Citizensadvice Reviews 

669
•
TrustScore 1.5 out of 5

1.7

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 109 reviews, most reviewers were let down by their experience overall. Customers frequently struggled to reach anyone on the phone, facing excessively long wait times and automated loops before calls were abruptly disconnected. Many people felt that the staff were unhelpful, rude, and completely incapable of providing proper guidance during stressful times. Consumers also mentioned that online chat options were entirely useless and responses took far too long. Some reviewers were happy with the exceptional guidance they received from specific dedicated advisors. A few consumers noted that these helpful team members explained options clearly, listened patiently, and provided reassuring support.

What people talk about most

Customer service

Customers reported widespread dissatisfaction and frustration with customer service, highlighting long hold... See more

Staff

Consumers find staff unhelpful, frequently highlighting poor service and a lack of proper training among... See more

Service

Customers consistently note negative experiences with service, describing it as an absolute shambles and a... See more

Customer communications

Users describe negative interactions with customer communications, expressing deep frustration over the... See more

Response time

People report profound frustration with response times, frequently enduring long phone holds only to be... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Every time I rang I was cut off because there wasn't an option for my specific problem, then I finally got through to the next part of their answerphone, only to be on hold for over an hour before th... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Whoever designed the chat needs to be fired and the people who thought it was a good design!! At the most stressful time when contacting people to help you put the end chat button just above where the... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Very poor communication! 5 attempts to ring these people, each time on hold for over an hour, then a voice message saying nobody available & cutting me off, this has happened every day this week, how... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Spoke at length with Luke, debt advisor and left feeling upset and regretting ever picking up the phone. He was just rude, patronising and with an attitude of general disdain Honestly, if you n... See more


1.7

Bad

TrustScore 1.5 out of 5

669 reviews

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1.7

All reviews

(669)

107 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Our new contact with trading standards

In the past you could speak to trading standards and get somebody could understood the problem. Now we get somebody who tries to fob you off to an organisation that you have told them you have already contacted.
I fully agree with an earlier comment:
Absolute shambles of a service. They act as gatekeepers to trading standards, making it impossible to contact TS direct. I get the feeling CAB are just kids sat behind a screen googling your question/complaint.
Trading standard starved of money are unlikely to have a lot concerns about our petty complaints. They can't even stop drugs being sold in high street shops. Such a good idea to hand over their customer services to the an organisation that makes you give up.

29 June 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

No Advice just read from a script

I telephoned Camden citizens advice seeking legal information. Having been kept on hold twice the advisor Yvonne came back to me with scripted useless information. I tried to press her that I sought to know the actual law I could use against my landlord (rather than her waffle) and she said I had to listen to her “advice” which was basically no advice! She also said - don’t bother going to the Housing Ombudsman they’ll only side with your Landlord! That may or may not be true but it’s opinion not advice! Even if she’s said “we can’t establish the housing law I suggest you try x or y” would have been something instead of her arrogant useless waffle! In the interim she also sent me - without permission - no reply junk emails to issues on CABs website! Time the Citizens Advice was shut down for good since they clearly don’t care about actually listening to people!

29 June 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Phoned up and needed someone to help me do the online form for devon housing due to current situation

Had a call from citizen advice bureau Paignton Devon. Explained the situation as father flat is going through probate. I live at the address and needed help with online Devon housing form. Not able to do it myself have health issues. All they said they would is send information no mention of getting the help and what documents needed. Trying to phone is impossible to get through and live chat near impossible as well only have a android phone and takes ages to type anything out. Have found another charity who are going to help with online housing form and any more advice and help they can give me!! Tried live chat online have disability and more before I could type it she said we assume you don't want any help and ended the chat. How unprofessional is that. All the stuff sent in the post could check out for myself.

