Ofcom fines Virgin Media £28 million over mishandled cancellation calls

Ofcom fined Virgin Media £28 million on 8 July 2026 after finding that millions of customers’ calls were mishandled over nearly three years when they tried to cancel and switch provider. The company put people through unreasonable effort, hassle and difficulty.

The investigation covered calls made between 1 January 2022 and 11 September 2024. Ofcom found deliberate call-dropping, excessive and unnecessary transfers, customers being left on hold for no reason and cancellations that were not processed when they should have been. More than a million callers were made to repeat their request to at least one further agent before they had any chance of getting their cancellation through. Virgin Media’s commission scheme encouraged and financially rewarded the behaviour.

Ofcom’s General Conditions require contract-termination procedures not to act as a disincentive to customers who want to leave. Switching provider can save customers hundreds of pounds. Some callers were forced into multiple attempts by phone or other channels, and others resorted to cancelling direct debits, a move that can create missed payments and damage credit scores if the account is not closed cleanly.

Ofcom opened its investigation on 13 July 2023 after receiving complaints that Virgin Media was making it difficult for customers to cancel. Some callers struggled to get through to an agent, some had calls dropped mid-way and others were left waiting for long periods, while many first cancellation requests were never actioned. Ian Strawhorne, Ofcom’s director of enforcement, said the fine was intended to show companies they can expect enforcement action if they fail to respect customers’ rights to leave.

In December 2025, Ofcom fined the company £23.8 million in a separate case after telecare customers were disconnected during its migration from analogue to digital landlines, leaving some people at direct risk of harm.