3 pay monthly's

Quint

I signed up to 3 just before they opened their first shop (think it was oct 2007) and had no almost no coverage for 2 months! Their was a problem with the phone, they tried everything but replace the phone, which they eventually did. The worst thing they asked me to do was to borrow my friends 3 3G mobile and try the sim out in it. I said I didn't know anyone on 3, or anyone with a 3G mobile. Then they asked me to go into an o2 or vodafone shop and ask to borrow one!
Eventually after 2 months they replaced the phone and it worked grand. Not a cent off the bill, because they said they were doing everything in their power to fix the fault. When it came to contract renewal time they offered me loads, I told them where to go. Then I went to Meteor and there was a problem trandfering my number across which took about 3 days, and they gave me a tenner off my bill! Difference in customer care was unbelievable!
Obviously people have good and bad stories about both networks, but from my own I wouldn't go near 3

zest4life

Quint wrote: »

Obviously people have good and bad stories about both networks, but from my own I wouldn't go near 3

Everytime Ive made my decison as to which network to switch to from O2 - I read another post that makes me go back to the drawing board !! Its not like I have a huge amount of options - VF, 3 or Meteor ! HELP !!

paulm17781

zest4life wrote: »

Everytime Ive made my decison as to which network to switch to from O2 - I read another post that makes me go back to the drawing board !! Its not like I have a huge amount of options - VF, 3 or Meteor ! HELP !!

I would look at 3 as the Ryanair of mobile telecoms. They are cheap but that comes with a price, your sanity. I do my best to avoid Ryanair. I have accepted moving is going to cost more, I think it is worth it.

zest4life

paulm17781 wrote: »

I would look at 3 as the Ryanair of mobile telecoms. They are cheap but that comes with a price, your sanity.

I like the analogy !!

There are enough things in life that can affect my sanity - i never thought telecommunications could be one of them ! After all - arent they meant to make our life easier not harder !! :rolleyes:

lo0kash

zest4life wrote: »

Everytime Ive made my decison as to which network to switch to from O2 - I read another post that makes me go back to the drawing board !! Its not like I have a huge amount of options - VF, 3 or Meteor ! HELP !!

Meteor is ok, I'm with them since Feb 05. But they didn't play fair with introducing 9c min call charge. Check their new offer out - bill pay lite.

zest4life

lo0kash wrote: »

Meteor is ok, I'm with them since Feb 05. But they didn't play fair with introducing 9c min call charge. Check their new offer out - bill pay lite.

Thanks for the comment . The reason I'm holding off on going with Meteor is cos the free evening calls (which are a great incentive ) dont kick in until after 8. I start to use my phone immediatelt after work . Also, their incusive texts on the bill pay options are very low and they currently only have one option for Text Add-On : which still wouldnt be enough for me. So I'd be worried that if I go with them, I'm still going to incur a lot of charges for going outside of the tariff allocation.

Walkman

paulm17781 wrote: »

. They have gone from 3% share to 2% share.
QUOTE]

They have 14% market share now, more than meteor had after they (meteor) were 3yrs 7mts trading

Rsaeire

Walkman wrote: »

They have 14% market share now, more than meteor had after they (meteor) were 3yrs 7mts trading

The difference is that Meteor isn’t backed by a global telecommunications company like 3 are.

krudler

drunkmonkey wrote: »

lol:D

the good auld adverse weather conditions...

A 3 cc agent told me a number may not port correctly because it was cloudy, and I'm not making that up, 3 are by far the worst network you could go with, I've had to fix some monumental **** ups on their part, porting someone off the network without their permission and refusing to release the number until they paid their first bill and gave a months notice, then saying it takes a week to cancel a number when I can do it with 5 mouse clicks, value for money is all well and good but if that money is getting you a ****e service then whats the point

Rsaeire

I'd personally rank the networks as follows:

- Vodafone (lowest)
- 3
- O2
- Meteor (highest)

In saying that, there is not an equal gap between the networks, and I would say that some of them would actually draw for the same place; some due to their unquestionably ridiculous policies and procedures, there’s a reason a few of these networks have countless ComReg and ASAI complaints against them, and some due to their offerings and service being similar.

Ms Inquisitive

What about the Best of Both plan?

Our man in Havana

Poor value, when compared to a real contract.
The phones offered are also poor value.

