Three Mobile have raised the ire of thousands of their existing UK customers, after the mobile network released letters informing them that their contracts will now double in price.
Hundreds of thousands of Three customers were impacted by the change, with the company phasing out existing mobile tariffs in favour of new, pricier ones. This is as a result of the Three and O2 merger, and while price hikes to existing contracts are unfortunately commonplace (and completely legal), this is certainly one of the most drastic price increases to have been employed by a network provider, with some seeing their existing £15 per month bill now being increased to £30 per month.
In a letter sent out to customers, Three wrote: “We’re always working to make sure we offer some of the best plans on the market, with great value minutes and data that help our customers get the most out of their phones. But to do this, we have to change our plans every so often.
“As your minimum term has ended and the plan you are currently on is being phased out, you will now need to change to one of our new plans. But there’s no need to worry, we’ve got a great range of new plans t suit your needs. We’re writing to let you know that we plan to transfer you onto one of our new plans which most closely aligns with your current plan allowances.”
Three then goes on to note that Three offers existing customers being transferred to this new plan a £3 discount, which many are struggling to find acceptable considering that it’s already double the amount they were previously paying.
Three customers are now taking to social media to complain about these drastic changes, flooding the company’s official Twitter account with messages:
@ThreeUK you won’t have any friends at this rate
— mal (@malctalk) February 1, 2016
@ThreeUK No wonder you’ll are having a party after increasing contract prices. Seriously you’ll should be ashamed.
— Bhoumeek Maniar (@Bhoumeek) January 31, 2016
@ThreeUK I’d be happier with the ‘gift’ of a working service that I pay for
— Lee Foster (@max9791) January 30, 2016
The new changes could prove to be hugely detrimental to the company, considering that customers can opt to leave the company without facing a penalty within a 30-day window. After those 30 days, they will be placed on a rolling contract.
