Virgin Media has been hit with a substantial £28 million fine for obstructing customers from terminating their contracts. Ofcom, the telecommunications regulator, discovered that Virgin Media impeded numerous customers from switching to other providers through widespread and sometimes intentional mishandling of calls. The fine, the largest ever imposed by Ofcom for consumer protection breaches, was a result of Virgin Media causing customers significant difficulty when attempting to cancel services over a nearly three-year period from January 2022 to September 2024.
The tactics employed by Virgin Media included pressuring customers to stay, unnecessary call transfers, prolonged hold times, dropping calls intentionally, and failure to process cancellations promptly. Additionally, Virgin Media failed to comply with Ofcom’s information requests during the investigation, despite being previously fined in 2018 for similar violations.
Natalie Black, Ofcom’s group director for infrastructure and connectivity, stated that Virgin Media deliberately made contract cancellations challenging for customers and did not cooperate fully with the investigation. The hefty fine serves as a warning to service providers that any actions against customer interests will result in severe repercussions.
In response, a Virgin Media spokesperson highlighted the company’s significant overhaul of customer service in recent years, addressing past shortcomings through various improvements. According to the spokesperson, Ofcom’s latest data shows that Virgin Media now has the lowest complaint rates among broadband providers, with a substantial decrease in complaints related to difficulties in leaving.
Rocio Concha, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Which?, expressed shock at Virgin Media’s deliberate efforts to hinder customers from seeking better deals. Concha emphasized Virgin Media’s poor performance in broadband customer satisfaction surveys and applauded the regulator for imposing a substantial fine, sending a clear message to other companies about the consequences of breaching consumer protection rules.