26 June 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Absolute shambles of a service

Absolute shambles of a service. They act as gatekeepers to trading standards, making it impossible to contact TS direct. I get the feeling CAB are just kids sat behind a screen googling your question/complaint, the

12 June 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Can't contact them - no-one available when phoning and no-one available when on the chat

Can't even get through to them by phone or by chat. Spent over 9 minutes this morning on the phone and listened to the loop machine and only got, several times sorry no-one is available. This afternoon went on chat, and again no-one available. Phoned and was on phone 10 minutes and still heard same old recording 4 times and then 'sorry no-one is available', so tried chat again and got the 'sorry no-one is available'

1 June 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Get rid of this I say

Get rid of this I say. When i learnt it is also locally funded what a waste of money. The only time I ever tried to use the service in my life they do not even bother to respond. What a waste of local money. 100 percent failure rate. Close it down and save money.

20 May 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Absolutely useless service

Absolutely useless service, they have their own set of rules. I needed a third party to contact my wife which legally they can. They advised me that policies they have in place wouldn’t allow them too as they class it as cold calling!

28 May 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Gone to the Dogs

Gone to the Dogs. This used to be a really valuable service for people at really stressful times. Now it simply adds to the stress. No-one answers the phone! If it can't be funded and staffed properly then it should surely be withdrawn altogether and stop wasting peoples' time.

19 May 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

OXFORD

I sought help regarding a complaint involving Oxford City Council and was deeply disappointed by the experience.

The adviser assisting me was a former Oxford City Council employee, which already raised concerns about impartiality given the nature of my complaint. What made matters worse was that while completing the paperwork, she repeatedly entered information that I explicitly told her was incorrect and did not reflect my actual circumstances.

When I corrected her, explaining that the details she was entering applied to people on benefits and not to my situation, she continued regardless rather than accurately recording the facts. I was then told to simply amend the printed paperwork by hand in blue pen, which felt highly unprofessional.

I was also asked who had been helping me with information, which in the context of the interaction felt inappropriate and uncomfortable.

People seek advice services expecting accurate, impartial support, especially when dealing with stressful disputes with public bodies. Unfortunately, this experience left me feeling unheard, undermined, and with little confidence in the quality or neutrality of the advice provided.

20 January 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My boiler has been condemned and when I…

My boiler has been condemned and when I rang citizens advice they were fantastic, they arranged for a oil filled radiator for me, a heated electric throw, £150 payment, and I carbon monoxide detector, this is all to ensure I am warm and safe whilst I arrange for a new heating system

12 May 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Not worth 1 star

Not worth 1 star
40 + minute wait to get through then told they couldn't accept my call and cut me off - problem unsolved
Also not available every day, just Monday, Wednesday and Friday

13 May 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

EDF scandal

Absolutely uwful the advisor for gas & electric was awful she did not have a clue what she was doing had no information from the last three years from 2 other advisors information had been lost then i was surrounded by security cos she pressed a button on her laptop then her citzens advice manager came down and basically ****** me off i apologise to the advisor but walked off with no answers to by questions all i kept getting from the advisor yes yes yes im my view they need new advisors who as vast expertise in gas & electricity this advisor at Doncaster was not interested one little bit and did not have a clue i am thankful that the ombudsman as now stepping in as this now been going on for three years with citizens advise with three different advisors these 3 managers was not at all interested in my case they had no thought whatsoever for me mental heath in my view these three advisors & manger’s should be suspended best wishes gary mclelland

4 May 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Unprofessional

I am waiting on the line more than an hour to book an appointment also when they answered they didn’t understand what I am saying so I asked them to transferred me to another college they refused and they made my life harder because the specific person answers to me whatever she wants and when I asked her name she told me Teresa. Teresa what ??? Unprofessional , don’t want to book an appointment to guide me on the specific matter that I asked already on the citizen advice and they told me that they can do it. That Teresa that I don’t think that is her real name didn’t want to corporate or at least to try. I was waiting more in the phone for her to ask that to sort it out the appointment that it will take 5 minutes to book it. I understand that maybe she was in training but even If it was like this her manager doesn’t want to help a single mother that spend on the house home one hour to wait on the line and after with someone that didnt want to do his job.

7 May 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

*** Utterly useless ***

*** Utterly useless ***

The person/bot on the phone will give you their opinion, but will not provide any actual legal or regulatory advice/reason as to why a business/service is either conducting itself lawfully or not.

You are better off using google.com or an AI to give you better advice.

23 April 2026
Unprompted review

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