By Adrian James, Broadband Editor (LinkedIn) · Reviewed by Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith, Head of Editorial (LinkedIn) · Last updated 30 June 2026
In short: if your One Touch Switch stalls, leaves you without service, or has you paying two providers at once, contact your new (gaining) provider first, because they coordinate the switch. Keep written records, raise a formal complaint, and you may be owed automatic compensation paid as a bill credit without you having to ask. If it is still unresolved, you can take it to a free, independent ombudsman: from 8 April 2026 the wait before you can escalate dropped from eight weeks to six, and a deadlock letter lets you go sooner.
How One Touch Switch is supposed to work
One Touch Switch, or OTS, launched across the industry on 12 September 2024. The idea is simple: you sign up only with your new provider, and they arrange the switch and the cancellation of your old service through a shared system called the TOTSCo Hub, so you should not need to ring your old provider at all. If you want the full walkthrough of the process, see our One Touch Switch guide. This page is about what to do when it does not go to plan.
Most switches complete cleanly, but a meaningful minority do not. In its first year the system handled around 1.625 million switches, and the match rate between providers rose from about 60 percent at launch to roughly 67 percent (TOTSCo, reported September 2025). That improvement is real, but it also means matches still fail, and when they do the result is usually a delayed switch, a temporary loss of service, or the classic problem of being billed by both the old and new provider at the same time.
What to do, step by step
- Contact your new provider first. Under OTS the gaining provider runs the switch, so they are the right people to chase a stalled order or a match failure. Ask them directly what has gone wrong and what the new expected date is.
- Check for double billing and get it stopped. If both providers are charging you, point each one to the switch date. You should not pay twice for the same period, and any overlap charged in error should be refunded. Keep your direct debits in place unless a provider tells you otherwise, then verify the corrected position on your next bill.
- Write everything down. Note the dates you placed the order and reported the problem, the names of who you spoke to, and every reference number. A clear paper trail is your strongest asset if you need to escalate.
- Check whether you are owed automatic compensation. If the switch left you without service, missed a confirmed start date, or an engineer did not show, your provider may owe you money under Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme, paid as a bill credit, usually within 30 days, without you claiming. The qualifying rules and the current rates are set out in our automatic compensation guide.
- Raise a formal complaint. If the provider will not put it right, ask to log a formal complaint and request a written response. This starts the clock that leads to free, independent escalation.
- Escalate to an ombudsman. If it is still unresolved, take it to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), which is free to you and binding on the provider. See the timing rules below.
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The compensation behind a failed switch
Ofcom's switching rules sit in its General Conditions C7.18 to C7.27, and the automatic compensation obligations in C7.47 to C7.49. The headline for you is that compensation is automatic: you do not have to claim it, it is paid as a credit on your bill, and the provider must pay it without prompting. Because the rates are uprated every April, we keep the exact current figures, the qualifying thresholds, and the small print that catches people out in one place, our automatic compensation guide, and our companion guide to broadband compensation and service failure covers scenarios beyond the scheme.
How to escalate, and the new six-week rule
If your provider cannot resolve the complaint, you can take it to one of the two Ofcom-approved ADR schemes, the Communications Ombudsman or CISAS, depending on which one your provider belongs to. ADR is free for you, the provider pays for the scheme, and the decision is binding on the provider.
The timing changed in 2026. For complaints raised on or after 8 April 2026, Ofcom reduced the wait before you can escalate to ADR from eight weeks to six (Ofcom, 8 April 2026). You do not always have to wait at all: if your provider issues a deadlock letter, also called a final response, confirming it cannot resolve the matter, you can go to ADR straight away. Check which scheme your provider uses, then submit your complaint with your full record of dates and reference numbers.
If you would rather just move on
Sometimes the cleanest outcome after a botched switch is to switch again to a provider you trust. If you are weighing that up, it helps to know which network each option runs on, since that affects how the next switch will feel: our guide to which providers use the Openreach network explains why a same-network move is usually quick. Before you commit, you can run a free Pulse speed test to record what you are getting now.
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Frequently asked questions
My One Touch Switch did not complete. Who do I contact?
Contact your new provider first. Under One Touch Switch the gaining provider coordinates the switch and the cancellation of your old service, so they are best placed to chase a stalled or failed order and give you a new expected date.
I am being charged by both my old and new provider. Is that allowed?
You should not pay two providers for the same period. Point each provider to the switch date and ask for any overlap charged in error to be refunded. Keep your direct debits running unless told otherwise, then check the corrected position on your next bill.
Will I get compensation if the switch went wrong?
You may. If the failure left you without service, missed a confirmed start date, or involved a missed engineer appointment, your provider may owe automatic compensation under Ofcom's scheme, paid as a bill credit without you claiming. See our automatic compensation guide for the current rates and qualifying rules.
How long must I wait before going to the ombudsman?
For complaints raised on or after 8 April 2026, you can escalate to Alternative Dispute Resolution six weeks after first complaining to your provider, reduced from eight weeks. If your provider issues a deadlock letter, you can go to ADR immediately.
Which ombudsman do I use?
There are two Ofcom-approved schemes, the Communications Ombudsman and CISAS. Which one applies depends on your provider, so check which scheme your provider belongs to. Using ADR is free for you, and its decision is binding on the provider.
Can I cancel and stay with my current provider instead?
Often yes, especially early in the process, but it depends on how far the switch has progressed. Ask your current provider whether the switch can be stopped. If you do continue switching, keeping records protects you if anything else goes wrong.
Sources
- Ofcom. (2026, 8 April). Quicker complaints resolution and more money in your pocket when things go wrong (ADR wait reduced from eight weeks to six). Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- Ofcom. General Conditions of Entitlement, switching obligations C7.18 to C7.27 and automatic compensation obligations C7.47 to C7.49. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- TOTSCo (One Touch Switching Company). One Touch Switch launched 12 September 2024; approximately 1.625 million switches and a match rate rising from around 60 percent to roughly 67 percent in the first year (reported September 2025). Retrieved 30 June 2026.
General consumer information, accurate at the date shown. Compensation rates and complaint rules can change; confirm current details before relying on them.