The UK’s biggest broadband, phone and pay-TV companies have pledged to put fairness at the heart of their business, after signing up to Ofcom’s new Fairness for Customers commitments.
We have introduced the commitments to improve how companies treat their customers. They aim to help ensure people are always treated fairly by their provider – whether they are signing up to a new deal, trying to fix a problem or switching to a new company.
All of the UK’s biggest providers have signed up to the commitments, including BT, EE, Giffgaff, O2, Plusnet, Post Office, Sky, TalkTalk, Tesco Mobile, Three, Virgin Media and Vodafone. This covers the vast majority of broadband, mobile, pay-TV and home phone customers.
Sharon White, Ofcom Chief Executive, said: “Great service cannot be optional. It has to be the norm. That hasn’t always happened in the past in broadband and mobile services, but there is now a growing belief from providers that putting customers first is paramount.
“So, I welcome the commitments the providers have made and the action they’re taking to ensure customers are treated fairly at every step of the way.”
Margot James, Minister for Digital, said: “I’m pleased that all the major telecoms providers have signed up to Ofcom’s commitments today. They will not only help consumers get fairer deals, but will support competition by making sure providers work to the same objectives and compete on standards.”
The commitments are the latest step in our Fairness for Customers programme, which also includes:
We are also proposing clearer, fairer deals for people who buy mobile handsets bundled alongside airtime. We will announce the next steps on this later in the summer.
We are also continuing to review broadband pricing, looking at why some people pay more than others – particularly those who might find themselves in vulnerable circumstances. We expect to publish our findings on this in the autumn.