3 Mobile now charging for delivery reports

[kerry-w]

Just got a text an hour ago from them stating that they will now be charging 1p per delivery report for each sent message.

Phoned up their helpline regarding this as I go through roughly 2,000 texts a month so it would cost me an extra £20 more along with the £18 I already pay.

First person was very helpful and told me he would put me through to cancellations regarding this.

Get through to cancellations and they have told me I would need to pay a months line rental along with early cancellation fee for my contract.

However I believe they are the ones in the wrong, I will explain below:

1. Their contract states they need to provide 30 days of any change in contract and additional charges, they have only text me an hour ago. Guy I was speaking to on the phone about said I got the message on the 15th May so I got into an arguement with him stating ive only got it an hour ago and ive got proof of this, he wouldnt listen.

2. They state that it is not a core part of my service and that it is infact an additional service. This is false as it is not itemised on my bill as an additional service like the rest of my addons that I pay for.

This is quoted from their terms:

"10.1(d) Within one month of a detrimental variation to your agreement. You can end the agreement within one month of us telling you about a variation to your agreement(which includes your Package) which is likely to be of detriment to you. You must give notice to Three Customer Services within that month and your agreement will will finish at the end of that month once we receive your notice. (A Cancellation Fee will not be charged.)

I would count this as a detrimental change in my agreement as it is not states as an additional service at all on my bill in the last 12 months and still isnt now.

Guy on the phone I lost it with when he wouldnt listen to me and he was from Pakistan somewhere so talking was somewhat of a problem.

Had a look online and it seems a load of people are complaining about this to them and cancelling contracts. According to 3 Ofcom have inroduced new rules and regulations stating they need to charge for thse services (Odd how Virgin Mobile arent) As soon as I got through to them the person I as speaking to first did say "Is this regarding new charges on delivery reports" so they must be getting a huge amount of stick for it.

They also told me they are adding the charge as it uses up the network and with the charge they can use the extra money to improve the services to customers. After looking online ive seen that delivery reports are of lowest priority on the network so they are hardly straining resources for 3.

Anyway rant over, I wouldnt care if I hadnt used them for the past 10 years and I now rely on them to know an improtant message has gone through. Any advise from people as to what can be done? The guy on the phone told me to email them and other people have written into watchdog about them.

 

[Krispwee]

As it is an optional service you wouldn't be able to cancel according to Bitterwallet which are usually very good with this

http://www.bitterwallet.com/penny-for-reports-three-start-charging-for-sms-delivery-messages/44851

 

[Skeeter]

get a postal address for cancellations and write what you have here about point 10.2(d) with why this is a detrimental change in a letter to them, expressing your wish to take the option of cancellation. Get a reference from 3 customer services for your cancelation, include this on the letter, and send it recorded delivery with an expected response of 1 week. If you haven't heard back in a week get back to them, ask imediately to speak to a manger about your letter and when they try to claim they dont have it state your proof of recorded delivery.

You are entirely within your rights to cancel with the 1 month notice and no fee. A friend did the same with Vodafone when they upped their data fees. It will be a long winded process and you may have to jump through some hoops, but the only way to go about it is through written corespondance and trying to stay ascertive but not 'loose it'.

Good luck. 3 Customer Services is the reason I left them (which I took great pleasure in telling them when the customer services woman asked why I wanted to leave).

 

[kerry-w]

As it is an optional service you wouldn't be able to cancel according to Bitterwallet which are usually very good with this

http://www.bitterwallet.com/penny-for-reports-three-start-charging-for-sms-delivery-messages/44851

Hmm, il await some more replies on here, missed that one on the search but on digital spy someone on there said it wasnt classed as one as its not billed and itemised as all of their other addons are and that 3 also state addons will be itemised.

get a postal address for cancellations and write what you have here about point 10.2(d) with why this is a detrimental change in a letter to them, expressing your wish to take the option of cancellation. Get a reference from 3 customer services for your cancelation, include this on the letter, and send it recorded delivery with an expected response of 1 week. If you haven't heard back in a week get back to them, ask imediately to speak to a manger about your letter and when they try to claim they dont have it state your proof of recorded delivery.

You are entirely within your rights to cancel with the 1 month notice and no fee. A friend did the same with Vodafone when they upped their data fees. It will be a long winded process and you may have to jump through some hoops, but the only way to go about it is through written corespondance and trying to stay ascertive but not 'loose it'.

Good luck. 3 Customer Services is the reason I left them (which I took great pleasure in telling them when the customer services woman asked why I wanted to leave).

Thanks, didnt think about the recorded delivery part.

