Which? said their research shows some customers can save hundreds of pounds by switching to smaller providers
The UK’s biggest mobile providers have been beaten by smaller rivals in an annual Which? survey.
The Big Four networks – EE, O2, Three and Vodafone – were outperformed by many lesser-known networks in key areas such as value for money and customer service.
Three, O2 and Lycamobile were the lowest performing overall, with customer scores of 65%, 67% and 68% respectively.
Three received two stars in every category including network reliability and technical support, while O2 got two stars for value for money and customer service.
Lycamobile received an four stars for value for money but only two stars in every other category.
In contrast, Talkmobile – whose prices start at £5.95 a month for a SIM-only deal with 15GB of data – topped the rankings with a customer score of 83%.
It was also awarded Which? Recommended Provider (WRP) and Great Value status and impressed with its network reliability, customer service and value for money.
Tesco Mobile came in second place with a score of 81%, while Giffgaff and Smarty were in third and fourth place with scores of 79%.
Giffgaff, Smarty, 1p Mobile and Lebara also received WRP status. Which? said their research shows some customers can save hundreds of pounds by switching to smaller providers.
One Which? member left O2, after being a customer since 2018, after her monthly bill crept up from £17 to £27. She switched to an £8 Smarty deal in just ten minutes, saving her £200 a year.
Survey respondents using one of the Big Four paid an average of £16 for a SIM-only contract, compared with just £9 on smaller networks.
For contracts that include a phone, the average cost was £40 with the Big Four, versus £28 with smaller providers.
Many of these smaller firms “piggyback” on bigger networks, meaning that customers get the same signal and coverage.
Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services, said: “Our latest research shows that smaller providers are consistently outshining the industry’s largest mobile firms by offering better customer service and far cheaper deals.
“Many top-rated challengers avoid mid-contract price hikes, offering households struggling with the cost of living much-needed certainty.
“Any customers nearing the end of their contract who are unhappy with their service, or simply looking to save money, should not hesitate to vote with their feet and move to a provider that actually delivers on value.”
The Mirror has contacted the mobile networks that came bottom in the survey for comment.
Mobile phone providers rated by customer score
- Talkmobile (66) — 83%
- Tesco Mobile (508) — 81%
- Giffgaff (360) — 79%
- Smarty (97) — 79%
- Voxi (67) — 79%
- 1p Mobile (59) — 78%
- Lebara (249) — 78%
- Asda Mobile (58) — 77%
- EE (1,028) — 74%
- iD Mobile (191) — 73%
- Sky Mobile (358) — 73%
- Vodafone (612) — 72%
- Lycamobile (67) — 68%
- O2 Mobile (936) — 67%
- Three Mobile (452) — 65%
