Cancelling three contract - 30 days notice

[Alistair]

I attmepted to give 60 days notice last month to cancel my contract with three as one of their lying representatives said I could do & was inform it was actually 30 days notice.

Anyway, my contract end date is 10th Dec 2008 so can I say send a letter on the 7th November via RMRD dated the 11th November saying:-

"I hereby give you notice that I do not wish to renew my contract when it expires on 10th December 2008.
Please close my account at that time & also inform me of the final bill & when this will be taken from my bank account via direct debit"

is that the best way to go?

I don't want these cowboys to get a single penny more than the contract dictates

[Ramedge]

I have just left 3 today my number got transferred to another network and therefore ended the contract. I was not told I had to give 30 days notice it seemed that after the 18month contract was up I could simply just leave.
I am interested now though. I wonder if they are going to debit money from my account next month.
As soon as this months payment has gone I want to have the direct debit canceled

I agree with you though they are cowboys!

[Alistair]

Originally Posted by Ramedge

I have just left 3 today my number got transferred to another network and therefore ended the contract. I was not told I had to give 30 days notice it seemed that after the 18month contract was up I could simply just leave.
I am interested now though. I wonder if they are going to debit money from my account next month.
As soon as this months payment has gone I want to have the direct debit canceled

I agree with you though they are cowboys!

Sent the letter today dated for the 10th via RMRD. So will no doubt get one back from them soon enough or start getting pestered with phone calls apparently

[Ramedge]

I have had three calls in as many days from 3 trying to sell me another contract. They never give up. "how about a backup contract sir, incase you loose your phone"
urgh! They even text me today after my 3 phone number was successfully ported to T-Mobile to let me know my PAC code expired in 25 days.

[Alistair]

Originally Posted by Ramedge

I have had three calls in as many days from 3 trying to sell me another contract. They never give up. "how about a backup contract sir, incase you loose your phone"
urgh! They even text me today after my 3 phone number was successfully ported to T-Mobile to let me know my PAC code expired in 25 days.

They signed for my letter today so they attempted to call me on my o2 mobile no tonight. I'm just going to ignore them ( no is withheld so will let it goto voicemail)

Do I have to speak to them or is the letter enough?

Its just that I'm so pissed off with them I'd probably loose my cool if I had to speak to one of their monkeys & answer the same questions of why I'm leaving again

[Darryld1]

Do not accept anything from 3. state only that you want to end your contract and that you are giving them adequate notice of your intention to leave 3. Do not enter into ANY conversation about why or where you are going - just write the letter and leave.

I am having to take them to court because they refuse to stop providing me with a service which I have repeatedly stated - even after giving 30 days notice in July - that I do not want!

3's excuse for their ignorance is that a PAC code is the only way to terminate a contract. OFCOM,OTELO and Trading Standards all agree that a PAC code is only a method to transfer a phone number and NOTHING ELSE! PAC codes are NOT mentioned anywhere in any published terms and conditions and 3 refuse to acknowledge that fact!

My experience of dealing with 3 is that they purposely ignore anything customers say and continue to do whatever they like regardless. They have purposely designed a very slippery and difficult means to deal with them and every time you call you will have to repeat everything all over again.

3 Executive Office have told me that they will be dealing with me directly....3 debt recovery department don't recognise 3 executive office and have threatened me with an independant debt recovery firm (debt collectors) if I do not pay for a service I do not want and one which i have repeatedly told them for over 5 months that i do not want. 3 customer services are useless! you can't have a go at them because they are purposely made incapable of being able to actually DO anything other than apologise and ask if they can help with anything else!

I have used Consumer Direct (Trading standards) to attack 3 with legal action.
I have informed OFCOM and OTELO of my situation and they are in agreement with me and I have reference numbers from them to prove it.

3 are like a machine which no matter what you put into it, still carries on regardless of anything which should change it's behaviour.

My advice? Leave 3 and make DAMN SURE they understand that when you are giving 30 days notice, that this is not disputable. Ask for confirmation in writing!

[Alistair]

I have a copy of my letter giving 30 days notice. Proof of the Recorded delivery in Glasgow on the 10th November & a reply from them saying they had recieved the letter on the 11th which I disputed with them.
Spoke to the lass in the local 3 shop & said there was nothing she could do but to phone CS & ask to speak to a Manager. After repeating myself 2-3 times with the same info & getting very hot under the collar. They agreed that my contract would finish on 10th dec as per my letter that account would close on the 11th Dec. I will be watching this very closely.

I hope you get yours sorted out soon Darryld1 - what a bloody nightmare!

