In Store Identity Requirement

[CRUMBS]

I've just been into a 3 store to investigate a SIM card connection issue.  It requires a manual connection reset each morning after my phone wakes up.  Store CA suggested a new SIM card.  OK.  But then CA wanted a Govt ID hardcopy eg photo driving licence.  Mine is still paper.  My City Concession photo bus pass wasn't accepted, neither was photo ex military ID, neither was jpg of my passport on my phone.  I didn't have my passport with me.  So left empty handed. 

Whilst walking around town, I applied for a 3 SIM online.  No ID check except verify email address.  Eire 3 SIM card application online required upload of ID document. 

Vodafone used my credit card for an ID check to replace a SIM card a couple of weeks ago. 

I know 3 were in the deep guano for spammers/fraudsters getting replacement SIMs with a simple phone call a few years ago, so the store caution is completely understandable and reasonable and I'm quite happy to take my passport if I knew.

BUT their website makes no mention of ID requirements. 

Home page. Nothing.  Even scrolling down to T&Cs at the bottom  which starts with iPhone 15, SIM and Samsung Galaxy Flip.  I would have thought the first T&C should have been identity security.

Find a store page.  Nothing.  At least something here surely as you are likely to visit a store if one is being located.  Eg a link in the store details info to ID requirements.  https://locator.three.co.uk/search

Codes of Practice.  Nothing obvious.  https://www.three.co.uk/terms-conditions/code-of-practice/code-of-practice

If I search for "identity".  Nothing.  Just "How to Report Fraud".  Same searching for "identity requirement".  Even "identity requirement in store" produces zero.

So how on earth am I supposed to know that I need to take a hard copy Govt photo ID??

Hopefully someone from 3 management will read this and communicate the information required clearly and early on the website.  Or perhaps I've confused 3 as a communication company.

And trying to post with the listed "Fraud" label, I get "The message label contains Fraud, which is not permitted in this community. Please remove this content before sending your post."

Barking Mad.

[CRUMBS]

And sorry, I can't contain my excitement that I've got a first poster badge.  Wow a very special day for me.

[Anonymous]

Well contain your excitement because any identity documents for most companies say passport or PHOTO driving licence not paper.  I hope you get sorted. 

[Anonymous]

All I’ll say is imagine how you’d feel if some scammer defrauded you by taking out contracts with Three in your name. As with anything it’s down to YOU to prove your own identity and as you seem to quote things it’s all in the Ts and Cs. I’m absolutely not intending to be disrespectful towards you and I’m pleased your cynicism towards your forum status elevation is now public knowledge but again it’s down to all of us to prove we are whom we say we are. It’s a pain sometimes I know but the (fraudulent) alternative is not for the faint hearted. 

[CRUMBS]

You are correct, I would be very royally hacked off.  I am very happy to prove my identity as I wrote and as the shop is less than 2 miles away, it is not an issue.  My beef is with 3 and there is nothing I can find in half an hour of searching on the website that has anything about identity requirements.  Please point to the Ts and Cs where you have found it.  If security is so important something should be at the bottom of the home page in the 3 T&Cs there?

I've just used home page search for "Terms and Conditions" and got this:

"Your search - terms and conditions - did not match any answers we have"

[Avybob]

Couldn't agree more. I drove to the 3 store in Glasgow Fort as I'd received an email saying one of my 4 family contracts was up for renewal.

Despite having email on my phone, proof of bank (on phone), addresses on various bills, insurances, and council tax online and on phone. AND being able to answer any ID checks in person as I did to the call centre on the other side of the world I was told by the gentleman he couldn't do anything.

This is madness. I've lived at the same address for 26 years, been with three for decades , have a perfect credit score but because my licence is still paper I have to phone to upgrade...

The world has gone mad

[Anonymous]

I suppose the shop have their guidelines and would no doubt have to send your id to the network and are therefore constrained as to what they can accept. I get you being hacked off but I still maintain that if you were defrauded in some way you,like me would be very unhappy;and green licences by their very nature are,I suppose easier to copy and use fraudulently. So while I can sort of feel your angst;I can think of a worse scenario.

Take care mate.

[Avybob]

I'd maintain that it would be easier to defraud online or over a phone call than face to face with signed bank cards, and other forms of ID.

I fully understand for new contracts but a renewal? Massive overkill

[Anonymous]

You have a point! 

[LEIGHD]

This ID farce is still going on, went in store to pick up new phone only to be told my out of date passport no good, like others I only have a paper driving licence, no good, even my Government approved Citizen photo ID which I can use to board internal flights with, vote with and prove my ID for just about anything  I've needed ID with in the UK no good!!. The real joke is that if I had an European ID card it would be acceptable. Three needs to wake up and accept that a lot of older people don't have a photo driving licence but older paper ones and haven't needed to renew their passport for any reason and that a pass citizen card is a valid government approved form of id