Talktalk tops complaint list

Talktalk has topped Ofcom's latest list of complaints about broadband and phone line providers.

The report published by the communication's regulator shows that from April to June 2011, it had recieved 0.8 complaints per 1,000 Talktalk customers.

The aim of compiling telecoms complaints data in a format that consumers can understand is to give the public useful information that can be used to compare providers on a level playing field.

Ofcom said the reports should also "incentivise telecoms providers to improve their performance". The number of complaints is published as a proportion of each provider's customer base and complaints figures from the previous report (October 2010 - February 2011) have also been included.

Ofcom has also now included providers, such as Orange, which have a four per cent market share (the threshold applied in the initial report was five per cent) and which generate at least 30 complaints in a month.

The regulator went on to say that although the "Talktalk Group generated the most complaints, we note that there has been an improvement in their performance, quarter on quarter."

Virgin Media meanwhile had generated the fewest complaints in both the landline and broadband categories during that time.

Ofcom also looked at complaints it had received from customers of mobile providers and in this sector 3 UK topped the list with 0.14 complaints per 1,000 customers. The regulator said the majority of these complaints related to disputed charges and customer-service issues.

The least-complained-about mobile provider over the same period was O2 with 0.02 complaints per 1,000 customers.