TerryL
LIFE MEMBER
I'm a great fan of the 3 payg datasim cards and have used them successfully for several years all over Europe with no problems whatsoever - until today.
Having to be away from home for a couple of weeks I managed to use up the data allowance on my existing card so arranged for a new one to be sent to me - good old Prime! Yesterday, as I have always done, I simply inserted the simcard in the mifi and away we went, emails, weather, google, even MHF no problem.
Until today I came to click on what you might call a questionable site i.e. not suitable for under-18's, when the browser hung up. Tried different browsers and eventually a page came up from 3 to say that the Parental Guidance was switched on and I would need to contact them to get it changed. To cut a long story short the automated system wouldn't do it and I ended up with a very nice Indian gentleman who after asking lots of questions (which in fairness sounded like the usual registration details) got me up and running. Incidentally I am pretty security conscious but was happy I was talking to the genuine article.
Once he'd finished I asked if this was a new procedure as I'd never had to do it before; to "his understanding" to prevent under-18's getting access to unsuitable internet this restriction had always been so. I explained that I had used at least 6 of these cards without this palaver - he promised to send a feedback to the relevant department.
Has anyone else come up against this? I hasten to add, before any wag gets in, that I don't make a habit of visiting over-18 sites and it was only by chance that I discovered the restriction.
I'm perfectly happy with the reasoning but have a strong dislike to anyone telling me what I can and cannot do, especially when there was no warning. It won't stop me from using 3 again, but perhaps I should have "registered" the new card with 3 when I first used it.
Having to be away from home for a couple of weeks I managed to use up the data allowance on my existing card so arranged for a new one to be sent to me - good old Prime! Yesterday, as I have always done, I simply inserted the simcard in the mifi and away we went, emails, weather, google, even MHF no problem.
Until today I came to click on what you might call a questionable site i.e. not suitable for under-18's, when the browser hung up. Tried different browsers and eventually a page came up from 3 to say that the Parental Guidance was switched on and I would need to contact them to get it changed. To cut a long story short the automated system wouldn't do it and I ended up with a very nice Indian gentleman who after asking lots of questions (which in fairness sounded like the usual registration details) got me up and running. Incidentally I am pretty security conscious but was happy I was talking to the genuine article.
Once he'd finished I asked if this was a new procedure as I'd never had to do it before; to "his understanding" to prevent under-18's getting access to unsuitable internet this restriction had always been so. I explained that I had used at least 6 of these cards without this palaver - he promised to send a feedback to the relevant department.
Has anyone else come up against this? I hasten to add, before any wag gets in, that I don't make a habit of visiting over-18 sites and it was only by chance that I discovered the restriction.
I'm perfectly happy with the reasoning but have a strong dislike to anyone telling me what I can and cannot do, especially when there was no warning. It won't stop me from using 3 again, but perhaps I should have "registered" the new card with 3 when I first used it.
