Missed appointments: what you can claim in the US, UK, Canada and Australia

A missed appointment is not just an inconvenience

A missed engineer visit costs you a day of leave, a rearranged childcare plan or a lost shift. In some markets the compensation is automatic; in others you have to ask, and in others there is no fixed scheme at all. The difference is not luck. It is the complaint route you use and the evidence you keep.

This guide covers broadband, energy and water appointments in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. The rules change, so confirm the current scheme with the provider or regulator before quoting a figure. For country-specific escalation, see the UK broadband guide, the Canada CCTS guide and the Australia TIO guide.

What counts as a missed appointment

An appointment is usually missed when:

• The engineer does not arrive within the agreed time window.
• The provider cancels with too little notice.
• The engineer arrives without the right equipment and cannot complete the work.
• The provider records the visit as complete when no one attended.

Keep the appointment confirmation, the time window, a note of who was home and any messages from the provider. A screenshot of the provider's app is better than a memory.

UK: automatic compensation for telecom

Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme covers residential broadband and landline customers of participating providers. A missed engineer appointment triggers a fixed payment — £32.31 from 1 April 2026 — per missed appointment. The rate is reviewed periodically.

What to do:

1. Confirm the appointment in writing.
2. Log the no-show the same day.
3. Ask the provider to confirm the automatic compensation payment.
4. Check the next bill.
5. If refused, raise a formal complaint and escalate to the ombudsman.

For water appointments, the Guaranteed Standards Scheme may apply. For energy, the supplier's complaint process and the Energy Ombudsman are the route; there is no single automatic payment for every missed visit.

Canada: provider policy and the CCTS

Canada does not have a single automatic compensation scheme for missed appointments. The CCTS can review whether the provider followed its contract and fair practice, and it can order compensation within its limits.

What to do:

1. Ask the provider for its missed-appointment policy.
2. Keep the appointment confirmation and the no-show evidence.
3. Ask for a credit or a new appointment with priority.
4. If the provider refuses, stalls or closes the complaint without a resolution, file with the CCTS.

The CCTS is more likely to award compensation when you can show a financial loss, such as a paid day off or a missed installation that delayed a move.

Australia: TIO and industry rules

Australia has industry rules and provider policies for appointment windows, but compensation is not always automatic. The TIO can review the complaint and order a remedy within its limits.

What to do:

1. Record the appointment window and the no-show.
2. Ask the provider for its complaint reference and its missed-appointment remedy.
3. Give the provider 10 working days to resolve the issue.
4. Escalate to the TIO with the timeline and evidence.

The TIO can consider financial loss and non-financial loss. Ask for the specific amount you can prove rather than a round number.

United States: provider credits and state commissions

The US has no national automatic compensation scheme for missed appointments. Some providers offer credits; some state commissions require them; many do not.

What to do:

1. Ask the provider for its missed-appointment policy and a credit.
2. Keep the appointment confirmation and the no-show evidence.
3. If the provider refuses, file a complaint with the state public utility commission for the service address.
4. For telecom, consider an FCC informal complaint as well.
5. For a clear monetary loss, consider small claims court.

State rules vary widely. A complaint to the wrong state commission can waste weeks, so check the service address first.

Country comparison

How to claim: a simple template

Subject: Missed appointment — account [number] — [date]

>

On [date] I booked an engineer appointment for [time window] at [address], account [number]. The confirmation is attached.

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No engineer arrived. I was home from [time] and followed the access instructions. I contacted [team] on [date] and was told [response].

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I am asking for:

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1. [Automatic compensation / a credit / a new appointment with priority]. 2. Confirmation in writing of the remedy and the date it will be applied.

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Please confirm the complaint reference and the date I will receive a response.

Adapt the remedy to the market. In the UK telecom case, name the automatic compensation scheme. In Canada and Australia, ask for the provider's policy and the amount you can prove. In the US, ask for a credit and be ready to escalate to the state commission.

Evidence that makes a difference

• Appointment confirmation with the date and time window.
• A note or photo showing you were home.
• The provider's cancellation message or app notification.
• The complaint reference and the provider's response.
• Receipts for a lost day of work, childcare or travel.
• A new appointment confirmation showing the delay.

If the provider says you were not home

This is the most common dispute. Respond in writing with the facts: who was home, the access instructions, the time window and any call or message records. Ask the provider for its record of the visit, including the engineer's notes and GPS timestamp. If the record is wrong, ask for it to be corrected.

Do not accept a verbal “no compensation” without asking for the reason in writing. The written reason is the basis for the next escalation.

How much to ask for

Ask for the documented loss, not a random figure:

• The scheme rate, where one applies.
• A credit for the missed service.
• The cost of a lost day or additional visit.
• A priority appointment at no extra charge.

A specific, evidence-based request is easier to approve than “compensation for inconvenience.”

Common mistakes

• Not logging the no-show on the day. Memory fades; the provider's record becomes the default.
• Accepting a new appointment without asking for compensation. The remedy and the appointment are separate.
• Cancelling the service in frustration. This can create a new contract dispute.
• Waiting too long. Time limits apply to complaints and scheme claims.
• Using social media as the only complaint. A public post is not a formal complaint.

Frequently asked questions

Can I claim for a missed appointment if I was not home?

No. The scheme and the provider's policy usually require access. If you were home and the engineer did not attend, document it.

Is the UK payment per appointment or per day?

The telecom scheme pays a fixed amount per missed appointment, not per day. Delayed repairs are calculated per day.

Can I claim in more than one country?

Your claim depends on the provider, the service address and the scheme that applies. A UK scheme does not apply to a Canadian account.

What if the engineer arrived late but completed the work?

A late arrival may still be a missed window under the provider's policy. Check the appointment terms and ask for the remedy if the window was missed.

Do I need a lawyer?

No. The complaint routes are designed for consumers. A clear timeline and the appointment evidence are enough for most cases.

The bottom line

Missed appointments are one of the most winnable complaints because the evidence is simple: a confirmation, a time window and a no-show. Ask for the scheme payment where it exists, the provider's policy where it does not, and escalate with a clean timeline. The provider's own records are your best evidence, so ask for them.