New 3 Feel at Home countries

[nortada]

Thanks for #36 but the jury still seems to be out and I don't want to commit until I am a little surer of the outcome.

Oh yes, does the year clock start counting from your first F@H connection or the annaversary of your contract start date?

 

[Mistroma]

Thanks for #36 but the jury still seems to be out and I don't want to commit until I am a little surer of the outcome.

Oh yes, does the year clock start counting from your first F@H connection or the annaversary of your contract start date?

I had a Pay & Go SIM. Three were consistent in telling me that it was from the start of the first infringement in a rolling 12 month period. It was one of the few things that made sense.

So I'm pretty certain that if you start using it abroad at any point in F@H country it will start the clock if you remain there for 2+ months. Of course they also said that they only counted full calendar months and that complicates things if you start on 2nd April then they wouldn't count April, only May onwards. Their processes get a bit silly at that point.

 

[Davegriff]

Anybody any real proof that time abroad is limited to 2 months.

From the T&Cs:

"If youexceed your 12GB monthly data allowance, your data usage may be blocked in our Feel At Homedestinations until your next billing period. If you exceed any of these allowances for any 2 months withina rolling 12 month period we have the right to suspend international roaming on your account, meaningyou will no longer be able to use your device or allowance abroad. Of course, we will let you know inadvance if this is likely to happen."

(my emphasis)

Only limitation I see there is a 12gB monthly limit. If that is exceeded, the account MAY be suspended. but you do get one 'free go'.

That to me implies that you may use up to 12gB in any one month, every month of the year, with one transcression. Seems fair enough to me.

 

[jordanbasset]

From three
'* "Three reserves the right to suspend the international roaming when in a selected destination if the customer’s use exceeds any of the above limits for two (2) months within a twelve (12) month period. The service will be reinstated once the customer returns to the UK."
* "This offer is intended to be used by UK residents travelling abroad, and Three reserves the right to suspend the service in the event the UK allowance is used exclusively abroad for three (3) months within a twelve (12) month period."

So if you use it for 3 months abroad you will have your account suspended

 

[Davegriff]

Mmm. Seems that 3 like to scatter differing limitations around in different documents. Their PAYG terms don't seem to mention any such restrictions at all, (although probably their general T&Cs apply?). Also each time I download a "Price Guide", I seem to get a different one, not all mentioning the 2 (3?) month ruling!

We're PAYG and my original quote was related that. Downloaded so many lengthy docs from 3 its getting confusing now!

Whatever happened to our good old 'Trading Standards'?

 

[jordanbasset]

Mmm. Seems that 3 like to scatter differing limitations around in different documents. Their PAYG terms don't seem to mention any such restrictions at all, (although probably their general T&Cs apply?). Also each time I download a "Price Guide", I seem to get a different one, not all mentioning the 2 (3?) month ruling!

We're PAYG and my original quote was related that. Downloaded so many lengthy docs from 3 its getting confusing now!

Whatever happened to our good old 'Trading Standards'?

You're right, just found what I think is the latest version
http://www.three.co.uk/Privacy_Cookies/Terms_Conditions?content_aid=1220482374514
This offer is intended to be used by UK residents travelling abroad, and Three reserves the right to suspend the service in the event the UK allowance is used exclusively abroad for two (2) months within a twelve (12) month period.

So back down to two months now! They don't make it easy

 

[Mistroma]

Anybody any real proof that time abroad is limited to 2 months.

From the T&Cs:

"If youexceed your 12GB monthly data allowance, your data usage may be blocked in our Feel At Homedestinations until your next billing period. If you exceed any of these allowances for any 2 months withina rolling 12 month period we have the right to suspend international roaming on your account, meaningyou will no longer be able to use your device or allowance abroad. Of course, we will let you know inadvance if this is likely to happen."

(my emphasis)

Only limitation I see there is a 12gB monthly limit. If that is exceeded, the account MAY be suspended. but you do get one 'free go'.

That to me implies that you may use up to 12gB in any one month, every month of the year, with one transcression. Seems fair enough to me.

