Credit check on upgrade?

[rendez2k]

Hi all, have a contract thats due to finish in March next year. If I pay the early upgrade fee, do Three run a credit check? Tried a second line and failed so would have to upgrade but no point if check would be run!

[JasonLaine1973]

Been with Three now for over 15 years now and never ever had any trouble getting upgrades. Until now. Failed a credit check, and now I cannot upgrade my device. If this is how they treat good paying, long standing loyal customers then they will lose a lot of them. I'm absolutely fuming with the lack of loyalty they have shown me. Oh and trying to speak to customer support staff in Delhi, Bombay or somewhere else in India, who just keep giving scripted answers over and over again without even bothering to look into it and taking your history with them into account, just don't bother and save yourself going mad. Three how can you treat your customers like this? Now looking into contracts with other companies. Well done Three.

[Damon]

Three are awful and I've got my PAC code to leave already, three have gone downhill and backwards in life, while screwing all their customers over especially the loyal already customers especially with the likes of upgrading. 

Personally I had a phone issue where my s22 got so hot you'd think I'd was going to explode had other issues too and had to let it go which left me an autistic person in a great deal of distress losing a phone and contact with everyone I need contact with, I couldn't afford to buy another one so I contacted three to get some help obtaining a new phone explained my whole situation, was first faced with having to pay over £500 early termination free to upgrade, then i was faced with a credit check which I made very clear I was not happy with given I came from EE who didn't further credit check to upgrade, if stayed with them I'd of had a new phone pretty easily, anyways I got turned down unfortunately and couldn't get a new phone they wouldn't do anything to help not even an offer to put a handset on my account to pay off monthly since I'm stuck in contract with them for years I didn't need a new sim contract, there was literally no offer to help their vulnerable customer out, I tried to appeal the decision and got nowhere, even at a executive level they was useless and did nothing to resolve anything and I know from an experience in the past they could of done something at that level and claim they can't. I'm stuck in with a network who will never upgrade me now its a joke you changed things making life difficult for your customers not just me, since all thus I was forced to buy a second hand phone for £500 which due to a lot of stress I got on I lost and couldn't retrieve and not in a financial struggle over that move, I believe three my network could of helped me and would of avoided that all together, I further explained to three my situation and nothing still was ever done to help or  resolve things I'm now stuck not being able to upgrade and using different phones every so often due to lending them when giving back its highly frustrating as if I was still with EE I would of been sorted a new phone with an upgrade without further credit checking. I actually felt valued there unlike at three, three don't trust their customers at all or care for that matter, you could be with your network for 20 years miss no payments and you would still credit check them. Its disgusting to keep credit checking customers for any upgrades.

I've come from having an s23 ultra a glaxey 5 watch and airpod pro 2 with EE to not being able to even obtain a phone when I really need one, I had to debate and argue and have many calls just to get my credit limit to where it is for my 3rd party subscriptions, a debate I also never had to have or conversation even with EE, coming to three has been majorly problematic for me and a huge regret, on to this some of the customer service has been the worst I've ever had to encounter, the time wasted the constant trying to buy me off with credit notes that are pointless to me like I need help paying my bills and I don't its a phone I needed help with from my network, sometime when speaking to people you don't feel listened to or even understood, the amount of times I've had to repeat my situation over and over to different people, the amount of times you go through complaints processes for nothing to be done or taken seriously or just to be closed, I was also told by staff to call back on a certain day and was told try get something sorted, when I did the call didn't go that way at all I made complaint about the wrong info and building peoples hopes up that complaint was closed and covered up as a different complaint and clearly that day I wasn't listene to again. I've had the worst time ever with three and I wish I had looked at all the reviews online before I choose three. You made a massive mistake credit checking your customers for upgrades and I think your going to lose a lot of loyal customers. Who wants to be with a network who they can't ever upgrade with, three only resolve was to let me walk from the contract free, like that is some kind of resolve, its easier to just let a customer upgrade make more out of them then to just lose them all together and let them out of a contract free, you should be trying to improve on your negativeies and actually keep your customer base and building on it. I've tried for 3 or 4 months straight now to work things out and get on with three but when you make a customer feel devalued untrusted and not supported or give a good service they are going to leave eventually and its your company who's going to lose out and other networks gain leaving three at the bottom of the pile of networks that won't want to be used by people, I think three is on a slippery slope to be honest. I've got my pac code so I'll be leaving.

[Brett1234]

Just tried to upgrade mine also after being with them for 8 years exactly the same credit score has affected it lost another good customer here said I can take a sim only told them where to go terrible new system tbh 

[Damon]

Three are awful and I've got my PAC code to leave already, three have gone downhill and backwards in life, while screwing all their customers over especially the loyal already customers especially with the likes of upgrading. 

