Three is about to hike up mobile costs for many of its loyal customers.
Mobile users were left outraged after it emerged that Three is planning to force so-called ‘legacy’ customers onto new tariffs.
Three users on a number of mobile plans will be automatically reassigned to a new tariff with just 30 days’ notice.
The move affects a number of tariffs, including the All You Can Eat (AYCE) plan, which gives customers unlimited minutes, data, texts, and tethering for £15 per month. Three stopped offering AYCE in mid-2014, but many customers are still on monthly rolling deals with the tariff.
Customers on that plan are given 30 days to choose a new plan, or they’ll automatically be placed on the closest existing plan to £30 a month.
One of the best options is a £33 per month deal that no longer includes unlimited tethering, which is now restricted to 12GB a month – at over double the cost of the original plan.
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Speaking to TrustedReviews, Pádraig McGarrigle, Corporate Communications Manager, said the plans affected were “phased out about 18 months ago”, and that “there are lots of other plans which customers can move to”.
Three also provided us with the following statement:
“In March 2014, we introduced new price plans giving customers more options in the size of their data and voice bundles, as well as limits and alerts to prevent bill shock. We have a lot of tariffs that we no longer sell and moving customers to one of the new plans will ensure they can enjoy the benefits of these plans.”
If you’re affected by the change, you will receive – or may have already received – a letter detailing the proposal.
The change was first publicised by journalist Jonathan Morris, who posted the letter he received to Twitter.
Check out the letter below:
https://twitter.com/statuses/ 691943860487000065
Of course, the changes have left many Three customers angry and confused. Unsurprisingly, a large number of Three users have taken to Twitter to vent their anger.
Here’s a round-up of the fallout:
https://twitter.com/statuses/ 693075215568519168
https://twitter.com/statuses/ 693059309031268352
https://twitter.com/statuses/ 693051914716602368
https://twitter.com/statuses/ 693041409016860672
https://twitter.com/statuses/ 693039588756054016
https://twitter.com/statuses/ 692766390256848896
https://twitter.com/statuses/ 692344501512376320
https://twitter.com/statuses/ 692274035493834755
https://twitter.com/statuses/ 692424469504233473
https://twitter.com/statuses/ 692314223523827713
We’ve contacted Three for a statement on the matter, and we’ll update this article with any response.
Are you affected by Three’s tariff shake-up? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
