ak-a
23rd December 2010, 02:45 PM
Here is my recent experience trying to upgrade with 3 and in the end they were happier(?) to offer me a PAC code then just give me a phone at the price we agreed. If you order through the 3 store, don't think their delivery dates are real.
An excerpt of the complaint I have sent to three:
Overall I am really please with the products and services from Three and problems have usually been sorted quickly. One area the company fails in entirely is the Three Store and upgrades. Your record on purchases and shipping is a four out of four failure. My current problem is probably exacerbated by recent weather conditions, but not at all helped by Three staff being ill-informed, unhelpful and unresponsive.
The rough time-lines of my attempt to get an upgrade as a Christmas present for my daughter:
In November I ask for an upgrade, and the price is way too high and am advised to wait until the last 2 months of my contract.
December 16, just inside the last 2 months of my contract. Happy(ish) with the upgrade offer, I pay my contract off and get offered an Nokia E5 £17 per month, 24 month contract - Internet Text 100, Promised delivery for Monday.
On Tuesday 21 December, no delivery so ask for the tracking code, none available as the handset has not shipped. After 2-3 hours on the phone I finally get options and told I can do the upgrade at a store (3rd Party or 3 store), but I would have to talk to the Customer Options (CO) team in the morning to get the upgrade reversed.
Wednesday (23 Dec, getting very close to Christmas now). I talk to the CO team and get the upgrade reversed which takes a lot longer than necessary and multiple people to confirm the upgrade is cancelled because of a "glitch" in the system.
The easiest store for my to get to is Carphonewarehouse (CPW). After 4 attempts at upgrade at CWP with the dealership team refusing to give an upgrade authorisation code and my calling 3 CO team, I give up and am told to try the 3 store nearby who will be able to sort this out. So I drive onward, park, pay, and waste another 30 minutes as they are unable to offer anywhere near the same deal and the upgrade was denied anyway as the system would not allow the upgrade. So after another 4 hours of my time and being in touching distance of a handset I am back home, without handset and no upgrade. I spend another hour on the phone and get promised next day delivery on an upgrade, so I re-order. I then check with DPD (your delivery (sic) courier) who tell me that to my post-code it is at best a 2-day service, but they were not making guarantees as they have a back-log. I talk to 3 customer options team (again) and get told I will DEFINITELY get a tracking number before 11am on 24 Decemeber.
24 December, 11am, no tracking number (so unsurprised). Another hour on the phone and was promised (again) I could get the same deal at the 3 store tomorrow. Phoned the store whilst on to CO team and they deny again I can get an upgrade and couldn't even offer a new contract at the same price (so unsurprised). Manager at CO team finally admits they were wrong, but offer no solution. A 3 handset sits 15 miles away on a shelf rather than in a customers hand because 3 is a fragmented, uncoordinator and frankly useless organisation. Any senior manager who thinks things are working just fine has NEVER EVER tried to upgrade through their own channels.
An excerpt of the complaint I have sent to three:
Overall I am really please with the products and services from Three and problems have usually been sorted quickly. One area the company fails in entirely is the Three Store and upgrades. Your record on purchases and shipping is a four out of four failure. My current problem is probably exacerbated by recent weather conditions, but not at all helped by Three staff being ill-informed, unhelpful and unresponsive.
The rough time-lines of my attempt to get an upgrade as a Christmas present for my daughter:
In November I ask for an upgrade, and the price is way too high and am advised to wait until the last 2 months of my contract.
December 16, just inside the last 2 months of my contract. Happy(ish) with the upgrade offer, I pay my contract off and get offered an Nokia E5 £17 per month, 24 month contract - Internet Text 100, Promised delivery for Monday.
On Tuesday 21 December, no delivery so ask for the tracking code, none available as the handset has not shipped. After 2-3 hours on the phone I finally get options and told I can do the upgrade at a store (3rd Party or 3 store), but I would have to talk to the Customer Options (CO) team in the morning to get the upgrade reversed.
Wednesday (23 Dec, getting very close to Christmas now). I talk to the CO team and get the upgrade reversed which takes a lot longer than necessary and multiple people to confirm the upgrade is cancelled because of a "glitch" in the system.
The easiest store for my to get to is Carphonewarehouse (CPW). After 4 attempts at upgrade at CWP with the dealership team refusing to give an upgrade authorisation code and my calling 3 CO team, I give up and am told to try the 3 store nearby who will be able to sort this out. So I drive onward, park, pay, and waste another 30 minutes as they are unable to offer anywhere near the same deal and the upgrade was denied anyway as the system would not allow the upgrade. So after another 4 hours of my time and being in touching distance of a handset I am back home, without handset and no upgrade. I spend another hour on the phone and get promised next day delivery on an upgrade, so I re-order. I then check with DPD (your delivery (sic) courier) who tell me that to my post-code it is at best a 2-day service, but they were not making guarantees as they have a back-log. I talk to 3 customer options team (again) and get told I will DEFINITELY get a tracking number before 11am on 24 Decemeber.
24 December, 11am, no tracking number (so unsurprised). Another hour on the phone and was promised (again) I could get the same deal at the 3 store tomorrow. Phoned the store whilst on to CO team and they deny again I can get an upgrade and couldn't even offer a new contract at the same price (so unsurprised). Manager at CO team finally admits they were wrong, but offer no solution. A 3 handset sits 15 miles away on a shelf rather than in a customers hand because 3 is a fragmented, uncoordinator and frankly useless organisation. Any senior manager who thinks things are working just fine has NEVER EVER tried to upgrade through their own channels.