Does having your phone cut off without warning count? My main complaint was that Three needed to sort out their T&Cs online and the rules their staff used. I was told that it would be OK to just use credit and avoid any allowances. It didn't work and three cut the phone off without warning. They were never able to point me to rules for Pay & Go without any ambiguity. That was in 2015 and I kept asking them to update their online documentation.

Guess how their support kept replying to my emailed complaint about my phone's inability to connect to any network.

"We have tried to call your mobile several times to discuss your complaint but do not appear to be able to contact you". Really, I wonder why that might be a problem?

 

[Hoolie]

I agree 3 conditions are a complete bu@@ers muddle. I had/have a PAYG SIM they say very clearly cannot be used for tethering. It can and does in the UK.
When I took on my contract SIM the guy in the 3 shop said he'd add a freebee - 2000 included 3 to 3 minutes per month. I still have and use them but absolutely nowhere on the 3 web site can I find any reference to this useful free add-on.
I have now been out of the UK for about 6 months but have had no come-back from 3. I never exceed my allowances and always make sure that at least one full day (all 24hrs) per month the phone is turned off.
As I said earlier, maybe I'm on borrowed time

 

[DaveRo]

I agree 3 conditions are a complete bu@@ers muddle. I had/have a PAYG SIM they say very clearly cannot be used for tethering. It can and does in the UK...

The current Ts&Cs for PAYG don't mention tethereing:
http://www.three.co.uk/terms-conditions/paym-and-payg
They do say they can vary the terms without notice, as they did when they stopped tablets working, so it may have once.
Tethering under FAH is not covered by those tems. Opting out of FAH is not mentioned anywhere AFAIK - I think you cannot.
My experience, from a couple of years back, is that they cannot or did not bother, to detect tethering abroad on a non-smartphone.

 

[Mistroma]

The current Ts&Cs for PAYG don't mention tethereing:
http://www.three.co.uk/terms-conditions/paym-and-payg
They do say they can vary the terms without notice, as they did when they stopped tablets working, so it may have once.
Tethering under FAH is not covered by those tems. Opting out of FAH is not mentioned anywhere AFAIK - I think you cannot.
My experience, from a couple of years back, is that they cannot or did not bother, to detect tethering abroad on a non-smartphone.

Opting out used to be vague as T&Cs talked about buying add-ons to enable it and elsewhere saying you didn't need to do anything to get the benefit of F@H. However, Three repeatedly said that it was not possible to opt out and F@H kicked in as soon as you reached a F@H destination. This happens even if you choose not to gain any benefit by making all calls via credit instead of buying an add-on.

I haven't checked the T&Cs this year but don't imagine Three will have changed that part.

 

[pmartin127]

As a frequent visitor to Greece who only manages 5 weeks out in the Ionian spread out between May and October I was really hoping that 3 would add Greece to their list of 3@H countries and when they did in September I went to one of their stores and grilled the manager about tethering and roaming abroad. I ended up with one of their Huawei mobile WiFi units. These do allow up to 5 devices connected to their cheaper 3G version but for£10 more I bought the 4G version preloaded with 12 GB data valid for 12 months but only useable for 60 days over that 12 month period. This cost just under £70.
Just coming to the end of my last week out here for this year d I can say it's been brilliant. Previously the company I chartered from would supply a dongle at €20 per 1GB so over the next year I estimate that instead of paying the company the dongle will pay for itself in savings.
We've had 5 devices connected all the time and as long as the dongle is charged up you can carry it around with you although if any tavernas have free wifi we would use that. Huawei have a really nifty app that connects to the dongle which will show usage, devices attached etc.
Best of all is that it has just worked all week wherever we've been. I appreciate that this doesn't work for permanent live aboard but for those who might spend up to 60 days in Greece over the year using several devices this is the solution.

 

[mikenfi]

Just had my phone disconnected, PAYG. Not a problem! I have planned for this eventuality, new SIM card in top up applied, I have a family member buy me 2 at a time (£25) never had a data imposed I have used 30gb one month no problem as someone said maximum is 12 but it appears they cannot regulate this. I have 5x New 3 PAYG SIM card all unregistered an unlocked iPhone 5. It's really simple to abuse this offer. After speaking with 3 about it, it is the local networks that give you 2 months so it's best to manually connect to networks and change every 7 weeks 5 months this one card has lasted and when compared to French costs for data it's a steal!

