Galaxy Smart Watch service for existing customers

[-JAY-]

I’ve been a Three Customer for 18 years. I've read a number of reasons on this forum why existing customers @Mathew and @Amy2709 and their Samsung Watches can't work, this is my experience, all so far are untrue. 

I'm out of contract, so earlier this month I sign up to a new 24 month contract and add Smart Watch pairing. (Reason 1 given for why this doesn’t work, new plan, ticked).

“Sir you have to wait till bill date roll over”. OK, wait till bill date roll over, still doesn’t work. (Reason 2 covered).

“Sir have you tried rebooting devices and is the watch connected by Bluetooth. (yes) Sorry sir we can’t help as we can’t see the watch, go to a Three store.” One of the worst cop outs i’ve come across in a long time, but I’m game... I go to Three store Hemel Hempstead (reason 4 covered) and speak to manager. Nice guy, looks up my account agrees all should work... says perhaps it’s because I have a Watch 4 and Three only support Watch 5’s...I leave knowing the watches are almost identical... but two can play this game... I buy a Galaxy Watch 5 Pro LTE for £300+ (reason 5 covered) , quelle surprise, still doesn’t work.

Like most who are trying to get this to work, i’d say I’m reasonably good with tech (I own a video games company). Three are late to the esim party as many other networks have offered this for awhile. I have been patient, but your “reasons” - even here on this forum - are disingenuous at best. If, as I’ve been told, us loyal customers are on an old system, then manually transfer us to the new one. You’re talking a tiny subset of existing customers who own a Galaxy (LTE!) watch 5 and pay for a smart watch add on to their mobile plans. And this should be offered complimentary for a year for those who are enduring this current debacle.

Lastly, for the record, if you go into the debug menu of Galaxy wearables app you can actually see we could be offered a simple QR code to gain all settings for activation, or put them in manually ourselves, but Three can’t do this either.

I’ve been willing to follow telephone support, store support, I’m now on this forum as where else is there to turn... Live chat!? I’ve lost patience in playing your games. You shouldn’t be selling services you can’t fulfil. 

[-JAY-]

I wonder how or if we will ever be told!?

[LJH]

I have had the same experience going on for months now.

Three have become a shambles with this and their support is beyond useless. 

I have a Samsung Galaxy watch 5 and have been given the run around (badly) by them for a very long time now.

Every time I contact support they do not understand what I am trying to do (add smartwatch pairing to my contract) and ask the most ridiculous questions I have ever heard in my life. 

When I answer them, they don't seem to understand and ask if I need a physical sim for my watch. 

Eventually, often after an hour of endless nonsense they concede that what I am asking for is possible but then the other excuses come out. 

The product is only available to customers with a three your way plan. When questioned further they state this is because these contracts are running on their new platform and my account is on their old platform. Esims and smartwatch pairing are only available to new customers and old customers are stuffed.

Further pressing after months of conversations with support, revealed that they would migrate my account to the new system, I would be contacted to let me know this had been done, and I would then be able to add the smartwatch pairing add on to my account. This migration would be complete by the end of the month.

Obviously I was never contacted and at the start of each month I have contacted them and gone through the same rigmarole for over an hour before they understand what I mean when I ask if my account had been migrated to the new platform, however not to worry because it would be done by the end of the month. 

After several months, and literally days of wasted time speaking with support and being cut off mid conversation, I called a couple of days ago to do it all again. 45 minutes in, I was told my account was on the new platform so there would be no problem and I could just log in to my account and add the pairing add on. 

Another 20 minutes and they seemed to understand me saying that it was not possible as it was not there as option, however they did have good news for me (the same good news they always have for me) that as a valued and loyal customer they could offer me great deals on additional handsets and contracts for friends and family. Awesome. The only provider in the country that appears to be this useless but is still somehow convinced customers want more contracts and handsets every time we contact them.

After finally understanding that I could not add the pairing option to my account as it was not there as an option, they sent me a helpful link to the three website to explain what a smartwatch was. When I told them that was useless, I was sent another one explaining what smartwatch pairing was. 