SE K770i

3pay: €99
Relax 90(€19 pm): €29
Best of both(€25 pm): €69

Walkman

Bond-007 wrote: »

Poor value, when compared to a real contract.
The phones offered are also poor value.

SE K770i

3pay: €99
Relax 90(€19 pm): €29
Best of both(€25 pm): €69

For the €25 you get 100 mins to anynetwork/landlines, 100 mins 3 to 3 and free unlimited texts to every network and is only a 6 month contract (oh and the whole point of Best of Both is your bill is capped at €25 so no nasty bill shock:))

ronaneire

paulm17781 wrote: »

I would look at 3 as the Ryanair of mobile telecoms. They are cheap but that comes with a price, your sanity. I do my best to avoid Ryanair. I have accepted moving is going to cost more, I think it is worth it.

Hardly you can compare 3 with Ryanair. I am with them nearly a yr and never once had a problem with the phone, skype ( I dont pay any extra for it) played up for a day or 2. When I did contact customer service they couldn't be more helpful, not what I can say about VF.
I also have a 3 modem and this has never once given any hassle.

zest4life

ronaneire wrote: »

Hardly you can compare 3 with Ryanair. I am with them nearly a yr and never once had a problem with the phone, skype ( I dont pay any extra for it) played up for a day or 2. When I did contact customer service they couldn't be more helpful, not what I can say about VF.
I also have a 3 modem and this has never once given any hassle.

Thanks for that

Sam Vimes

ronaneire wrote: »

I also have a 3 modem and this has never once given any hassle.

if a 3 modem has never given you hassle then you.re unique tbh. Even the most hardened 3 fanatic will admit that the modem service is slow and unreliable and doesn't support certain things. My friend was forced to use one the other day because his dsl went down and he sent me a flood of texts giving out about it within ten mins. Maybe you have low expectations and time outs and occasionally being blocked from rapidshare and google among others aren't considered hassle?

paulm17781

Walkman wrote: »

They have 14% market share now, more than meteor had after they (meteor) were 3yrs 7mts trading

Source?

ronaneire

Sam Vimes wrote: »

if a 3 modem has never given you hassle then you.re unique tbh. Even the most hardened 3 fanatic will admit that the modem service is slow and unreliable and doesn't support certain things. My friend was forced to use one the other day because his dsl went down and he sent me a flood of texts giving out about it within ten mins. Maybe you have low expectations and time outs and occasionally being blocked from rapidshare and google among others aren't considered hassle?

Maybe I am unique? No my expectations are quite high and if I am paying for a service, I expect it to be good. Of which it is. And before you start assuming, no I have not being blocked from goolge and amoung others.
Thanks though for having a concern.

Sam Vimes

ronaneire wrote: »

Maybe I am unique? No my expectations are quite high and if I am paying for a service, I expect it to be good. Of which it is. And before you start assuming, no I have not being blocked from goolge and amoung others.
Thanks though for having a concern.

I wouldn't say i'm assuming, it's been reported many times that no one on 3 can access google or rapidshare temporarily. it's because the ip addresses are shared so google treats it as an attack and rapidshare only allows a certain number of connections from one ip. take a look here for the catalogue of problems people have experienced:
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055115306

and here's an example of people not being able to get to google:
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=56720204&postcount=4683

and rapidshare:
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=58641235&postcount=5775

maybe you've been lucky in not using it at those times or maybe you don't use the services that are affected (eg it didn't support outlook when they first launched).

Walkman

Sam I thought this thread was about 3's post pay plans not their modem

Sam Vimes

Walkman wrote: »

Sam I thought this thread was about 3's post pay plans not their modem

it is but i was responding to someone who mentioned the modem

The Gambler 101

drunkmonkey wrote: »

what happend to the N95 or e71...

I got an iPhone in US a year ago and using it at present! was just inquiring!

If I transfer over to 3 pay monthly, and im not happy with the coverage around my home place, I can get out with in 14 days! But how do i go to another provider?

ronaneire

Sam Vimes wrote: »

I wouldn't say i'm assuming, it's been reported many times that no one on 3 can access google or rapidshare temporarily. it's because the ip addresses are shared so google treats it as an attack and rapidshare only allows a certain number of connections from one ip. take a look here for the catalogue of problems people have experienced:
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055115306

and here's an example of people not being able to get to google:
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=56720204&postcount=4683

and rapidshare:
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=58641235&postcount=5775

maybe you've been lucky in not using it at those times or maybe you don't use the services that are affected (eg it didn't support outlook when they first launched).

