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3 have terrible service!

A

AppleCallum

macrumors member
Original poster
Just bought my 32GB 3G iPad from PC World and trying to activate the 3G package with 3 right now!

The agent has a poor grasp of English, cannot understand me and doesn't know what the iPad plan is! Great 3!
 
They're the cheapest though 😀

I'm quite impressed with Three. I've never had to deal with them on the phone but my MiFi gets 500Kbps speeds at home which is impressive seeing as I live in the middle of nowhere... I wasn't expecting a 3G signal at all (mind you, my iPhone is with O2 and I'm used to their very poor coverage).
 
AppleCallum said:
Just bought my 32GB 3G iPad from PC World and trying to activate the 3G package with 3 right now!

The agent has a poor grasp of English, cannot understand me and doesn't know what the iPad plan is! Great 3!
Click to expand...

3 have great data prices now and the coverage is good. But customer service is crap. Your very very lucky if you get someone you can understand or understands you. If you have contract it's a struggle to leave.
 
AppleCallum said:
Just bought my 32GB 3G iPad from PC World and trying to activate the 3G package with 3 right now!

The agent has a poor grasp of English, cannot understand me and doesn't know what the iPad plan is! Great 3!
Click to expand...

I feel your pain.

3's call centre has been using Bangalore's finest for a few years. When I was converting from 3 to O2 (for my iPhone), I got called every day from someone offering me this deal and that to stay. One of them even told me the Nokia N95 was better than the iPhone. 😱
 
Locker said:
They're the cheapest though 😀

I'm quite impressed with Three. I've never had to deal with them on the phone but my MiFi gets 500Kbps speeds at home which is impressive seeing as I live in the middle of nowhere... I wasn't expecting a 3G signal at all (mind you, my iPhone is with O2 and I'm used to their very poor coverage).
Click to expand...

I'm the same as you. Three are the only providers with a 3G signal here. Very reliable and fast.
 
We can't win, can we?

O2 - best deal for PAYG (includes Openzone/Cloud wifi), can activate/manage on iPad, but comparatively poor coverage

Orange - better coverage than O2, but PAYG deal not great (no Openzone/Cloud wifi except on pay monthly), and cannot activate/manage on iPad

Vodafone - coverage better than O2 (if not as good as Orange), can activate/manage on iPad, international roaming rates the best, but UK tariffs are a joke (not even trying)

3 - supposedly the best coverage, and definitely the best tariff for heavy users, but cannot activate/manage on iPad and customer service could charitably be described as ****

Yer pays yer money...
 
Seamaster said:
We can't win, can we?

O2 - best for PAYG, can activate/manage on iPad, but p¡ss-poor coverage

Orange - coverage better than O2, but no Openzone on PAYG, and cannot activate/manage on iPad

Vodafone - can activate/manage on iPad, but that's it - tariffs are a joke (not even trying)

3 - best coverage, best tariff for heavy users, but cannot activate/manage on iPad and customer service could charitably be described as ****

Yer pays yer money...
Click to expand...

Still going ... They need UK centrex!!
 
Seamaster said:
We can't win, can we?

O2 - best for PAYG, can activate/manage on iPad, but p¡ss-poor coverage

Orange - coverage better than O2, but no Openzone on PAYG, and cannot activate/manage on iPad

Vodafone - can activate/manage on iPad, but that's it - tariffs are a joke (not even trying)

3 - best coverage, best tariff for heavy users, but cannot activate/manage on iPad and customer service could charitably be described as ****

Yer pays yer money...
Click to expand...

The vodafone on-device management doesn't appear to work yet. Called up Apple about this yesterday, they tried it in theirs too and had no joy. Gave me a case number and asked to me call back today if it still isn't working, which it isn't.

Anyone else got this working today? Just shows "no service" here for me.
 
Got mine from the Apple store in Milton Keynes, the whole process was painless until I had to call 3 to activate my sim ... I think I must have given my address details at least 5 separate times and spelt my name more times than I can remember ......... Total call time was just short of 48 minutes!!!!! 🙁

I'm still waiting for the sim activation to complete so stuck with wifi until then.

Other than 3's communication issues Im really pleased with the iPad! 😀
 
Powierski said:
Got mine from the Apple store in Milton Keynes, the whole process was painless until I had to call 3 to activate my sim ... I think I must have given my address details at least 5 separate times and spelt my name more times than I can remember ......... Total call time was just short of 48 minutes!!!!! 🙁

I'm still waiting for the sim activation to complete so stuck with wifi until then.

Other than 3's communication issues Im really pleased with the iPad! 😀
Click to expand...

How hard is it to spell Brown?! Very according to my agent who asked for my last name no fewer than 8 times!
 
i had a mobile contract a couple of years ago with 3. When the contract ended and O2 offered me an iphone and a great deal so i decided to cancel my 3 contract and take up o2's offer. Whenever i rang 3 to do this simple task they started offering me umpteen deals on inferior phones. I told them they i didnt want these deals and they guy flat out refused to take no for an answer. he was obviously in an indian call centre and didnt understand English.