Yeah ill get a letter written out (More formal) and state the points etc. People have stated taking them to small claims over it all as you can garuntee they will not show up because the contract will go under scrutiny.

Id like to find where Ofcom have added the new rules in to state 3 must charge for this service as this is what the 3 rep told me.

EDIT: They also said something about new phones such as iphones and blackberrys not even having this as a feature anyway, which I fail to see affects me as with my contract they provided me with a phone with these capabilities and even included instructions as to how to enable delivery reports (Oddly its the first thing I enable on every new phone I get anyway) phone in question is a Sony Ericsson c903 which ive put up with for this long even though 3 have software problems on the phones so im within my rights to get a replacement for this too.

 

[Rob]

Turn delivery reports off?

They're needy anyway.

 

[kerry-w]

Turn delivery reports off?

They're needy anyway.

Ive used them for 10 years, its handy with certain people as if the report isnt sent to me I know their phones off. With me not havng this ill now have to get out of the car (maybe in rain) and knock on their door. Lazy I know but they also come in handy sometimes as I need to make sure important messages have gone through to people

 

[daveski]

Rob has said what I was going to say. If a message is that important phone the person.

 

[Rob]

Daveski has said my reply.

Don't get out of the car, use the telephone part of your phone.

Otherwise, if I ever meet you, I'll steal your phone and super glue the earpiece and microphone.

 

[Skeeter]

Dont start talking about small claims or anything yet, you will sound like some internet advised shouty fool and they will ignore you.

Keep it simple and factual. Your contact has changed detrimentally, and according to point 10.1(d) of their terms you are within your right to cancel your contract with no fee within 30 days of being notified of this change. You would therefore like to exercise this right. Please action and respond in writing within 7 days.

 

[kerry-w]

Rob has said what I was going to say. If a message is that important phone the person.

Always easier to text the person though, when driving I can send a cheeky text saying "be 5 mins" if im stuck at traffic lights.

Daveski has said my reply.

Don't get out of the car, use the telephone part of your phone.

Otherwise, if I ever meet you, I'll steal your phone and super glue the earpiece and microphone.

Ha ha, the microphone doesnt always wont though, along with the speakerphone function as the speaker is broken which is a pain. Ive noly got 4 months left in the contract so im putting up with the phone for now in its state till they give me a shiny new one for free.

Dont start talking about small claims or anything yet, you will sound like some internet advised shouty fool and they will ignore you.

Keep it simple and factual. Your contact has changed detrimentally, and according to point 10.1(d) of their terms you are within your right to cancel your contract with no fee within 30 days of being notified of this change. You would therefore like to exercise this right. Please action and respond in writing within 7 days.

Yeah havent sent them anything yet, contracted Ofcom about it because 3 told me that it was Ofcom that made them introduce this new charge apparently. Might wait till the 1st June as ill claim my free upgrade phone off them and then slice the contract.

 

[Tom]

Delivery reports are a form of OCD

 

[Skeeter]

Might wait till the 1st June as ill claim my free upgrade phone off them and then slice the contract.

Don't do that. Taking your free upgrade means you agree to a new contract, which will have these new charges in it so there will then be nothing you can do about it. This only applies to the change they have made to your existing contract.

 

[daveski]

Always easier to text the person though, when driving I can send a cheeky text saying "be 5 mins" if im stuck at traffic lights.

I dont understand why this is such an important message. Send the text, if no one is outside when you turn up make the call or get out of the car?

Important texts are ' get out of there, the cops are coming' etc

 

[Harpham]

I always thought that it was standard to be charged for delivery reports anyway.

 

[kerry-w]

Delivery reports are a form of OCD

I do pretty much rely on them these days, even wait the 3 seconds for the tick to arrive to click of the notification message.

Don't do that. Taking your free upgrade means you agree to a new contract, which will have these new charges in it so there will then be nothing you can do about it. This only applies to the change they have made to your existing contract.

Ahh fair enough

I dont understand why this is such an important message. Send the text, if no one is outside when you turn up make the call or get out of the car?

Important texts are ' get out of there, the cops are coming' etc

Just means im not delayed, had enough of waiting around for people so make sure they know il be there in 5 mins, in the mornings id rather turn up and their waiting outside ready so I dont have to hang around.

I always thought that it was standard to be charged for delivery reports anyway.

Yeah orange have charged for it so moved to Virgin mobile and stayed with them unti last April because they were free. Then moved to 3 because they were free at the time and they had a pretty good deal on too.

