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Virgin Mobile generated most complaints in Q3 2020, say latest Ofcom figures

Jasper Hart
February 2, 2021

Complaints see quarterly rise due to increased call centre capacity

Virgin Mobile generated the highest volume of pay-monthly mobile complaints per 100,000 subscribers, according to Ofcom’s latest quarterly complaints data.

The data, covering the period of July-September 2020, shows that Virgin received nine complaints per 100,000 subscribers, more than double the industry average of four.

Virgin was followed by Three, with seven complaints per 100,000 subscribers, and Vodafone, with five.

These are all increases compared to the previous quarter, where Three recorded six complaints per 100,000 subscribers, Virgin saw five, and Vodafone four.

The providers with the fewest complaints were Tesco Mobile and Sky Mobile, who each recorded just one complaint per 100,000 subscribers in the quarter.

EE and O2 were also below the industry average, with each MNO recording two complaints per 100,000 subscribers. BT Mobile and iD Mobile both saw four complaints per 100,000 subscribers.

According to Ofcom, the relative volume of complaints in Q3 across fixed broadband, landline, mobile and pay TV increased on the previous quarter. The overall average of four complaints per 100,000 pay monthly mobile subscribers was up from three in the previous quarter.

However, the regulator said that this may be due to the fact that during Q2, call centre capacity was reduced as companies adjusted to working under lockdown conditions, and only began to improve in Q3 as it returned to normal levels and restrictions were eased across the UK.

Broadband and landline

Vodafone and Plusnet led the complaints for broadband subscribers, with 26 and 23 per 100,000 subscribers respectively, above the industry average of 15. Sky and EE had the fewest, with six and seven respectively.

Meanwhile, Plusnet and Virgin had the most complaints for landline, with 14 and 13 per 100,000 subscribers respectively, above the industry average of nine. The only two providers with fewer complaints than the industry average in landline were Sky and EE, with four and five complaints per 100,000 subscribers respectively.

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