Delayed repairs

There will be times when services will be affected by faults.

Faults can vary and can sometimes be remedied over the phone. There are also those that can only be repaired by an engineers visit.

Although there are no direct rules about repairing a service, Ofcom regulations do oblige communications providers to set out, in their contracts, what customers can expect of them.

However, if faults aren’t fixed on time, unfortunately Ofcom has no powers to speed this up. Only your provider has access to their available appointments.

Fault checklist

If you experience a fault, it is always wise to check your own equipment first.

Make sure everything is in good operational order. If an engineer comes out and finds the fault was with your equipment, you may well get a bill.

If you still need assistance, you should contact your provider.

It is likely they will run through some checks via the telephone first to try and isolate the problem.

Failing this, you will be given an appointment for an engineer’s visit.

Some companies offer a priority fault repair service for customers who have disabilities or who rely on their service as a lifeline. This will need to be pre-arranged, rather than at the point a fault starts.

How to make a complaint

If your provider fails to repair a fault when they say, you should follow their formal complaints procedure. Details should be available through their website or customer services.

If your problem is not resolved you can submit your complaint to an independent Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme.

Ask your provider for a ‘deadlock’ letter so that you can refer your dispute to the relevant scheme.

Or, if more than eight weeks have passed since you first made your complaint you can contact the ADR directly.

At the moment Ofcom has approved two ADR schemes – CISAS and Ombudsman Services: Communications.

Your phone company will tell you which scheme it is a member of, or you can use our ADR checker.

Watch our video guide to telecoms complaints

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