Worst broadband companies in Britain REVEALED – Is it time you switched?

BT and TalkTalk customers are not getting the broadband service they deserve.

That’s the shock findings in the latest customer satisfaction survey from consumer website Which?.

​This year’s survey of 1,800 broadband users revealed big variations in levels of service, value for money, speed and reliability and found that the four biggest providers – Talk Talk, BT, Sky and EE – who collectively have a 72% market share, all score poorly.

TalkTalk (38%) and BT (45%) achieved the worst customer scores – only one in 10 described their customer service as ‘excellent’.

BT didn’t score higher than two stars in any of the categories and TalkTalk only scored higher than two stars in value for money, with Virgin (52%) and Sky (49%) only performing marginally better.

Only a third of providers (four in 12) scored more than three stars for broadband speeds.

Zen Internet (86%) and Utility Warehouse (81%) topped the table for customer score.

Zen Internet and Utility Warehouse were the only companies to earn five stars for customer service, with customers finding them quick and easy to contact, and praising their technical support

Frequent price hikes, connection drop outs, unreliable speeds and woeful levels of service when trying to contact providers all contributed to the low scores.

Speaking about the findings Alex Neill, Which? Managing Director of Home Services, said: “Broadband is essential and people rightly get frustrated with poor service.

“Our latest results show that the big players still have a long way to go to satisfy their customers, so if you’re unhappy with your broadband, complain and look to switch if your service doesn’t improve.”

Today’s report comes as it was revealed that customers at some of the UK’s biggest broadband providers are being hit with huge bills following the end of their special offers, new research has claimed.

A report from consumer watchdog charity Citizens Advice has found many people signing up to cheap broadband deals are being stung by major price hikes after their initial offers run out.

Some customers face paying out hundreds of pounds more following the end of their deal – with companies such as BT and Sky the worst offenders.

Citizens Advice looked at the five biggest broadband providers in the UK, and found that many customers don’t realise their costs may rise following the expiry of introductory offers.

Overall, customers on the cheapest basic broadband contracts are hit with an average price rise of £113 a year once their deal ends.

Citizens Advice is now urging broadband providers to help customers avoid ‘loyalty penalties’ by providing clearer advice and information concerning costs after the initial fixed deal ends.