month of us telling you about a variation to your agreement (which includes your Price Plan) which is likely to be of detriment to you. You must give notice to 3 Customer Services within that month and your agreement will finish at the end of that month once we receive your notice. (A Cancellation Fee will not be charged.)

  6. Is this legal? I hope to find my original contract and reed it. I thought the I had signed for a 2 years contract (!) with 3, and the price was the price for the full lenght of the contract! … so… if they decide to increase the price by 50 or 100% … would it be legal?? it cannot be. Let se what OFCOM says. 3 is a bad network, I truly regret I got into this contract, and with regeard to “unlimited” data, first of all is not unlimited (read the fair usage policy) and sencond, most of the time is impossible to use internet on the network… I hope we all complain to OFCOM, it is the only way.  

  7. Paulhart says:

    Hi. Can you tell me why you have only targeted customers who are  tied into a very one sided contract with a price rise? I say you are a dishonest, deceitful & greedy company. If you were truly honest, give people a choice to keep their contract or not. At the end of my contract I`m off to GIFF GAFF. I will never be a 3 customer again

  8. neil says:

    I am going to cancel my direct debit because of this, they will not get any money out of me. Let them sue me for it! I will simply go to another provider or get pay and go.

  9. Basilio86 says:

    try and pass a word around about this horiible 3 network.You must tel people around you not to take 3 network connection’s as thier answere’s from thier customer services people are from india who sit over there and dont know nothing about thier network and the law over here.
    i can undersatnd orther network’s have increased thier rates but these networks are wel conneceted with proper network accross UK.

  10. J2012 says:

    There T&C’s are not transparant enough to fully understand from a consumers point of view and how can it be deemed fair that I will now be paying £6.26 more than a new customer singing up to the same contract? Whatever happened to awarding loyalty? Shortsighted if you ask me cause us Brits hold a grudge and have long memories.

    PAYG for me and avoiding Network 3, Orange and T-mobile.

  11. Dollynonose says:

    I have just had the annoying conversation with the Three “help” line when some guy tried to explain that the increase was due to inflation – the same contract now is £29.00 a month so that does not wash. This company STINKS – I will never take another contract out with them. I hope everyone being ripped off will complain to OFCOM as this is an unfair practice. This is the only company I know that has ever done this – it is underhanded. I hope the word goes out to as many people as possible and their sales are hit. I intend reducing my contract to the lowest available for the rest of the time then I will dump them.

  12. Yamaha_star says:

    So we sign a contract at a set price then they increase my bill after being with 3 for a good few years but a new customer will be paying less??? Goodbye three network been nice knowing you but shove it…..inflation has fallen to below 3% this month alone yet they are asking me to pay 3.6% more on my bill each month?? Money spinning load of BS!!

  13. Paddy says:

    There is a get out clause but only if you have an IPhone. The Clause 10.1(d) allows customers to cancel without penalty if a change in contract is detrimental to them. Three have yet to agree this. However non iPhone contracts state “Material Detriment” and therefore cannot be cancelled. Both OfCom and Communications Ombudsman are investigating this particular contract which Three refuse to acknowledge
    Looks like Three made an error on their small print which could backfire on them

  14. spike says:

    When you sign up to a fix price contract it should be just that regardless of terms and conditions. I believe this is a sneaky way of getting more money from loyal customers who dare I say may look elsewhere when renewing contracts next time! Are the other opperators following suite and is it really needed. Also if Three need to generate more revenue I suggest they should be more honest with everyone instead of hiding behind T & C s, how much will the next increase be ? the only way they will listen is if people vote with their feet and go to other networks, complain or contact offcom.

  15. George says:

    i entered into a 24 month contract last September and whilst 3 will make an extra six quid out of me over the remaining months which is not a lot really they will lose me as a customer when my contract expires. So why win a battle only to lose thre war?

  16. Big Smeet says:

    Currently arguing this case, my argument is that by charging me more for my contract this makes it detrimental to me, so can cancel without a fee, have been to trading standards Ofcom and citizens advice, they say i have a case…3 asked me to show financially how its detrimntal to me in which i responded they should show me there financial report which justifies the 3.6% rise in price, was then told a manager will phone back…not had call back yet…but will let you all know how i get on….yet again this will be my last contract with 3…

  17. Lancashirelad says:

    Really can’t understand the logic here. Are 3 just intending to shut up shop soon but try to make as much as possible beforehand because surely once having established a customer base the aim is surely to keep hold of them as well as corner other areas of the market but how many will stay once their contracts have expired? I would be interested to see how the balance of the increase compares with the loss of revenue when customers move on to other networks which they surely will.

  18. Varneypw says:

    well i took my conter this inact out in feb this year and by this they have just lost out on 2 new contracts one leaving vodaphone and one leaving o2 both of which i pay so why should or would i move these to three after this increase 

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