UPDATE Ofcom Challenges Telco Reseller UK Ltd Over Complaints

The UK telecoms regulator has warned Reseller UK Ltd, which also trades under the ISP names of Atlas Business Services and Together Telecom (possibly a few others too), that it has “reasonable grounds” for believing that the provider failed to handle customer complaints properly.

Ofcom’s General Condition 14.5 requires that all broadband ISPs become members of an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme, which is designed to supplement (not replace) an ISPs own internal complaints procedures and are only used after a customer dispute has gone unresolved for 8 weeks (i.e. the “Deadlock Letter” stage).

According to the regulator, Reseller UK Ltd is believed to have contravened the GC14.5 rules between 1st January 2014 and 4th August 2016. Indeed we have spotted some potentially related cases online (here).

Ofcom’s Statement

Ofcom has reasonable grounds to believe that: (i) Reseller was not a member of a Dispute Resolution Scheme between 5 June 2015 and 2 November 2015 (inclusive); (ii) Reseller failed to comply with a number of adjudications made by a Dispute Resolution Body; and (iii) its failure to comply with a number of these adjudications is on-going.

Ofcom has now given the provider one last opportunity to respond. The regulator has the power to fine the provider and / or to force additional improvement measures upon them.

30th November 2016

Ofcom has closed its investigation into this provider because of a “voluntary winding-up” of the business (here). We’ll keep an eye out to see if the owners suddenly pop up again in the future, albeit possibly associated with a new provider and under a different name.