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BT customer service explained

BT customer service, how it really works

The number has changed: BT customer service is now 0330 1234 150, free from the BT network, open Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm and 8am to 8pm at weekends. The 0800 800 150 line still works but is now the complaints number, not general service. Below: every BT contact route and its hours, what MyBT can and cannot do, and the real path to a refund. Ofcom data shows 85% of BT customers happy with the service overall but only 55% happy with how complaints are handled, so knowing the system pays off.

Login to MyBT Call BT: 0330 1234 150

At a glance

85% overall satisfied (Which?) 55% complaints handled well Main line now 0330 1234 150 14% call abandon rate

Three channels

How to reach a real human at BT, fast

Picking the right channel for your issue is the single biggest predictor of how quickly it gets solved. Self-service first, then chat, then phone for anything BT cannot let you do alone.

MyBT self-service

Best for

Bills, direct debit, speed tests, fault tickets

Avg response time

Instant

Use when

Use when the issue does not need a human to override an account setting.

Live chat ("Message us")

Best for

Quick questions, package changes, tracking an order

Avg response time

Monday to Sunday 7am to 10.15pm

Use when

Use when you want a written record without sitting on hold. It runs later than the phone lines every night, so it is the only staffed channel after 9pm.

Phone: 0330 1234 150

Best for

Cancellations, complex faults, anything an agent must override

Avg response time

Mon-Fri 8am-9pm, weekends and bank holidays 8am-8pm

Use when

Use when you need a human. Free from the BT network; 150 from a BT mobile; +44 150 174 7714 from abroad.

Verified data

BT customer service performance scorecard

Independent figures from Which? and Ofcom, compared to the UK broadband industry average. BT is above average on satisfaction but slightly below average on call handling.

Metric BT Industry avg Source
Overall satisfaction 85% 81% Which? 2025
Reliability satisfaction 87% 84% Which?
Speed satisfaction 85% 80% Which?
Complaints satisfaction 55% 51% Which?
Phone hours (weekday) 8am-9pm 8am-8pm bt.com contact pages
Call abandon rate 14% 11% Ofcom 2025
Ofcom complaints per 100k 9 8 Ofcom Q4 2025

Complaints, step by step

BT complaints procedure: the 4 steps

If a single call did not fix your issue, the system is built around 4 escalation steps. Skipping a step is the most common reason a complaint stalls.

  1. 1

    Raise the issue

    Call the complaints line on 0800 800 150 (textphone 18001 0800 800 150), email [email protected], or use live chat. Ask for a complaint reference number and note the date and time of the contact.

  2. 2

    Formal complaint

    If the issue is not resolved on the first call, ask for it to be raised as a formal complaint. BT then has 6 weeks to resolve it before you can escalate externally: the threshold was 8 weeks until 8 April 2026. You can also write to Customer Service Manager, BT Limited, PO Box 334, Sheffield, S98 1BT.

  3. 3

    Deadlock letter

    If BT cannot fix the issue, ask for a “deadlock letter”. This is your ticket to the Ombudsman even if the 6 weeks have not passed, and it stays valid for 12 months.

  4. 4

    Communications Ombudsman

    Escalate free of charge at commsombudsman.org, on 0330 440 1614 (textphone 0330 440 1600), or by post to Communications Ombudsman, PO Box 730, Warrington, WA4 6WU. The ruling is binding on BT but not on you, and BT then has 28 days to carry it out. Note that the scheme excludes businesses with more than 10 employees, and that a complaint about a rented product goes to the Financial Ombudsman instead (BT’s line for those is 0800 216 663).

Self-service first

MyBT account, what you can do

The MyBT portal at my.bt.com handles around 60% of all consumer requests without a single phone call. Worth using before joining a queue.

In MyBT (no call needed)

What MyBT can do

  • See your bills and download PDFs.
  • Change your billing date.
  • Set up or amend a direct debit.
  • Run a BT speed test on your line.
  • Raise a fault ticket and track it.
  • Manage your TV add-ons and Sport passes.
  • See your minimum-term end date.
  • Switch to a different BT tariff.
  • Set up Hybrid Connect 4G back-up.
  • Manage BT family discounts.

Still requires a phone call

What MyBT cannot do

  • Cancel your contract outright.
  • Change the account holder name.
  • Claim a Stay Fast Guarantee credit.
  • Dispute a charge on your bill.
  • Set up a bespoke payment plan.
  • Transfer to another provider’s broadband.

If your task appears in the right-hand list, dial 0330 1234 150 directly. Trying it in MyBT first only adds time.

FAQ

BT customer service questions and answers

What is BT’s customer service number, and is it still an 0800?

No, and this is the change that catches people out. BT’s customer-service number is now 0330 1234 150, published identically across every BT contact page. From a BT mobile, dial 150; from outside the UK, +44 150 174 7714. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm and 8am to 8pm at weekends and on bank holidays. BT’s own note on the cost is precise: "calls to 0330 1234 150 are free when calling from the BT network. Calls from other networks may be charged" — and from any other network a 0330 is standard rate, so it comes out of inclusive minutes. 0800 800 150 has not disappeared, but it has changed job: it is now the complaints number in BT’s code of practice, not general customer service, and it no longer appears on any BT contact page. Faults have their own freephone line, 0800 800 151. If you are searching for BT’s old 0800 44 33 11 number, that too has gone from BT’s contact pages.

What is the difference between a complaint and a fault?

A fault is a technical issue, like slow speed, packet loss, or no service at all. BT treats it as an engineering ticket, the compensation route is the automatic Ofcom scheme, and it has its own freephone line, 0800 800 151. A complaint is about service quality, billing accuracy, or the way you have been treated by an agent; it goes to 0800 800 150 or [email protected], follows a formal 6-week resolution path, and can then be escalated to the Communications Ombudsman. The two are tracked in different BT systems, so the compensation you can claim differs, and raising a fault does not start the complaints clock.

How do I escalate a BT complaint?

Ask for the issue to be logged as a formal complaint and get a reference number: by phone on 0800 800 150, by email to [email protected], or by post to Customer Service Manager, BT Limited, PO Box 334, Sheffield, S98 1BT. BT then has 6 weeks to resolve it, not the 8 weeks most guides still quote: the threshold was cut on 8 April 2026. If the issue is still open after that, or if BT issues a deadlock letter sooner, take the case to the Communications Ombudsman — BT’s scheme, not CISAS — on 0330 440 1614. It is free for consumers and its ruling is binding on BT.

Is BT customer service UK-based?

Mostly yes. Since the 2020 onshoring push, BT runs its main consumer customer service centres in Doncaster, Newcastle, Bangor and Belfast. A small share of out-of-hours and overflow calls is still handled offshore, but daytime contact for residential broadband and TV is UK-based.

Can I get compensation from BT?

Yes. Under Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme, BT must pay you without you having to ask:

  • £9.76 for each day of delayed repair after a service loss.
  • £29.15 for each missed engineer appointment.
  • £6.10 for each day of delayed start-up on a new line.

Credits appear automatically on your bill. If they do not, raise a formal complaint and reference the Ofcom scheme by name.