Virgin Media has been fined £28 million by Ofcom after the UK telecoms regulator found that the company repeatedly made it difficult for customers to cancel their contracts.
The investigation covered the period from January 2022 to September 2024 and followed almost 2,000 complaints from Virgin Media broadband, landline and pay-TV customers who said they had struggled to leave.
Ofcom said Virgin Media likely mishandled millions of customer phone calls during the period. The regulator identified practices including unnecessary call transfers, customers being placed on hold without reason and calls being deliberately dropped.
The watchdog said some calls were mishandled in a way that delayed or prevented customers from cancelling their contracts and switching to competitors.
Ofcom also found evidence of deliberate mishandling by retention team agents. It said Virgin Media’s commission structure effectively encouraged and financially rewarded behaviour that made it harder for customers to leave.
The £28 million penalty is Ofcom’s largest ever fine under its consumer protection rules. The original penalty was reduced by 30% after Virgin Media admitted its failings and agreed to settle the case.
The regulator said the case underlined the importance of customers being able to exit contracts easily, particularly when switching provider can save households hundreds of pounds.
