Three Magical Disappearing Credit

MOH

Has anyone else been having an issue with their Three credit being used up with no explanation?

Until fairly recently I was on their €20/month plan - 28 days of texts, data and 3 calls, keep the €20 credit. I'd usually not bother topping up immediately and eke a few extra days out using up the credit before topping up again.

But they never provided any way of seeing how your credit was being used, and a few times it seemed to vanish without explanation. They used to sporadically send text messages stating how much data you'd used, but these always came late, and never accurately reflected the amount that had been deducted (even after accounting for SMS messages). They also seem to have totally given up on notifying you when your prepaid period is ending.

Their website "upgrade" was supposed to show detailed charges, but the few times I checked it it would arbitrarily cut off a few days previously and again not show the out of bundle charges.

The last straw came recently when I was out shopping and got a text warning I was low on credit. Went home, logged in, realised I was a couple of days out of my prepaid period and credit was just under a fiver. Seemed low, since I'd been mainly in lockdown. Total usage charges shown went to the previous day, and totalled a few cents. Sent three text messages - the third failed, and when I logged in again it only showed 2 new SMS charges of 15 cents, but my balance was down to a few cents. Nearly a fiver had vanished in a few minutes. At that stage I ported out to the 48 SIM I had on trial.

Since then I've been trying to get an explanation out of them as to where my credit went. They've thrown out various irrelevant excuses as to why they can't provide the information, ending up by saying they no longer have it since I ported out. Despite claiming at the start that they had checked the charges and they were all correct. I've spent a month trying to get the issue escalated to a supervisor and get a complaint number so I can refer the matter to Comreg.

I'd initially assumed there was a reasonable explanation, some data usage or legitimate charge I was missing that would explain it. But at this stage they're being so deliberately obtuse that I'm seriously starting to suspect they're trying to cover up a wider issue with incorrect credit deductions being applied to people's accounts. Just wondering if I'm the only one.

Ten Pin

The main culprit for out of bundle charges is the 1 euro per MB rate.

The only way to force 3 to give detailed breakdown of charges is via a Subject Access Request under GDPR. It should have billing information unless they have some loophole that allows them to delete it. Then it's a matter of escalating to data protection commission if 3 can't provide the information requested.

In parallel to that, you could lodge a formal complaint with 3 and if they don't provides a satisfactory explanation, refer the complaint to Comreg.

However, be prepared for a mine of waffle to navigate with potentially no resolution due to a lack of serious regulation enforcement.

You're more likely to get a result in your favour from DPC than from Comreg as Comreg can't even frighten a mouse, never mind a multinational telecom operator.

To summarise:
- Lodge formal complaint with 3
- Submit a Subject Access Request to 3's Data Protection office

gmisk

Just setup the auto top up every 28 days.
The credit can go extremely quickly when outside it.

MOH

gmisk wrote: »

Just setup the auto top up every 28 days.
The credit can go extremely quickly when outside it.

That doesn't really help though, I'd just end up paying more. I'd easily get 2-3 days out of using up the 20 euro each month.

Ten Pin wrote: »

The main culprit for out of bundle charges is the 1 euro per MB rate.

The only way to force 3 to give detailed breakdown of charges is via a Subject Access Request under GDPR. It should have billing information unless they have some loophole that allows them to delete it. Then it's a matter of escalating to data protection commission if 3 can't provide the information requested.

In parallel to that, you could lodge a formal complaint with 3 and if they don't provides a satisfactory explanation, refer the complaint to Comreg.

However, be prepared for a mine of waffle to navigate with potentially no resolution due to a lack of serious regulation enforcement.

You're more likely to get a result in your favour from DPC than from Comreg as Comreg can't even frighten a mouse, never mind a multinational telecom operator.

To summarise:
- Lodge formal complaint with 3
- Submit a Subject Access Request to 3's Data Protection office

Thanks, I figured a GDPR DSAR is the only way I'll get anything out of them, that's next on my list.

I've been trying to lodge a formal complaint, but to do that I have to follow the process in their Code of Practice, which involves escalating to a supervisor and getting a complaint number, and they've just been ignoring that. If they won't give me one this week I'll submit the Comreg complaint anyway, for all the good it will do.

I'd normally assume data charges to be the cause, but I've been mostly in lockdown, on WiFi. I've very little on the phone that would be sending large amount of background data during the brief times I've been out. I also found it curious that the very limited usage data I could see on their site showed small amounts of mobile data being used the previous night while I was asleep - and while the phone was definitely on WiFi.

I'll try the GDPR request anyway, thanks.

whiterebel

3 are at this for years. I don't see what you expect to happen once you've run over the 28 days? If you use 5mb you lose €5. They are under no obligation to let you know you are running out (According to themselves) and could only suggest setting a 30 day (now 28) reminder. When they had a "Talk to" page on Boards, it was inundated with exactly this happening. I lost €60 one night when my phone dropped the hotel WiFi and updated during the night.

daheff

MOH wrote: »

That doesn't really help though, I'd just end up paying more. I'd easily get 2-3 days out of using up the 20 euro each month.



Thanks, I figured a GDPR DSAR is the only way I'll get anything out of them, that's next on my list.

