No automatic refunds for tens of thousands of Virgin Media customers
No automatic refunds for tens of thousands of Virgin Media customers despite loss of service
- Downdetector received 26,000 reports of people being unable to connect
- Virgin Media claims no refund is required
- That’s because network issues were resolved within two business days, the company said
Tens of thousands of Virgin Media customers are not receiving an automatic refund despite being without broadband, television and landlines for hours yesterday.
Downdetector, which detects network problems, received 26,000 reports of people unable to connect to the Internet.
Virgin Media claims no refunds are required as network issues are resolved within two business days – the minimum period of loss of service required for reimbursement.
Virgin Media claims no refund is required as network issues are resolved within two working days
This comes just days after the broadband provider increased prices by an average of 13.8 percent.
Consumer champion Martyn James says: ‘Broadband has become an essential service. For many people who work from home, the failure of the internet can have a major impact on whether or not they keep their job.’
The telecom giant has signed up to regulator Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme, meaning customers will be credited for long-term outages.
However, the services must be down for two full working days before any money is paid out – at which point it’s £9.33 for each day.
A spokesman for Virgin Media said: “We have restored broadband services but are closely monitoring the situation.”