Large numbers of broadband customers could be in for a windfall after enduring service issues over the last year.
Around 1.2million households are eligible for compensation from their internet providers due to missed appointments for scheduled visits. Thanks to watchdog Ofcom, an automatic compensation scheme can give customers an unexpected financial boost.
Firms like BT, EE, Plusnet, Sky, and Virgin Media could owe more than £114 million for delays to internet service and missed appointments.
The compensation scheme covers 85 per cent of broadband users in the UK. But price comparison website Go Compare is now calling for households to double-check their eligibility, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Broadband expert Matt Sanders advises: “The Ofcom automatic compensation scheme is great for users as it promises money back for any problems without having to claim for it yourself.
“When comparing broadband providers, it’s a good idea to check which ones are signed up to the scheme before committing. For some customers, issues and delays can drag on, with users waiting weeks or even months for repairs or the start of a new service.
“So, in these cases especially, we’re urging everyone to check that they have been fairly compensated for any issues with their service.
“You should have been automatically compensated, usually via a credit to your account within 30 days of the problem occurring.
“If this hasn’t happened, you should raise this with your broadband provider, and as a last resort, you can use the Ofcom-approved alternative dispute resolution (ADR) service.”
The comparison site discovered that 91% of UK adults do not even know what the Ofcom broadband automatic compensation scheme is.
Compensation on the scheme is calculated as £9.76 per day for those waiting for a repair, £6.10 for each calendar day a new service is late starting, and £30.49 per missed engineer appointment.
Last year, more than 3.5 million households suffered broadband delays in the UK.
This means providers should have paid out a whopping £114.9 million to customers – including late starts of new services and waiting for repairs following loss of service.
On top of this, 1.2 million households should have been compensated £57 million for missed appointments.
More information about the automatic compensation scheme can be found on Go Compare’s website.