Appalling Kafkaesque Dealings with Three

[Sean2]

 

On Tuesday 13 February 2024 I contacted Three Customer Service both by phone and chat. I explained that I was not able to view my bills when I log on to the App or on the website. A very simple request, one would think.

After around 50 minutes talking to Customer Service Billing Department, the issue was still not resolved and I was amazed to be told that I would need separate email addresses and password to view EACH OF THE FOUR bills I pay for every month. Zero mention of this ridiculous requirement when I took additional contracts for two extra phone SIMS and a 5G broadband SIM.

I was then completely exasperated at receiving zero resolution on a simple issue even though I had done what I was told and went ahead and used two other emails to access two of the three SIMS on my account. Although one of the accounts I was able to log on to showed a bill for that number, my main account did NOT display the bill for that number. The second account, my wife’s number, showed the bill for that number AND my bill! How crazy is that?

So I went in person to my nearest Three store, on Wood Green High Road, London N22. Instead of getting the issue resolved there by a real live person, I get “We don’t have anything to do with the website or My3 App,” by one of the people working there. Then I was put on the phone to, you guessed it, Customer Service Billing Department in India again. After around 30 minutes sitting in the store in dialogue with them involving endless verification steps, one time codes, reset links etc. I was referred to the “technical team” for further security checks and verification codes exchanged etc. etc. and a firm promise that the issue would be immediately resolved.

When I got home, I found that I STILL could not access my bill for my number and that my bill was STILL appearing on my wife’s account!!!! So I had been lied to. I then spent around two hours the next day on 14 February in dialogue with Customer Service in India. I asked to be transferred to Customer Service in the UK (strong accents and line drop-outs do not help when trying to negotiate the endless bureaucracy and processes that a Three customer is obliged to engage in when dealing with that team). After endless apologies and claims that “Soon the system will be updated so that you can see all your bills together” and “We are escalating your issue” and the by now endless security and verification steps, still no resolution.

Next day 15 February I spent another hour on the phone with Customer Service Billing Department attempting to resolve these basic billing issues. Lots of apologies and excuses offered “We are resetting the system, yes I would be upset too, yes we have escalated your concern,” but no resolution. Customer Service Billing Department assured me someone from the Technical Department would get back to me, they never did. In the afternoon I then spent a further 40 minutes again talking to Customer Service Billing Department, involving the same Kafkaesque verification, security checks, apologies and expressions of sympathy and empathy.

At this point I told Three that I would be resigning from all four of my SIMs and raising an official complaint with Ofcom if the matter was not sorted out within 24 hours.

So today (16 February) I get a call from someone from the Complaints Department telling me the issue had not been resolved and that the email that I have been using to communicate with Three since 2022 was not the email registered to my account. I told him that was not my problem and that was an error in Three’s system and that I was not prepared to waste any more of my time given the complete failure of Three to resolve this very simple billing issue. The guy tells me that I will receive an email to my registered email address confirming my complaint, which I duly received…clear proof they had my registered email all along, bizarre and extremely frustrating.

[James150]

I ordered a new PAYG SIM last week to add to my currently existing Pay Monthly account. I used the same email address on the order form that I use for my contract.

When I received the SIM, I couldn't register it... so I had to initiate a Live Chat with Customer Services to either change the email on the PAYG SIM (so I could register for My3) or add the new PAYG number to my existing account.

I fully expected to have to create a new email/account for my PAYG SIM. But to my surprise, given all the comments here, the agent said he could merge the accounts so that I could manage both numbers from one login.

About two mins later, that had been done – confirmed that by logging out, then back in to My3, both on the web and app, I am now asked what account I wish to view/manage. My login details are my original details.

So it looks like Three has now mostly created the old functionality where only one email address/password is required to manage all **accounts** in one name. If so, the updated process must be very new.

@Sean2 - it might be worth trying Customer Services again, with my experience today you might be able to resolve your issues quickly.

[Sean2]

I just spent a further three hours in dialogue with ‘customer service’. The routine is now as familar as England’s footie defeats: no joy from rep 1. (15-20 minutes wasted) then shoved to tech team, no joy (20-30 minutes wasted), finally ‘escalated’ to complaints team, zero help (20-30 minutes wasted. Three then blames a ‘glitch in the back end’ and pledges to revert in a few days. I have a transcript of the chat exchange for the Ofcom complaint and possible legal action for ongoing material breach of contract. A journalist on a Three story has contacted me about my experience.  What really made me laugh was that someone from Three responded to a negative review on Trustpilot I wrote. The review was about the terrible customer service. His suggestion: yes, you guessed it, contact customer service. Now that really is Kafkaesque!

[James150]

Hi @Sean2 , I've just read my last post and I just wanted to clarify that the new functionality that may have been created to get round the original multiple email address requirement is for a single logon to manage a number of accounts, but that the billing system possibly needs to be tagged in such a way.

That isn't the same as having a single account number with multiple phone numbers. In my case, it was the PAYG team that made the right adjustments in literally two minutes. When I log on to my app now, I get the choice of account numbers to manage (note they are different) and I don't see the appropriate phone number.

It might be worth asking them the simple question: can they merge accounts, expecting that you will use one logon, and your first action will be to choose which of your four accounts you want to manage.

[Sean2]

Hi James, yes I've done that a few times now. Three customer service seems incapable of or unwilling to respond to basic requests of this type.

[James150]

Sorry to hear that @Sean2 , I am perplexed. I have an update in that I added a second PAYG SIM to my account - or should I say - associated with my logon, and as last time, it was all done successfully in a couple of minutes. Logging in, I can now choose one of three accounts to manage.

I did get a bit more insight into what was done. The CS agent mentioned an "MSISDN" which appears to be an account or logon identifier within the new system. What I was told is that logging on with the first "MSISDN" I registered will enable me to view the other MSISDNs on the profile.

If you feel like another go, you could try again using the above, reference the first account you registered then try to get the agent to associate all the others with it. It's quite possible that many agents are not yet used to the new system.

[Anonymous]

MSSDIN is a unique identifier for your mobile subscription which identifies your sim to the network. That aside you’d think Three would be on top of things such as this. If they can do it for one customer they can do it for all customers who are experiencing the same issue. Regrettably,Three customer service is largely (but not entirely) dependent on whom you get to speak to as regards the outcome of your enquiry,that really shouldn’t be the case. 

[Anonymous]

Or surreal as we mortals say!😉

[Anonymous]

Just for anyone who doesn’t understand the word kafkaesque (including me!) it’s when something is quite surreal. Dealing with customer service is a frustrating thing to go through,you’ll get no argument from me on that score. But in their defence Three has had a mare of a week technically and I wonder whether that has contributed to the problems you alluded to. I don’t know it’s just a thought but either way I have to return you to them as this is a public forum with no access to your account. 
Good luck (and I really mean that)