Nightmare trying to return 5g router

[HenryT]

Called on Monday to say I'd moved house and my 5g router no longer had sufficient signal, the rep agreed and offered to allow me to cancel my account at no charge. Said I'd do so a few days later.

Called on Thursday and went around a big song and dance explaining the situation again, they finally agreed to cancel once more. Unfortunately because my old address was "on the system" I was told 24 hours was needed for the new address to update, and I'd get a call back the next day.

They called and the address still wasn't updated, was asked to wait until Monday. The callback didn't happen at the intended time, so I called myself and arranged for a DPD email to be emailed over to me. It didn't arrive but then the original rep who was supposed to call me phoned me an hour late and I explained to him what had happened and that I was still waiting, and he said it could take a few hours.

Two days later and still no email. I've just tried to call in only for the phone line to cut out. I just can't deal with this, it shouldn't be this complicated and eat up so much time just to process a simple email with a damn tracking label to get sent through. Are they trying to milk us by making the process as difficult and opaque as possible, or is this just genuine incompetence?

It feels like I need to register a Twitter account just to get anything done.

[JonathanB]

Hi @HenryT,

I'm really sorry to hear this return is causing so much frustration. I've sent you a PM to get you in touch with some help with this.

To view your private messages on the community, click on your avatar image in the top right of any community page, then "Messages".

Thanks,
Jonathan

[HenryT]

I got in touch with the details you provided and was told I'd be informed once the bag was dispatched. That didn't happen, but the bag did eventually arrive about a week later.

However, I've now received a letter in the post telling me that my account balance is overdue - this is after I was told that it had been cancelled and I verified that I was square - I can only conclude that the account wasn't actually cancelled after all.

Now I can't log into MyThree because the device number was in the documentation included with the device when I sent it back.

This whole saga has, hand-to-heart, honestly been the single worst "journey" I've ever taken with a company.

[JonathanB]

Hi @HenryT,

I'm sorry to hear that you haven't been kept up to date, and that you subsequently received this letter. Did you have another chat with the team I originally directed you to? It's disappointing to hear that you never heard back, but I'm sure they can get this fully sorted out if the router is back with us now.

Thanks,
Jonathan

[Threlly]

There seems to be a recurring issue with Three, and that is the total lack of a proper escalation function.
Sometimes the agents on the phone do not have the correct powers to resolve a situation, and having to come here to get a solution of any kind is ridiculous and utterly disrespectful to their customers.

Having to depend on a single person ( @JonathanB ) is a barely disguised insult to Three's customers, irrespective of the good efforts of Jonathan.
It shouldn't be this way.

[HenryT]

Just to offer another update - I finally got a bag through, with which I sent the device back.

I then later received a monthly bill, took that to the social media complaints team, and they apologised and I was assured "personally" by the agent that it was all cancelled and I wouldn't get another bill.

This morning I received a new bill for £314.87.

This is beyond a joke at this point. It's reached the extent where, when an agent assures me that my issue is resolved, I think the only response I'll be able to muster is "I'm sorry but I don't believe you."

Avoid this company like the plague - the left hand honestly doesn't know what the right hand is doing, and at this point I've easily spent 6 or 7 hours total chasing a very simple issue.

[JonathanB]

Hi @HenryT,

That's really disappointing to hear. The team I've referred you to can escalate this as a complaint, I'm sure they'll be happy to get any charges removed, and send you a confirmation that the account is fully settled, assuming we've already verified the device was returned.

Thanks,
Jonathan