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United Kingdom · Broadband & mobile

Broadband & mobile complaints in United Kingdom

Internet, mobile and landline providers are among the most-complained-about essential services. Here is who to call, what to say, and how to escalate when the call centre stalls.

Providers
13
Regulators
3
Guides
4
Country rule

Most providers must issue a deadlock letter or let eight weeks pass before an ombudsman will take your case.

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13 Broadband & mobile providers

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BT BT Broadband, landline and mobile across the UK CF Community Fibre Full-fibre broadband in London EE EE Mobile, broadband and TV G Gigaclear Rural full-fibre broadband H Hyperoptic Full-fibre broadband for buildings O2 O2 Mobile, broadband and insurance PN Plusnet Broadband and home phone SK Sky Broadband, TV and mobile TT TalkTalk Broadband, calls and TV 3 Three Mobile and mobile broadband Z Zen Internet Broadband, hosting and business connectivity VM Virgin Media Cable broadband, TV, landline and mobile VF Vodafone UK Mobile, broadband and home phone

Escalation

Who to escalate to

Only escalate after giving the provider a chance to fix the issue and keeping a record of dates, reference numbers and evidence.

Ofcom Office of Communications Broadband, mobile & home phone Ofcom is the UK regulator for communications, covering broadband, mobile, landline, television, radio and the postal service. It… Complaint route CO Communications Ombudsman Broadband, mobile & home phone The Communications Ombudsman is one of the two approved dispute-resolution schemes for UK telecoms. It is free for consumers and… Complaint route OS Ombudsman Services: Communications Broadband, mobile & home phone Ombudsman Services: Communications is the other approved dispute-resolution scheme for UK telecoms. Like the Communications Ombud… Complaint route

Common questions

Broadband & mobile complaints in United Kingdom

How long does a UK broadband complaint take?

Most complaints are resolved within a few weeks. If the provider has not fixed the issue after eight weeks, you can ask for a deadlock letter and take it to an ombudsman. The ombudsman usually aims to decide within 90 days.

Which ombudsman handles my broadband or mobile provider?

It depends on the provider. The two schemes are the Communications Ombudsman and Ombudsman Services: Communications. Your provider must tell you which one it belongs to, and the name is usually on its complaints page.

Can I escalate to the ombudsman before eight weeks?

Usually only if the provider issues a deadlock letter or makes a final offer you reject. Otherwise, wait eight weeks from the formal complaint. Some providers agree to early escalation, so ask in writing if the case is straightforward.

Playbooks

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