Openreach Complaints: How to Complain, Contact Details, and What to Do If They Do Not Fix It

June 25, 2026 George 0 Comments

Complaining about Openreach is more complicated than it should be — and the reason is structural. Openreach does not sell broadband directly to home customers. It is a wholesale infrastructure provider that sells network access to ISPs (Internet Service Providers) like BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone, and hundreds of others. As a home broadband customer, your contract is with your ISP, not with Openreach.

This means if an Openreach engineer fails to show up, leaves your broadband worse than they found it, or causes damage to your property, you need to go through your ISP to get it resolved — you cannot call Openreach directly and make a formal complaint as a retail customer.

Here is the complete process: how to complain about Openreach through your ISP, what your ISP is required to do, how to escalate, and what compensation you may be entitled to.

Can You Contact Openreach Directly to Complain?

You are…	Can you contact Openreach directly?
A home broadband customer (BT, Sky, TalkTalk, etc.)	No — contact your ISP; they raise issues with Openreach on your behalf
A business with a direct Openreach Ethernet or leased line contract	Yes — you have a direct commercial relationship with Openreach
An ISP or telecoms provider	Yes — Openreach’s business-to-business customer service
A developer or property owner (wayleave issues)	Yes — Openreach has a developer portal and property contact process
Someone reporting damage to Openreach infrastructure	Yes — use 0800 023 2023 to report damage to Openreach network equipment

How to Complain About Openreach as a Home Broadband Customer

Step 1: Complain to Your ISP

Your first step is always to complain formally to your ISP — the company you pay your broadband bill to. Your ISP is responsible for the service delivered to your home, including ensuring Openreach (their network provider) fixes problems on the underlying network.

When you contact your ISP, be specific about the Openreach element of your complaint:

‘An Openreach engineer visited on [date] and did not resolve the fault’
‘An Openreach engineer failed to attend their appointment on [date]’
‘The Openreach engineer caused damage to my property’
‘The broadband fault on the line has not been fixed despite [X] visits’

Step 2: Escalate Within Your ISP

If the first-line customer service response does not resolve the issue, formally escalate your complaint. Ask to speak with a complaints manager. Your ISP must acknowledge a formal complaint and provide a reference number. They have 8 weeks to resolve a formal complaint before you can take it to an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme.

Step 3: Automatic Compensation for Engineer No-Shows

Under Ofcom’s Automatic Compensation Scheme (in force since April 2019), most ISPs are required to pay you automatic compensation for certain Openreach-related failures:

Qualifying Failure	Automatic Compensation Amount
Engineer appointment missed (no-show)	£30 per missed appointment
Engineer appointment cancelled with less than 24 hours notice	£30
Total loss of service lasting more than 2 working days	£9.76 per day from day 3
New service delayed beyond the committed date	£6.10 per day of delay

These amounts are based on the Ofcom 2019 scheme and are reviewed periodically. Most major ISPs (BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media, Vodafone) participate in the automatic compensation scheme. Check Ofcom’s website for the current ISP participation list. Compensation should be applied automatically — you should not need to claim it — but if it is not applied, ask your ISP formally.

Step 4: Escalate to the Ombudsman (After 8 Weeks)

If your ISP has not resolved your complaint within 8 weeks, or if they send a ‘deadlock letter’ saying they cannot resolve it further, you can escalate to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme — free to use and independent of both Openreach and your ISP.

The two approved ADR schemes for UK telecoms:

Ombudsman Services: Communications — ombudsman-services.org/communications
CISAS (Communications & Internet Services Adjudication Scheme) — cisas.org.uk

Your ISP must use one of these schemes. Check which one your ISP subscribes to before making a referral. The ADR process is free for consumers and can result in compensation, apologies, service credits, or requirements for the ISP (and by extension Openreach) to take specific actions.

Openreach Engineer Property Damage: What to Do

If an Openreach engineer has caused damage to your property — a broken fence post, damaged paintwork, a hole in a wall left unsealed, or cable damage — the process is:

Document the damage immediately with photographs
Note the engineer’s name, van registration, and the date and time of the visit
Contact your ISP immediately and report the damage as a separate formal complaint
Your ISP will raise a claim with Openreach on your behalf for property damage
Keep all receipts for any immediate repair costs you incur

If the property damage claim is not addressed by your ISP and Openreach within 8 weeks, escalate to the ADR scheme as above. Property damage claims can also be pursued through small claims court (Gov.UK Money Claim Online) if the ADR route does not succeed.

