Internet Service Providers in the UK are still failing to adequately inform customers about the speeds they can expect when buying new plans, new research has revealed.
The consumer champion Which? conducted a ‘mystery shopper’ study and found ISPs provided the relevant information only 47% of the timer.
Under Ofcom’s Code of Practice, it is recommended the providers offer speed information ‘as early as practical’ when selling customers a new broadband deal.
The communications regulator also requests ISPs tell the potential customers about the factors that can affect their speeds.
During the tests the major broadband providers received 12 calls from the Which? mystery shoppers who informed them of a new address.
Related: Best broadband deals
TalkTalk bottom of the pile
The biggest offender proved to be TalkTalk, which only told users about the estimated speeds during 5 out of the 12 calls. Startlingly, the company also failed to give advise about speeds during any of the calls.
In a statement the company defiantly said: “Our sales team received tens of thousands of inbound calls in January so we don’t believe the twelve calls made by Which? mystery shoppers can be seen as representative of our service.”
Bringing the average up for everyone was Sky Broadband, which gave the relevant info on estimated speeds and advice on what can affect them, on 21 of 24 occasions.
BT gave the estimated speeds on all 12 calls but failed to disclose the advice on speeds during any of the calls. You can see the Which? findings in the table below.
Image credit: Which?
The Which? study comes as Ofcom prepares to enforce stricter guidelines in March 2019.
From then on ISPs will be required to guarantee minimum speeds, while also advising on the speeds likely during peak times.
Given the performances in these tests, it seems they have some work to do.
Is your ISP upfront with you about speeds? Do they fall short of expectations? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
