Three network policy for prepay update scam march 1st 2017

Iseeu

Three sent me a text today updating their policy on prepay for when you top up 20 euro to obtain all you can eat data. For at least 2 years it's been the same date each month requires a top up of 20 to get your all u can eat data. Now they want a top up of 20 every 28 days. This means that each month we'll need to work out when 28 days since last payment is to top up in time so that we don't get billed per MB for out of package data usage which will also will be increased 4 times from around 24 cents per MB to 1 euro per MB. This is a total scam designed so that people will get confused with when their 28 days is up and top up late, we'll then get charged an extortionate 1 euro per MB. They don't send you an alert about out of package usuage till you have spent around 8 euro in my experience. So basically they will be scaming 8 euro out of hundreds of thousands of users in Ireland every day with their cleverly designed new policy. This kind of blatant scam shouldn't be legal. If enough people complain to a financial watchdog three will be exposed and may be shamed into revoking this new policy scam.

RossieMan

Please explain how it's a scam? Or do us all a favour and lock the thread.

FanadMan

Well, Three are notorious for their 30 day plan and catching people who go minutes over the time and then hitting them with massive bills or simply destroying their remaining credit.
But on the other hand, for some people, 28 days is easier to handle than 30 - is 4 even weeks instead of trying to handle months with 28, 30 or 31 days 
With the new plan they are getting people to top up 13 times a month instead of 12 so it's quids in for them.


The hotspot users are now getting the payback they deserve but the rest of us are getting scammed

Spear

This is a technical forum, as this appears to be a customer service issue, in which case you should raise it in the dedicated three forum, where you can get an official response:

http://www.boards.ie/ttforum/1367

That said I'm sure the official response will be utter tripe, but I can't fix that part at least.

Firewalkwithme

You opened an account just for this?

Iseeu wrote: »

Three sent me a text today updating their policy on prepay for when you top up 20 euro to obtain all you can eat data.

That fulfils their obligation to inform customers of the change to the service. Note, you are not under any contract with them.

For at least 2 years it's been the same date each month requires a top up of 20 to get your all u can eat data.

The top up is not every month, it is every 30 days. As a result, the date is different most months and not the same as you state.

Now they want a top up of 20 every 28 days. This means that each month we'll need to work out when 28 days since last payment is to top up in time so that we don't get billed per MB for out of package data usage which will also will be increased 4 times from around 24 cents per MB to 1 euro per MB.

How is it harder to remember to top up every 28 days than it is to remember to top up every 30 days? By the sounds of things it's well burnt into your brain already. If anything, it makes it easier to remember since it will be the same day every 4 weeks.

This is a total scam designed so that people will get confused with when their 28 days is up and top up late, we'll then get charged an extortionate 1 euro per MB.

What's the scam? You know how it works, it's perfectly clear.

They don't send you an alert about out of package usuage till you have spent around 8 euro in my experience. So basically they will be scaming 8 euro out of hundreds of thousands of users in Ireland every day with their cleverly designed new policy.

The alert issue has been brought up many times in the Three forum. They are not going to do it. Nobody likes it but that's how it is.

According to you, you regularly forgetting to top up on time anyway and the change in policy won't affect that either way. You picked that 8 euro figure out of the air, I know because I have been using the 20 p/m package for several years now. There is no pattern to it. Also, I'm curious as to how you come to the conclusion that hundreds of thousands of users in Ireland will be "scammed" like this every day. How many people do you think actually use this package? That is a ludicrous figure to suggest. That would even make sense if every man, woman and child in the country were using the prepay deal.

This kind of blatant scam shouldn't be legal. If enough people complain to a financial watchdog three will be exposed and may be shamed into revoking this new policy scam.

It's legal because it is not a scam. The terms and conditions are very clear. So clear that even you understand them. There is nothing to expose.

If you are unhappy with the deal, take your business elsewhere. You are not under contract but even if you were you could opt out since Three have given you 30 days notice of a change to the plan.

DopeTech

It's not a scam. A simple change in policy to increase revenue that they are allowed do. Vodafone have already reduced the topup benefits windows to 28 days so 3 are just following.

I imagine 3 will amend their website so you can schedule a reoccurring topup every 28 days starting on a particular date like Vodafone have.