Ofcom plans to set compensation for ISPs

Ofcom plans to set compensation for ISPs

Ofcom plans to set compensation for ISPs

 
Has your ISP ever denied you compensation after a lengthy service outage, cancelled or delayed an appointment without notice or delayed the start of your service? 
 
Today Ofcom, the UK’s independent regulator and competition authority, has announced plans to set automatic compensation fees for delays in repairing services, missing scheduled appointments or delaying the start of broadband services. These new rules plan on setting compensation fees of £10 per day for delays in repairs, £30 per day for missed appointments and £6 per day for a delayed start of services.   
 
These payments will be paid automatically to users, though these fees will be subject to a consultation period where Ofcom will discuss these changes with ISPs. Right now Ofcom is aiming for ISPs to fix issues within two days before customers get compensation, though at this time their plans are a proposal and will not be an official regulation for some time.     
 
Below is a comment from Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s Consumer Group Director, explaining what these plans hope to achieve.    
 
   

       When a customer’s landline or broadband goes wrong, that is frustrating enough without having to fight tooth and nail to get fair compensation from the provider.

So we’re proposing new rules to force providers to pay money back to customers automatically, whenever repairs or installations don’t happen on time, or when people wait in for an engineer who doesn’t turn up.

This would mean customers are properly compensated, while providers will want to work harder to improve their service.

  

Ofcom plans to set compensation for ISPs

 

Major ISPs have already put forward their own proposals to introduce automatic compensation to users as part of a voluntary industry code of practice, though these so far have not satisfied Ofcom’s concerns.

Ofcom’s new plan is estimated to provide 2.6 million consumers with compensation every year and ensure that ISPs provide a better quality of service in the future. 

 

 

You can join the discussion on Ofcom’s plans to force ISPs to automatically compensate consumers on the OC3D Forums.

   

Ofcom plans to set compensation for ISPs

Ofcom plans to set compensation for ISPs

 
Has your ISP ever denied you compensation after a lengthy service outage, cancelled or delayed an appointment without notice or delayed the start of your service? 
 
Today Ofcom, the UK’s independent regulator and competition authority, has announced plans to set automatic compensation fees for delays in repairing services, missing scheduled appointments or delaying the start of broadband services. These new rules plan on setting compensation fees of £10 per day for delays in repairs, £30 per day for missed appointments and £6 per day for a delayed start of services.   
 
These payments will be paid automatically to users, though these fees will be subject to a consultation period where Ofcom will discuss these changes with ISPs. Right now Ofcom is aiming for ISPs to fix issues within two days before customers get compensation, though at this time their plans are a proposal and will not be an official regulation for some time.     
 
Below is a comment from Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s Consumer Group Director, explaining what these plans hope to achieve.    
 
   

       When a customer’s landline or broadband goes wrong, that is frustrating enough without having to fight tooth and nail to get fair compensation from the provider.

So we’re proposing new rules to force providers to pay money back to customers automatically, whenever repairs or installations don’t happen on time, or when people wait in for an engineer who doesn’t turn up.

This would mean customers are properly compensated, while providers will want to work harder to improve their service.

  

Ofcom plans to set compensation for ISPs

 

Major ISPs have already put forward their own proposals to introduce automatic compensation to users as part of a voluntary industry code of practice, though these so far have not satisfied Ofcom’s concerns.

Ofcom’s new plan is estimated to provide 2.6 million consumers with compensation every year and ensure that ISPs provide a better quality of service in the future. 

 

 

You can join the discussion on Ofcom’s plans to force ISPs to automatically compensate consumers on the OC3D Forums.

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