Re: Ditching the One Month Three Dongle Deal

"CJB" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:3d44724a-ad18-4cb7-b87d-(E-Mail Removed)...
Ditching the One Month Three Dongle Deal

I have a one month contract arrangement with Three for a dongle in
order to access the Internet on my laptop. I pay this using DD.

However with My3 being down for quite long periods due to an upgrade,
and also with problems accessing My3 due to Three's use of very old
(and unsupported) security layer SSL 2.0, I am unable to access My3
reliably in order to check my Internet usage. And I have recently
exceeded my allowance a tad - at an extra cost of £8 over my top-up
charge.

Therefore I am thinking of ditching the dongle in favour of using a
PAYG Skypephone S2 as a modem.

But my question is how easy is it to cancel the one month direct debit
payment to Three?

I have always vowed never to do 'DD' and this is my only one. But I
keep reading on the web of problems with Three's Customer Services and
screw ups with payments and contracts, and I am concerned that when I
request cancellation they may actually cancel the service but may
continue to keep taking payments from my credit card account.

Thanks - Chris Brady.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Advise your bank of the situation and explain very clearly that if they pay
a DD againts your instructions you will immediately cancel your account.

Then set up a new account with a different bank so that you have an account
in place when you have to carry out your threat.

If you don't have to carry out the threat, keep this separate account purely
for DDs and possibly debit card payments over the net, and put only enough
money in it to cover the payments you have authorised.

--
Graham J

In message
<ed58bfe3-a048-47df-ab6f-(E-Mail Removed)>, CJB
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>On Jan 10, 10:03*pm, "Graham J" <graham@invalid> wrote:
>> "CJB" <chrisjbr...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>
>> news:3d44724a-ad18-4cb7-b87d-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Ditching the One Month Three Dongle Deal
>>
>> I have a one month contract arrangement with Three for a dongle in
>> order to access the Internet on my laptop. I pay this using DD.
>>
>> However with My3 being down for quite long periods due to an upgrade,
>> and also with problems accessing My3 due to Three's use of very old
>> (and unsupported) security layer SSL 2.0, I am unable to access My3
>> reliably in order to check my Internet usage. And I have recently
>> exceeded my allowance a tad - at an extra cost of 8 over my top-up
>> charge.
>>
>> Therefore I am thinking of ditching the dongle in favour of using a
>> PAYG Skypephone S2 as a modem.
>>
>> But my question is how easy is it to cancel the one month direct debit
>> payment to Three?
>>
>> I have always vowed never to do 'DD' and this is my only one. But I
>> keep reading on the web of problems with Three's Customer Services and
>> screw ups with payments and contracts, and I am concerned that when I
>> request cancellation they may actually cancel the service but may
>> continue to keep taking payments from my credit card account.
>>
>> Thanks - Chris Brady.
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Advise your bank of the situation and explain very clearly that if they pay
>> a DD againts your instructions you will immediately cancel your account.
>>
>> Then set up a new account with a different bank so that you have an account
>> in place when you have to carry out your threat.
>>
>> If you don't have to carry out the threat, keep this separate account purely
>> for DDs and possibly debit card payments over the net, and put only enough
>> money in it to cover the payments you have authorised.
>>
>> --
>> Graham J
>
>Interesting reply. Goog strategy. Thank you. Chris Brady,

Why not ring 3 and cancel. If they screw it up, follow a more robust
strategy, the amount at risk from a one month overrun is trivial
compared to the pain of moving bank account or credit card, and most
providers get more things right than wrong (remember its mainly
dissatisfied people who post comments so the world looks worse than it
is).

You say DD then you say credit card account: what do you really mean?
They are not the same. DD is from a current account and has a strict
code of practice: if its a continuous credit card charge the situation
is less clear.

When you ring 3 be clear and ask them to confirm back to you when the
last DD will be taken and at what point it will be cancelled. Make sure
you tie in the cancellation with a suitable date. An attempt to cancel
on the evening of the 12th with DD due out on 13th is doomed to failure.
Be reasonable and expect them to be.

Give 3 a chance!

--
Richard C

In article <4b4a4e99$0$2474$(E-Mail Removed)>, graham@invalid
says...
> Advise your bank of the situation and explain very clearly that if they pay
> a DD againts your instructions you will immediately cancel your account.

Which will result in a bill having to be paid manually to 3.

> Then set up a new account with a different bank so that you have an account
> in place when you have to carry out your threat.
>
> If you don't have to carry out the threat, keep this separate account purely
> for DDs and possibly debit card payments over the net, and put only enough
> money in it to cover the payments you have authorised.

Blimey, are you a touch paranoid? That seems rather over cautious for
something as simple as cancelling a mobile contract.

Regards
Jon