Ditching the One Month Three Dongle Deal
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From: CJB on 10 Jan 2010 16:21 Ditching the One Month Three Dongle Deal I have a one month contract arrangement with Three for a dongle in order to access the Internet on my laptop. I pay this using DD. However with My3 being down for quite long periods due to an upgrade, and also with problems accessing My3 due to Three's use of very old (and unsupported) security layer SSL 2.0, I am unable to access My3 reliably in order to check my Internet usage. And I have recently exceeded my allowance a tad - at an extra cost of £8 over my top-up charge. Therefore I am thinking of ditching the dongle in favour of using a PAYG Skypephone S2 as a modem. But my question is how easy is it to cancel the one month direct debit payment to Three? I have always vowed never to do 'DD' and this is my only one. But I keep reading on the web of problems with Three's Customer Services and screw ups with payments and contracts, and I am concerned that when I request cancellation they may actually cancel the service but may continue to keep taking payments from my credit card account. Thanks - Chris Brady.
From: Graham J on 10 Jan 2010 17:03 "CJB" <chrisjbrady(a)gmail.com> wrote in message news:3d44724a-ad18-4cb7-b87d-32699888ab8b(a)j24g2000yqa.googlegroups.com... Ditching the One Month Three Dongle Deal I have a one month contract arrangement with Three for a dongle in order to access the Internet on my laptop. I pay this using DD. However with My3 being down for quite long periods due to an upgrade, and also with problems accessing My3 due to Three's use of very old (and unsupported) security layer SSL 2.0, I am unable to access My3 reliably in order to check my Internet usage. And I have recently exceeded my allowance a tad - at an extra cost of �8 over my top-up charge. Therefore I am thinking of ditching the dongle in favour of using a PAYG Skypephone S2 as a modem. But my question is how easy is it to cancel the one month direct debit payment to Three? I have always vowed never to do 'DD' and this is my only one. But I keep reading on the web of problems with Three's Customer Services and screw ups with payments and contracts, and I am concerned that when I request cancellation they may actually cancel the service but may continue to keep taking payments from my credit card account. Thanks - Chris Brady. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Advise your bank of the situation and explain very clearly that if they pay a DD againts your instructions you will immediately cancel your account. Then set up a new account with a different bank so that you have an account in place when you have to carry out your threat. If you don't have to carry out the threat, keep this separate account purely for DDs and possibly debit card payments over the net, and put only enough money in it to cover the payments you have authorised. -- Graham J
From: CJB on 10 Jan 2010 17:12 On Jan 10, 10:03 pm, "Graham J" <graham(a)invalid> wrote: > "CJB" <chrisjbr...(a)gmail.com> wrote in message > > news:3d44724a-ad18-4cb7-b87d-32699888ab8b(a)j24g2000yqa.googlegroups.com... > Ditching the One Month Three Dongle Deal > > I have a one month contract arrangement with Three for a dongle in > order to access the Internet on my laptop. I pay this using DD. > > However with My3 being down for quite long periods due to an upgrade, > and also with problems accessing My3 due to Three's use of very old > (and unsupported) security layer SSL 2.0, I am unable to access My3 > reliably in order to check my Internet usage. And I have recently > exceeded my allowance a tad - at an extra cost of 8 over my top-up > charge. > > Therefore I am thinking of ditching the dongle in favour of using a > PAYG Skypephone S2 as a modem. > > But my question is how easy is it to cancel the one month direct debit > payment to Three? > > I have always vowed never to do 'DD' and this is my only one. But I > keep reading on the web of problems with Three's Customer Services and > screw ups with payments and contracts, and I am concerned that when I > request cancellation they may actually cancel the service but may > continue to keep taking payments from my credit card account. > > Thanks - Chris Brady. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Advise your bank of the situation and explain very clearly that if they pay > a DD againts your instructions you will immediately cancel your account. > > Then set up a new account with a different bank so that you have an account > in place when you have to carry out your threat. > > If you don't have to carry out the threat, keep this separate account purely > for DDs and possibly debit card payments over the net, and put only enough > money in it to cover the payments you have authorised. > > -- > Graham J Interesting reply. Goog strategy. Thank you. Chris Brady,
From: TheMongKey on 10 Jan 2010 17:23 "CJB" wrote: > I have always vowed never to do 'DD' and this is my only one. But I > keep reading on the web of problems with Three's Customer Services and > screw ups with payments and contracts, and I am concerned that when I > request cancellation they may actually cancel the service but may > continue to keep taking payments from my credit card account. Direct debits are from a current account using account number and sort code so shouldn't go anywhere near your credit card - that would be what's known as a continuous payment authority (CPA) which can indeed be a nightmare to cancel, see just about any issue of Which? or any newspaper's financial help pages. You can cancel a DD at any time directly with your bank and independently of 3 themselves (although you obviously want to cancel the contract itself with them). Once it's on record with your bank as cancelled, even if 3 try to take the money the DD should be denied. And if it is paid out by the bank in error then you can reclaim under the DD guarantee. No need to cancel bank accounts. But do keep dates and times of phone conversations and who you spoke to. For more on the difference between DD and CPA see here: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=256 DD guarantee: http://www.bacs.co.uk/bacs/businesses/directdebit/collecting/pages/customersrights.aspx Cheers, TMK
From: Peter Crosland on 10 Jan 2010 17:34
"CJB" <chrisjbrady(a)gmail.com> wrote in message news:3d44724a-ad18-4cb7-b87d-32699888ab8b(a)j24g2000yqa.googlegroups.com... Ditching the One Month Three Dongle Deal I have a one month contract arrangement with Three for a dongle in order to access the Internet on my laptop. I pay this using DD. However with My3 being down for quite long periods due to an upgrade, and also with problems accessing My3 due to Three's use of very old (and unsupported) security layer SSL 2.0, I am unable to access My3 reliably in order to check my Internet usage. And I have recently exceeded my allowance a tad - at an extra cost of �8 over my top-up charge. Therefore I am thinking of ditching the dongle in favour of using a PAYG Skypephone S2 as a modem. But my question is how easy is it to cancel the one month direct debit payment to Three? I have always vowed never to do 'DD' and this is my only one. But I keep reading on the web of problems with Three's Customer Services and screw ups with payments and contracts, and I am concerned that when I request cancellation they may actually cancel the service but may continue to keep taking payments from my credit card account. Are you sure it is a DD and not a continuing payment authority on a debit card? Assuming it is a DD call your bank and cancel it and write to the bank confirming this as well as writing to Three.The bank is obliged to refund any unauthorised charges under a DD authority. If it is a continuing payment authority then write to you bank and Three telling them that any authority given is now cancelled and any further charges are prohibited. Peter Crosland |