Compensation/ ability to leave contract due to mass failures/ lack of signal

[Alewis22]

I’m looking for some advice regarding ongoing network issues with EE. Since starting my contract a year ago, I’ve consistently had problems with data connectivity, especially in areas where 5G coverage is supposedly available.

After months of poor signal,  I contacted customer support back in June and was advised to switch to an eSIM, reset network settings, and toggle Airplane mode. I followed all steps, including resetting my iPhone (which is a current model and fully updated), but the problem persists.

I submitted a formal complaint last week and spoke with several different agents. One insisted the problem was due to an old SIM card, which wasn’t true as I had already switched to eSIM. She promised to call back within 30 minutes—no call came. When I followed up, I was told to provide call logs and make additional calls to "prove" the fault. I complied, but the logs were dismissed as insufficient (they had no record of several call I had made), and again, no callback was received at the agreed time. After further chasing, I was told to perform multiple speed tests spaced an hour apart (all of which showed shockingly low speeds—between 0.24–0.85 Mbps). Still, no follow-up. 

Eventually, (this is after 3 agents over 4 phone calls roughly 30 mins each!) I was escalated to level 2 support- which was shocking.

I was asked to supply several post codes where I was facing issues with the following reasons why try signal was poor:

-My home area was lacking signal  due to ongoing issues with the mast that "had been ongoing for a while" and was currently experiencing problem yet again. (None of this mentioned on the EE website). 

- Another location, the local mast had been destroyed in an arson attack with no insight into when it was going to be fixed.

-  When I provided a third postcode where I also experience issues, I was told I’d need to physically be in that area to run tests before they could log a fault.( And honestly, I don’t have the time to call in and run diagnostics for every place I travel through). 

With all the above issues, tech support stated they couldn't do anything. I asked why these issues were not mentioned on the website: the technician said he didn't know! 

I’m paying £45 a month for a service that barely works in many areas I frequent. At this point, I have now switched to pay-as-you-go with another provider just to have reliable service!

So the main question: has anyone successfully claimed compensation in a situation like this or managed to leave their contract early without paying a cancellation fee due to poor service? I've already submitted another complaint  but I'd really appreciate any advice on how to escalate this properly or what steps to take next. 

[bristolian]

T&Cs for all networks allow for outages and degradations in service, and don't provide any automatic right of cancellation should these occur.

You've described CS agents following the correct process for single user faults, and it sounds like you're already following the complaints process. That's the right thing to do - it allows for referral to ADR (external arbitration) if your complaint is either unresolved after 8weeks or deadlocked before.

My only comments on the network-side would be that there is no guarantee of data speeds, but that many users confuse "poor coverage" with "data speed issues" when the two or caused by different issues.

[Paulwl]

If EE hasn’t been able to fix your signal and are not willing to your next step would be to make a official complaint to EE if you have already and they have not sorted it, then your next step would be Ofcom to see if they can look into it.  

[bristolian]

---

@Paulwl wrote:

....your next step would be to make a official complaint to EE if you have already and they have not sorted it, then your next step would be Ofcom to see if they can look into it.  

---

This part is incorrect - Ofcom don't investigate individual customer complaints.

ADR referral is currently to Ombudsman Services.

[Alewis22]

---

@bristolian wrote:

My only comments on the network-side would be that there is no guarantee of data speeds, but that many users confuse "poor coverage" with "data speed issues" when the two or caused by different issues.

---

Thank you for the clarity in your response.

I’d like to highlight that the core issue I’m experiencing is poor coverage. My calls frequently drop, and I often have no internet access — with web pages and apps failing to load altogether. This happens repeatedly across various locations.

As someone who travels frequently, I rely heavily on my mobile service. I often work alone in lone-working situations, where having a reliable connection isn’t just a convenience — it’s a matter of safety. In emergency scenarios, the inability to get service is deeply concerning.

