The results of a survey of 3,400 mobile customers found that constantly poor phone signal, price increases, receiving unwanted marketing communications and poor customer service were some of the most common grievances.
Of the UK's biggest providers, Three, Asda and Lycamobile customers were most likely to have experienced a problem in the past 12 months. Read on to discover the biggest issues and if you're affected, how to solve them.
Don't put up with poor performance from your mobile provider. Read our round up of the to see which came out on top.1. Signal and network issues
Problems with signal and network connection were reported by 20% of mobile users, with their complaints focused on three main issues:
The solution: complain about poor mobile network service
There may be a condition in your contract saying that you can leave it without penalty if you have been without service for a certain amount of time, as this would mean the provider has failed its obligations to you. You may be entitled to a refund, depending on the circumstances, or in extreme cases, an additional credit. If you suffer from consistently poor service, contact your provider and see if they can resolve or improve any specific issues.
Ofcom recommends following the provider’s formal complaints procedure if you are unhappy with how long they are taking to fix problems, or fail to do so in the time promised. You can complain to an independent Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme if your problem remains unresolved after eight weeks.
A possible solution to poor mobile signal is to use wi-fi calling, if your home or workplace has a strong wi-fi connection, as your phone will use this instead of mobile signal. Wi-fi calling is automatically possible with some networks, whereas others will require you to download an app.
If you continually have poor phone signal or network issues, try switching mobile provider, as a different network could be more reliable in your area. The graphic below shows which virtual providers use the infrastructure of which of the 'big four'. So if you're with EE or an EE provider (like BT) you could benefit to moving to a provider on a different mobile network.
Once you've assessed your options, u
2. Unwanted Marketing
A complaint from 5% of customers was that they receive unwanted or irritating marketing communication from their provider. This includes any contact such as phone calls, texts and emails.
The solution: opt out and block communications
If you keep being contacted and don’t want to be, check your account page online or through your provider app. Make sure you have opted out of marketing communications.
Alternatively, try blocking any phone numbers that frequently call or text you. You should be able to do this by going to your phone dialer app, tapping and holding a number and adding to a blocklist.
3. Customer service
Our survey revealed customer service was also a significant issue for mobile users, with 14% experiencing problems in the past year. Customers had complaints about the following aspects of the customer service they received:
The solution: switch networks for better performance
Don’t let misplaced loyalty or a fear of switching networks leave you stuck with inadequate performance from your provider. Our survey found that 40% of customers have not changed their provider for 5 or more years. For the Big Four providers, the number of long-term loyal customers is even higher: EE 53%, Vodafone 53%, O2 52%, Three 44%.
Despite this, these providers are regularly out-performed by smaller networks, whose customers are more inclined to switch providers, looking for low-cost deals and better services.
4. Price increases
Consumers frequently complain about their mobile provider increasing prices, with 5% believing their raise was unexpected or unreasonable.
If you're stuck in a contract cycle year after year with one provider, you could also face multiple years of price increases. This is a particular problem during times of high inflation, such as now.
This year, many of the major mobile providers are increased their prices. For example, the price of O2 contracts increased by 17.3% (Retail Price Index inflation rate 13.4% plus 3.9% extra), while the rest of the big four networks (EE, Vodafone and Three) increased by them by 14.4% (Consumer Price Index inflation rate 10.5% plus 3.9% extra).
The solution: switch and save, and get savvy with your bills
Switching from a contract to a rolling Sim-only deal can protect you from inflation as these deals don’t tend to increase as significantly. If they do increase, it’s far easier to switch to a cheaper option than it is to exit a contract.
Tech tips you can trust -source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/the-most-common-mobile-network-complaints-and-what-to-do-about-them-aA81X7w4KQL9