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The ladder
Complain in writing— app chat transcript, email or letter: dates, facts, the outcome you want. Keep the reference.
Give a fair window— log every contact meanwhile.
Eight weeks or deadlock— either one unlocks free escalation.
The ombudsman— reviews the file and rules; the ruling binds the network, never you.
Beyond— court routes stay open; the ombudsman usually makes them unnecessary.
Evidence beats eloquence
Status-page screenshots, usage screens, bills, chat transcripts and a dated log outperform any amount of angry prose. One folder, started on the first bad day.
Special cases
| Bundled bills (Sky, EE/BT) | Complain to the brand on the bill; references matter double during account migrations |
| Tenant brands | Complain to the tenant (giffgaff, SMARTY…), never the landlord |
| Mis-selling | Use the word explicitly in writing — it triggers a specific review lane |