Talktalk and Three are the most complained about UK telcos

TELECOMS REGULATOR Ofcom has revealed that Talktalk and Three were the most complained about telecoms companies in the UK over the last few months.

Talktalk topped the regulator's list, and was complained about more than any other telco in both the landline and broadband categories.

For landline services there were 1.78 complaints per 1,000 customers, with a peak in complaints in November 2010 when the firm incorrectly billed customers for cancelled services.

For broadband there were 1.27 complaints per 1,000 customers against Talktalk. A similar peak was seen last November.

Virgin Media saw fewest complaints for both categories, with 0.21 per 1,000 customers for landline and 0.20 per 1,000 customers for broadband.

For mobile services the most complained about company was Three, which received 0.15 complaints per 1,000 customers, according to Ofcom. The least complained about mobile provider was O2, with 0.04 complaints per 1,000 customers.

The fact that there appear to be significantly fewer complaints for mobile services is interesting. We wonder if that will continue or if there will be a steady rise in complaints as the smartphone and tablet craze continues, not to mention the rollout of more WiMax and LTE services.

The figures cover the period from October 2010 through February 2011, but Ofcom intends to continue its campaign by publishing complaint figures on a quarterly basis.

The reports include only telcos with a market share of five per cent or more, but that covers 87 per cent of the telecommunications market and the vast majority of customers, Ofcom explained.

Ofcom justified the publication of its 'name and shame' list by saying that it will encourage competition, incentivise telcos to improve and benefit consumers by giving them the data they need to choose the right provider for them.

It receives an average of 450 complaints against telcos every day, which shows the extent to which these kinds of companies can let down their customers. Complaints include mis-selling, billing errors and customer service mishaps. µ