---

@bristolian wrote:

You've described CS agents following the correct process for single user faults, and it sounds like you're already following the complaints process. That's the right thing to do - it allows for referral to ADR (external arbitration) if your complaint is either unresolved after 8weeks or deadlocked before.

---

I do have a follow-up question. During my recent call with one of your agents, I was informed that the mast in my local area has experienced multiple faults and service failures over a period of time — including ongoing issues at present. Based on this history, I believe it’s likely that I will continue to experience intermittent problems in the future.

Given that, I’d like clarification on how such recurring issues are treated under your complaints process. If the mast is known to be unstable and my service drops again after a temporary fix, would I need to raise a new complaint each time the issue recurs? Or would it be treated as part of the same unresolved complaint?

More specifically:

• Would each recurrence reset the 8-week timeline, effectively delaying eligibility for ADR referral?

• If so, doesn’t that risk creating a situation where customers are trapped in a cycle of temporary fixes without ever reaching resolution or being able to escalate?
  
  

I also wanted to mention that I had a similar issue with another network provider when I first moved to this area about four years ago. I explained that I was getting poor signal and very slow data speeds. After a 30-minute phone call, they confirmed the problem was due to it being a new development where coverage hadn’t been properly set up yet. They cancelled my contract almost straight away with no issues. I’m sharing this because it shows that some providers are willing to act quickly and fairly when they know they can’t provide proper service. 

[bristolian]

You make repeated reference to "your agents" and "your proess", just for clarity I'm not EE staff and am a user just like yourself.

Fault-finding is a complex area, but so much depends on the specific nature of individual issues. That dictates not just the fix, but potentially how it's implemented.

[Michael_D · Accepted solution]

Hi @Alewis22 

If the same complaint is being re-opened each time you contact our tech guides (they can be re-opened within 28 days), rather than them opening a new complaint, then it would all be logged on the same complaint.

Even if a new one is opened on each occasion, the record will be on the account of each complaint that is logged.

If you aren't happy with the way everything is progressing, you can either escalate your complaint to a manager over the phone, or complete our complaints form, which will then be handled by our dedicated complaints team. 

If you aren't able to come to a satisfactory resolution, then a deadlock letter would be issued which allows you to take your case to the ombudsman. There is more on this process on our complaints code of practice.

Michael

[Alewis22]

---

---

---

@Michael_D wrote:

Hi @Alewis22 

If the same complaint is being re-opened each time you contact our tech guides (they can be re-opened within 28 days), rather than them opening a new complaint, then it would all be logged on the same complaint.

Even if a new one is opened on each occasion, the record will be on the account of each complaint that is logged.

If you aren't happy with the way everything is progressing, you can either escalate your complaint to a manager over the phone, or complete our complaints form, which will then be handled by our dedicated complaints team. 

---

Thank you for the clarification. However, I want to note that when I spoke with three different agents within 24 hours, each one asked me the exact same questions and had me repeat the same technical walkthrough I had already completed. One even acknowledged that the previous agent hadn’t correctly noted down certain things on the system. 

I also requested—twice—to speak with a manager or someone with more authority, and was told that wasn’t possible, that they’d ask the same questions, or that “there’s nothing anyone can really do about phone mast not working/ being destroyed.”

This experience has left me with serious concerns about the internal communication and issue tracking. 

[Michael_D]

While I appreciate it is frustrating to have to go through the same steps @Alewis22 , the guides will have to run through the diagnostic system that they use to try to help you. That doesn't excuse the lack of notes or refusing to escalate the call to a manager.

If you completed the complaints form I linked above, you can raise this as part of the complaint to our dedicated team, who will take everything on-board.

Michael

[bristolian]

---

@Alewis22 wrote:

---

---

 ...was told that “there’s nothing anyone can really do about phone mast not working/ being destroyed.”

---

The vast majority of radio site faults are quickly resolved quickly. Those that aren't, are often because the fault might be complex or there's an external dependency. It's rarely because of field maintenance "holding back" to measure customer complaints volumes.

Arson attacks, I have no safe words for them.