COMPENSATION PLAN FOR BAD BROADBAND
CUSTOMERS on the receiving end of bad service from their landline or broadband company could get cash compensation as part of new proposals.
Regulator Ofcom has put forward plans which would see those who suffer from slow repairs or missed deadlines or appointments get compensation.
It means you could get from £10 up to £30 in compensation in cash or credit off your bill.
Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s consumer group director said: “When a customer’s landline or broadband goes wrong, that is frustrating enough without having to fight tooth and nail to get fair compensation from the provider.
“So we’re proposing new rules to force providers to pay money back to customers automatically.”
Ofcom estimates that up to 2.6 million landline and broadband customers could receive a total of up to £185m in new compensation payments each year as a result of the measures.
Under the proposals, customers would be entitled to automatic compensation if:
Their landline or broadband is not fixed quickly enough after it has stopped working
Their new landline or broadband service is not up and running on the day promised
An engineer does not arrive for an appointment as scheduled.
In response to the regulator’s plans, BT, Sky and Virgin Media have offered to set up a similar scheme voluntarily to avoid it being overseen by Ofcom.
But Ofcom dismissed the offer saying it fell short of what customers could reasonably expect from their broadband provider.
The level of compensation would be set by Ofcom, and the proposals apply to fixed broadband and landline telephone services only.
A consultation on the proposals is open until June 5 and the regulator will make a final decision before the end of the year.