Personally I had a phone issue where my s22 got so hot you'd think I'd was going to explode had other issues too and had to let it go which left me an autistic person in a great deal of distress losing a phone and contact with everyone I need contact with, I couldn't afford to buy another one so I contacted three to get some help obtaining a new phone explained my whole situation, was first faced with having to pay over £500 early termination free to upgrade, then i was faced with a credit check which I made very clear I was not happy with given I came from EE who didn't further credit check to upgrade, if stayed with them I'd of had a new phone pretty easily, anyways I got turned down unfortunately and couldn't get a new phone they wouldn't do anything to help not even an offer to put a handset on my account to pay off monthly since I'm stuck in contract with them for years I didn't need a new sim contract, there was literally no offer to help their vulnerable customer out, I tried to appeal the decision and got nowhere, even at a executive level they was useless and did nothing to resolve anything and I know from an experience in the past they could of done something at that level and claim they can't. I'm stuck in with a network who will never upgrade me now its a joke you changed things making life difficult for your customers not just me, since all thus I was forced to buy a second hand phone for £500 which due to a lot of stress I got on I lost and couldn't retrieve and not in a financial struggle over that move, I believe three my network could of helped me and would of avoided that all together, I further explained to three my situation and nothing still was ever done to help or  resolve things I'm now stuck not being able to upgrade and using different phones every so often due to lending them when giving back its highly frustrating as if I was still with EE I would of been sorted a new phone with an upgrade without further credit checking. I actually felt valued there unlike at three, three don't trust their customers at all or care for that matter, you could be with your network for 20 years miss no payments and you would still credit check them. Its disgusting to keep credit checking customers for any upgrades.

I've come from having an s23 ultra a glaxey 5 watch and airpod pro 2 with EE to not being able to even obtain a phone when I really need one, I had to debate and argue and have many calls just to get my credit limit to where it is for my 3rd party subscriptions, a debate I also never had to have or conversation even with EE, coming to three has been majorly problematic for me and a huge regret, on to this some of the customer service has been the worst I've ever had to encounter, the time wasted the constant trying to buy me off with credit notes that are pointless to me like I need help paying my bills and I don't its a phone I needed help with from my network, sometime when speaking to people you don't feel listened to or even understood, the amount of times I've had to repeat my situation over and over to different people, the amount of times you go through complaints processes for nothing to be done or taken seriously or just to be closed, I was also told by staff to call back on a certain day and was told try get something sorted, when I did the call didn't go that way at all I made complaint about the wrong info and building peoples hopes up that complaint was closed and covered up as a different complaint and clearly that day I wasn't listene to again. I've had the worst time ever with three and I wish I had looked at all the reviews online before I choose three. You made a massive mistake credit checking your customers for upgrades and I think your going to lose a lot of loyal customers. Who wants to be with a network who they can't ever upgrade with, three only resolve was to let me walk from the contract free, like that is some kind of resolve, its easier to just let a customer upgrade make more out of them then to just lose them all together and let them out of a contract free, you should be trying to improve on your negativeies and actually keep your customer base and building on it. I've tried for 3 or 4 months straight now to work things out and get on with three but when you make a customer feel devalued untrusted and not supported or give a good service they are going to leave eventually and its your company who's going to lose out and other networks gain leaving three at the bottom of the pile of networks that won't want to be used by people, I think three is on a slippery slope to be honest. I've got my pac code so I'll be leaving.

[Clodagh80]

I hope they realise how many loyal customers they are going to lose. Three need ro seriously rethink this approach to upgrade. Disgraceful 

[Saffwell09]

Hi. , the same situation has happened with me. Is there a way i could appeal? I’ve been with free for nearly 10 years. 

[PeteG]

Hello. 

You can appeal a credit application. To do that, send us an email to credit.checking@contact.three.co.uk 
Please include a recent copy of your credit file, all address in the past 3 years, your date of birth, and a copy/image of your drivers license or passport. 

Once you've sent that info, you should hear back from the team within 1 working day. 

Pete. 

[58warren]

Been a 3 customer since 2008, but want to replace my iPhone 14 Pro Max in the same way I’ve upgraded every 24 months. Not prepared to go through a credit check as I have recently retired early and I’m only withdrawing a small lump sum of my private pension once a year, but have no mortgage on my family home and have the proceeds of a recent house sale saved in various accounts.

My credit score will be unlikely to go through as it dropped hard after paying off the mortgage 4 years ago - go figure!

I’ve never missed a payment on my phone contract since I began, but wanted to upgrade to a monthly plan and phone at £30 a month less than I’m currently paying and will be unable to. Guess you just lost a loyal customer…

[JonathanB]

Hi @58warren,

I'm sorry to hear this. These credit checks are carried out in order to ensure we're acting responsibly and in line with FCA expectations. The option to purchase a phone outright, or to take a SIM only plan are still available if you'd prefer not to be credit checked against the value of a device when you upgrade.

Thanks,
Jonathan