Communications Ombudsman Reviews 935

TrustScore 2.5 out of 5

2.7

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 343 reviews, most reviewers were unhappy with their experience overall. Many people found the service to be unsatisfactory and unresponsive to their claims, often feeling that the organization prioritized its own policies over what they perceived as UK legal requirements. Customers frequently reported that their concerns were not addressed, and the communication during the process was often poor or non-existent, leading to a feeling that their evidence and efforts were disregarded. Many also felt that the claims process was a waste of time and effort, with some suggesting that the organization was biased towards service providers and did not genuinely advocate for consumers. However, some customers also noted positive experiences, particularly highlighting helpful and patient staff members who provided clear explanations and kept them informed throughout the process. These individuals appreciated the direct communication and efficient resolution of their issues, with some even receiving compensation.

What people talk about most

Service

Reviewers mention ambiguous feedback about service, with many expressing significant dissatisfaction and... See more

Customer service

Reviewers highlight ambiguous aspects of customer service, with many expressing dissatisfaction with the... See more

Staff

Users describe ambiguous interactions with staff, with some customers reporting positive experiences,... See more

Customer communications

Clients share ambiguous opinions on contact, with many expressing significant disappointment and frustration... See more

Claim

Consumers find claim processes to be negative, often citing factual mistakes in assessments and a lack of... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

The overall process was not explained clearly. I gave all the factual information required, and then Focus Group decided to raise that there were more than ten employees in the care company, the Ombud... See more

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Make sure that your grievance is dealt with by a real person. Too often you are fobbed off with repeated automated responses asking for the same information over and over again. Based upon my original... See more

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Simple process to follow. Good initial call and feedback online. All completed within the expected timeframe. I did feel I had a rock-solid case with evidence to support it. If you don't keep every s... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

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 J... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Mediation Service

Written by the company

We provide a free and impartial service that aims to resolve disputes between consumers and providers in the communications sector. We can review; If you're having issues with your mobile, broadband, landline or pay TV provider, we may be able to help resolve your dispute.


Contact info

2.7

Poor

TrustScore 2.5 out of 5

935 reviews

5-star
4-star
3-star
2-star
1-star

No history of asking for reviews

This company hasn't invited their customers, so reviews may not be representative

Replied to 93% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 week

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Pathetic service and not interested

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.

6 February 2026
Unprompted review
Communications Ombudsman logo

Reply from Communications Ombudsman

Hi Meena, we're sorry that you haven't had a positive experience when using our services. We appreciate that you may not have had the outcome that you were hoping for however, if you have any questions then please don't hesitate to contact us and we will be more than happy to help. Thank you

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Perfect

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

8 February 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

A complete waste of my time

A complete waste of my time

1 January 2026
Unprompted review
Communications Ombudsman logo

Reply from Communications Ombudsman

Hello, we're sorry to hear that you have not had a positive experience when using our services. Our team take great care in ensuring that consumers feel supported throughout their journey with us, and we are saddened to hear that you feel this wasn't the case. We are continuously looking for ways to improve our services and the feedback we receive is vital in helping us do that, so we appreciate you taking the time to leave us your review. Thank you

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fast, fair and refreshingly effective service

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.

4 February 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Emma Was Brilliant

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.

19 January 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Just poor all round

Just poor all round

22 January 2026
Unprompted review
Communications Ombudsman logo

Reply from Communications Ombudsman

Hi Jordan, we're sorry that you haven't had a positive experience when using our services. Our team should have provided you with a detailed explanation as to how the decision was reached but should you have any questions or concerns then please don't hesitate to contact us 0330 440 1614 or email @ enquiry@commsombudsman.org and we will be happy to help. Thank you

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Waste of time

Waste of time. Left me distressed as I had to relive the way I’d been dealt with by the provider. Thought they’d be like a beacon of hope. Instead I felt helpless.

15 January 2026
Unprompted review
Communications Ombudsman logo

Reply from Communications Ombudsman

Hello Shilpa, we're sorry to hear that you have not had a positive experience when using our services. Our team take great care in ensuring that consumers feel supported throughout their journey with us, and we are saddened to hear that you feel this wasn't the case. We are continuously looking for ways to improve our services and the feedback we receive is vital in helping us do that, so we appreciate you taking the time to leave us your review. Thank you

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Pointless Dont waste your time

Always side with the company your complaining about. Biased. Stupid thresholds to uphold your complaint.
Didnt understand or wasnt bothered my mental health. Pointless waste of time

30 January 2026
Unprompted review
Communications Ombudsman logo

Reply from Communications Ombudsman

Hello Ash, we're sorry to hear that you have not had a positive experience when using our services. Our team take great care in ensuring that consumers feel supported throughout their journey with us, and we are saddened to hear that you feel this wasn't the case. We are continuously looking for ways to improve our services and the feedback we receive is vital in helping us do that, so we appreciate you taking the time to leave us your review. Thank you

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Everything about this process is awful

Everything about this process is awful. Template is dreadful, can only complain about their preconceived options and only one of them. A total waste of time, for example how can you load 25+ emails onto a template, they can be forwarded with 2 clicks as emails but not to Ombudsman. Then they tell you Openreach is exempt from the process so no phone signal no internet = fine by me!!!
Ombudsman is a waste of space.