[Darryld1]

hi Alistair,

Suprise suprise, 3 executive office called me again and had to leave a message on my voicemail. Yet another different person who will expect me to repeat myself for the thousandth time - I often think their system is designed in such a way that they just keep going until I decide to give up. the thing is that I won't give up until they give me the info i've requested 6 times; twice in writing! I'm not going to have anything more to do with 3 unless they put whatever they want to say in writing to me. Even if they decide to stop their nonsense, I still expect to be given everything I have formally requested or they will be in breach of various UK contract laws.

They know they can't show me where PAC codes are mentioned in the original terms and conditions I signed because PAC codes aren't in the original terms and conditions I signed. They know they can't say I didn't give 30 days notice because I called them 30 days before my contract was due to end and gave them 30 days notice. They know they can't say that I wasn't clear about leaving because I gave them reasons for leaving 3 and told them at the time they transferred me from bog-standard customer services, to the person who asks lots of challenging questions and expects explanations for why you would ever want to leave them, that my new contract with Orange had already started. THEY made the assumption that I still wanted a contract because they say I didn't use a PAC code. Orange didn't use the PAC code which I gave them because I didn't want to keep my old number and I requested a personalised number. As I said, OFCOM,OTELO,CAB,Consumer Direct are all unanimous about this PAC code abuse and they agree with me.

3 now have until the end of this week to give me what I am legally entitled to or this matter will automatically be escalated via OFCOM,OTELO etc and i'll make damn sure that 3 don't do this to anyone else.

Alistair, you have done all you can to follow 3's procedures to terminate a contract. DO NOT enter into any form of conversation with 3 after this as they will probably assume that because you are still talking to them, that you still want a contract with them. Cancel your direct debit with your bank and if you have online or telephone banking, get your bank to make a note on your file that this is because an 18 month MINIMUM term mobile phone contract with 3 has ended after giving 30 days notice.

I would also like to say that it IS NOT our place to have to decipher SMALL PRINT and litigious documentation. Any company who assumes that a normal person should have to do that is making a very big mistake. The thing is that what is NOT written in the small print is what they are arguing with me and it was only when I asked them to show me where PAC codes are mentioned that they suddenly went quiet.

Send the debt collectors and mess with my credit rating and they'll end up in the European court.

will be in touch.

D

Look for an article in every mobile phone consumer magazine.

[Blitzen]

I would also like to say that it IS NOT our place to have to decipher SMALL PRINT and litigious documentation.

I think you will find it IS your place to read the small print of a contract. If you cant read it or decide not to read it, it doesn't make you any less liable for the terms laid out.
No comprende = No defence

Any company who assumes that a normal person should have to do that is making a very big mistake.

Sorry but you are so wrong.......Any person that assumes they can ignore it is making the mistake. Whether it is ethical or not is a different matter but it is no excuse on the customers part.

The ONLY defence you have is if the terms and conditions are not in writing anywhere.

[Darryld1]

Do you really? You absolutely have a solicitor read every contract you sign before you sign it and add addendums to them where you feel it's necessary? Then you enter into a bartering dialogue until you mutually agree that the little phone you'll soon have in your pocket won't ensure that debt collectors won't be taking your kid's christmas presents away because of a mistake 3 refuse to rectify after 5 months do you? You wouldn't own a phone if you had read the contract because you'd probably still be arguing with the wording....or as in my case, the lack of wording such as 'Portable Access Code' or whatever it means. This is not something which a reasonable person should need to understand.

You absolutely accept and agree with the existence of and need for 'small print' do you? Surely the act of making it small tells you that it's obscuring something? Small in emphasis, big in meaning is enveiglement - it's purposely hiding the truth from plain view. The sales pitch and adverts aren't in small print and they are important. The other important stuff where you are told what they'll do to you if they possibly can, is in the smallest possible legible script and listed in a way which could only turn on a train-spotter with an OCD! You find that reasonable behaviour do you? Did you read the small print of this forum before joining? If you answered no to any of the above, congratulations, you were telling the truth!

Right so perhaps you can tell me why 3 say I have signed a contract which states that they can use PAC codes to cancel contracts and that they are not just for transferring numbers to another service provider? As it clearly DOES NOT state that in any contract I have signed, and they say it does, they have to provide the evidence. they also have to provide evidence for why I called them 30 days before the end of my contract, told them to cancel my contract and why this vital information was ignored due to PAC not being used. Mate, you're barking up the wrong tree if you live your life by what the rules say because as it clear, the rules only count when it suits some people, some of the time and they can be ignored as it suits.

[Blitzen]

Do you really?

I never said at all that i actually read all the T&C's.

THats besides the point whether i do or not.
Fact is, if there are there, its your responsibility to read them.