 

[dajones]

stop being so needy + turn the delivery reports off = save yourself £20 a month

simples

 

[kerry-w]

stop being so needy + turn the delivery reports off = save yourself £20 a month

simples

I have used them for 10 years to make sure the message gets through, if I turn it off now text someone to meet somewhere, mesage doesnt deliver and they dont show ill look a prat. Plus ive got a texter plan with 3 so unlimited texts and f**k all minutes to use so I dont want to go wasting them all the time just to check if someone got a message.

Pisses me off that 3 can do this with hardly any notice at all to anyone, it uses jack all of their server useage and just bumps the price up for all its consumers.

 

[Rob]

If someone doesn't text you back, assume they're not going.

Honestly, I think you sound like a massively annoying stalker type/t**t, who sends messages to people saying thing like:

"I know you got that, why are you ignoring me"

Or to some bit of *****:

"Are we ok, you're getting my messages but not texting back"

Or to a mate:

"I know I'm obviously gay, but don't ignore me like this, please, let just be friends, I won't try to dry hump you any more"

 

[SC03OTT]

What other networks offer free delivery reports?

 

[BatFastard]

If someone doesn't text you back, assume they're not going.

Honestly, I think you sound like a massively annoying stalker type/t**t, who sends messages to people saying thing like:

"I know you got that, why are you ignoring me"

Or to some bit of *****:

"Are we ok, you're getting my messages but not texting back"

Or to a mate:

"I know I'm obviously gay, but don't ignore me like this, please, let just be friends, I won't try to dry hump you any more"

This seriously made me laugh out loud!

I thought delivery reports were used on the days of early Nokias, Philips Savvys and Old school Motorolas. Its very very very rare that a message don't get delivered nowadays, if its a problem get Whatsapp or Liveprofile so you can see when the message is actually read aswell

 

[dajones]

What other networks offer free delivery reports?

I know orange charge something stupid like 0.6p each

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

FLOL ! I <3 grumpy Rob.

 

[kerry-w]

If someone doesn't text you back, assume they're not going.

Honestly, I think you sound like a massively annoying stalker type/t**t, who sends messages to people saying thing like:

"I know you got that, why are you ignoring me"

Or to some bit of *****:

"Are we ok, you're getting my messages but not texting back"

Or to a mate:

"I know I'm obviously gay, but don't ignore me like this, please, let just be friends, I won't try to dry hump you any more"

Sadly no I dont use them for that. I did however send a text earlier about a song I had to crop down for a funeral and burn onto CD. The message still hasnt f**king delivered and I cant call them due to lack of minutes so ive got to text someone else to try ring them about it or hope the text goes through in time. This is why I find delivery reports helpful to me.

What other networks offer free delivery reports?

Virgin Mobile do as I was on them before, no idea about others.

 

[Rob]

Sadly no I dont use them for that. I did however send a text earlier about a song I had to crop down for a funeral and burn onto CD. The message still hasnt f**king delivered and I cant call them due to lack of minutes so ive got to text someone else to try ring them about it or hope the text goes through in time. This is why I find delivery reports helpful to me.

So you're honestly telling me, honestly, that doing something for a funeral isn't worth using some of your minutes, or god forbid, actually adding a small sum to your already huge £18 phone bill?

Next you'll be asking for a textable number for 999 (only when using a network that doesn't charge for delivery reports, obviously).

 

[kerry-w]

So you're honestly telling me, honestly, that doing something for a funeral isn't worth using some of your minutes, or god forbid, actually adding a small sum to your already huge £18 phone bill?

Next you'll be asking for a textable number for 999 (only when using a network that doesn't charge for delivery reports, obviously).

I literall cant, my bank balance is already below what I usually have because work underpaid me this week, I havent even been able to drive the car at all because I cant afford petrol al because of some stupid cockup at work. If I bump my contract bill up it means ill go into unauthorised overdraft again and get stung with another charge from Barclays.

Delivery report actually helped though because it came through at 5am, then got a reply 10mins later off the person.

It also comes in handy when im out in town, text somone, if the report doesnt go through I know their in the one club in town that no one ever gets any signal in, which is handy when a group of us have lost someone. Im not argueing over the fact I use delivery report because its pathetic and I cant be arsed, ive used them most of my life and im pretty dependable on them now.

 

[Goodj]

Turn delivery reports off?

They're needy anyway.

ThIs
Not everyone spends their life staring longingly at their phone, preying for their next 160-character slice of attention, so a delivery report counts for squat.
A read reciept would be better, if you're into this kind of thing.

 

[H182]

I used to use them when they were free, but since I moved to contract they started charging for them. It was also starting to piss me off when I was sending jokes to about 10 people at once. Got used to not having them now. As said if it's important call them.