What to do if your internet service isn’t up to scratch...
IT’S a familiar sensation for most of us of late – that moment when you’re on a Zoom call and the internet has frozen, or you’ve been booted out by your patchy broadband.
Perhaps our providers can be forgiven for momentary lapses as the country continues to connect online. But what if your service is consistently sub-standard?
Resolver asked technology expert David Mcclelland for his advice on staying connected if your service goes bad:
COOLING-OFF PERIOD
THIS protects you if you change your mind once you’ve bought something on the internet or over the phone.
For a broadband contract, it begins the day after you sign up to the service and lasts for a minimum of 14 calendar days.
So you have two weeks in which you can change your mind and terminate your contract without penalty – that’s the law.
Once your broadband service has started, your provider will test and tune your connection to make sure it reaches the best speeds possible. This means your service may appear unreliable for the first week or two, and your service won’t have settled down to what will be its normal performance within that cooling-off period.
Some internet service providers (ISPS) give you longer to back out, so check terms and conditions before you sign up.
BAD SERVICE – YOUR RIGHTS
EVEN after the cooling-off period, perhaps you’re not getting the download speeds you were promised, or your connection keeps going offline?
If the service isn’t up to scratch then there are consumer protections that have your back.
First, make sure there isn’t a problem with your computer or broadband equipment.
Most ISPS share tips on their website about getting the best performance and the industry watchdog, Ofcom, has a guide.
If reliability is still a problem, or your download speed is less than you were promised, then raise your case with your ISP.
If it is part of the Ofcom
Code of Practice for Internet Service Providers – the UK’S major ISPS all are – then it has 30 days to diagnose and fix the problem.
Right now, that period has been relaxed to reflect additional pressures providers face due to the coronavirus outbreak. But if they can’t fix it, and it’s a problem outside of your home, then you can walk away from the contract without penalty.
Even if your ISP is not part of the industry scheme, it is still obliged to provide you with the service you have paid for.
If it can’t, then under the Consumer Rights Act it is in breach of contract and you should be able to leave the contract penalty-free.
If you and your ISP can’t agree a resolution, raise a formal complaint with them, setting out what you believe is wrong and what you’d like to happen next. It will have up to two weeks to respond and if you’re still in deadlock, call in the big guns.
RESOLVING DISPUTES
THE UK has two ombudsman schemes for internet service providers – CISAS and Ombudsman Services – and all ISPS must be a member of one.
You can use these schemes for free and it’s simple to raise your case. Resolutions range from an apology to financial compensation, or a promise to resolve the problem – and are enforceable in court.
■ See davidmcclelland.co.uk for more tips and videos.
■ If you think you’ve been scammed or ripped off, Resolver can help you make a complaint for free. Go to resolver.co.uk for information.