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Dry Your Eyes(M2 PressWIRE Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Mobile network Three launches a range of tissues made by recycling eye-wateringly high bills from O2, EE and Vodafone. Research reveals bill shock relating to international roaming, 4G data use and 0800 calls, is still prevalent in the UK. Three launches search for mobile users most let down by roaming, 4G data charges and 0800 call charges and offers to buy them out of contract3. New research1 from Three has uncovered the true extent to which other networks' customers have been charged excessively for international roaming, 4G data and 0800 calls by their operator. Over half (54%) of EE, Vodafone and O2 customers have experienced bill shock in the past year, in the region of 213 for each customer, including high and unexpected roaming fees and charges for dialing 0800 numbers2. To highlight the eye-watering charges of the other networks, Three has today launched a range of tissues made using recycled bills from its competitors. The tissues have been designed for those networks' traumatised and hard-done-by customers to dry their eyes with when they receive tear-inducing costs at the end of every month - resulting from costly 0800 calls, 4G data use and excessive roaming charges. The tissues will be available in Three stores up-and-down the country from mid September for these people in need of a little consoling. Tom Malleschitz, Director of Marketing at Three, said: "The tissues are a tongue in cheek way to highlight a serious issue that for too many people bill shock is still prevalent. With over half (53%) of Brits stating that getting good value from their network is a key factor to them moving, it's surprising that so many people are still holding on to the network that has left them angry and frustrated instead of switching. It's important that people should be treated fairly by their mobile network provider, so we want to encourage people to take action and move to an operator that offers them what they want. "That's why at Three we offer free calls to 0800 numbers on our new contracts and SIM only plans, 4G at no extra cost and with Feel at home you can call and text back home and use data from your allowance in 16 destinations worldwide." The research also revealed that nearly a quarter (23%) of O2, Vodafone and EE's customers combined have not switched mobile operators because of the costs they'd incur to buy themselves out of their current contract. Using social media, Three is therefore identifying a number of customers who feel angry, frustrated or saddened by their current provider3. Three then may offer them the opportunity to be bought out of their current contract and to join Three - so they too can enjoy free 0800 calls, 4G at no extra cost and the roaming benefits of Feel at Home among many other benefits, including the network rated number one for iPhone since 20124. Sarah Willingham, consumer expert, said: "We have all become incredibly dependent on our mobile phones as a basic part of everyday life. For way too long this dependence has been exploited by mobile phone providers. We deserve to be treated fairly and openly in return the money that we pay every month. Charging high prices for 0800 numbers, which should be free, has to stop. And then there's the crazy costs of using your mobile abroad. Bill shock happens all too often and has made us lose faith in the phone companies. It's no wonder that customers are upset. Switching your phone provider should be made easy, allowing us to actually choose the best deal and the best service without having to go back to ask permission to leave from our current provider." For more information please contact [email protected] or call 020 7234 9150020 7234 9150 Notes to editors: 1 Research conducted in August 2014 by OnePoll on behalf of Three with 3,000 British adults. 2 The average unexpected bill for O2, EE and Vodafone customers is 87.70 a month, multiplied by the average customer having experienced this 2.43 times. This equals 213.11. 3 Up to a maximum of 50 consumers from any UK mobile phone network. People will be chosen by Three on Twitter and Facebook and will be asked to present their most horrific bills. 4 YouGov is a polling company. They ask a representative sample of customers about their mobile operator every quarter. In total YouGov interviewed 4,146 Nat Rep respondents between 5th - 10th June 2014. 2,967 respondents were smartphone users. All interviews were conducted online with YouGov panellists. Operators are judged against a set of 18 performance measures. Three came top in a majority of measures, so are therefore declared 'No.1'. This is the 19th wave of the programme with previous waves conducted quarterly throughout 2009 - 2014. To find out more about Feel at Home, please go to http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Phones/Feel_At_HomeCall Send SMS Add to Skype You'll need Skype CreditFree via Skype . (c) 2014 M2 COMMUNICATIONS |