Mobile broadband - Issues with your dongle

If your dongle is not working you should contact your service provider who may be able to help to identify the problem. If you bought the dongle less than a year ago, it is likely that the handset is covered by the manufacturer's warranty, although if there are any issues your contract is with mobile provider and not the manufacturer so you should contact the mobile provider. Under UK consumer law a product should be as described, fit for purpose and of reasonable quality. The liability for a faulty product is potentially up to 6-years although after 6-months the responsibility to prove the fault is not wear and tear becomes the responsibility of the consumer and not the seller. If you have been sold the phone as part of a 18 or 24 month agreement then you could argue the phone should be able to last the length of the agreement.

If you damaged the dongle

If you have dropped the dongle or unintentionally damaged the dongle then it is not reasonable to persue the claim and you should look at how you could get the dongle repaired.

If you have insurance

Check your policy small print very carefully as you should be covered for electrical and mechanical failure of your phone. If your claim is accepted then your insurers will either repair or replace your handset or give you a cash settlement. Bear in mind that you will have to pay an excess which could be quite high in the case of smartphones. In order to claim on your warranty you should contact your phone provider and ask them to replace the phone. resolver recommends that you do this in writing via resolver.

You may be asked by the phone providers to take your phone into one of their shops to have the damage assessed. In the event of any issues regarding whether the phone is covered by the warranty as an initial step.

Submit your case

If you need to submit your issue then you can use resolver to raise and manage your issue for free. You can either use the mobile app to call the company and record your phone call or resolver can help you prepare and send your email online or from your mobile.

What next

Once you have submitted your information to the company, they should acknowledge your case with 14 days. Ensure you keep a copy of all communications and resolver can do this for you for free.

resolver will also nudge the company if you have not heard back and if you are not satisfied will explain what you should do and when.

If you do not receive a response then resolver will remind when and who to escalate your case to and help you prepare your communications with ready prepared response emails.

Your case is officially registered with the company as soon as the email is delivered and so you can escalate your case to the Ombudsman after 8 weeks.

What if you cannot resolve the issue

After 8 weeks if the matter is still not resolved or if you receive a deadlock letter, you can send your case to the Ombudsman. There are two Ombudsmen in the telecoms market, CISAS or Ombudsman Services. resolver knows which one to send your case to and will package your communications and all supporting documentation and send to the Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman will then independently undertake investigation of your case for free. You can still take your telecoms company to court if you still do not agree with the outcome but only use this as a last resort.

If you need additional assistance

If you need additional advice and guidance on the issue you can contact your local Citizen Advice Bureau.

Submit your issue for free with resolver

• If you are unhappy with your service provider’s initial response, you should contact their customer services department via Resolver. Give clear details of your case such as what happened, when, and why you are complaining.
• The company should acknowledge your case with 14 days.
• If the company doesn't respond to your issue, then you should escalate your case to the next level. Resolver will remind you when the time comes!
• Your case is officially registered with the company as soon as the email is delivered and so you can escalate your case to an ombudsman after 8 weeks.

The Consumer Rights Act

Your rights mainly come from the Consumer Rights Act. The Consumer Rights Act sets out what you should expect from goods or services, giving you specific rights when things go wrong.

Taking things further

If the matter isn't resolved after eight weeks or if you receive a deadlock letter, you can send your case to the ombudsman. There are two ombudsmen in the telecoms market - CISAS or Ombudsman Services. Resolver knows which one to send your case to. We'll package up your communications and all supporting documentation and send it all to the relevant ombudsman.

The ombudsman will then undertake an independent investigation of your case for free. You can still take your telephone provider to court if you don't agree with the outcome, but only use this as a last resort. You should always seek legal advice before taking a matter to court.

If you need additional assistance

If you need additional advice and guidance on the issue you can contact your local Citizens Advice.

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