To top it all off I went to a 3 store and the manager there phoned them on my behalf. the remarkable thing was, that the manager got the same response and was told by the guy on the other end of the phone that "he was going to be reported for letting a customer go". Just a warning guys if 3 are the cheapest you have to realise they have terrible customer service (and i mean terrible, the worst I have ever come across).

PS. I havent mentioned that they threatened to take me to court for unpaid bills after i had cancelled the contract????
 
Just set up with three.

Took 15 mins,

trick is to be patient, and make sure you spell everything out, word by word.

They guys are friendly enough and just doing their job.
 
Hey... Is the Service already immediately after activition?

The customer service service is Crap....

I told him my address 3 times. And, he asked what is Coventry?

I used Visa and he asked issue no...

It took me 40 min but I still cant on online🙁
 
Just spent an excrutiating hour on the phone to some 3 rep in South Africa.

A number of things held up progress -

First she was entering the last 3 digits of my card number as my verification instead of the 3 digits on the back of the card. She did this several times saying this is how it works - each time the card was refused until she eventually buckled to my suggestion of using the correct verification number.

Then, as I've only been with the bank for a year, she said I couldn't proceed.

Fortunately, I have another personal bank account, so could continue using that.

Then, as I have only lived at my current address for a year, she said I couldn't be accepted.

A few minutes on hold and suddenly she wants my current account and sort code to set up a direct debit. 😕

Then all of a sudden she said "that's it completed" and the call ended.

No idea what I'm going to end up with - probably get a PAYG handset through my door in a couple of weeks (and no iPad 3G reception).

Worst system in the history of bad systems - no on-line option is unforgiveable in this day and age. Especially when the only option is to confront your customers with clueless people from the other side of the planet.

Anyway, hope I don't have to call them again too soon. Cancelling should be another laugh!

Wonder how long it will take to activate (it at all)...
 
I have terrible coverage on every network except O2.

3 is the worst!

Having said that I'm using a cut up mobile broadband sim in my 3G as
It doesent auto renew which I prefer.
 
spinstorm said:
I have terrible coverage on every network except O2.

3 is the worst!

Having said that I'm using a cut up mobile broadband sim in my 3G as
It doesent auto renew which I prefer.
Click to expand...

It varies wherever you are though. I get horrible O2 coverage, half-decent Orange coverage and speed (1.5Mbps) and really rather impressive 3 coverage and impressive speeds (3.5-4Mbps) in London WC1
 
jonnyb said:
It varies wherever you are though. I get horrible O2 coverage, half-decent Orange coverage and speed (1.5Mbps) and really rather impressive 3 coverage and impressive speeds (3.5-4Mbps) in London WC1
Click to expand...


Just now calling Tech to ask why I still can't connect using 3G!!
Grrrrr!!
 
I'm in Rural Ireland. I use 3 with my iPad.
Get average of 2.5mbps download. This morning it was upto 3.5mbps


I have tried o2 (previously on contract with them).
Varied between .5 & 1.5 mb down.


As for Vodafone. Originally I was with O2, and got 3G coverage in my area - somewhat sporadic as it was... However, I then ported to Vodafone as they offered a better deal for the iphone minutes wise and price wise.
With my new iPhone 3GS 32GB. I rarely EVER get a 3G coverage signal in my area. Would not even bother my ass to try their mobile broadband in the area going on my iphone. The same area I get full 3 coverage.


Three in Ireland were awarded the National Broadband Scheme to deliver broadband in remote rural locations which would otherwise never get broadband. Hence they actually have very good coverage here. No matter where I am in Kerry, I pretty much get full 3G coverage.

15GB per month for €19.99 on a mobile sim 30 day contract and good coverage. Simply cut up the sim they provided and it works a treat.

Biggest criticism of 3 is that customer service is obviously in Bangalore or Mumbai, and miscommunication from a communications company leads to inevitable frustration.
 
I just phoned 3 the technical support at 08433730500

It was UK based and they were very helpful...

They tracked back my order (they cant identified my sim), and they found that my order was totally misinputed.

I told them the bad sales team today and how bad was the process. They said that they just shut down the whole centre of today morning's sales now and switched to another centre, which are with better training and english. He assured that it wont happen again (hopefully).

Well, I have to wait for another three hours.

For those who havent connected, pls do call.
 
kyrosho said:
I just phoned 3 the technical support at 08433730500

It was UK based and they were very helpful...

They tracked back my order (they cant identified my sim), and they found that my order was totally misinputed.

I told them the bad sales team today and how bad was the process. They said that they just shut down the whole centre of today morning's sales now and switched to another centre, which are with better training and english. He assured that it wont happen again (hopefully).

Well, I have to wait for another three hours.

For those who havent connected, pls do call.
Click to expand...

I have been told that Three have set up all iPad contracts as a voice package due to their sales staff not speaking English this morning! I've been told to wait 24 hours but told them to shove it and went with Orange instead!

Cal
 
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