Most complained-about telecoms and pay-TV providers revealed

Ofcom has published the latest figures for complaints we’ve received about the UK’s major home phone, mobile, broadband and pay-TV providers between July and September 2022.

In summary, our latest complaints data shows:

• Overall, complaint volumes during this quarter were broadly in line with the previous three months.
• Shell Energy continued to attract the most broadband and landline complaints, with a small decrease from last quarter. Broadband complaints were mainly driven by faults and service issues, while landline customers were mainly unhappy with how complaints were handled.
• BT Mobile, Virgin Mobile and iD Mobile were the most complained-about mobile operators, with customers primarily complaining about how their complaint had been handled.
• Virgin Media continued to generate the most pay-TV complaints; the main reason customers complained to Ofcom was due to complaints handling.
• Sky attracted the fewest pay-TV and broadband complaints.
• EE joined Sky as the least complained-about landline providers.
• Tesco Mobile, Sky Mobile and EE generated the fewest complaints in the mobile sector.

We are monitoring Shell’s performance closely, as its complaint volumes remain significantly higher than other providers. We have been engaging with the provider and urged it to get a grip on identifying and addressing the root causes of these issues.

As always, should we identify specific concerns with how our rules are being followed, we will consider whether it is appropriate to take formal action.

Overall complaint levels have been consistently low in recent months, but some providers need to raise their game to match the customer service standards offered by their rivals.

If you’re not happy with the service you’re getting, consider shopping around and moving elsewhere. You could end up with better customer service as well as saving money.

Fergal Farragher, Ofcom's Consumer Protection Director