Again, I explained that was also useless, and was sent a link to buy smartwatches from three with a pairing add on. 

I don't need another watch but there was a link on that page that said if you already had a watch, handset and contract with three you could purchase the add on. I clicked on the link and it just took me back to the store to buy a new smartwatch. 

I questioned support again and was told it must be because my watch is too old and incompatible, which it is not. I pushed back and was told my watch must need a physical sim. 

Again I informed them that this was nonsense and was told my phone was now incompatible.

After another push back, I was told the problem was now because the watch was not compatible with my phone or the LTE network and that esims and LTE lines/data could not be added to my particular watch. 

I had been informed of this a month ago and as a test, took out a monthly contract with Lycamobile. I received a physical sim in couple of days, inserted into the phone, logged into my account and added an esim and pairing for £1 per month. I was sent a QR code, scanned it with the Galaxy Wear app, and in a few minutes had a working esim on the watch. 

I cancelled the Lyca contract the next day as I had proved my point. 

If other providers can make it this simple, why is Three making it impossible? Why are the support staff lying to us and so absolutely clueless and unknowledgable? 

Why can I not add the smartwatch pairing option to my contract now that I am allegedly on their new platform?

I have previously asked support if I can cancel my contract as I feel as though I have been missold this now as they will not or cannot add my smartwatch. I have been told that this is not possible and I would have to buy my way out. 

I have asked if my contract can be cancelled and replaced with a three your way plan of equal length (24 months) if that is the answer to getting the pairing setup.

I was told that was also impossible as I am an existing and not a new customer. 

This just goes round in circles and gets nowhere. 

Three, what the hell is wrong with you? What is going on?

Just release us from our contracts so we can use any of the other providers who can deliver this as you obviously cannot. 

[Amy2709]

Morning! Mine is now working as an add on. I haven't had notification from three i had been transferred to new system as I had been promised- I discovered it working purely by chance (I tried setting up via the mobile plan tab on the wear app and it processed it!). I have left my phone at home to go to work to test and it is working.

Regardless of my issue being resolved I will still be switching our household contracts when they come up dur to the poor service from three over this. I NEVER had an issue with three customer service before, really not sure what has changed but I absolutely agree with you, it has become more about pushing new business to us than listening and resolving the issues in hand. 

[Petal]

I have the same kind of issue was assured it would work they had triple checked. The watch came it doesn't work for my plan, spoke to webchat who at first said I need an esim which I don't. Then they said I need a new contract and happily I can get one at a discount which would be the same one I'm on now just classed as three my way contract, but to keep my number I would need to pay ETC charges. Now I work for another company and work in the complaints department so I know with a Simo deal the ETC charges can be waived because it isn't classed as a loss to the business and most complaints departments will just right them off. This apparently can't be done so that I can take out the contract I need. I then called after 2 and half hours on the phone, I was told it would be available to me by the middle of July! I asked for that for that to be noted on the account. Not sure if you know this but you can request a subject access to get a copy of all your contacts via Web chat and calls sent out to you, and if the issue has been going on for over 8 weeks your allowed to request a deadlock letter to take to the ombudsman this is a legal requirement they have to follow if your not happy with thier resolutions. With our company every mistake or peice of misadvice is given compensation 

[-JAY-]

I come back periodically to check this thread. @Amy2709 I'm genuinely pleased for you. I'm not surprised you weren't told, but glad it now works. At Three, how about the rest of us poor sods?

In addition, Three, set up a dedicated, knowledgeable team/dept who know how to deal with esim/smartwatch. Prioritise switching old accounts who want their smartwatch on a esim plan. You charge us for the service, surely that's enough to pay for someone?

Still as annoyed as ever and token £5 reductions in line-rental won't cut it anymore.

