Original article ISPreview UK:Read More
Broadband, phone and TV provider Virgin Media (O2) has today been fined £28 million by Ofcom after the UK telecoms regulator found that they had made it difficult for customers to cancel their contracts. Millions of customer calls were said to have been “deliberately mishandled, creating unnecessary barriers to switching or cancelling“.
Readers with long memories might recall that this investigation started all the way back in 2023 (here), after some customers who tried to leave said Virgin Media had made it difficult. Some struggled to get through to an agent on the phone, while others found their call was dropped mid-way through or were put on hold for long periods. And many said they had to make lengthy and repeated requests to cancel, as their initial request was not actioned.
At the time Ofcom warned that such an approach could conflict with their rules (e.g. General Conditions C1.8 and C4), which clearly state that the conditions or procedures telecoms providers have in place “must not act as a disincentive for customers who wish to cancel their contract“.
The regulator’s investigation was also setup to examine whether the ISP had failed to meet their requirements on complaints handling, such as whether customers were appropriately informed of their right to escalate their complaint to an independent ombudsman (Alternative Dispute Resolution – ADR – provider, such as Ombudsman Services or CISAS).
Ofcom’s Verdict
Breaking news.. more to follow..