- Ofcom is the UK communications regulator established under the Communications Act 2003 and the Office of Communications Act 2002.
- Ofcom does not resolve individual landline complaints; it regulates the market and enforces rules across providers.
- Individual disputes are handled by an Ofcom-approved ADR scheme, either CISAS or the Communications Ombudsman.
- A consumer can refer a dispute to ADR after a deadlock letter or once eight weeks have passed without resolution.
- Reports made to Ofcom feed its monitoring and can trigger investigations and enforcement against providers.
Ofcom regulates landline providers but will not settle your individual dispute. For a personal remedy, escalate to your provider then to CISAS or the Communications Ombudsman. Reporting to Ofcom helps drive market-wide enforcement.
Last reviewed: June 2026
What Ofcom does and does not do
A common misunderstanding sends frustrated landline customers straight to Ofcom expecting it to demand a refund from their provider. That is not how the system is built. Ofcom is the regulator for telecoms in the UK, created under the Communications Act 2003 and the Office of Communications Act 2002. Its job is to set the rules that providers must follow, to monitor the market, and to take enforcement action where companies breach their obligations. It works at the level of the industry, not the individual account.
This means Ofcom will not ring your provider on your behalf, will not order a specific credit to your bill, and cannot act as your personal advocate in a one-to-one dispute. What it can do is far broader: it can investigate a provider whose conduct affects many customers, impose conditions, and require changes to practices that breach regulation. Knowing this distinction saves time and points each type of problem toward the route that can actually solve it.
Systemic problems versus individual disputes
The right destination depends on whether the issue is systemic or individual. A systemic problem is one that affects a class of customers or reflects a provider's general practice: misleading sales tactics, widespread billing errors, failure to meet regulatory obligations, or persistent silent and abandoned calls from a marketing operation. These are precisely the matters Ofcom exists to address, because a regulator can change behaviour across the whole customer base in a way no single dispute ever could.
An individual dispute, by contrast, is a problem with your own account: an overcharge on your bill, a repair that was never completed, a contract term you say was misapplied, or compensation you believe you are owed. For that, the remedy lies with your provider first and then with the approved ADR scheme. Reporting an individual dispute to Ofcom will not get your money back, but it does add to the evidence Ofcom uses to decide where to focus its regulatory attention.
The correct escalation path
The table below shows how a landline complaint moves from the provider through to ADR and the parallel role Ofcom plays. The left-hand path delivers your personal remedy; the regulator sits alongside it gathering intelligence.
| Step | Where to go | What it delivers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Your landline provider (ISP) | First chance to resolve; aim for a written outcome |
| 2 | Provider complaints process | Deadlock letter or eight-week eligibility for ADR |
| 3 | CISAS or Communications Ombudsman | Binding adjudication; refunds, compensation, corrective action |
| Parallel | Report to Ofcom | Feeds monitoring and possible enforcement across the market |
The eight-week and deadlock rules are the gateway to ADR. You cannot skip straight to CISAS or the Communications Ombudsman; the provider must be given the chance to respond first. Reporting to Ofcom can happen at any point and does not depend on the dispute being deadlocked.
How your report helps Ofcom act
Even though a single report will not resolve your account, it is not wasted. Ofcom collects information from consumers and uses the patterns it reveals to decide which providers and which practices need scrutiny. When many people report the same problem, the data builds a case that a regulator can act on. Past enforcement across the telecoms sector has frequently been informed by the volume and nature of consumer reports, which help Ofcom identify breaches it might not otherwise see.
So the two routes are complementary rather than alternatives. Pursue your provider and, if needed, the ADR scheme to fix your own problem. Report the issue to Ofcom so that the regulator has the evidence to tackle the underlying practice for everyone. Providing clear, factual detail in a report, including dates, the provider's name and what went wrong, makes the information more useful to Ofcom's analysts.
How to report a landline issue to Ofcom
Ofcom publishes a consumer complaints and reporting route on its website, where issues such as misleading selling, billing concerns, and nuisance calls can be logged. The process is designed to capture the facts: who the provider is, what happened, and when. There is no need to assemble the full evidence bundle you would prepare for an ADR adjudication, but accuracy matters because the report contributes to Ofcom's view of the market.
