3bb wants 6 months payment in advance

[soi3eddie]

Today I contacted 3bb about getting fibre installed (current provider only offers VDSL in my building). They told me that unless I had a Thai ID card and as a foreigner I must pay for 6 months advance service before they will even come to survey the property. They will not accept Pink ID Card, only passport.

 

I am in a condo that has their FTTH equipment in the basement but they say they will run a cable to my room. I hope that they can run the cable through existing trunking but not certain it would be possible. They said that if they cannot do it they will refund my money in 30 days.

 

I'm not sure whether to proceed. Has anyone else experienced this from 3bb? Any issues? Advice greatly appreciated.

 

[Nero Dog]

If you have a Thai partner get the contract in their name. 

My 3BB is in my wife's name, no problems. 

[phetphet]

Maybe ask them for a discount if paying upfront. I pay 3BB a year in advance and get 8%.

 

True TV used to give me one month free for paying the same. Not sure if they still do it as I no longer have it.

[BritManToo]

21 minutes ago, Nero Dog said:

If you have a Thai partner get the contract in their name. 

My 3BB is in my wife's name, no problems. 

I had no problem getting 3bb in my name with no advance payment.

Think it's your office that's the problem, and not 3BB as a whole.

 

Would suggest try another 3BB office.

[nightfox]

Its many citys 3BB are wanting 6 months to one year advance for foreigners. In Pattaya you got to pay 1 year in advance if your a foreigner. its because a lot of them in the past stop paying their bill after they signed a one year contract.

[soi3eddie]

3 hours ago, phetphet said:

Maybe ask them for a discount if paying upfront. I pay 3BB a year in advance and get 8%.

 

True TV used to give me one month free for paying the same. Not sure if they still do it as I no longer have it.

Thanks. Actually they did offer me 8% for 1yr advance payment and I'll probably go with that. By sheer coincidence when I went out this afternoon to get food, there was a 3bb sales stand at the door of our building. I was able to chat with them and they re-assured me that they can get fibre optic through the trunking to the room. They also showed me the latest router - Huawei Echolife HG8245W with 4 antennas which seems good.

 

[soi3eddie]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I had no problem getting 3bb in my name with no advance payment.

Think it's your office that's the problem, and not 3BB as a whole.

 

Would suggest try another 3BB office.

It was main call centre. I argued it but they said company policy.

[Jeffrey346]

Years ago, 3BB asked me for 3 months in advance. I refused. I told them there are other providers with no deposit requirements. They rolled over and provided the service. 

[remobb]

They tried this with me. I told them where to go. I went to True and they installed within 3 days. If farangs continue to pay these ridiculous fees it will never change.

Don't pay, find another solution. 

[UTH001]

Six years ago, 3BB was the only company willing to install internet at my house (a bit outside the village). And I was asked to pay 1 year upfront, which I was happy to do. Like I said, they were the only company willing to do the installation. Since then, I have mostly paid upfront 1 year, and got the 8% discount. But during some hick-up (on their side) during fibre optics installation, I paid monthly without any questions from their side. In your case, probably understandable to ask for a six month payment as the do have to put in new cables? But stating that only foreigners would need to pay such an upfront payment, ridiculous (and disgusting!).

 

[robertson468]

You might like to point out that it is Government Policy to treat foreigners the same as Thais therefore they should not differentiate this way.  Failing that go with CAT.  We have been with them for 15+ years and have always found their service to be very good.

[sencelebi]

30 minutes ago, UTH001 said:

Six years ago, 3BB was the only company willing to install internet at my house (a bit outside the village). And I was asked to pay 1 year upfront, which I was happy to do. Like I said, they were the only company willing to do the installation. Since then, I have mostly paid upfront 1 year, and got the 8% discount. But during some hick-up (on their side) during fibre optics installation, I paid monthly without any questions from their side. In your case, probably understandable to ask for a six month payment as the do have to put in new cables? But stating that only foreigners would need to pay such an upfront payment, ridiculous (and disgusting!).

 

It's not ridiculous and disgusting since we all know most foreigners rent a place for 3 months or so and they move out without paying the utilities. Companies are in the bussiness to make profit, not for community service.

[Henryford]

Come on it's only $100 not a massive ask. I am happy to pay 3BB one year in advance and get my 8% discount.

[4evermaat]

Happened to a friend in Chumphon years ago.   It was either 3 months or 6 months.    It is not a fee, just an advance on the monthly bill.  He was happy to do so, otherwise he would have no internet.   I think it was back when ASDL was still a thing.