 

[nortada]

I have a friend here in Portugal is very happy using his F@H allowance and reckons it is a good service.

As a new user nobody told him about the time (2 month?) limitation for continuous use overseas. He is now just approaching the 2 month point so it will be interesting to hear his experiences. i will report back.

 

[jordanbasset]

As a frequent visitor to Greece who only manages 5 weeks out in the Ionian spread out between May and October I was really hoping that 3 would add Greece to their list of 3@H countries and when they did in September I went to one of their stores and grilled the manager about tethering and roaming abroad. I ended up with one of their Huawei mobile WiFi units. These do allow up to 5 devices connected to their cheaper 3G version but for£10 more I bought the 4G version preloaded with 12 GB data valid for 12 months but only useable for 60 days over that 12 month period. This cost just under £70.
Just coming to the end of my last week out here for this year d I can say it's been brilliant. Previously the company I chartered from would supply a dongle at €20 per 1GB so over the next year I estimate that instead of paying the company the dongle will pay for itself in savings.
We've had 5 devices connected all the time and as long as the dongle is charged up you can carry it around with you although if any tavernas have free wifi we would use that. Huawei have a really nifty app that connects to the dongle which will show usage, devices attached etc.
Best of all is that it has just worked all week wherever we've been. I appreciate that this doesn't work for permanent live aboard but for those who might spend up to 60 days in Greece over the year using several devices this is the solution.

That could be very useful, can you just confirm that you have used more than one machine at a time tethered to the mifi while in Greece itself?

 

[lindsay]

Just to confirm, mikenfi, you have no problems in installing a new Three payasugo sim, bought in the uk, while you are physically in France?? This sounds like a neat solution

 

[DaveRo]

There is a new - at least I think it's new - 3 payg data Sim called Data Reward. Some details and a link here:
http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/showthread.php?t=9852

I don't know what to make of this. In particular the termination conditiins seem inconsistent with a data-only SIM. Does it work in a phone? But it might be interesting if you usually only need small amounts of data. I've ordered one to test.

 

[pmartin127]

That could be very useful, can you just confirm that you have used more than one machine at a time tethered to the mifi while in Greece itself?

I can confirm that we had 4 devices connected all the time we were in the Ionian and in the week we were there we (myself and BiL) consumed around 2GB data.
The cheaper MiFi unit is 3G only and can only have 5 devices connected simultaneously. For £10 more I bought the 4G unit which can have 10 devices connected at any one time.
In reply to DaveRo I was told in the 3 shop that a data-only sim will not work to make calls or texts (even though it came with a 'number') so it should work in a phone but only for data. I haven't tested that though.

 

[jordanbasset]

Thanks for that, really useful. May take a couple of sim cards with me to last while we are there for next year. Some good deals on ebay at the moment
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-3-PAY...351562?hash=item5684fcdcca:g:ckAAAOSwH71XOc8K

 

[Jamesuk]

In Southern Spain and Palma earlier (three at home) is very slow. Good for YBW and Ft.com rubbish for YouTube. I compared it to my EE £3 per day and basically with EE I can watch BBC I player (granted about 35 minutes worth) but it shows the speed difference is huge against 3

Get what you pay for.

Three for weather etc is brilliant (always works)

 

[pmartin127]

In Southern Spain and Palma earlier (three at home) is very slow. Good for YBW and Ft.com rubbish for YouTube. I compared it to my EE £3 per day and basically with EE I can watch BBC I player (granted about 35 minutes worth) but it shows the speed difference is huge against 3

Get what you pay for.

For me the real advantage is being able to provide wifi for multiple devices. Using the EE £3 per day or O2 £1.99 a day is fine if you only have the one device but when you're on the boat either with family or friends each with at least two devices then collectively that starts to become expensive as (and I may be wrong here) tethering is not allowed.
Three for weather etc is brilliant (always works)