Three Mobile network down – how to claim compensation
A NETWORK meltdown has left tens of thousands of Three mobile customers unable to use their phones.
Phone users began complaining about signal problems just before midnight last night but it took until 9am this morning for the network to admit the problem.
Three told The Sun that it is aware of the problems and is working to fix them, although it hasn’t specified when it expects the network to be back up and running.
The network provider has 10million customers and told The Sun that it is “suffering technical difficulties”.
It meant that customers have been unable to use their phones to make or receive calls and texts or access the internet.
The provider is advising customers to turn their phones off and on or turn airplane mode on and off as it may resolve the issue.
If you’ve been inconvenienced or left out of pocket then you may be entitled to a refund.
Ernest Doku, mobiles expert at uSwitch.com, said: “So many of us are completely reliant on our mobile phones for our work and social lives, and Three customers need every reassurance that significant steps are being taken to address this major outage as soon as possible.
“Customers should let Three know if they are suffering a loss of service, and it is interesting to see that so many are already asking on Twitter what compensation they are entitled to.”
Here’s all you need to know about your refund rights and how to submit a complaint:
Am I entitled to compensation or a refund?
Customers aren’t guaranteed to automatically qualify for compensation, but if you feel the outage caused you significant problems or you waited a long time for repairs to take place, it’s worth complaining.
You’ll need to give your provider a “reasonable opportunity” to deal with the issues, according to regulator Ofcom.
How do I contact Three's customer services team?
YOU should submit an official complaint to the customer service team.
It’s free to call from most providers, otherwise standard network rates apply.
If you’re calling from a Three phone you can simply call 333, or 0333 338 1001 if you’re calling from any other phone.
You should call +44 7782 333 333 if you’re phoning from abroad or 500 from a Three phone if you’re out of the country.
There is a separate team that is dedicated to dealing with issues related to broadband.
If your provider fails to repair the fault by a promised time, or you’re unhappy with how long it is taking to fix it, you should follow their formal complaints procedure here.
Unfortunately, the website has been experiencing technical difficulties too today so you may not be able to submit an official complaint in writing straight away.
In the meantime you should take any screen grabs on your phone that can be used as evidence of the outage and make a note of how long you have been unable to use your phone for.
You should also be specific about any extra costs incurred as a result of the outage too as you may be able to get your money back for those as well.
You can also call the customers service team to find out more information.
How can I submit a claim?
To complain, you need to follow Three’s formal complaints procedure once the website is back up and running.
It’s worth submitting copies of any receipts or bills which prove any spending you’ve had to make because of Three’s outage as this will strengthen your complaint.
If your problem is still unresolved after eight weeks you can submit your complaint to an independent Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme.
How to complain to your mobile provider
Ofcom has approved two ADR schemes – CISAS and Ombudsman Services: Communications. Three is a member of the Ombudsman Services scheme.
Of course, it’s not just Three’s customers that are affected as iD Mobile, Smarty, Superdrug Mobile, FreedomPop all piggyback on the larger provider’s network.
You’ll need to complain to your provider rather than Three directly. You can submit a complaint to iD Mobile here, Smarty here, Superdrug Mobile here and FreedomPop here.
If that doesn’t work, you can take your complaint to the Ombudsman Services.
What has happened before?
Three is yet to announce whether it will offer customers compensation but it’s not out of the question.
Other providers have given compensation to customers when they experience a similar outage.
Last year, O2 offered refunds to all 25million customers after they endured an outage which causes chaos last year.
The network provider gave all customers two days worth of free coverage to make up for the disruption.
When O2 suffered a similar outage in 2012, it reportedly gave affected users three days’ worth of data back, while all O2 customers got a £10 O2 voucher.
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Earlier this week we reported how Vodafone announced that it won’t charge customers after a roaming outage saw users billed up to £10,000 by mistake.
A Three spokesperson said: “Following technical difficulties with our services across voice, text and data, some customers will be experiencing an intermittent service.
“Our engineers are working to fix the issue and the service is returning to normal, and we expect it to be resolved over the course of the day.
“We advise our customers to turn their phones off and on or turn airplane mode on and off, which may resolve the issue.”