If you decline that right then you have no argument.

Right so perhaps you can tell me why 3 say I have signed a contract which states that they can use PAC codes to cancel contracts and that they are not just for transferring numbers to another service provider? As it clearly DOES NOT state that in any contract I have signed

If you had bothered to read my previous post, i actually stated that if this PAC code amendment wasn't in the print (small or not), then you are being ripped off.

they also have to provide evidence for why I called them 30 days before the end of my contract

You have to provide this evidence...not them.
Did you write to them to invoke your 30 day notice at the correct time? It seems not. If you did though, did you send it recorded and keep a copy?

[Darryld1]

3 have ignored my formal letter of notice and have instead chosen to call me to discuss their failures. They offered to zero the balance. I'm waiting for the bit when they offer me compensation for all the time and expense it's taken me to get this far. I'm waiting for written confirmation of receipt of my two letters.

Useless, arrogant, time wasting, contract law breaking, pillocks!

They cannot find a copy of my original contract - i want that in writing.
They cannot provide me with a transcription of the 30 days cancellation call i made - in writing.
they cannot tell me where PAC codes are mentioned in my original terms and conditions - writing.

Can't wait to see them in court. I wonder how many people this affects? i wonder who stands to gain if this PAC code nonsense is ended? I wonder who will support me to do this?

[finlay666]

Originally Posted by Darryld1

3 have ignored my formal letter of notice and have instead chosen to call me to discuss their failures. They offered to zero the balance. I'm waiting for the bit when they offer me compensation for all the time and expense it's taken me to get this far. I'm waiting for written confirmation of receipt of my two letters.

Useless, arrogant, time wasting, contract law breaking, pillocks!

They cannot find a copy of my original contract - i want that in writing.
They cannot provide me with a transcription of the 30 days cancellation call i made - in writing.
they cannot tell me where PAC codes are mentioned in my original terms and conditions - writing.

Can't wait to see them in court. I wonder how many people this affects? i wonder who stands to gain if this PAC code nonsense is ended? I wonder who will support me to do this?

Are you really this stupid or is it an act of some kind?

You won't get compensation IMO

Why do they need to provide a copy of your contract, because you don't have one? You should have asked for one at the time when you took it out as I'm pretty sure it's your right to.

It probably states in their T+C that the notice is in writing, a phone call isn't writing, and again, proof is on you to say you have cancelled it. If we entered into an agreement for you to pay me £X each month in return for service Y, you would really want to know what all the ins and outs wouldn't you? Otherwise I could turn around and say
"Well your grass is too long today, thats an extra £50"
"Well that isnt fair"
"You signed the contract and agreed to the part on additional costs"

or

"You haven't left"
"Well you havent got someone to replace me"
"But I 'cancelled'"
"Well in the contract you signed you have to have someone else replace me, you signed it and it is legaly binding, see you tomorrow"

You really should read fine print, especially with contracts and similar as you can really put yourself at risk. No one forced you to take out the original contract so you can't really blame anyone but yourself.

If you request a pac code the contract is only terminated when it is used, it does expire after a month or so IIRC, so if you didn't use it then the contract continues. Why you didn't just transfer it to a PAYG sim card is beyond me though

(IIRC) As for harrassment, it's only if they call you more than once and you answer, if you don't pick up it's not harrassment.

[Darryld1]

And so precisely ONE day before the 7 days notice I gave 3 to put up or shut up, they called me with an offer. "as a gesture of goodwill 3 are going to zero my balance".
I requested it to be put in writing to me along with all the documentation I had requested and evidence of where in my terms and conditions PAC's are mentioned and they didn't send it - what they did send was a final invoice showing a balance of 1 penny in credit.
So 6 about 6 months of absolute lies and nonsense from 3 and they drop it one day before I actually take legal action against them.
Make what you will of it all but all I know is that 3 are nothing more than a bunch of cowboys with a license to sell contracts. I'm still considering taking them to court over the PAC lies once I have completed the necessary paperwork from OTELO and OFCOM.
From now on I will take every opportunity to discourage anyone from sigining up with 3.

Now the choice is all mine.

[Alistair]

Glad you have it finally sorted out. Well my account no longer seems to be active (can no longer login to my3 on their website). So 1 last D/D due in the next couple of days & that will be it (i hope). Never again, glad I'm with O2 now

[finlay666]

Originally Posted by Darryld1

I'm still considering taking them to court over the PAC lies once I have completed the necessary paperwork from OTELO and OFCOM.

Now the choice is all mine.

Enjoy wasting your money

If you would rather do it in another way, paypal me the money you were going to spend on legal fees, cost for the court etc and I'll draw you a pic in paint on my lunch break.