Complaint guides

What each kind of complaint is, what our census found, and who can actually help.

Support unhelpful

Support responds but never resolves: scripted replies, being passed between agents, cases closed without a fix. 51,119 in the census.

Customers report being unable to reach a human at all — calls, chats and emails going unanswered. 29,212 in the census.

Complaints that do not fit the categories above. 21,284 in the census.

A product was defective, broke on arrival, or failed early in its life. 18,397 in the census.

Being locked out, or a broken app or portal preventing account management. 18,085 in the census.

An order never arrived, was lost, or the wrong or damaged item was delivered. 15,803 in the census.

Wrong amounts charged, duplicate charges, or wrong meter readings and estimates. 14,183 in the census.

The item or service was materially different from how it was advertised. 13,877 in the census.

Customers report being charged more than agreed, or unexpected fees appearing. 13,858 in the census.

Delivery arrived significantly later than promised. 13,788 in the census.

An advertised price, deal or discount was not honoured, or the real cost only became clear later. 13,524 in the census.

Outages, slow or unreliable service, or work done to a poor standard. 12,923 in the census.

A refund, return or compensation has been refused outright. 9,914 in the census.

A refund has been agreed or is owed, but the money has not arrived — often after repeated chasing. 7,166 in the census.

Cancellation blocked, ignored, or made deliberately difficult. 4,329 in the census.

A warranty or insurance claim denied or obstructed. 3,695 in the census.

An engineer, installer or delivery slot was missed or repeatedly cancelled. 2,804 in the census.

Auto-renewal or recurring charges that are difficult to stop. 2,716 in the census.

Tariff, price or terms changed mid-contract, or exit fees are disputed. 2,603 in the census.

Wrongful debt letters, collection threats, or damage to a credit record. 1,965 in the census.

Problems joining or leaving a provider — failed switches, number porting, or being billed by both. 1,131 in the census.