Frank Sixt, CFO Three UK: 3Mail still chargeable; but YahooMail is free

Link: xseries: X-Series Answers 06

Over the past few days we have been getting clarification on a question asked by Adrian regarding an X-Series customer from SMS Text News being charged for sending an email via 3Mail. We’ve found out why, and we have a plan for the future. Read on…

3 UK responds: There are three ways to send email using X-Series: 1. Yahoo! Mail through the Y! Go service; 2. Using the web browser and logging into your email services via that; and 3. setting up and using the Mobile Mail application. Each of these email services are free and unlimited with X-Series. However, using the 3Mail service which is provisioned on 3 handsets is not currently part of X-Series and charges do apply when using that mail service.

Frank Sixt adds: Historically, some email providers charge for email services, while some, like Yahoo! and MSN, don’t. Historically 3mail has been a charged for service, which is why the original user was charged. Ironically, if he had used his X-Series handset to send and receive e-mail from an account with a free mail provider there would have been no charge. We’re going to give serious thought as to whether 3mail should continue as a paid service for X-Series customers in the future. For now, in keeping with the promise to “tear down the walls”, at least X-Series customers have the choice to chose other providers for their mobile e-mail needs over 3 Mail!

I applaud Three for listening and for publishing this response on their blog.

While the answer isn’t entirely palatable to me from a consumer point of view, I’m delighted to see that Frank and team have actually delivered on their promise to ‘tear down the walls’ in terms of discussing and tackling issues such as this one head on.

I suspect that the only future answer for 3Mail is that it must be free. It has to be. There is no other alternative. Consumers aren’t smart enough — and shouldn’t have to be smart enough — to specifically know which mail service to choose.

The only mitigating factor is if new X-Series handsets are not automatically provisioned with the 3Mail option. If that’s the case, then fine, no biggie. But if new X-Series handsets are being put into customer hands complete with 3Mail on-board, then it’s gotta be free. Splitting hairs along the lines of ‘ahhh, but if you’d clicked on Yahoo…’, won’t work with most people.

The solution, I think, is to use Yahoo. Clearly there’s a good deal been done between the two big companies. Use Yahoo to upload video, images and whatever, and everything’s included in the unlimited deal.

What remains to be seen is whether my ShoZu uploads — there’s been quite a few — are included or excluded. I’ll find out next month, I think.