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Broadband rights guide
Engineer did not arrive or cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice?
Where the provider is signed up to Ofcom’s scheme, a qualifying missed broadband or landline appointment can trigger £32.31 automatic compensation for each missed appointment.
Use the eligibility checker first, then keep the booking confirmation and time-stamped no-show or cancellation evidence until the credit appears.
Interactive eligibility check
Does Your Missed Engineer Appointment Qualify?
Choose the provider and what happened. The checker estimates the automatic scheme credit and points to the relevant next step without making you read every exception first.
Likely statusSelect the details above
Estimated automatic credit£0.00
Next actionThe next step will appear here
Scope: the automatic scheme covers residential fixed broadband and landline products. The result remains subject to provider participation and valid exceptions.
Quick-action checklist
Four Things to Do Now
Capture what happened
Save the cancellation timestamp or note when the agreed window ended without an engineer.
Check scheme participation
Confirm the provider and product are covered before relying on an automatic payment.
Watch the account
Check for a bill credit within 30 calendar days after the missed appointment.
Match the rule to the event
What Counts as a Missed Broadband Engineer Appointment?
The missed-appointment payment is aimed at a provider-side failure. Use the result that matches the confirmed appointment and notice you received.
Engineer did not attend
Likely to qualify when no engineer arrives during the confirmed appointment window and the provider is in the scheme.
Provider cancelled too late
Likely to qualify when the provider cancels or reschedules with less than 24 hours’ notice.
At least 24 hours’ notice
The automatic missed-appointment payment would not normally be triggered by that cancellation.
Customer missed the visit
The payment may not apply where access was unavailable or the customer caused or prevented the missed visit.
Repair or provision appointment
Appointments connected with a covered fixed broadband or landline repair or provision service can fall within the scheme.
Appointment details changed
Use the original confirmation and the later message to establish the final agreed window and exact notice period.
How the 24-Hour Notice Rule Works
Measure the notice from the provider's time-stamped cancellation or rescheduling message to the start of the confirmed appointment window.
Appointment starts Wednesday at 1pm
Provider cancels Tuesday at 2pm
23 hours' notice — may qualify
Current automatic rate
How Much Is Missed Engineer Appointment Compensation?
For qualifying issues starting from 1 April 2026, the automatic compensation rate is £32.31 for each missed broadband or landline engineer appointment. The provider should normally add the payment automatically, rather than requiring a separate claim.
Per qualifying appointment£32.31The amount increases annually in line with the scheme rules.
Payment deadline
The credit should normally be paid no later than 30 calendar days after the date of the missed appointment.
How it appears
Unless another form is agreed, compensation is normally applied as account or bill credit. It can appear on the account before the next bill is produced.
More than one missed appointment
The rate applies per qualifying missed appointment. Keep separate confirmations and complaint references for each incident.
Provider and product check
Which Providers Pay Automatic Compensation?
Ofcom’s current signatory list includes the providers below. A smaller network or reseller may have its own customer charter even when it is not part of the voluntary automatic scheme.
BT
EE
Hyperoptic
Plusnet
Sky / NOW
TalkTalk
Utility Warehouse
Virgin Media
Vodafone
Zen Internet
Check important restrictions and exceptions
- TalkTalk: restrictions can apply to customers who are not served over the Openreach network.
- The payment may not apply if the customer breached the contract, caused the failure or prevented the appointment or repair from being completed.
- A cancellation with at least 24 hours’ notice would not normally trigger the missed-appointment payment.
- The automatic scheme covers residential fixed broadband and landline products, not every mobile or business service.
Verify before relying on an estimate: check the official Ofcom automatic compensation guidance and the provider’s current policy.
Prove the event and recover a missing credit
Evidence to Keep and What to Do If Compensation Is Missing
Keep this evidence
- Original appointment confirmation, date and time window.
- Time-stamped cancellation or rescheduling message.
- Notes showing that nobody attended during the agreed window.
- Engineer, provider, Openreach or contractor reference numbers.
- Chat transcripts, emails, call dates and complaint references.
- The account page or bill showing whether the credit appeared.
Work through the complaint route
Copy and Personalise a Missing-Compensation Complaint
Use this after 30 calendar days have passed without the expected credit. The eligibility checker can insert the selected provider, incident count and illustrative amount; replace the bracketed details before sending.
This template does not guarantee eligibility. Keep the wording factual and attach the appointment confirmation, cancellation message and complaint reference.
ADR is free: communications providers must belong to either CISAS or Communications Ombudsman. Use the provider’s complaints page or Ofcom’s ADR guidance to identify the correct scheme.
Choose the correct claim route
Is This the Right Broadband Compensation Category?
A missed appointment, delayed start and complete loss of service use different eligibility rules. Open only the guide matching the event.
Engineer no-show or late cancellation
Stay on this page when the engineer did not attend or the provider gave less than 24 hours’ notice.
Check Missed Appointment EligibilityNew service did not start
Use delayed-activation rules when the provider missed the promised start date for a new broadband service.
Check Delayed Activation CompensationExisting service is completely down
Use outage rules when an existing fixed service stops working and remains unfixed after the qualifying period.
Check Internet Outage CompensationDetailed answers
Missed Engineer Appointment Compensation FAQs
How much is missed engineer appointment compensation?
For qualifying issues starting from 1 April 2026, the automatic compensation rate is £32.31 for each missed broadband or landline engineer appointment.
What counts as a missed broadband engineer appointment?
It can qualify when the engineer does not attend the confirmed appointment window or the provider cancels or reschedules it with less than 24 hours’ notice.
Does a cancellation with more than 24 hours’ notice qualify?
Not normally under the missed-appointment rule. The automatic payment is aimed at an engineer no-show or provider cancellation with less than 24 hours’ notice.
When should missed appointment compensation be paid?
Where the scheme applies, compensation should normally be paid no later than 30 calendar days after the date of the missed appointment.
What can I do if missed appointment compensation is not paid?
Raise a formal complaint with the provider and keep the appointment evidence. An unresolved complaint can go to the provider’s approved ADR scheme after six weeks, or sooner if the provider issues a deadlock letter.