I've been trying to lodge a formal complaint, but to do that I have to follow the process in their Code of Practice, which involves escalating to a supervisor and getting a complaint number, and they've just been ignoring that. If they won't give me one this week I'll submit the Comreg complaint anyway, for all the good it will do.

I'd normally assume data charges to be the cause, but I've been mostly in lockdown, on WiFi. I've very little on the phone that would be sending large amount of background data during the brief times I've been out. I also found it curious that the very limited usage data I could see on their site showed small amounts of mobile data being used the previous night while I was asleep - and while the phone was definitely on WiFi.

I'll try the GDPR request anyway, thanks.

I had a similar problem with this happening with vf. They couldn't explain it. Kept telling me I was using mobile data even when I knew it was off. Like really small amounts 10-20kb

I had a Sony Xperia at the time. Im guessing it's a phone software problem where it was pinging the network using mobile data.

Vf refunded me some of the money but stopped helping after a while.

Gomo released their 9.99 plan around then so I switched to that as it was cheaper and caused me less hassle.

MOH

whiterebel wrote: »

3 are at this for years. I don't see what you expect to happen once you've run over the 28 days? If you use 5mb you lose €5. They are under no obligation to let you know you are running out (According to themselves) and could only suggest setting a 30 day (now 28) reminder. When they had a "Talk to" page on Boards, it was inundated with exactly this happening. I lost €60 one night when my phone dropped the hotel WiFi and updated during the night.

To be honest, I naively expected after the 28 days to keep the 20 euro credit until I'd used it up. And to be able to easily get a record of what the credit had been used on.

I don't use tons of mobile data - uninstalled FB, etc, as soon as I got the phone. I think I have most stuff fairly well locked down so it's not using loads of background data. That was one of the reasons I wanted the billing information - I figured I might have missed something and this might help narrow it down.

I'd normally have a reminder set about the prepay period expiring, but that ended up out of sync after I had to burn my credit mid month on a phone call the month before.

At this stage it's mainly their evasiveness that's annoying me. Stuff like claiming the upgraded website shows all the charges when it doesn't. Or simultaneously claiming that the deleted the billing data after I ported out, but also that they've just checked all the charges and verified that they're valid.

Quackster

In fairness, your method of just letting your plan expire and paying the €1/MB out-of-bundle charge was absolutely crazy. You'd use up the €20 credit in a matter of minutes by doing this.

If you want to use up the €20 credit before topping up again, the thing to do is buy a 500MB add-on with €5 of your credit, rinse & repeat until you've less than €5 credit remaining and then top up again.

Quackster

daheff wrote: »

I had a similar problem with this happening with vf. They couldn't explain it. Kept telling me I was using mobile data even when I knew it was off. Like really small amounts 10-20kb

I had a Sony Xperia at the time. Im guessing it's a phone software problem where it was pinging the network using mobile data.

Vf refunded me some of the money but stopped helping after a while.

Gomo released their 9.99 plan around then so I switched to that as it was cheaper and caused me less hassle.

I'd a similar problem with VF some years ago. After a software update, the problem disappeared so it was clearly a handset issue. Handset was provided by VF so managed to convince them into refunding me the errant charges.

MOH

Quackster wrote: »

In fairness, your method of just letting your plan expire and paying the €1/MB out-of-bundle charge was absolutely crazy. You'd use up the €20 credit in a matter of minutes by doing this.

If you want to use up the €20 credit before topping up again, the thing to do is buy a 500MB add-on with €5 of your credit, rinse & repeat until you've less than €5 credit remaining and then top up again.

Eh, no. It wasn't absolutely crazy since I did it on a regular basis, I'd regularly get a couple of days extra, not a "matter of minutes"

deadlydreads

I used to do the same, if you hadn't used your top up of 20 quid in the 28 days the credit was left there and you could buy a data add on for 4.99 it was dead handy. It just suddenly changed to leaving nothing on your account balance. I was wondering why no one was talking about it!!

Quackster

MOH wrote: »

Eh, no. It wasn't absolutely crazy since I did it on a regular basis, I'd regularly get a couple of days extra, not a "matter of minutes"

It's still crazy. Why waste away your credit at €1/MB when you can buy a 500MB add-on for €5 credit (works out at 1c/MB, 1/100th the cost)? Your credit would then last you weeks extra instead of days.

Quackster

deadlydreads wrote: »

I used to do the same, if you hadn't used your top up of 20 quid in the 28 days the credit was left there and you could buy a data add on for 4.99 it was dead handy. It just suddenly changed to leaving nothing on your account balance. I was wondering why no one was talking about it!!

Did you accidentally change to one of the new PAYG plans? These plans have a monthly cost of €15, €20 or €30 that is deducted from your top-up.

Unfortunately, once you've switched away from the old AYCE plan, you can't switch back to it again.

MOH

Quackster wrote: »

It's still crazy. Why waste away your credit at €1/MB when you can buy a 500MB add-on for €5 credit (works out at 1c/MB, 1/100th the cost)? Your credit would then last you weeks extra instead of days.

No, it wouldn't. Because you're assuming my primary usage of the credit is data.

All of this is irrelevant anyway. The issue is Three's complete lack of transparency about credit usage.

(In fact while I'm fairly sure from phone logs that texts/calls would burn through more of the credit than data usage, you might be right, but I've no way of knowing since I can't see the charges).