3 network price increases

Sam Vimes

This has been mentioned over in mobiles but it's more of a consumer issue so I thought I'd ask here and highlight it while I'm at it.

On 5/4/2009 the 3 network introduced a new tariff and said that all customers had to switch to it. You can see it at http://www.three.ie/new3pay/ as long as they don't take that page down. I've saved a copy anyway.

As you can see, their new 3c text rate takes pride of place on that page and they highlight cheaper calls to other networks, leaving you to notice yourself that all other prices have increased.

Now, I'm not sure exactly when it happened but if you go to http://www.three.ie/priceplans/3pay.htm you'll see they've silently put their text rate back up, having tricked people into accepting the new tariff without hassle by pushing the new text rate that they never had any intention of keeping.

I know companies can pretty much charge what they want within regulations but is it legal to force a tariff change and advertise it as a reduction when the increases actually outweigh the reductions and especially when they have no intention of keeping the most prominently advertised of the two reductions?

foggy_lad

Sam Vimes wrote: »

This has been mentioned over in mobiles but it's more of a consumer issue so I thought I'd ask here and highlight it while I'm at it.

On 5/4/2009 the 3 network introduced a new tariff and said that all customers had to switch to it. You can see it at http://www.three.ie/new3pay/ as long as they don't take that page down. I've saved a copy anyway.

As you can see, their new 3c text rate takes pride of place on that page and they highlight cheaper calls to other networks, leaving you to notice yourself that all other prices have increased.

Now, I'm not sure exactly when it happened but if you go to http://www.three.ie/priceplans/3pay.htm you'll see they've silently put their text rate back up, having tricked people into accepting the new tariff without hassle by pushing the new text rate that they never had any intention of keeping.

I know companies can pretty much charge what they want within regulations but is it legal to force a tariff change and advertise it as a reduction when the increases actually outweigh the reductions and especially when they have no intention of keeping the most prominently advertised of the two reductions?

because they effectively gave a finish date for the 3cent promotion they were always keeping the ability to put the price up at any time, they extended the offer a couple of times but at the end of the day they were always going to be putting the price back up and charging more as that was the whole reason for trying to force myself and others off the old "5cent for life" tariff and on to the far more expensive new tariff.

o2 have been doing offers like this for years, free windows messenger and free bebo etc all had seemingly everlasting extensions to the offer periods but at the end they always intend to charge the full rate for these services when people start using them regularly enough to get "hooked" and pay the full price.

MOH

Wait, you two agree on something!!


Surely if those price changes were a promotion which has ended, then they'd have to revert all the prices, no just the text one - otherwise they'd have to notify another price change?

Cabaal

MOH wrote: »

Wait, you two agree on something!!

I'm shocked too
:pac:

Sam Vimes

MOH wrote: »

Wait, you two agree on something!!


Surely if those price changes were a promotion which has ended, then they'd have to revert all the prices, no just the text one - otherwise they'd have to notify another price change?

We're not agreeing

He's saying the text rate was a promotion but I've seen nothing to suggest it was, not on the page advertising the new tariff anyway that just says "We have lowered our text rate from 5c to 3c to all networks in Ireland". But if the text rate was a promotion they can just end that promotion without effecting everything else.

So it appears that, while it's not illegal, it amply demonstrates why you should not join the 3 network: they force price changes with the promise of cheaper texts in exchange for more expensive calls and then get rid of the cheaper texts as soon as no one's looking.

jor el

Sam Vimes wrote: »

We're not agreeing

<phew> Avert doomsday scenario.

Sam Vimes wrote: »

So it appears that, while it's not illegal, it amply demonstrates why you should not join the 3 network: they force price changes with the promise of cheaper texts in exchange for more expensive calls and then get rid of the cheaper texts as soon as no one's looking.

I'm still confused. On the 3Pay page it says 5c is a promotional rate, expiring on Dec 31st 2009. Then on the New3Pay page, it says 5c was the old rate, which expired on April 4th, and that 3c is the new rate. So both pages directly contradict each other.

Load of bollix, is what I say.

Sam Vimes

jor el wrote: »

<phew> Avert doomsday scenario.

Cancel the four horsemen

jor el wrote: »

I'm still confused. On the 3Pay page it says 5c is a promotional rate, expiring on Dec 31st 2009. Then on the New3Pay page, it says 5c was the old rate, which expired on April 4th, and that 3c is the new rate. So both pages directly contradict each other.

Load of bollix, is what I say.

Yes it is confusing. There were three 3pay tariffs, the original one (with 5c texts forever), the one everyone was switched to and the current one. new3pay.htm is actually the middle one, the one everyone was forcibly switched to on April 4th. The 3pay.htm page is the current tariff. It's the same as the one everyone was switched to except the texts have gone back up to 5c.

And you're right about the promo. I can see that the current tariff clearly says the 5c texts are a promotion but I can't see anything about that on the new3pay.htm page

foggy_lad

Sam Vimes wrote: »

Cancel the four horsemen



Yes it is confusing. There were three 3pay tariffs, the original one (with 5c texts forever), the one everyone was switched to and the current one. new3pay.htm is actually the middle one, the one everyone was forcibly switched to on April 4th. The 3pay.htm page is the current tariff. It's the same as the one everyone was switched to except the texts have gone back up to 5c.

And you're right about the promo. I can see that the current tariff clearly says the 5c texts are a promotion but I can't see anything about that on the new3pay.htm page

it should be/was in the terms and conditions of the promo page but they did not state it on the new priceplan page as this would have rang alarm bells for people who then would not have been duped into throwing away 5cent text and mms and video messages forever!

also three stating the european directive about cancelling contracts if you did not accept the increase was aimed at bill-pay and was misleading having it on the pre-pay price increase page as it would have made people think they had no choice and that three had european backing, but three changing customers over automatically was illegal as it constituted an unauthorised change to their accounts which is contrary to data protection rules.

krudler

o2 have been doing offers like this for years, free windows messenger and free bebo etc all had seemingly everlasting extensions to the offer periods but at the end they always intend to charge the full rate for these services when people start using them regularly enough to get "hooked" and pay the full price.

Or it could be that enough people were using them and enough good feedback and new customers were gained that the network left them free for longer than initially advertised, keeping customers happy? oh no wait, all companies are out to rip everyone off, sorry I forgot

foggy_lad

that is very possible for people that only send a lot of texts but they would be better off on meteor vodafone or o2 who offer free texts, for people that send a lot of mms/video messages it would not suit them at all. 300 mms per month would cost €15 at the old 5cent rate but €90 at the new rate while texts while being a small bit cheaper for a while are now gone back to full price. i can only imagine the number of happy customers:)

Sam Vimes

I think he was only talking about O2 there. I can't picture O2 deliberately deceiving people on a massive scale like this over bebo

foggy_lad

Sam Vimes wrote: »

I think he was only talking about O2 there. I can't picture O2 deliberately deceiving people on a massive scale like this over bebo

i am not talking about them delibretly decieving people but the way thay wont commit to anything and have to keep extending their free bebo or free messenger every couple of months is confusing for customers and most likely counterproductive in that people will not use the services if they feel there is confusion around the cost or how long an offer is going to last. o2 do not want to commit to having bebo etc free forever so just keep moving the expiry date.

an annoying marketing ploy that makes little sense rather than deliberately trying to con customers.