Ofcom Rule Phone/Broadband Disruption To be Compensated

Ofcom Rule that Compensation to be Automatically Awarded for Any Service Disruption

Losing your phone line is very annoying. Particularly when it takes our your internet access to it. These days having no broadband or phone line massively outstrips any other lack of service (with the exception of electricity and water).

One of the really annoying factors in this is dealing with your Telecom provider. In the UK the vast majority of us have to deal with BT who, and let’s be fair here, might be prompt in billing you, but slow as molasses in fixing a fault.

Incidentally, if you would like to know who Ofcom recently rated the worst for customer service, you can check that out here.

There is a slight coincidence that I personally have a fault with my BT line. Having reported it to my excellent provider (not BT) I was told that it would be fixed on Friday. So far, no news.

The good news is, however, that from 2019 your Telecom provider will automatically have to refund you a set figure for each day your service is out.

Automatic compensation? Sounds good!

In a report via the BBC, Ofcom has ruled that significant delays are no longer going to be acceptable.

So, what does this mean? Well, for UK users at least, for each day your service is out you will automatically be compensated £8. In addition, if an engineering visit is booked and they don’t attempt, you get £25 and for each day beyond the estimated date, your service is still broken you get £5.

We often have enough problems deciding who will give us the best service, at least now, there will be a financial penalty for expedient service.

It should be noted that Ofcom originally were pushing for £10 a day, but personally, I can live with £8. It’s more than the nothing I’m currently getting.

What do you think? A good idea and about time? Not enough motivation? – Let us know in the comments!