I use google quiet a bit, I can tell you straight up I have not once had any problems with my 3 modem. Maybe I am the lucky few. As for rapidshare I don't use it. I have nothing to do with 3 Ireland. Maybe Sam you chip on your shoulder with them for some reason?

Sam Vimes

ronaneire wrote: »

I use google quiet a bit, I can tell you straight up I have not once had any problems with my 3 modem. Maybe I am the lucky few. As for rapidshare I don't use it. I have nothing to do with 3 Ireland. Maybe Sam you chip on your shoulder with them for some reason?

i'd say you're right about the chip on the shoulder, i do have a disliking for them but that's not really the point here. i was under the impression that the modem was universally accepted to be a pile of crap that should only be used on the move or if there is no other option. my impression of it has come entirely from customers who bought it off me (and subsequently screamed at me. the return rate was ~40%) and boards users complaining about it so i have no personal experience of it. maybe there are silent masses happily using it but that hasn't been the experience of boards users

zest4life

Sam Vimes wrote: »

i'd say you're right about the chip on the shoulder, i do have a disliking for them but that's not really the point here. i was under the impression that the modem was universally accepted to be a pile of crap that should only be used on the move or if there is no other option. my impression of it has come entirely from customers who bought it off me (and subsequently screamed at me. the return rate was ~40%) and boards users complaining about it so i have no personal experience of it. maybe there are silent masses happily using it but that hasn't been the experience of boards users

I think I might be one of those "silent masses" Sam .... I've been using the 3 modem now for the last number of months. It hasnt been perfect I do admit - but any issues I have had have generally been resolved quickly and efficiently. I appreciate that its not as fast / reliable as other forms of broadband. But I think anyone taking this product has to have known that to begin with and therefore must be prepared to accept the drawbacks that come with choosing it.

In fact there are 3 of us in my house all using this type of service - me with 3, and the other 2 with O2 and VF. I think mine has the most consistent service. The other 2 never stop moaning . Plus 3 is cheaper.

Sam Vimes

zest4life wrote: »

I think I might be one of those "silent masses" Sam .... I've been using the 3 modem now for the last number of months. It hasnt been perfect I do admit - but any issues I have had have generally been resolved quickly and efficiently. I appreciate that its not as fast / reliable as other forms of broadband. But I think anyone taking this product has to have known that to begin with and therefore must be prepared to accept the drawbacks that come with choosing it.

In fact there are 3 of us in my house all using this type of service - me with 3, and the other 2 with O2 and VF. I think mine has the most consistent service. The other 2 never stop moaning . Plus 3 is cheaper.

fair enough. i think you can see here though i would have good reason to think it was universally accepted to be crap:
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055427127

eg:

long_b wrote: »

I'm disgusted and very sickened by this decision.
I can't understand such a dreadful choice.
I would rather do without than to think that 3 will be being paid my hard earned tax money to deliver a woegeous service.

it's been all over the media -even the dog on the street can tell you how bad 3's service is.

Absolutely inept.

would he ever get off the fence :rolleyes:

anyway i can now see that they do have some happy customers. we learn something new every day

paulm17781

Walkman wrote: »

They have 14% market share now, more than meteor had after they (meteor) were 3yrs 7mts trading

Still waiting on a source for that. Last I saw they had 2% of the market, which was down from 3% in the previous quarter... Unless you're including their fraudband customers.

Walkman

paulm17781 wrote: »

Still waiting on a source for that. Last I saw they had 2% of the market, which was down from 3% in the previous quarter... Unless you're including their fraudband customers.

And you will be waiting a very long time for me to reveal my source. Yes I am including broadband customers which make up 40% of their customer base. Dont bother replying as to how you wont believe these numbers without a source cause I really dont care if you do or not.

ronaneire

Or is it just an issue with 3 that you have? Anyways I am happy with it so far. Yes it is cheap but works fine. If someone asked me to recommend mobile broadband I would have no problem saying 3 once they had coverage in their area.

Sam Vimes

ronaneire wrote: »

Or is it just an issue with 3 that you have?

no, it's not. as i have demonstrated my opinion on it was based on selling it for a year and hundreds of people on boards complaining about it