 

I had to pay extra to run extra ASDL cable from the local switchbox.  Some 2200 baht, but then over 1000 baht was returned to me as they overestimated the amount of cable needed.

 

Thanks for letting me know that we are now supposed to get 1000Mbps / 100 Mbps up.  (I think I am still on the 200/200 plan, lol.   They don't seem to automatically upgrade you on the same monthly plan, unless you specifically ask.

 

I think now if you pay 3 months in advance online, you get 3% discount.

[Foghorn]

3bb told me same , 6 months up front when I moved home 2 months ago ,I told them <deleted> off ,  after they said because had before ok then 

[poosmate]

Beware the new gpon router (W5).....cannot use any other DNS...3bb have their own firmware ( locked for user) and the DNS is ISP. Even changing DNS in devices does not work.

[Foghorn]

More and more companies in thailand becoming anti farang  because they can’t do anything to a thai when they do wrong so blame farang instead . I say ok I find a better company to deal with

[tomazbodner]

When I got 3BB some years back, they also wanted 6 months deposit, which was then refunded to me through invoices over the next maybe 1 year...

[superal]

3BB ? I pay for 1 gbps but they like to give me 50 Mbps  . Ongoing dilemma for more than 1 year . Tried to say my equipment , not true , my restaurant customers say your WiFi is slow . Tried to cancel 2 year contact but got warned that I would have to pay for the full term and the initially free installation of fibre 

[bwpage3]

Do you trust giving a Thai your money and hoping in 30 days they return it?

 

Why do they wait so long to return the money?

 

Maybe they never will.

[Peterphuket]

17 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

Thanks. Actually they did offer me 8% for 1yr advance payment and I'll probably go with that. By sheer coincidence when I went out this afternoon to get food, there was a 3bb sales stand at the door of our building. I was able to chat with them and they re-assured me that they can get fibre optic through the trunking to the room. They also showed me the latest router - Huawei Echolife HG8245W with 4 antennas which seems good.

 

That will be nice, direct connection with China through HUAWEI. ;-))

[ChaiyaTH]

As always in TH there are no uniform rules. That said I always pay for a year as they offer fat discounts.

[cauldlad]

29 minutes ago, ChaiyaTH said:

As always in TH there are no uniform rules. That said I always pay for a year as they offer fat discounts.

Me too, it's not that much for a year anyway and I think it is worth doing for the 8% discount.

[Max69xl]

18 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

Thanks. Actually they did offer me 8% for 1yr advance payment and I'll probably go with that. By sheer coincidence when I went out this afternoon to get food, there was a 3bb sales stand at the door of our building. I was able to chat with them and they re-assured me that they can get fibre optic through the trunking to the room. They also showed me the latest router - Huawei Echolife HG8245W with 4 antennas which seems good.

 

"as a foreigner I must pay for 6 months advance service before they will even come to survey the property"

This must be a misunderstanding. I do understand if they want 6 months pay when there's an agreement and everything is installed, but not before they've even checked your place out. 

[Burma Bill]

22 hours ago, phetphet said:

Maybe ask them for a discount if paying upfront. I pay 3BB a year in advance and get 8%.

 

Yes, when I lived in Thailand I subscribed to 3BB, but living on my own, as a foreigner, I had to pay 12 months up front and show my passport to have the contract in my name. There was a discount but exactly how much I do not know, now that I live in Cambodia.

[katatonic]

1 hour ago, Peterphuket said:

That will be nice, direct connection with China through HUAWEI. ;-))

If you'd looked it up any time in the last decade you'd find that the entire telecoms infrastructure in Thailand is all Huawei.

[billd766]

3 hours ago, robertson468 said:

You might like to point out that it is Government Policy to treat foreigners the same as Thais therefore they should not differentiate this way.  Failing that go with CAT.  We have been with them for 15+ years and have always found their service to be very good.

However out in rural Thailand, there is not such a great choice of providers. I started with DTAC and edge for several years, moved to ToT and WiNet and on to 3BB and VDSL. 3BB promised me an update to Fibre2You just over a year ago and I am still waiting.

[KKr]

3 hours ago, sencelebi said:

we all know most foreigners rent a place for 3 months or so and they move out without paying the utilities.

I did not know that, my bad. 

thank you so much for sharing. 
 

anyway:

most less 1 

[sungod]

When its a new installation, you are locked into a 12 month contract anyway. Why not just pay the year up front and get the 8% too?

[Susco]

57 minutes ago, katatonic said:

If you'd looked it up any time in the last decade you'd find that the entire telecoms infrastructure in Thailand is all Huawei.

Except about 50% of 3bb, which is FiberHome