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The best and worst broadband firms for complaints revealed – the winner isn’t Virgin, BT or Vodafone
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THE best and worst broadband providers for customer complaints have been revealed by the regulator.
The latest figures from Ofcom reveal Sky received the least amount of complaints per 100,000 customers from April to June.
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The firm had five complaints per 100,000 customers in the second quarter of the year.
In close second was Plusnet, which received six complaints per 100,000 customers over the same three month period.
Then followed TalkTalk with 10 complaints per 100,000 people, BT with 10, then Vodafone with 12.
NOW Broadband, owned by the Sky Group, came bottom of the pack, with 18 complaints per 100,000 customers.
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That's more than three times the number of complaints received by Sky and almost double the industry average of 10.
Ofcom's latest data also reveals the firms which performed best and worst for landline, pay-monthly mobile and pay-TV complaints.
Utility Warehouse came out top for landline complaints, with none at all per 100,000 customers.
Tesco Mobile came top of the rankings for fewest complaints for pay-monthly mobile contracts and Sky received the lowest amount of complaints for paid TV.
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Ofcom said the service with the most amount of complaints per 100,000 customers in quarter two was broadband, averaging 10.
Second was landline, with five, Pay TV with four and then pay-monthly mobile with three.
Since 2010, the number of fixed broadband and landline complaints per 100,000 customers has plummeted across the industry from 35 and 42 per 100,000 respectively, an up to 88% fall.
A NOW TV spokesperson said: "We are actively working on improvements to ensure that our customers receive both the best possible broadband and customer service experience.
"While this figure reflects only a small segment of our customer base, we do not take it lightly and will continue to listen to the feedback to better serve our customers.”
How to complain about your provider
You can complain about your broadband provider by finding the customer service number on its website.
Then ask to speak to the relevant team so you can flag any issues you have experienced.
If you flag an issue to your provider and it still does nothing about it, you can take your case to the communications ombudsman.
You'll first need a deadlock letter from your provider though. This is a final response to a dispute stating your firm cannot resolve it.
Once you've got this letter, you have 12 months to contact the ombudsman.
Resolving an issue through the ombudsman can lead to a simple apology, changes to your contract or financial compensation.
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There are two broadband ombudsmen that cover UK-based providers: Ombudsman Services and the Communication and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS).
You could also switch broadband providers if you are not happy with how it has resolved your complaint or you want a better deal.
What to do before switching broadband provider
If you’re struggling to pay for your phone or internet, talk to your provider, Citizens Advice recommends the following
Ask if they can offer you a cheaper deal. You can find their contact details on their website or on a letter from them.
You could tell your provider you're thinking of switching to a cheaper deal with a different provider. Your provider might offer you a cheaper deal to get you to stay with them.
If you don’t want to stay with your current provider, find out if you’ll be charged an ‘exit fee’ to leave - check your contract or contact your provider. You’ll usually be charged an exit fee if you want to leave before the end of a fixed-term contract. This can be expensive, so it might be better to wait until your current contract ends.
You can check if you’ll be charged an exit fee to leave your mobile contract by texting the word ‘INFO’ to 85075. It’s free to text this number.
If you’re near the end of your contract, your provider should contact you to remind you. They’ll also let you know about their best available deals.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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