How to complain to Plusnet
Broadband complaints cluster around mid-contract price rises, speeds well below what was sold, and outages that take days to fix. Ofcom has specific rules on all three, and two of them give you either an exit from the contract or money back without having to prove loss.
The rights that apply when you complain to Plusnet
Plusnet is a UK broadband and landline provider, so the rules below are the ones that decide your complaint. Each is named, because a letter that cites the specific rule is handled by a different team to one that does not.
- Any in-contract price rise must have been set out in pounds and pence, before you signed. If it was not, the rise is a contractual modification: the provider must give you at least one month’s notice, and you have the right to leave without an early termination charge. Ofcom General Conditions C1.14 to C1.17, with price transparency rules in force from 17 January 2025
- If your service is completely lost and not fixed within two full working days of being reported, a daily payment falls due, as does a payment for a missed engineer appointment and for a delayed start of service. Ofcom reviews the daily rate every year. Ofcom automatic compensation scheme
- The provider must give you a clear contract summary before you sign, must handle complaints under a published code, and must tell you which alternative dispute resolution scheme it belongs to. Ofcom General Conditions C1 and C4
- The service itself must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, and any equipment supplied must be of satisfactory quality. Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 9 and 49
- If the speed falls below the minimum guaranteed speed you were given at the point of sale and is not fixed within 30 days, you can exit the contract penalty-free under the voluntary Ofcom speed code that the major providers have signed. Ofcom Codes of Practice on broadband speeds
Plusnet complaints line: 0800 432 0200 — put the complaint in writing as well. A phone call leaves no record you can rely on later.
The deadlines that decide your claim
2 full working days — the compensation trigger
Total loss of service starts accruing automatic compensation from the third calendar day after you report it. Report faults in writing, or note the reference number, because the clock runs from the report and not from when the fault started.
30 days — the speed guarantee
Where a provider signed the Ofcom speed code, it has one month to bring the speed back above the guaranteed minimum before you gain a penalty-free exit.
6 weeks — when ADR opens up
Six weeks after your first complaint, or on a deadlock letter, you can take the case to the provider’s alternative dispute resolution scheme. Ofcom cut this wait from eight weeks to six with effect from 8 April 2026.
What to put in the letter to Plusnet
Complaints teams work from a script. The detail below is what moves a case off that script and onto the desk of someone who can authorise a remedy.
- The exact wording of the price you were quoted at sign-up, and a request for a copy of the contract summary document if you no longer hold it.
- Fault reference numbers and the dates each fault was reported and closed, which is what the automatic compensation calculation runs off.
- Speed test results with timestamps, ideally taken over ethernet rather than wi-fi, because a provider will otherwise blame your home network.
- What you want: the automatic compensation owed, a bill correction, and where a price rise was not properly disclosed, release from the contract with no early termination charge.
If Plusnet says no, or says nothing
Escalate to the Communications Ombudsman or CISAS.
When you can go: Eight weeks after your first complaint, or as soon as you get a deadlock letter.
How long you have: 12 months from the deadlock letter or from the eight-week point.
What it costs: Free to you. The provider pays the case fee.
Whether it binds Plusnet: Binding on the provider if you accept the decision.
Worth knowing before you start
Every provider belongs to one of the two Ofcom-approved schemes, but not the same one. Ofcom publishes the list at the link above, and your provider must also tell you which scheme covers you. Applying to the wrong scheme wastes weeks, so check before you file.
Common questions
My provider raised the price mid-contract. Can I leave?
It depends on how the rise was disclosed when you signed. Since 17 January 2025 Ofcom has required in-contract price rises to be stated in pounds and pence at the point of sale. If your contract instead described the rise as a percentage, or as inflation plus a margin, or did not describe it at all, the rise is a contract modification to your detriment and General Condition C1 gives you the right to exit without an early termination charge. Put the request in writing and quote C1.
How much compensation do I get for an outage?
The Ofcom automatic compensation scheme pays a fixed daily amount for each calendar day of total loss of service after the first two full working days from your report, plus separate fixed amounts for a missed engineer appointment and for a delayed start of a new service. Ofcom uprates the daily rate each year, so check the current figure on the Ofcom page rather than relying on an older number. The payment should be applied to your bill automatically. Where it has not been, ask for it by name.
My speeds are nowhere near what I was sold. Is that a breach?
The advertised headline speed is not the promise that matters. What matters is the minimum guaranteed speed the provider gave you at the point of sale. If your line consistently falls below that figure and the provider cannot fix it within 30 days, the major providers who signed Ofcom’s speed code let you exit penalty-free, including any phone or TV bundled with it. Gather ethernet speed tests at different times of day first.
Do I have to complain for eight weeks before going to the ombudsman?
You need either eight weeks from your first complaint, or a deadlock letter, whichever comes first. If the provider tells you it will not do anything more, ask explicitly for a deadlock letter. That short email can save you six weeks of waiting.
Where this comes from
Every rule on this page is drawn from primary legislation, a regulator, or an approved dispute resolution scheme. Check them yourself.
- Ofcom: how to complain
- Ofcom: alternative dispute resolution schemes
- Ofcom: automatic compensation
- Consumer Rights Act 2015
Paybacker is not a law firm and this is not legal advice. It is a summary of the published rules that apply to a broadband and landline provider, so that you can put your own case properly. For a dispute of real value, or anything turning on facts unique to you, speak to a solicitor or Citizens Advice.
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