24 January 2020

Latest telecoms and pay-TV complaints revealed

  • Vodafone tops tables for attracting the most broadband, mobile and landline complaints
  • Sky continues to generate the least complaints among pay-TV firms
  • Tesco Mobile retains place as least complained-about mobile provider

Ofcom has today published the latest league tables on the complaints we receive about the UK’s major home phone, broadband, mobile and pay-TV firms.

The quarterly report reveals the number of complaints made to Ofcom between July and September last year, about firms that provide home broadband, landline telephone, pay-monthly mobile and pay-TV. We include all providers with a market share over 1.5%.

Overall, there was a small increase in the relative number of complaints we received for broadband, mobile and pay-TV compared to last quarter – but figures for landline services broadly stayed the same.

Vodafone was the most complained-about broadband provider for the second quarter in a row. As in last quarter, the main driver of Vodafone’s complaints was faults, service and installation problems. EE and Sky attracted the least complaints among broadband providers.

Vodafone and TalkTalk were the most complained-about landline providers, closely followed by Plusnet. Faults, service and provisioning issues were the main driver of these complaints about Vodafone. While complaints handling was the biggest issue raised with us regarding TalkTalk. Vodafone and Virgin Mobile were the most complained-about mobile providers – the main reason being complaints handling. Tesco Mobile was the least complained-about pay-monthly mobile provider, while EE attracted the fewest complaints among landline providers.

Virgin Media remained the most complained-about pay-TV provider, with handling of complaints being the primary reason. Sky continued to attract the least complaints for pay-TV.

Complaints information helps people to think about quality of service when they are shopping around for a new provider and encourages firms to improve their performance. Our service quality hub offers further information on how people can choose the best provider for them.

Fergal Farragher, Ofcom’s Director of Consumer Policy, said: “People have never had more choice in the phone and broadband markets.

“It’s also never been easier to switch your service. So companies that don’t prioritise great service could see customers leaving them for ones that do.”

Although Ofcom cannot resolve individual complaints, we offer consumers advice, and the information we receive can lead to us launching investigations.

Anyone experiencing problems should complain to their provider first. If they are unhappy with the outcome, people can take the complaint to an independent ombudsman, who will look at the case and make a judgment on it.

Home broadband complaints per 100,000 customers

Vodafone = 26, Plusnet = 22, TalkTalk = 22, Virgin Media = 20, industry average = 14, BT = 13, Post Office = 10, Sky = 5, EE = 5

The actual measurable difference between the following fixed broadband providers’ number of complaints per 100,000 customers was less than one and so their results should be considered comparable: 1. Plusnet and TalkTalk; 2. the industry average and BT; 3. Sky and EE.

Landline telephone complaints per 100,000 customers

Vodafone = 18, TalkTalk = 17, Plusnet = 17, Virgin Media = 16, industry average = 10, Post Office = 9, BT = 8, Sky = 5, EE = 4

The actual measurable difference between the following landline providers’ number of complaints per 100,000 customers was less than one and so their results should be considered comparable: 1. Vodafone and TalkTalk; TalkTalk and Plusnet; 3. Post Office and BT; Sky and EE.

Pay-monthly mobile complaints per 100,000 customers

Vodafone = 7, Virgin Mobile = 7, BT Mobile = 5, Sky Mobile = 3, Three = 4, industry average = 4, iD Mobile = 4, O2 = 3, EE = 2, Tesco Mobile = 1

The actual measurable difference between the following pay-monthly mobile providers’ number of complaints per 100,000 customers was less than one and so their results should be considered comparable: 1. Vodafone and Virgin Mobile; 2. BT Mobile and Sky Mobile; 3. Sky Mobile, Three, the industry average, and iD Mobile; 4. the industry average, iD Mobile, and O2; 5. O2 and EE.

Pay TV complaints per 100,000 customers

Virgin Media = 14, BT = 12, TalkTalk = 8, industry average = 6, Sky = 2

The measurable difference between BT and TalkTalk’s pay TV complaints per 100,000 subscribers was less than one, so their results should be considered comparable.

NOTES TO EDITORS

  1. All complaints volumes are displayed per 100,000 subscribers.
  2. All figures rounded to the nearest whole number. Where operators have the same score rounded in this way, results are ranked based on the unrounded figure.

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