Switching
Compensation, without the folklore
There is a scheme. There are amounts. There are also a dozen forum posts that invent extra zeros. Here is the adult version.
13 min read · Switching
When an engineer does not come, British conversation reaches for two numbers: nothing, and a thousand pounds. Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme lives in the unglamorous middle. It is real. It is modest. It is not a personality test, and it is not administered by a comparison site with a calculator widget that happens to look official.
What it is for
- Delayed activation of a new qualifying service after the agreed date.
- A missed engineer appointment (including one cancelled at short notice by the provider).
- Delayed repair after a loss of service, once the clock in the scheme has started.
Keep a simple log: the agreed date, who cancelled, whether you were in, the fault reference. If payment does not arrive, that log is the complaint. If you were on holiday and the engineer stood in the rain, it is not.
Compensation is a backstop for process failure. It is not a refund of the year you wish you had not bought.
The log is the claim
Automatic does not mean magical. If the provider’s system never recorded the missed slot, nothing automatic will fire. A note on your phone — date, window, who cancelled, whether you were in — is the difference between a credit and a shrug. Screenshot the appointment text. Keep the fault reference. This is boring on purpose.
| Usually in | Usually out |
|---|---|
| Delayed start after an agreed date | You were not home and they could not work |
| Missed engineer visit / late cancel by them | You moved the slot at the last minute |
| Delayed repair of a loss of service | A slow Wi-Fi evening you have not faulted |
If they do not pay
Questions
- Do I get paid automatically if my switch is late?
- If the service and the delay qualify, the provider should pay without you filling in a claim form. Eligibility is specific. “Late” in ordinary speech is not the same as the scheme’s definition.
- How much is it?
- The scheme publishes fixed amounts per working day of delay, and a separate amount for a missed appointment. Check Ofcom’s current figures — they are not a mystery, and they are not a lottery win.
- What if the delay was my fault?
- If you were not in, or refused access, compensation is usually not due. Honesty here saves a wasted complaint.
- Does this apply to alt-nets?
- It applies to providers in the scheme on qualifying services. Ask the provider; do not assume a small alt-net is in or out.
- Is the payment a credit or cash?
- Usually a bill credit. Ask if you want it another way. Do not invent a bank transfer that was never offered.
- The forum said £8.40 a day. Is that still right?
- Amounts are set in the scheme and can be updated. Read Ofcom’s current page, not a screenshot from 2019.
Sources
- Ofcom automatic compensation scheme
- Communications Ombudsman
Figures move. Prices, coverage and eligibility must be confirmed with the provider. OneTouchSwitch is not Ofcom, TOTSCo or a broadband network. Last fact-checked 10 September 2026.
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