Don’t tolerate net losses from broadband service provider
Broadband is a vital component of many homes – a 21st century must that’s almost as important as water, electricity and gas. We use it to pay bills, do banking, connect entertainment and find out what friends and family are doing. So when it goes wrong, it’s serious.
According to telecom regulator Ofcom, there are 5.7 million cases of consumers losing broadband connections each year. A further 1.3million suffer delayed installation – together roughly one in four UK households.
But in almost all contract small print, internet service providers (ISPs) say something like “continuous service is not guaranteed – there may be interruptions”.
Now Ofcom wants broadband suppliers to pay automatic compensation for problems. Which? welcomes this advance, pointing out that when gas, electricity, or water supplies fail, you get statutory payments – it could be £75 for 12 hours or more without electricity and £25 for low water pressure. These sums focus utility companies – incentivising them to repair faults quickly and bring in emergency solutions.
Under the Ofcom proposals, you would get £30 for each missed repair appointment – currently, if an engineer fails to turn up, that’s tough. You would get £10 a day for each 24-hour period that a repair is delayed following a loss of service and there would be £6-a-day for delays with the start of a new service.
Which? has files of broadband horror stories. One woman had just nine months of service in three years of paying one supplier. She finally changed – and the fault was fixed in five minutes.
Others complain that they can’t switch providers as they are compelled to stay with bad – or nonexistent – service by penalty clauses for ending a contract.
Which? says “compensation should be simple, easy and fair, based on customers’ legitimate expectations rather than an arbitrary figure or unclear criteria. Some, but by no means all, ISPs have proposed a voluntary code of practice. Which? believes this “does not meet concerns”.
The Ofcom proposals are currently out for consultation so individuals, ISPs, consumer groups and other interested organisations can have their say. Ofcom hopes to publish its decision around the end of this year.