Mobile phone bill query: has anyone heard about the increased non-direct debit charges with 3 UK?

I agree with you. People who dont pay by direct debit are penalised every month. My partner gets paid every 4 weeks so its hard to set an exact date for a direct debit. Some companys can take payments out every fortnight or every week but they are few and far between these days. When your mobile phone contract is due for renewal change providers i did it last year and it was the best thing i ever did. My network (T-Mobile) still charge me £3 per month but its cheaper than 3. By the way if you do cancel your contract with 3 send them a cancellation letter by recorded delivery 6 weeks before your contract ends with a specified date on which you want the contract cancelled otherwise they will keep billing you. They did it to my partner who wrote several letters and made countless phone calls to try and sort it out. Good luck and i hope this helps.

Firstly just to answer you question - I agree with you most of these companies offer discounts (thereby avoiding this sort of criticism) but others used the "penalty system" to charge for hard copy bills, copy statements and also for not using D/D's. I think that it is wrong but it is the way that our "cashless" Society is moving. On the emotive side I fully agree with the lady concerned - and I hope she wins her day in Court. Sadly I only see the outcome as being a slap on the wrist and the Company changing the wording. The other question I would ask is why do we not receive some of the interest that these big Companies make on all the "pre payments". Hail the little people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!