[LJH]

Hi @Petal,

Thanks for your input. It's been 3 months I've been battling with this now and the ineptitude of this company and their support is staggering. They promised me a month ago they would call me then obviously didn't so spent another 3 hours in a webchat with them again. They have now advised that although my account is on the new system, nothing will work until I upgrade my contract to another one where this will work. I made a subject access request and asked for a deadlock letter, and was passed to their complaints department. The person read previous conversations at my request, then turned into support again and was not interested in my subject access or deadlock requests and continued to try to troubleshoot the issue in a marginally less moronic way, but none of there suggestions would have done a thing. They even asked me to remove and reinstall the three app, then log in again as that must be the issue. I assured them they were wrong but did so and they seemed dumbfounded that this had not magically provisioned an esim on my watch.

He pressed on with my need to upgrade my contract. I am on a 24 month contract that doesn't end until November 2024, so to do this I would have to pay ETC fees. I refused as I should not have to pay to fix the problem for them by becoming a new customer on their new system on a new contract (which apparently will fix the issue).

He said, the fees must be paid. I again made a subject access and deadlock request. I was offered £100 reduction in the ETC fees I must pay.

I refused again, said I shouldn't have to pay for them to fix their problem and made my requests again. 

They came back with £200, then further reductions, all of which were refused until they said they would waive them all if I upgraded now and could they connect me to upgrades.

I asked if this would cost me any more. I do not see why I should have to pay more to fix this for them when they have told me that this can be provisioned on my existing product (their stories keep changing). 

Eventually I was put through to upgrades to ask some more daft questions. That person managed to ask me two questions. Are you still on a sim only contract, followed by would you like to add a handset, then cut me off. 

Another 3 hours of wasted time. 

@three you are an absolute shower. 

I will try again tomorrow, when I get the energy for another waste of half a day. 

[Petal]

@LJH  They have to issue a dead lock letter if its not resolved withing the 8 weeks from when you first raised this. They also know this. Working in a Complaints Team myself we would never behave this way. When you get the letter and take it to the ombudsman 3 will be made to provide all the contacts they have had with you. And they will have to document all the failings they have found in each contact with yourself. When your requesting the subject access it helps to have the exact dates of each contact you have had with them. It will all be logged on the system if the call handlers are completing the notes accurately. I'm giving them till the middle of July as that's when they said it would be resolved. If no luck I'll be requesting they waive the etc charges completely, set me a new line up with the correct tariff the same as what I am on now and the same price and do a number transfer. Other wise I'll ask for the deadlock letter and take to the obmusam. There is no buissness loss when waiving the etc charges on a simo. 

[LJH]

After another almost 3 hours on a session with support again, they have waived fees, moved me to the new system (that I was apparently already on yet still needed to be moved to), cancelled my old contract and started me on a new one. They tried to charge me more per month for the SIMO contract that they moved me to than is advertised on their website for the exact same product. I accused them of scamming to make more commission and they offered a reduction of £2 per month. I pushed back again and they could then magically offer me the product at its advertised price.

They assured me that smartwatch pairing will now work. 

It still does not work. When I can bare to waste another 3 to 4 hours I will call them back and try this again with them, but there is no way I'm going to factory reset my phone and my watch again (this has been requested a few times now) because they have no idea what they're doing.

I guess I have about a week and a half of a cooling off period left where I can exit the contract. I have absolutely zero confidence that they can make anything work or have any idea what they are doing. 

[Ciaragh]

Hello everyone, I'm now starting all this. Wish I had seen this thread before. I am currently 3 weeks into a dispute and they have 7 days to contact me back to try get this resolved apparently. After numerous times of them saying they will contact me and haven't, I'm not hopeful. 

I shall be holding on to the 8 weeks and taking it to the ombudsman who I have already contacted. 

After an extremely rude interaction with the three store in the white rose, Leeds yesterday, where the advisor sat and ate an ice cream whilst serving me, followed by 2 advisors standing behind me blocking exit, I am extremely unhappy and uneasy about being with 3. 

Looks like I have a long road ahead of me.  

[Petal]

@LJH and @Ciaragh .

It would appear after a massive update over the weekend it should now be working. I got mine set up this morning about 10 minutes ago. Hoping yours two will also be as simple now the updates been completed. All I had to do was re-register for the new app format, then set it up on my watch. The whole thing took maybe 10 minutes to do start to finish. Let me know if it works for your guys too.