Ofcom fines Virgin Media £28 million for blocking customer cancellations

Ofcom has fined Virgin Media £28 million for deliberately making it difficult for customers to cancel their contracts. The UK telecoms regulator said the company systematically obstructed millions of cancellation requests between January 2022 and September 2024. This is Ofcom's largest-ever penalty against a telecoms firm for consumer protection breaches. Virgin Media caused customers "unreasonable effort and hassle" by mishandling their calls. The company also refused to cooperate properly with Ofcom's investigation. This is the second time Virgin Media has broken the same rule. The company was previously fined in 2018 for similar conduct. The record penalty shows that regulators are taking stronger action against companies that prevent customers from switching providers.