10 Years with Three Mobile – Treated Appallingly, Credit Score Ruined

[Cloudline_]

I’ve been with Three Mobile for nearly 10 years, but the last year has been a nightmare and I want to share my experience so others are aware.

Issue 1 – Stolen phone & fraudulent charges

Earlier this year my phone was stolen. A third-party Google service was fraudulently set up and I told Three immediately. They opened “investigations” but I never got any resolution. Meanwhile, I was forced to keep paying £70/month.

They told me to contact Google, but gave me fake numbers. When I eventually got through, Google asked for a transaction ID from Three. I asked Three repeatedly, and they flat-out denied having one (at least three times). Months later they finally gave me the ID, but by then Google’s 90-day refund window had passed.

Instead of helping, Three then charged me an early termination fee of £166 to cancel the contract—even though the fraud issue was never resolved.

Issue 2 – £38 charge & credit default

Later I apparently had a £38 charge for some service that didn’t even show in my Three app. I thought it was a mistake or fraud again. Instead of sorting it out, Three sent it straight to a debt collector. Now I’ve got a default on my credit file, my credit score has tanked, and this will follow me for 6 years—all over £38 I never even saw!

Impact on me

This has ruined my finances and my mental health. I’ve been in therapy before for money anxiety and Three have made things much worse. I’ve lost hundreds of pounds, spent months in admin battles, and been offered just £30 compensation.

I’m posting this so others know how badly Three can treat loyal customers. Be careful, because their mistakes can seriously damage your life.

[Cloudline_]

@Paddiewack
Ah, of course — the holy grail of solutions: call customer service, report it to the police, hand over a crime reference number. Genius. Honestly, I’m shocked I managed to get through life this far without someone pointing out such groundbreaking, revolutionary steps. If only I’d thought of contacting customer service before! Imagine how much pain that would have saved me.

Except, of course, I did do all of that. Multiple times. I had the crime reference, I reported it, I spoke to Three’s customer service more times than I’d care to count. The issue was never me forgetting how to pick up the phone — it was Three consistently giving me the wrong information, stalling, and outright denying things they later admitted to having. By the time they coughed up what was needed, the damage had already been done.

It’s always funny how neatly these situations fit into theory when someone else is summarising them. “Just follow protocol and it all works out.” Sounds nice and tidy, doesn’t it? The reality, though, is that following protocol got me nowhere because the company themselves weren’t following their own. That’s the part you seem to have missed while explaining how obvious the steps were.

But I really do appreciate the effort in explaining the basics to me as though I’ve never dealt with a phone company before. It’s refreshing to be reminded that if only I’d done the most elementary thing possible — which I actually did, repeatedly — then everything would have magically worked out. Life really is so much simpler in hindsight when you’re the one doing the armchair diagnosing.

[Paddiewack]

Well remind me to doff my cap and salute your far superior knowledge of life. I was trying to advise as best I could given the information in your post. You didn’t mention reporting it and I maintain that no company would just go straight to a debt collector without some line of communication. But never mind instead of wasting time communicating with you I’ll clear out the cat litter tray.

Far more enjoyable. 

[Cloudline_]

No you were being sarcastic and trying to pass it off as advice lol but yeah clear out your litter tray since you have nothing else to do but give out useless advice on the internet 

[Paddiewack]

Don’t forget to pick up your manners on your way out. You’re clearly sitting 🪑 on them and for the record on this occasion I actually felt sorry for you. Now back to the cats tray

[Paddiewack]

On issue 1; my understanding is that if you report it to police and get a crime reference number,once you  give that to Three they’ll block your sim and you’ll only be liable for the first £100. Did you not involve them? Not necessarily criticising you,just asking!

On issue 2; Three would never send things such as you mention “straight to a debt collector”. It doesn’t work like that. There would have to have been a line of communication from them to you whether by letter email text or whatever. 

So in summary in my opinion on face value you’ve omitted some protocol which would have mitigated your situation. That doesn’t make you negligent just ignorant (in the nicest possible way). 
It’s difficult to know what to suggest but if it were me I’d get hold of customer service and try to get some more resolution than you mention.

To be honest I wouldn’t get your hopes up but it’s always worth a try, 

[Clever-Trevor]

Take your issue to on Ombudsman, they fix it for me ~ credit score restored plus compensation.   

[Paddiewack]

A very good point!