The UK's best and worst pay-monthly mobile firms based on complaints

O2 customers had to make the most complaints to the regulator for the third quarter in a row, latest figures show.

New quarterly figures from the telecoms watchdog have revealed the companies faring the best and worst in terms of customer complaints.

Tesco Mobile remained the provider with the lowest number of official gripes, while O2 finished bottom of the pile for the third quarter running.

According to Ofcom, the most common gripes it fielded related to O2's poor complaints handling (36%), billing problems (20%) and service issues (18%).

If you're fed up with your provider, or simply need a new phone, why not compare pay-monthly deals with Carphone Warehouse? (note: we may receive a small commission for any purchase you make but it won't affect the price you pay)

Total complaints figures far higher

The graphic from Ofcom below highlights how all the major networks compare and covers the three months between January and March 2024, which are the latest figures available.

It's worth pointing out that, while the number of complaints appears low for all mobile providers, these are issues that customers have needed to escalate to Ofcom as they've been unable to resolve their issues directly with their provider. 

The actual number of complaints made directly to network providers is far higher: Ofcom's data suggests that more than one in eight (12%) mobile customers said they had a reason to complain over the last 12-month period. 

Best & worst mobile firms: complaints per 100,000 customers

Ofcom mobile complaints table (Image: Ofcom)

Tesco Mobile generated just one official complaint per 100,000 customers, putting it top of the pile.

Fancy joining Sky? Compare Sim-only deals here (affiliate link)

There was a three-way tie for second between Sky, EE and Vodafone with a total of two complaints per 100,000 customers each.

At the bottom of the table, O2 was responsible for eight complaints per 100,000.

This is the highest among all the major firms and more than double the industry average.

Which providers offer consistently good service?

Ofcom publishes data on the number of complaints it receives about each of the big telecoms providers every three months.

Looking at such a short period can be unreliable – any provider can have a temporary problem that dramatically skews the figures.

In order to give you a clearer picture of how the mobile network giants consistently fare, we've listed the complaints figures for the last six quarters (18 months) in the table below.

If you're fed up with your provider, take a look at our pain-free guide to cancelling your contract then search for a new mobile phone deal on Carphone Warehouse or another comparison site.

Complaints per 100,000 customers over the last 18 months

Provider

Q3 2022

Q4 2022

Q1 2023

Q2 2023

Q3 2023

Q4 2023

Q1 2024

Virgin Mobile

4

3

4

5

*N/A

*N/A

*N/A

Vodafone

2

2

3

3

3

2

2

iD Mobile

3

2

4

4

4

3

4

BT mobile

4

4

7

8

5

3

*N/A

Three

3

2

3

4

4

4

4

O2

3

3

4

5

6

7

8

EE

1

2

3

2

2

2

2

Sky Mobile

1

1

2

2

2

2

2

Tesco Mobile

1

2

2

3

3

2

1

Industry average

2

2

3

3

3

3

4

*Ofcom did not publish data for this provider in these quarters

Mobile coverage

Practically speaking, the most important thing to keep in mind when signing up for any phone contract is the coverage and reception offered by the operator (you can read about the best networks for signal and speed here).

Ultimately, an extremely helpful call centre is of little use if you can't even phone them in the first place!

To make sure you don't live in a particular network's 'blackspot', the links below will take you to each network’s coverage map or coverage checker, so you can get a decent idea of the coverage you can expect where you live.

Finally, find out which other telecoms providers you should be dodging by reading our regularly updated roundups of The UK’s worst pay TV providersThe UK's worst home phone providers and The UK’s worst broadband providers.

Compare mobile phone deals at Carphone Warehouse

This article contains affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission on any sales of products or services we write about. This article was written completely independently.

Don't waste your time with these ropey providers!

The UK’s worst pay TV provider

The UK's worst home phone provider

The UK’s best and worst broadband provider

 

Comments


Be the first to comment

Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature

Copyright © lovemoney.com All rights reserved.

 

loveMONEY.com Financial Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with Firm Reference Number (FRN): 479153.

loveMONEY.com is a company registered in England & Wales (Company Number: 7406028) with its registered address at First Floor Ridgeland House, 15 Carfax, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1DY, United Kingdom. loveMONEY.com Limited operates under the trading name of loveMONEY.com Financial Services Limited. We operate as a credit broker for consumer credit and do not lend directly. Our company maintains relationships with various affiliates and lenders, which we may promote within our editorial content in emails and on featured partner pages through affiliate links. Please note, that we may receive commission payments from some of the product and service providers featured on our website. In line with Consumer Duty regulations, we assess our partners to ensure they offer fair value, are transparent, and cater to the needs of all customers, including vulnerable groups. We continuously review our practices to ensure compliance with these standards. While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy and currency of our editorial content, users should independently verify information with their chosen product or service provider. This can be done by reviewing the product landing page information and the terms and conditions associated with the product. If you are uncertain whether a product is suitable, we strongly recommend seeking advice from a regulated independent financial advisor before applying for the products.