UK pay-TV complaints increase

The number of complaints made about pay-TV operators increased in the third quarter, according to new Ofcom data.

BT and TalkTalk remain the operators with the most pay-TV complaints; 25 and 14 per 100,000 customers. At the foot of the list the fewest complaints were received by Virgin Media and Sky at 5 and 2 per 100,000 respectively.

BT became the most complained about pay-TV provider after the volume of complaints volume increased significantly to 25 per 100,000 customers, compared to 11 per 100,000 in Q2 2015.

The main reasons for BT complaints were fault, service and provision issues (31%); complaints handling (25%); and issues relating to billing, pricing and charges (22%).

The complaint volume for TalkTalk (14 per 100,000 customers) remained in line with the previous quarter.

The only provider to generate fewer complaints than the industry average was Sky (2 per 100,000 customers), which remained the best-performing pay TV provider.

Claudio Pollack, Director of Ofcom’s Content and Consumer Group, said: “We expect providers to make customer service and complaints handling top priorities, so it’s disappointing to see a rise in the number of complaints. Consumers have a right to expect good service and will rightfully complain when that standard isn’t met.”

However, broadband and fixed line telephone saw the most notable increases in total complaint volumes.