14 January 2026
Unprompted review
Communications Ombudsman logo

Reply from Communications Ombudsman

Hello, we're sorry to hear that you have not had a positive experience when using our services. Our team take great care in ensuring that consumers feel supported throughout their journey with us, and we are saddened to hear that you feel this wasn't the case. We are continuously looking for ways to improve our services and the feedback we receive is vital in helping us do that, so we appreciate you taking the time to leave us your review. Thank you

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Absolute waste of time

Absolute waste of time. Did not address my concerns. Considering they are a ‘communication’ ombudsman they never communicate with you during your case.
It’s a ridiculous organisation that serves zero purpose ! Do not waste your time or effort.

27 January 2026
Unprompted review
Communications Ombudsman logo

Reply from Communications Ombudsman

Hello Karen, we're sorry to hear that you have not had a positive experience when using our services. Our team take great care in ensuring that consumers feel supported throughout their journey with us, and we are saddened to hear that you feel this wasn't the case. We are continuously looking for ways to improve our services and the feedback we receive is vital in helping us do that, so we appreciate you taking the time to leave us your review. Thank you

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

This Ombudsman is clearly biased

This Ombudsman is obviously biased. They assume everything the company tells them is true even without evidence but they reject the customer's complaint on the basis there is no 'evidence' even though they had email chains where I referred to a key phone call took place and BT replied multiple times. They deliberatly ignored these emails so that they could side with BT.

BT also have recordings of my phone calls and they reviewed these when looking at my complaint. Then just because they withheld them from the regulator, the regulator said there was no evidence the call happened. Like someone else says on here they're worse than the company themselves!

When I provided evidence via a phone bill they said it was too late. I was wondering how BT had the nerve to changed the narrative as soon as I said I was going to the regulator - they previously admitted they were at fault but then said they didn't accept responsibility. Now that I know how the Ombudsman works, this all makes sense.

My case handler was Maria she was awful and so was her manager.

26 January 2026
Unprompted review
Communications Ombudsman logo

Reply from Communications Ombudsman

Hi Sara, we're sorry that you have not had a positive experience when using our services. As with most Ombudsman - we are funded by the industry that we operate in. We charge a fee to suppliers for each case that a consumer brings to us, this fee is the same regardless of the outcome of the dispute. This also allows us to provide a free service to consumers. If you have any questions regarding our service or your dispute, then please don't hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to help. Thank you

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Under Resourced

This organisation is not resourced to cope with complex or long term complaints. Do not waste your time.

UPDATE: 2 Feb 2026
Thank you for your reply:
My review isn’t about impartiality or whether the decision was explained — it was. The issue is that in my case a fault persisted for over five years, was accepted by all parties, and yet the outcome focused on whether the provider followed the same process each time, even though that process repeatedly failed.
As the saying goes, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” That’s exactly how this felt.
If a company can deliver the same poor outcome for years and still be judged to have acted reasonably because it followed process, then complex, long-term complaints are effectively unsolvable. That’s the limitation my review highlights.

27 January 2026
Unprompted review
Communications Ombudsman logo

Reply from Communications Ombudsman

Hello, The Communications Ombudsman is entrusted to make impartial decisions, taking into consideration the evidence presented by both parties, the terms and conditions, and the regulations as set out by OFCOM. In addition to this, we consider the individual customer journey. Our team should have provided you with a detailed explanation as to how the decision was reached, but should you have any questions or concerns then please don't hesitate to contact us 0330 440 1614 or email @ enquiry@commsombudsman.org and we will be happy to help. Thank you

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Communications Ombudsman - That is the problem

Web site appalling, difficult to navigate, communication even worse - interpersonal skills of staff on the phone non existent, monosyllabic tone of voice.
Very quick to point out what they can't do and nothing positive about what they can do
This was an issue about a major communication company giving unhelpful, false information and expectations about planned maintenance to mobile services and the company concerned failing to provide adequate resilience in their service to ensure their customers suffered the minimum of outage
Abysmal experience

26 January 2026
Unprompted review
Communications Ombudsman logo

Reply from Communications Ombudsman

Hello, we're sorry to hear that you have not had a positive experience when using our services. Our team take great care in ensuring that consumers feel supported throughout their journey with us, and we are saddened to hear that you feel this wasn't the case. We are continuously looking for ways to improve our services and the feedback we receive is vital in helping us do that, so we appreciate you taking the time to leave us your review. Thank you

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

This ombudsman is worse than the…

This ombudsman is worse than the company that I'm complaining about! Why bother!

23 January 2026
Unprompted review
Communications Ombudsman logo

Reply from Communications Ombudsman

Hello Scott, we're sorry to hear that you have not had a positive experience when using our services. Our team take great care in ensuring that consumers feel supported throughout their journey with us, and we are saddened to hear that you feel this wasn't the case. We are continuously looking for ways to improve our services and the feedback we receive is vital in helping us do that, so we appreciate you taking the time to leave us your review. Thank you

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

My complaint was against Virgin Media, but the Ombudsman focused on O2

My complaint was that Virgin Media, as a condition for reducing a substantial increase in my monthly TV & wi-fi contract, said that a SIM card would be included in the deal that 'Won't cost you anything'. And it didn't - for six months, until the bills started arriving from their sister-company O2. I had put the SIM card into the bin when it arrived, so it hadn't been used, but despite many calls to O2 explaining the mis-selling by Virgin and the SIM never having been used, the bills kept coming and eventually the threat of legal action and a black mark on my credit rating. So I went to the Ombudsman for help - and they did subsequently negotiate a settlement, but they did it through O2 and completely ignored the initial mis-selling aspect of the Virgin Media offer. So the problem was resolved, but with nothing to stop Virgin Media continuing to adopt this mis-selling procedure in the future.

25 July 2025
Unprompted review

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