Virgin Media has been fined a record £28 million by Ofcom for obstructing customers from cancelling their contracts. The telecoms watchdog discovered that Virgin Media impeded customers from switching to other providers through deliberate mishandling of calls. This resulted in customers facing unnecessary obstacles when attempting to cancel their contracts over a near three-year period from January 2022 to September 2024.
The tactics used by Virgin Media included pressuring customers to stay, transferring calls to different departments, long hold times, dropping calls intentionally, and failing to process cancellations promptly. Virgin Media, previously fined in 2018 for the same misconduct, also failed to cooperate with Ofcom’s investigation.
Natalie Black, Ofcom’s group director, criticized Virgin Media, stating that the company made it challenging for customers to cancel contracts and did not fully cooperate with the investigation. Consequently, Ofcom imposed its largest-ever consumer protection fine, emphasizing their commitment to penalize providers acting against consumer interests.
In response, a Virgin Media spokesperson mentioned significant improvements in customer service, emphasizing a transformation in their approach. According to the spokesperson, Virgin Media’s customer service overhaul led to a notable decrease in complaints, positioning them as the least-complained-about broadband provider as per Ofcom’s latest data.
Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, condemned Virgin Media’s actions, describing them as cynical and harmful to customers seeking better deals. Concha highlighted the importance of the regulator’s intervention through a substantial fine, sending a warning to other companies about the consequences of rule violations.