Anyway i then tried visiting the page in my PC’s web browser – Firefox 3, and crazily enough, i couldnt see the download link there either! Insania! I did notice that there was a hidden flash file on the page, this is because i use the excellent FlashBlock add on which blocks all flash content on pages, and lets you choose which flash files to load. Anyway I guessed they must be hiding the download link in the flash file, so enabled the flash file to load, but still no sign of any link. I then decided to try disabling FlashBlock for the nokia site, then reloaded the page. This actually worked, I was then presented with a small applet that allows you to choose which phone you are using, so you can select the appropriate file to install. Hmmm a lot of rigmarole, just to find a simple download. Anyway to save others the hassle, heres a direct link: http://tinyurl.com/3at5rl to the N95 version of Nokia Internet Radio and also a Barcode version of the link, in case you want to try out the N95 barcode reader and save yourself some typing

The application itself is really good, best used over a wifi link though 

It basically lets you listen to streaming internet radio on your phone. They have a large direc tory of stations, but you can add specific stations if you know the stream URL

Ive found the built in nokia voice recorder app on my nokia 6680, which you can access via the “office” icon on the phone “desktop” only seems to record a couple of minutes of speech.  So I had a look on the internet and found “Call Recorder Pro” http://www.getjar.com/products/4700/…rNokiaSeries60
which is a java application. Its free for a 30 day trial, and it doesnt seem to have a limit on call length. I will definitely be using something like that in future if i ever have to deal with those slippery snakes in future.

The way it works is basically whenever you receive or make a call, it asks you if you want to record the call. The calls are recorded in the .AMR format and 1 minute of call takes up roughly 1 megabyte of space, so make sure you have enough space on your phone or memory card first. Its a great little application, highly recommended!

It seems customer loyalty and honesty is something that the Three UK phone network dont seem to care about.

I’ve been with 3 for 3 years and as my contract was due for renewal, i decided to see what offers were available to get me to stay with them. After a lot of negotiations, i.e futile calls going through the abysmal 3 Customer Service system, and being switched between different departments, i managed to hammer out a deal, whereby i would get a Nokia N95 refurbished, for £10 a month on an 18 month contract. I realised that I had made a mistake though, when i noticed that they had the Nokia N95 8gb on offer on their website, and having read reports of the poor battery life of the old N95 model, i decided to ring up and see if I could get the N95 8GB instead. After a long chat with the customer service agent, and a consultation with her manager, she agreed that I could have the N95 8GB on the same price plan as had previously been agreed.

Now at the time I didnt realise it, but apparently the word of the 3 Customer service people cannot be trusted. As in the end they just sent me the N95 (old model) refurbished and are now claiming that they never offered to send me the N95 – 8GB. I was shocked when they told me that, as I had asked the CS rep 3 times to confirm that it was the N95 8GB that i was going to get.

After doing some research on the web, I have found that I am not the only person that this kind of backsliding and double dealing has happened to.

The moral of this story is if you are calling three’s Upgrade or Retention department and negotiating a better deal. *ALWAYS*, *ALWAYS*, *ALWAYS* get them to confirm the offer with you in writing first, and also, always *RECORD* the conversation, as they cannot be trusted to tell you the truth. If you dont record the conversation, they will tell you: “oh we have no record of that conversation” sorry, the deal you want is not available. BULLSHIT!

Never trust them. Always get a recording and get the deal in writing before agreeing to anything with them.

Heres some contact names / email addresses and  the telephone number of the 3 headquarters in Glasgow. In case you have a problem with the abysmal 3 customer services team.

Kevin Russell – CEO of Three : kevin.russell@three.co.uk

Media Department (deals with the press and (bad) publicity) media@three.co.uk

Customer Services (dont bother with this one, as they will just tell you to ring 333) customer.services@3mail.com

01628765000 is the phone number of Three UK’s glasgow headquarters. If you ring the number you will be put through to the switchboard. So you have to provide the name of the person you wish to talk to. Here are a few names you can try:
Ian McLuckie (customer service Director)
Simon Kirby (Head of service and customer experience)
Tony Sidhu (Head of Service Delivery)
Justin Bull (Customer Service delivery Manager)

Three staff email address follows a standard format. eg simon.kirby@3mail.com, tony.sidhu@3mail.com

If anyone else has had similar problems with them, please let me know!

In future I will be recording all my conversations with these types of sneaky ****s