Three have randomly removed my free roaming in go-roam destinations with no notification or warning

[dingdong808]

Like thousands of other three customers I renewed my contract in September 2021 before the deadline to ensure I retained the free roaming in go-roam destinations.

For 24 months I continued to receive free go-roaming... and this then continued on as a rolling contract... so I've had 33 months of free roaming.

This past month I suddenly received £45 in roaming charges.

Complaints to the billing team have got me nowhere.   They simply say that Go-Roam was removed from my account in March (with no notification or warning).   I've since submitted a written complaint and they are now saying my contract started on 17th october 2021 and didn't have free roaming..... despite the fact I've had 33 months of free roaming and the online chat at the time of creating my contract confirmed I'd have the free roaming benefit.  I even gave them an example of a previous bill that had free roaming and they are claiming the bill had daily roaming fees when it clearly shows zero!

Has anyone else experienced this recent change.   I'm getting nowhere trying to get it resolved?    

[dingdong808]

I don't believe Three have any right to change your contractual terms without ANY notification in advance which is what they have effectively done here so even the ombudsman is incorrect.

It doesn't help that Three don't even give you a copy of your contract when you sign up but I'm quite sure any court of law would not accept the situation where contractual terms are changed to your detriment with no notification.

Even more amusingly the complaints department at three told me there had not been any change to my contract despite the fact I can clearly see the order which was applied to my account in April which removed the free roaming from my account when I log in online.

[MiHa]

I’ve had exactly the same issue as you lot, however when I initially followed up on chat, they quoted my contract at the time and I have a screenshot stating that GoRoam is included for free. This was in March.

As a result of this I continued to use my roaming. When my bill came through, I contacted chat again and explained the situation and quoted the contract terms I had been told at the time. Only now they’d changed according to the chat CS advisor this time. However, they actually refunded the roaming charges and confirmed with me that I would not be charged again.

And guess what. In the US this month they charged me over £100 in roaming passes! Contacting them again I got nowhere and ended up talking to their complaints department on the phone. I hit a brick wall like you all did, and they are claiming too, that because the first billing date was on 7th October 21, this was the contract start date despite the fact I have evidence I signed the contract on 11th Sept. 

I’ve raised a complaint with the ombudsman, but at this point I just want the charges that have occurred refunded as I’ve voted with my feet and gone to O2 who currently offer the same roaming package (including the US and Australia) Three did with double the data limit and for 60p more than I was paying. A shame as I’ve been with Three for well over 10 years!

[MiHa]

Just to add, not wanting to be too conspiratorial, but I suspect rolling contract customers are costing them a fortune in roaming and they want to get rid of us. They have gambled on the fact that most customers won’t complain, will accept the new terms or just leave. Only a small number will go to the ombudsman, and the worst they’re going to get is a fine and a reversal of charges which is all just wooden dollars to them. They’re effectively using this as a cost save to force customers like us out ‘because they can’

[Trueneutral]

So I have the decision from the ombudsman - they are not able to reinstate go roam, and reasoned that Three are within their right to change their terms anytime as it is a "commercial decision". As I am out of contract, I am free to go to another network - the ombudsman mentioned if this change happened while I am still under the fixed term, the best he could do is to compel me let me go without exit fees. Nevertheless, I was offered £100 for my trouble as a "goodwill gesture".

In a nutshell, I guess the go-roam party is now over - us stragglers are unwelcome and are slowly shown the door.

[martinski99]

Thanks for sharing your update. 

[dingdong808]

The annoying is my flatmate renewed before 1/10/2021  (at the same time as me)... has a billing/contract start date at the end of October (so later than me)... and is still receiving free roaming abroad with no changes.

It therefore does look completely random which customers they have removed this benefit from.

[SpongeBob]

I think that those who have been affected, me included, are the ones who upgraded before 1/10/2021, but whose contract started after 1/10/2021. Regardless, their website clearly states that charges apply only to “For Pay Monthly customers who joined or upgraded on or after 1 October 2021, there’s a daily roaming charge to unlock your UK allowances for 24 hours in Go Roam destinations”. Join and upgrade is not the same as contract start date, so I fail to see why Three has failed to keep its contractual obligations.

[Ap1]

Yes have just experienced the same issue. The inclusive allowances section of my bill still show that roaming in Europe is unlimited calls and texts, and 3000 minutes/5000 texts for other Go Roam destinations, but I have just been charged roaming charges for a recent trip. Call to billing got nowhere - anyone had a response from the ombudsman?

[Trueneutral]

I think so far nobody has suceeded in getting the free roaming back. If there are any success stories do share.

[martinski99]

I'm thinking that although you/we think we upgraded in September 2021 they didn't apply it until the end of our billing cycle, which would likely be some time in October. Clearly they didn't tell you this at the time, and also lied about it affecting roaming. I have an SMS from Three in September 2021 saying I've been 'handpicked' for a free upgrade which is what prompted me to do so. What I think they mean by handpicked is that they wanted me off a pre-October contract so delayed the upgrade until after the cut-off date. 

Still doesn't explain why I've had over 3 years of roaming and then it suddenly stops with no comms whatsoever.