Virgin Media fined £28m for preventing customers from cancelling contracts

Virgin Media faces a hefty £28 million penalty from the UK's telecoms regulator, Ofcom, for systematically obstructing customers seeking to cancel their services. The watchdog's investigation revealed a pattern of misconduct spanning from early 2022 to autumn 2024, during which millions of customer calls were allegedly mishandled.

Ofcom's findings indicate that Virgin Media employed deliberate tactics to prevent cancellations. These included dropping calls, unnecessarily transferring customers, and placing them on hold for extended periods without valid reasons. This behavior constitutes a significant breach of consumer protection rules, leading to the largest fine of its kind ever levied by Ofcom.

The regulator emphasized that the company's actions likely caused distress and frustration for countless customers attempting to end their contracts. The substantial fine serves as a stark warning to the industry about the importance of transparent and fair cancellation processes. Virgin Media has been instructed to take immediate steps to rectify its practices.