Communications Ombudsman Reviews 

I approached the Communications Ombudsman expecting an impartial and balanced review. Unfortunately, my experience felt heavily weighted in favour of the provider.
My complaint concerned a £499 out-of-plan international call charge with EE. I submitted detailed evidence, including abnormal usage flags noted on my account and the emergency circumstances surrounding the calls. Despite this, the final decision relied primarily on contract wording, with limited consideration of proportionality, context, or the absence of real-time safeguards as the charges escalated.
Throughout the process, I did not feel that my evidence was given equal weight. The tone of communication from the case handler felt lecturing and, at times, condescending, which made the experience feel one-sided rather than neutral.
Notably, EE had previously offered a 25% goodwill reduction during the complaints process. However, following the Ombudsman’s review, the final decision concluded that no reduction was warranted. As a result, pursuing independent review did not improve my position.
The process was lengthy and stressful, and in my case did not deliver what I would consider meaningful consumer protection beyond confirming the provider’s contractual stance.
Based on my experience, I would advise others to carefully consider expectations before escalating a case of this nature.

Outstanding complaint with EE resolved within a short period of time following referral to the Communications Ombudsman. 100% satisfied.

On receiving the Response to my Review of the 18th / 02 / 2026 from the Communisation Ombudsman's Case handler , I found that Stupidity continued from this Ombudsman's Office when a Poor review is recorded you would expect a Much higher
( Managerial Response ) APPEAL (?) Showing their Intelligence is Inadequate to Represent the General Public concerns when the Other Party told the Ombudsman that I was Threating Court Action (?) NO ACTION LODGED: My Bulling worked .The Ombudsman office Enacted their Rules if you are TAKING COURT ACTION they cant Investigate your Complaint , The Investigator Believe BT / EE Internet Suppliers Stating to Ombudsman that Court action was Pending ? . PROOF OF Ombudsman SIDING WITH COMMERSIAL PROFIT SEEKING BUSINESSES , FACT NO COURT WAS APROCHED AS YET (?) Resulting in a POOR INVESTAGTION BY THE OMBUDSMAN IN FAVOUR of BT / EE their rule is Discrimination and Abusive as to Human Rights OMBUDSMAN BE AWERE : Do your Job Correctly in the Publics Interest :

I was offered £300 by BT due to months of poor service, rude customer service handlers, missed appointments and overcharged.

I asked the Ombudsman to help, stating I'd be happy to look at £250-£300 but I want to see whether the treatment would warrant leaving the contract and if they cohld assist in mediation.

The Ombudsman decided I only deserved £100 and an apology. I feel stupid thinking they'd help me.

Update : I have reviewed the Ombudsman reply and find it amazing how the Communications Ombudsman can use such awful grammar. Ironic really.

I provided a copy of the telephone conversation with EE. I ask outright what do I need to do with Sky. The sales rep answered "NOTHING" but apparently this isn't enough proof. Wow could not have been clearer. Don't waste your time and effort to straight to the small claims court

Pointless exercise as they are financed by phone companies. They refuse to accept that UK laws are superior to phone company policies. Imagine turning up for a football match only to find out that the referee is paid by the other team ! No wonder they always side with the phone companies. Ignore these imposters and go to Money Claim On Line. The law projects you these fakes will not.

Whilst they helped resolve, the time it took Virgin to rectify meant i continued to be overcharged even though obudsman found in my favour and ombudsman would not address this - very frustrating and just hope communication firms are heavily regulated going forward as Virgin continue to disadvantage customers time and time again

Totally dishonest game players.
Not to be trusted - they work for BT and employ people who play games, communicate badly and work to cause harm to consumers. I have call recordings that demonstrate how bad they are. Very dishonest from the CEO down.

Reading the response below indicates just how bad this organisation is from their CEO and through certain others who work together on dishonest ways. Do not trust these people. They are not who they say that they are.

Was very pleased with this service. Would recommend stephen brown. Very friendly and informative. I now have recieved an apology letter from virgin and £75 compensation. Well worth a try.

Apart from a very nice member of the ombudsman team, the whole process was a complete waste of time.

It would appear that none of our concerns were taken on board. Nothing has been solved. We are still experiencing the problems which BT seem unable to solve (problems which have been happening for at least 18 months) and yet the Ombudsman found in their favour, and, moreover, believed the untruths in the report from BT. No faith in this process at all.

Edit:
I see there is a reply asking me to contact the service. I had already done so in response to the decision and was told that the decision is final and the case handler will not communicate further. (Incidentally, the "detailed explanation" was lacking clarity - very "waffling" - and it was hard to grasp precisely what was being said.)
And we remain without a reliable service from BT.

Very much the same experience as many others who reviewed here. A waste of time and effort trying to deal with the communication ombudsman.
Raised a complaint about a telecommunications company (SPUSU) which took months of back and forth. The ombudsman agreed with the complaint and requested a written apology and gesture of goodwill payment from the company which never came despite setting an official deadline. However they now say the case is closed and state the company has implemented everything. The case handler ignores the messages and the company ignore the emails. Don't waste your time they are absolutely useless!

Found it very difficult to resolve my complaint initially with Three telecoms when they cancelled my ‘pay as you go’ account and then refused to discuss it with me. The Ombudsman representative very quickly and efficiently resolved my complaint, even chasing up Three when the financial settlement didn’t arrive.

The investigation into my appalling treatment by Virgin Media was thorough and fair, resulting in a finding completely in my favour. But the the ballpark level of compensation was beyond the control of the investigator and the £100 I was awarded was totally inadequate as far as I am concerned. It is also not even a drop in the ocean for Virgin Media.

It’s so sad but the Ombudsman is not really on the side of the us the poor people who are so unfairly treated by big companies

Pathetic service and not interested. EE rip off company will never recommend anyone to use them. I sold my home December 2025, wanted to export my WiFi contract, however, my new home not ready until July 2026. I have been charged just under £500.00 to terminate my agreement / contract.

Great service from start to finish. Virgin Media mis-selling found in my favour. Still waiting for apology letter and DSAR reports from Virgin. Overall a great service from Comms Ombudsman

A complete waste of my time

I had a genuinely positive experience with the Communications Ombudsman. The service was fast, efficient and refreshingly no-nonsense. The process was clear from start to finish, communication was straightforward, and I felt that my complaint was taken seriously rather than brushed aside. Most importantly, they held the business to account for its service failures rather than defaulting to vague compromises.

This is a stark contrast to other complaint-handling bodies such as the FOS, where outcomes can feel slow, overly bureaucratic, and weighted in favour of large organisations. The Communications Ombudsman was practical, decisive and fair, which is exactly what consumers need when something has gone wrong. I would not hesitate to use them again and would strongly recommend them to anyone dealing with unresolved issues in the communications sector.

Emma dealt with my complaint and she was amazing. She could tell how stressed out I was when we talked on the phone. She was very understanding and kind to me. I really appreciate everything she did for me. If it had not been for Emma my complaint would not have been successfully resolved.