If your phone, mobile or broadband provider has not sorted out a problem, you can take the dispute to an independent ombudsman. This guide explains which scheme covers you, when you can go to it, what it can look at, and how to set out your letter so the case is easy to follow.
Which communications ombudsman covers your provider
There is no single telecoms ombudsman. Ofcom approves two alternative dispute resolution schemes, and every provider must belong to one of them:
- Communications Ombudsman, which covers most providers.
- CISAS, the Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme, run by CEDR.
Before you write, check which scheme your provider belongs to. Your provider has to tell you, and Ofcom publishes the list. Sending a detailed letter to the wrong scheme costs you weeks, because the case simply gets returned.
When you can escalate, and the rule that changed in April 2026
You need to complain to your provider first and give them a chance to put things right. The waiting period used to be eight weeks. From 8 April 2026 it is six weeks, and it applies to complaints raised on or after that date. Ofcom made the change because most complaints that were still open at six weeks were not going anywhere.
You do not always have to wait. If your provider sends you a deadlock letter, which is a written statement that it has nothing further to offer, you can go to the ombudsman straight away.
The schemes are free for consumers to use. Small businesses are usually covered too, subject to each scheme’s size limits.
What the communications ombudsman can look at
The scheme deals with disputes between a customer and their provider, including:
- Billing problems, incorrect charges and disputed final bills.
- Service faults, slow broadband speeds and long outages.
- Problems with an installation, an engineer visit or a missed appointment.
- Contract disputes, including early termination charges and mid-contract price rises.
- Switching problems, including a transfer that failed or went to the wrong address.
- How a provider handled the complaint itself.
It generally cannot look at commercial decisions such as pricing across the market, the content of calls you have had, matters already before a court, or complaints about a company that is not a communications provider. Ofcom itself does not resolve individual disputes, so a complaint to Ofcom is not a substitute for using the scheme.
How to set out the letter
The ombudsman is deciding from a file, not from a conversation, so the letter has one job: make the sequence of events and the outcome you want easy to follow. A clear structure does that.
- Your details and the account. Full name, address, the account or mobile number the complaint relates to, and the provider’s own complaint reference.
- What went wrong, in date order. Short, factual entries. The date you first reported it, what you were told, what happened next, and by whom where you know it.
- What it cost you. Charges you dispute, payments made, and any expense you had to cover because the service was not working, such as mobile data used while the broadband was down.
- What you have already been offered. Any resolution, credit or goodwill payment the provider put forward, and why it does not settle the matter.
- What you are asking for. Be specific and realistic. A corrected bill, a refund of a named charge, the fault repaired by a date, cancellation without the early termination fee, or an amount that reflects the trouble caused.
- Your evidence list. Number the attachments and refer to them by number in the text.
Attach the deadlock letter if you have one, the provider’s complaint responses, bills showing the disputed charges, speed test results with dates, and notes of calls with times. Keep the wording plain and unemotional. A file that reads as a clear record of what happened is easier to decide in your favour than one that reads as an argument.
After you send it
The scheme will confirm it has the case and will usually put the complaint to your provider for comment before reaching a view. If you are offered a decision, read it before you accept, because accepting normally closes the matter and stops you taking it further. If you reject it, you keep your right to pursue the dispute by other means.
There is a time limit. Bring the case within twelve months of the deadlock or of the point the provider stopped dealing with it, or the scheme can refuse to look at it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write a letter to the communications ombudsman?
Set out your details and the account number, the events in date order, what the problem has cost you, what your provider has already offered, and exactly what you are asking for. Attach the deadlock letter, the provider’s responses and any bills or speed tests, and number the attachments so the file is easy to follow.
What can you complain to the communications ombudsman about?
Billing and incorrect charges, service faults and outages, broadband speeds, installation and engineer problems, contract and early termination disputes, failed switches, and the way the provider handled your complaint.
How long do I have to wait before contacting the ombudsman?
Six weeks from the date you raised the complaint, for complaints made on or after 8 April 2026. Before that date the period was eight weeks. If your provider issues a deadlock letter you can go to the scheme immediately.
Is there a phone ombudsman and a separate broadband ombudsman?
No. The same two schemes cover landline, mobile and broadband. Which one handles your case depends on the provider you are with, not on the type of service.
Does it cost anything to complain to the communications ombudsman?
The schemes are free for consumers. You do not need to pay anyone to submit a complaint, and you can do it yourself.
Can I complain to Ofcom instead?
Ofcom regulates the industry and uses complaint data to decide where to investigate, but it does not settle individual disputes or award redress. For an outcome on your own case you need the ADR scheme your provider belongs to.
Where we fit in
Equisure Direct is a document preparation service. We can put your correspondence together so the sequence of events, the costs and the outcome you are asking for are set out clearly, with your evidence organised and referenced. You review the letter, you submit it, and the case stays yours throughout. We do not act for you, contact your provider on your behalf, or take part in the decision, and we cannot say how a scheme will decide any case.