They said this… · Telecoms & broadband

“Complain to Ofcom and they will order the provider to refund you”

Generally incorrect

Ofcom is the sector regulator and does not ordinarily resolve individual telecom disputes by awarding consumer redress.

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Why this answer

What actually matters

  • Individual unresolved disputes are generally routed through the provider’s complaint process and approved ADR scheme.
  • Ofcom can use complaint intelligence for regulatory work.
  • Regulator and ombudsman/ADR functions should not be confused.

What you could say

Keep the response tied to the actual rule.

Evidence

What to have beside you

  • Contract/order summary and price information
  • Bills and payment history
  • Fault reports, outage records and engineer visits
  • Complaint start date, final response/deadlock and ADR scheme details

If they still refuse

Move the dispute forward.

  1. Use the provider’s formal complaint route and preserve the complaint start date.
  2. Telecom ADR can normally become available after deadlock or once the applicable waiting period has elapsed.
  3. Ofcom is the sector regulator but is not normally the body that awards individual redress.

Read the full rules

Go deeper before escalating.

Primary guideRead the detailed ConsumerWise guidance.Telecom complaintsRead the full guide.Billing disputesRead the full guide.Deadlock & ADRRead the full guide.