[3GScottishUser]

From Mobile Today (02/11/2006):

3 is set to axe 20 dealers this week as it starts to fight 'poor-quality' connections with a series of sweeping changes.

The canned dealers were found to have high levels of 'never pay' connections, Sim-only deals, tariff downgrades and cashback complaints.

3 will also hobble many dealers' cashback plans this week by issuing a complete ban on tariff downgrades. Customers cannot switch to cheaper tariffs now for 12 months.

Several more dealers have been placed on an 'amber warning'. 3 has tightened credit control for those dealers effectively slashing their connections until the quality improves.

The culled dealers and their distributors will be notified by sales chief Marc Allera and dealer head, Bernie O'Beirne, this week.

High-volume dealers have been personally warned that they risk being terminated if they fail to meet quality standards. 3's CEO, Bob Fuller, said the company aimed to reduce its reliance on third-party retailers from 80% to 50% by the end of next year: 'Building our own route to market is very important. By the end of next year we expect to see half of our business through our own channels, half through others.'

3 is trying to kill off troublesome cashback deals after suffering a series of complaints from customers and identifying disproportionately high churn rates from cashback dealers. Between 40 and 45 dealers have already been struck off this year.

The proposed elimination of cashback deals will be preceded in the New Year by another wave of dealer terminations with high levels of tariff downgrades – a major component of most cashback schemes. Cashback dealers sign customers onto high-end tariffs, and advise them to drop to the lowest tariff at the earliest opportunity.

Many dealers have welcomed the move. 3 is telling dealers that as the credit checking gets tougher it will reduce clawbacks. New cashback rules were sent to dealers last month, signalling the operator's objective to distance itself from rogue cashback deals.

Retailers said 3 has been more aggressive in approaching customers signed up in dealerships and upgrading them directly ahead of the end of their contracts in recent months.

Referring to the ban on tariff downgrading and so-called upgrading poaching, one dealer said: 'There's no difference now between 3 and Orange and T-Mobile.'

3 tightens up

• Between 40 and 45 dealers already axed this year
• New cashback rules sent to dealers
• 20 dealers axed this week
• Ban on tariff downgrading
• Plans to eradicate cashback

[Hands0n]

I performed the ultimate 3 downgrade earlier this year ........... and walked away from the contract. :D

I wonder if this means that the rogue dealer in Wales who has put my cousin-in-law through so much grief has been struck off. 3 have waived all of the contracts that were missold to this lad, he ended up with three of the darned things. He's left with a very bitter attitude to 3's dealers and even 3 itself who (courtesy of their abysmal Customer Services) initially told him he was stuffed and had to honour the contracts or have his credit history ruined by them. It took, as usual, 3's UK offices to sort the problem out, but not before very much ill-will had already been formed - all par for the course I'm afraid, and very regrettable.

[At the risk of a mini-rant]
Maybe, just maybe, 3 can pull this 50% deal off - but they still have not tackled their Achilles Heel - those twats in Mumbai who call themselves Customer Services who (a) wouldn't know a Customer if he set fire to the place and (b) have no notion of what a Service is.

Really, I do hope that 3 can get their business act together and cause the ruination of the rogue dealers. No less than they [the rogue dealers] have caused very many individuals over the years!