[jackiew]

Hi everyone,I have been a very loyal customer with Three.co.uk for approx 8 years & never had to complain about my 2 contracts with them,( one contract for work...one for pleasure ),until one of my phones broke by accident.I had a refurbished Sony ericsson k800i,which was broke,beyond repair.I informed three & was told i would be able to have an early upgrade,so i opted for the Apple iphone 3g s,as the iphone 4 is'nt released as yet on there network.The operator told me,as it was an early upgrade,i would have to pay approx £480 for the Apple iphone 3gs.I was really shocked,and annoyed by this,as i know i can buy a handset from another network on p.a.y.g for a lot cheaper than what Three.co.uk wanted. I stated i would cancel my direct debit for this contract,as they will not send me a replacement phone,& i would be seeking further advidce from my solicitor e.t.c. They have never bothered to reply to my E-mails or phonecalls.I even E-mailed the executive office at Three.co.uk,but they have never bothered to contact me at all regarding this problem.I then received a monthlu bill for the phone that was broken,stating i had been using it,but i had sent it back to the company approx 8 weeks earlier.My simcard is still put away in an envelope,waiting to be put into another hadset. I honestly can't believe a reputable company like Three.co.uk would trat there customers like this & i am appaulled by the abusive operators i talk to when i phone there company requesting another handset for my contract. Has anyone else had this problem ?

[chaslam]

Welcome.

First things first, Was it you who broke the phone? If so, Three have no legal right to replace the phone for you, or terminate the contract. How far into the contract are you? The £480 wont just be for the iPhone, it will be to pay off your old contract. IE, if you have 3 months left of your old contract, and are paying £30 a month, they will charge to £90 to end it, as thats the remaining balance. Im sorry, but it seems like your angry that you have broken your phone are three wont give you a new one? Its like getting a car on finance, driving it without insurance, crashing it, and expecting the finance company to pay for the repairs or give you a new one!

[Ben]

Indeed, unless you have some sort of insurance with Three then you should have no expectation of a replacement phone. If you want an iPhone then you will almost certainly have to pay through the nose for it - though the price you state does indeed seem very expensive.

I strongly suggest upgrading to a cheaper phone, such as another refurb :)

A bit of personal advice from me - never cancel a direct debit. It's one of the easiest ways to end up with a big black mark on your credit rating a few months down the line. If you're really in the right then you'll be able to claim the money back.