Mobile phone users should be offered a "try before you buy" get-out clause to help them get the coverage they want, Ofcom's consumer panel has said.

A survey of more than 1,700 UK adults found more than half of consumers have experienced difficulties with mobile reception and a third said this was a regular experience.

A lack of accurate coverage information made the problem worse, the panel found, with 91% of small businesses having had difficulties with mobile coverage.

Anna Bradley, chairman of the panel, said: "While all the focus is on rolling out new services like mobile broadband, our research reveals that large numbers of consumers and small business employees are still having problems making even basic voice calls.

"This kind of basic coverage is hugely important to consumers and essential for small businesses to thrive. It's essential that consumers aren't trapped into contracts that don't give them the coverage they need.

"We would like to see providers offering consumers a 'try before you buy' clause that allows them to use their mobile and, if they don't get coverage, take it back."

But the panel conceded that good coverage depends on a variety of factors - including where the phone was being used, the local landscape and the weather - and that accurate information would always be an "inexact science".

Reception, particularly at home, was more important than the cost of the phone, quality of the customer service and the type of handset on offer when choosing a phone, the survey showed.

It also found the most common problem for consumers was so-called "not spots", where the user received no reception at all. A total of 36% of mobile users have experienced this, 18% regularly. This was followed by poor sound quality and text messages being delivered late, which were both experienced by 20% of users, 8% regularly.

A total of 12% of those who had problems had contacted customer services, but only 2% had changed networks.