Virgin Media hit with record £28m fine for stopping customers cancelling contracts
Summary
Virgin Media was fined £28 million by the UK telecom regulator Ofcom for making it difficult for customers to cancel their contracts between 2022 and 2024. The company admitted to mishandling millions of calls by delaying cancellations and rewarding staff for doing so.Key Facts
- Virgin Media was fined £28 million by Ofcom, the largest fine under its consumer protection rules.
- The company delayed or blocked contract cancellations from January 2022 to September 2024.
- Tactics included dropping calls on purpose, unnecessary transfers, and putting customers on hold without reason.
- A staff commission system encouraged agents to prevent cancellations.
- Around 2,000 complaints were made to Ofcom about this issue.
- Virgin Media admitted fault and settled the case, leading to a 30% reduction of the fine.
- The company has since improved staff training, commission schemes, and service monitoring.
- Ofcom requires Virgin Media to compensate affected customers within six months.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
