Orange 'disappointed' as it tops broadband complaints chart
Orange has taken the lead from TalkTalk as the nation's most-hated broadband provider, while T-Mobile is the worst network.
Orange customers unhappy with their broadband aren't alone, as the EE-owned ISP has taken over from TalkTalk as the most complained-about provider.
The news comes courtesy of Ofcom's quarterly report on complaints, and reveals that whinges to the watchdog among Orange customers from July-September were nearly twice as numerous as they were in the previous three-month period.
The spike in complaints seems to be down to the provider's decision to withdraw its offer of free broadband unless customers started forking out for line rental -- a move that left many customers understandably miffed.
"We are of course disappointed by these latest results," an EE spokesperson told me, "and will take on board the findings of the Ofcom report as we strive to offer our customers the best service at all times."
Orange isn't the only company shamed in the report, which singles out the infamous TalkTalk as the most hated pay-monthly phone network. TalkTalk also tops the landline chart, though the number of complaints has decreased by more than half over the last two years -- something Ofcom says is down to a reduction in billing-related gripes.
When it comes to pay TV, it's BT in the dog house, with 0.23 complaints to Ofcom per 1,000 customers -- a marginal decrease from last time, but still miles above the industry average figure. Ofcom says BT Vision's complaints were "partly driven by problems with service provision".
O2 was the least complained-about monthly phone network between July and September, despite a significant outage in July that infuriated many customers. Ofcom also said that overall complaints were "much lower" for pay TV and pay as you go phone services than they were for broadband, landlines and pay-monthly phone services.
Ofcom's results aren't a perfect indicator of service quality, as they only represent complaints submitted to Ofcom, and not gripes levelled at service providers directly. That said, peeking at the watchdog's charts you get a good idea of which companies are improving their service, and which are getting worse.
Check the report yourself to see how your providers stack up against the competition, and let me know if you've had trouble with your broadband, mobile or TV services in the comments below or on our Facebook wall.