UK telecoms regulator Ofcom thinks switching providers should be a painless experience, and wants to hear from consumers when it isn’t.

The watchdog is inviting consumers who have recently tried, or succeeded in, terminating their phone, broadband or pay TV contract to relate their experiences.

The process should be “quick, easy and stress-free for the customer”, said Ofcom, in its appeal to consumers.  See here.

“It shouldn’t involve any unnecessary steps or long procedures that would put someone off,” it added.

The appeal follows the announcement in June by Ofcom of a monitoring and enforcement programme to assess cancellation and termination arrangements in the UK.

Areas within the programme’s remit includes consumer difficulties in securing mobile Porting Authorisation Codes, so-called PACs.

Of course Ofcom conducts its own industry research and analyses complaints data. But presumably hearing directly from consumers offers additional colour to its research.

Interested consumers fill in a short questionnaire that asks what service they were cancelling, which provider they were with, and whether the experience was good or bad. Responses are not published but will feed into the regulator’s monitoring and enforcement work.