Openreach Wayleave and Access Complaints

Wayleave is the legal right for Openreach to install and maintain telecoms equipment on private land. If you are a property owner with concerns about Openreach equipment on your land — unauthorised installation, damage to your property during cable laying, or a disputed wayleave agreement — contact Openreach’s property team directly:

Openreach property team: 0800 085 7989
Online: openreach.com/your-property

Wayleave disputes are separate from broadband service complaints and are handled by Openreach directly with property owners, not through ISPs.

Reporting Damage to Openreach Network Equipment

If you see damage to Openreach network equipment — a damaged cabinet, a telegraph pole that has fallen or been hit by a vehicle, or exposed underground cables — report it to Openreach directly on 0800 023 2023 (available 24/7). This is a public safety line and is separate from customer complaints.

Ofcom: Escalating Beyond the Ombudsman

Ofcom does not handle individual consumer complaints directly — it refers complainants to the ADR schemes. However, Ofcom does track complaint volumes and takes regulatory action where patterns of poor service emerge. If you want to add your experience to Ofcom’s data:

Log your complaint at ofcom.org.uk/complaints — Ofcom uses this data for regulatory monitoring even though it does not intervene in individual cases
Ofcom publishes quarterly broadband provider complaint data — if your ISP appears on the high-complaint list, this can support ADR claims

For more on how Openreach operates and what it is responsible for in the UK broadband network, see our guide to what is Openreach and how it works.

Looking for Openreach jobs rather than complaints? See our guide to Openreach jobs and careers — how to apply, salaries, and the apprenticeship scheme.

Check the Ofcom automatic compensation scheme and which ISPs participate at ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/automatic-compensation — amounts are reviewed annually.

Bottom Line


Can you call Openreach as a home customer?	No — go through your ISP first
Missed engineer no-show compensation	£30 automatic (must participate in Ofcom scheme)
Total loss of service compensation	£9.76/day from day 3
ISP resolution deadline	8 weeks before you can go to Ombudsman
ADR schemes	Ombudsman Services: Communications; CISAS — free to use
Property damage	Report to ISP immediately with photos; raise with Openreach via ISP
Wayleave disputes	0800 085 7989 or openreach.com/your-property (direct Openreach contact)
Report infrastructure damage	0800 023 2023 (24/7 public safety line)

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I complain about Openreach?

As a home broadband customer, you cannot make a direct formal complaint to Openreach — your contract is with your ISP (BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone, etc.), not Openreach. Contact your ISP to raise the Openreach-related issue formally. Your ISP must acknowledge your complaint, provide a reference number, and try to resolve it. If unresolved after 8 weeks, escalate to the Ombudsman Services: Communications or CISAS (the approved ADR schemes for UK telecoms).

Can I contact Openreach directly?

Home broadband customers cannot contact Openreach for service complaints — these must go through your ISP. However, you can contact Openreach directly for: reporting damage to network infrastructure (0800 023 2023, 24/7); wayleave and property issues (0800 085 7989 or openreach.com/your-property); and if you are a business with a direct Openreach Ethernet or leased line contract.

What compensation am I entitled to for Openreach failures?

Under Ofcom’s Automatic Compensation Scheme: £30 for a missed or cancelled engineer appointment (cancelled with less than 24 hours notice); £9.76 per day from day 3 for a total loss of broadband service; £6.10 per day for a new service delayed beyond the committed date. Compensation should be applied automatically by your ISP — if it is not, request it formally in writing.

What if my ISP refuses to help with my Openreach complaint?

If your ISP has not resolved your complaint within 8 weeks, or has sent a deadlock letter, you can escalate to an ADR scheme — either Ombudsman Services: Communications (ombudsman-services.org/communications) or CISAS (cisas.org.uk). Both are free for consumers. The ADR can award compensation, require the ISP to take action, or issue formal determinations. You can also log your complaint with Ofcom at ofcom.org.uk/complaints for regulatory monitoring purposes.