3Bb Question.

[ScubaBuddha]

After almost a year my TOT connection has slowly degraded to a trickle, and that's if it's working, and complaints result in nothing so I am going to spring for/try my luck with 3BB Premier again. I went to the shop and, according the the translation provided by the gf, they say that farang must pay for one year up front. I had not heard of this. Anyone else been told this?

[Tywais]

Well, I just had 3BB installed a couple of weeks ago and I just received my monthly bill from them. No, not necessary - not even aware you could pay a full year in advance.

Moving this topic to the main Internet forum.

//edit - just saw you mentioned Premiere. They only offer one Premier level now as opposed to the 3-4 previous at a hefty price of 2500 Baht.

I have the 8Mbps package and find the performance very good - but then I just came off using EDGE for several years.

[sarahsbloke]

I had 3bb installed 1 month ago, no deposit, just the monthly rental 1 month in advance.

This is an account in my name on a rented property.

I have had to sign an agreement saying I will have the service for 1 year, or pay a penalty fee (which would put the payment up to 1 year, so no point in cancelling in the first year)

They insisted on photocopying my passport.

No Thai speaking person involved on my part, I could point out the service I wanted and write my address, they could speak a little English, I could speak a little Thai.

I'm convinced Thai gfs and wives actually get in the way of a foreigner doing business in Thailand.

Not quite sure why that should be though!

Not sure why you want Premier either

The 6mb line connects at 7mb, torrents, youtube, etc. very fast.

The girls in the office said I could start on the standard service and upgrade at any time if I wanted.

[cmsally]

You will get monthly billed, but I believe the minimum you can join is for one year. So if you want to discontinue less than a year - no can do.

Whether this is for all packages I don't know.

What the ramifications are for not paying if you want to discontinue I don't know but presumably a bit tricky to join again under same name. ?!

It's a possibility they are asking for 1yr up front as they have had people joining but then just discontinue and disappear less than a year into service. But definitely not compulsory to pay for a year.

[Tywais]

They insisted on photocopying my passport.

I came in fully prepared expecting the worse. Had already printed out and signed copy of my passport, my work permit, and printed a Google map pointing to my house and the full address in Thai printed on the map.

They returned the copies of my work permit and all but the front page of my passport was returned. Just being used as photo ID. Surprisingly painless.

As for terminating early, not sure if she said 600 Baht or 6000 Baht. From the above, guess the latter.

[ScubaBuddha]

Thanks all for responses. Yeah I suspected as much. Sounds like "minimum contract one year" was understood by my gf as "farang must pay for one year." I just ran this by her yet again. Got the "Mai loo." dismissive response this time, so I think that settles it.

Girl at 3BB said they would call today. Of course I knew they wouldn't, and they didn't.

I'm aware premier has just the one level now, 5mb/1mb. As for why I want premier versus the other, what used to be called "Indy"...I tried both before and the only one that would get me the speeds to stream the highest quality video from my Slingbox was the premier. I also asked at the office which was best for streaming video internationally and was told the premier 5mb/1mb was better for this than the 20mb/5mb standard line. Anecdotal but the 3bb website seems to reinforce this:

Also, a couple years ago I was told and read in several places here that the contention ratio was less with premier. 10:1 vs 20:1 with standard.

[Langsuan Man]

In Pattaya I had to sign a year contract and pay for six months in advance (Premier 5MB)

[thaireg]

I applied for a 3BB Premier connection in January. I was told by 3 shops that I would have to pay a year in advance, but I would get the 10% discount, no option of paying a month at a time.

I paid about 29,000 baht and started to use my connection. A week later and my service was disconnected because of the dispute with TT&T over the use of phone lines.

I was told I could apply for a refund of 26,000 baht. I did, and 4 weeks later I'm still waiting to receive it.

What suberb service.

I now have a TOT Air OS system for 590 baht per month, not too bad, but new systems usually are for a month or so.

[ScubaBuddha]

I applied for a 3BB Premier connection in January. I was told by 3 shops that I would have to pay a year in advance, but I would get the 10% discount, no option of paying a month at a time.

That is a really bizarre business practice IMO. Was it explained why they were only discriminating against farang?

[devdrinker]

Depends where you are, if in the falang's name on rented then on the islands have to pay 1 year upfront unless WP, bangkok 1 month across the board.

[Phil Conners]

I've had 3BB Premier for 4-5 years, always paid month-by-month. Was never asked otherwise but maybe things have changed.

[Langsuan Man]

I've had 3BB Premier for 4-5 years, always paid month-by-month. Was never asked otherwise but maybe things have changed.

Phil Conners am going to assume that you have had 3BBB service continuously during that time

I have canceled and then re-started my service every 6 months for the last 4 years and every time something was different

This time in November when I re-started service was when they hit me for the 6 months in advance

Has anyone else started service since January, like thaireg, and been required to pay a year in advance ?

Seems to me that they know they have crap service and are forcing you to keep it by forcing a year advance payment

[Phil Conners]

I've had 3BB Premier for 4-5 years, always paid month-by-month. Was never asked otherwise but maybe things have changed.

Phil Conners am going to assume that you have had 3BBB service continuously during that time

Yes. There has been some bumps along the road but most of the time 3BB has worked quite fine for me so why change. All the ISP's have their problems and 3BB was not worse than the rest.

[Laawman]

In Pattaya I had to sign a year contract and pay for six months in advance (Premier 5MB)

I also had that experience in Patts when I signed up last month for the 6Mb package. Router was free though, and surprisingly, preconfigured with my login details.

[ScubaBuddha]

Depends where you are, if in the falang's name on rented then on the islands have to pay 1 year upfront unless WP, bangkok 1 month across the board.

Yeah I put the WP right in front of her face but it didn't seem to matter. Still the call I was told I would get yesterday has not come so it's back down to the office today.

[ozymandious]

I just switched over from TOT to 3BB (February first)

I had to Pay a year in Advance and then it will go month to month after on year they said.

Just got my first mailed invoiced from them for 0.00Thb

[devdrinker]

Yeah I put the WP right in front of her face but it didn't seem to matter. Still the call I was told I would get yesterday has not come so it's back down to the office today.

Actually maybe it was the company docs and not the work permit, i cant remember exactly, i think you can get 1 month upfront in a company name,

[merijn]

In Phuket you can pay on a monthly basis and they send the invoice to your house.

I have the Premier package in Farang name without any problem. ( 3mb premier for 1150 Baht on the old contract )

I pay one year in advanced as this gives me 10% discount and i don't have to worry about forgetting to pay the bill every month.

[wtk]

In Phuket you can pay on a monthly basis and they send the invoice to your house.

I have the Premier package in Farang name without any problem. ( 3mb premier for 1150 Baht on the old contract )

same here. opened 3bb premier last november and paying monthly (made the contract at their central office). bill comes to my door 2-3 weeks before the due date unlike cat cdma bill which comes past the due date

though i am paying the new 2500+vat price. not going to complain about the price or service though

[siam2007]

what the heck is 3BB

[Phil Conners]

what the heck is 3BB

3BB is a Thai ISP - http://www.3bb.co.th/

[transam]

590 bht for now 6mb 3BB. Yes had to sign for a year at those prices but no money up front, just the monthly payment.