It is worth keeping your own records separately. If you are also pursuing an individual remedy through CISAS or the Communications Ombudsman, the timeline, bills and correspondence you gather for that case are the documents that will actually win you a refund or compensation. Reporting to Ofcom and applying to an ADR scheme are different actions with different purposes, and doing both ensures your problem is fixed while the wider issue is flagged to the regulator.
Where CISAS fits in
CISAS, the Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme, is one of the two ADR schemes Ofcom has approved under the Communications Act 2003. The other is the Communications Ombudsman. Every landline provider must belong to one of them, and the scheme that hears your case is determined by your provider's membership. The adjudicator decides the dispute independently and, once you accept the decision, the provider is bound to comply.
The clean way to remember the division of labour is this: Ofcom makes and enforces the rules; the ADR scheme decides your individual case. If you want your money back or a specific action taken on your account, the ADR scheme is the body with the power to order it. If you want a provider's wider conduct examined, Ofcom is the body that can investigate. Using each for what it is built to do gives the best chance of a satisfactory outcome.
Common landline complaints and where they belong
It helps to map typical landline problems onto the right route. A bill that charges for calls never made, a line rental increase applied without the proper notice, or a cancellation fee you say is wrong are individual contractual disputes: take them to the provider and, if unresolved, to the ADR scheme. A loss of service that the provider fails to repair, or compensation owed for downtime, is likewise an individual matter for the provider and then ADR. These are the cases where a binding adjudication can put money back in your pocket.
By contrast, a salesperson who misrepresents a contract on the doorstep, a provider that routinely fails to give the notice the rules require, or a marketing operation generating repeated silent calls reflects conduct that can affect many people. These are the patterns Ofcom is interested in, because a regulatory response can change the behaviour across the provider's whole base. Sorting the problem into the right category at the outset avoids the frustration of expecting one body to do another's job, and it directs your effort to where a result is actually possible.
Building a record that supports both routes
Whichever route applies, good record-keeping strengthens your position. From the first contact, note the date, the name or reference of the person you dealt with, and what was agreed or refused. Keep copies of bills, contracts and any written replies, and save emails and letters rather than relying on memory of phone calls. If you ask for a deadlock letter, do so in writing so there is a clear trail. This same record serves two purposes: it forms the evidence bundle an ADR adjudicator needs to decide your case, and it gives Ofcom precise detail if you also report the provider.
Where a problem is both individual and systemic, there is no contradiction in pursuing both routes at once. You can apply to the ADR scheme for your personal remedy while reporting the wider conduct to Ofcom. The two processes run independently and do not interfere with one another. Treating them as complementary, rather than choosing between them, ensures your own dispute is resolved while the underlying practice is flagged to the regulator that has the power to address it across the market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Ofcom resolve my individual landline complaint?
No. Ofcom regulates providers and enforces rules across the market, but it does not settle individual disputes or order a refund on your account. For a personal remedy you must use your provider's complaints process and then an approved ADR scheme such as CISAS or the Communications Ombudsman.
How do I report my landline provider to Ofcom?
Ofcom publishes a consumer reporting route on its website for issues such as misleading selling, billing concerns and nuisance calls. Provide the provider's name, what happened and the dates involved. The report feeds Ofcom's monitoring rather than resolving your individual case.
What does Ofcom do with landline complaints?
Ofcom uses the information consumers report to spot patterns, identify providers or practices that breach the rules, and decide where to direct investigations and enforcement. A single report will not fix your account, but combined reports build the evidence base Ofcom relies on to act across the market.
What is the difference between Ofcom and CISAS for landline disputes?
Ofcom is the regulator that sets and enforces telecoms rules industry-wide. CISAS is an Ofcom-approved ADR scheme that decides individual disputes and can order refunds, compensation and corrective action. Ofcom handles the rules; CISAS handles your specific case once it is deadlocked or eight weeks have passed.
When should I contact Ofcom about my landline?
Contact Ofcom when the issue is systemic, such as misleading sales, widespread billing errors or persistent silent calls, where regulatory action could help many customers. For a problem confined to your own account, go to your provider and then to the ADR scheme, which are the bodies that can deliver your personal remedy.
