Virgin Media slammed for exit penalty

VIRGIN Media customers who have been overcharged for breaking their contracts early may receive a refund following an investigation by the telecoms watchdog.

In its provisional findings published yesterday, Ofcom said Virgin’s early exit charges of up to £240 were ‘too high’. These fees are charged even if customers move to an area not covered by Virgin’s network — about 50 pc of the country.

The regulator said these fees would have put customers off switching and were not clearly explained on its website, both of which are in breach of its rules.

Ofcom, which has been investigating Virgin since June 2017 following complaints, said it had ‘reasonable grounds’ to believe that Virgin had broken the rules between September 2016 and September 2017. If this is true it could mean thousands of households are owed refunds.

In response to Ofcom’s findings, a spokesman from Virgin says it had received the information and will review it thoroughly.