Complain to BT
BT complaints about broadband, billing or Digital Voice: the complaints email address, the 6-week deadline, and free escalation to the Communications Ombudsman.
TelecomOr start with what went wrong:
After 6 weeks (or a deadlock letter), the Communications Ombudsman can step in for free.
Contact emails
consumer-resolutions@bt.com
Complaints
btcustomerservices@bt.com
Customer Service
BT handles complaints through its official online form.
Public complaints often get faster responses
Common BT complaints
Broadband outages & slow speeds
Openreach line faults, drop-outs, or speeds well below the estimate BT gave you at sign-up
Mid-contract price rises
Annual increases you weren’t clearly told about in pounds and pence when you joined
Missed engineer appointments
Openreach no-shows or repeatedly rebooked visits that qualify for automatic compensation
Digital Voice migration problems
Forced move from a copper landline to Digital Voice, or lost service without proper support
Charged after cancelling or moving home
Bills continuing after you cancelled, switched provider, or completed a house move
Know your exact situation?
Step-by-step guides for the most common BT disputes - the law that applies, deadlines, and a template letter for each.
BT ombudsman & regulator routes
Which ombudsman handles BT complaints?
Communications Ombudsman (Ombudsman Services). Once BT’s own complaints process is exhausted (after 6 weeks or a deadlock letter), you can take your complaint there for free. Go to the ombudsman. Read our guide to telecoms ombudsman schemes.
Can you complain to Ofcom about BT?
Not for individual disputes: Ofcom sets the rules for the sector but does not resolve personal complaints or award compensation. Complain to BT directly first and keep written records, then escalate to the Communications Ombudsman (Ombudsman Services) if it stays unresolved after 6 weeks or you receive a deadlock or final-response letter. You can still report BT to Ofcom to flag systemic problems, but that will not get your own money back.
Laws that protect you
Consumer Rights Act 2015
Your broadband and phone service must be provided with reasonable care and skill. If speeds or reliability fall well short of what BT sold you, you’re entitled to a remedy.
Ofcom Automatic Compensation Scheme
BT is a signed-up provider, so it must pay set daily amounts automatically for total loss of service, missed engineer appointments, and delays starting a new service - you should not have to ask.
Ofcom General Conditions
Since January 2025 any mid-contract price rise must be set out in pounds and pence when you sign up. If BT didn’t make an increase clear, you may be able to leave penalty-free.
Communications Act 2003
The framework behind the Digital Voice (copper switch-off) migration, including protections for landline-dependent and vulnerable customers.
Tips for BT complaints
- Log every outage with dates, times and fault reference numbers - it’s the evidence for an automatic compensation claim
- Total loss of service, missed engineer visits and delayed starts are covered by Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme, so chase BT if it isn’t paid
- If a mid-contract price rise wasn’t shown in pounds and pence when you signed up, ask to leave penalty-free
- Run a speed test and compare it against the minimum guaranteed speed on your contract before you complain about broadband
- If you’re being moved to Digital Voice and rely on your landline, ask BT about battery back-up and priority-fault support
- BT has 6 weeks to resolve a complaint - after that, or with a deadlock letter, escalate free to the Communications Ombudsman
If BT doesn't respond
- 1
Customer Service
6 weeks from your first complaintContact your provider’s customer service team
- 2
Formal Complaint
Submit a formal complaint: providers must log it and give you a reference number
- 3
Ombudsman Services
6 weeksFree escalation to your provider’s ombudsman after 6 weeks or deadlock
Visit website - 4
Contact emails
consumer-resolutions@bt.com
Complaints
btcustomerservices@bt.com
Customer Service
BT handles complaints through its official online form.
Public complaints often get faster responses
When you can escalate
6 weeks
If BT hasn’t sorted it within 6 weeks, or sends a final response sooner, you can take it to the Communications Ombudsman (Ombudsman Services).
Ready to fight back?
Create a professional, legally-backed complaint in minutes.
Start my BT complaintFree to write. £1 if you want us to send it, free if you send it yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Tools & guides for your BT complaint
Free calculators and explainers that strengthen the case you make to BT.
- Loyalty penalty calculatorCalculate how much you’re overpaying.
- Consumer rights checkerFind the laws that back you up.
- Am I entitled? Quick quiz60 seconds to know if you’ve got a case.
- Case strength quizCheck if your complaint has legs in 30 seconds.
- Broadband speed complaint generatorGenerate a complaint for slow or unreliable internet.
- Broadband speed compensation checkerNot getting the speed you pay for? Check your exit rights.
- Energy price cap 1 January 2027: what to do before it changesOfgem announces the January 2027 price cap by 25 November. How to protect yourself at the changeover: the 31 December meter reading, your direct debit and credit balance.
- Christmas order not delivered in time? Your rightsThe retailer, not the courier, must deliver. Under the Consumer Rights Act the default is 30 days, and an agreed date lets you cancel. How to get a refund before Christmas.
- Telecoms ombudsman: escalate after 6 weeks, not 8Ofcom cut the telecoms ADR wait from 8 weeks to 6 on 8 April 2026. When you can escalate a broadband or mobile complaint, to which ombudsman, and how to skip the wait.
- 0% VAT on electricity from 1 October: check your billVAT on household electricity drops to 0% from 1 October 2026, worth around £45 a year - fixed tariffs included. How to check your bill got it, and what to do if not.
Not sure what the law actually entitles you to? Start with our UK consumer rights guide - refunds, faulty goods, and how to enforce your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
Work at BT? Reply to complaints here.
Don't let BT ignore you
Read your BT letter first: it cites the law that applies, sets a deadline, and says what happens when it passes. No account until you want to keep the draft and track what they do next.
Free to draft • The letter is yours either way
Disclaimer: NoReply is an independent consumer advocacy platform. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to BT or any of the companies listed on this site. Where an address is marked verified, we read it on BT’s own site or a complaint sent to it arrived. Addresses marked not verified have not been checked, and ones marked bounced do not reach BT. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.