Broadband and phone firms must now AUTOMATICALLY pay you up to £25 when things go wrong
Customers will be refunded cash if they experience poor service from their provider
FED-UP broadband and phone customers will be given money back if they get poor service - and won't have to do anything to claim.
Customers will see their accounts automatically credited if they suffer slow repairs, missed appointments and delayed installations, regulator Ofcom has announced.
Some of the biggest providers in the country, including Sky, BT, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Zen Internet, have signed up to the scheme meaning around 90 per cent of all broadband and phone customers will get the benefit.
Ofcom, which first announced these proposals in March, said it will take 15 months for the scheme to come into effect.
The highest level of compensation will be for missed appointments.
If an engineer doesn't turn up or its cancelled with less than 24 hours notice, customers will get £25.
If you're without internet or phone for two full days you'll get £8 for each day it is not repaired.
And if the start of your new service is delayed, you'll get a fiver back each day until it is sorted.
Currently, compensation is paid out to customers in only around 15 per cent of cases.
Lindsey Fussell, of Ofcom, said: "Waiting too long for your landline or broadband to be fixed is frustrating enough, without having to fight for compensation.
"So providers will have to pay money back automatically, whenever repairs or installations don't happen on time, or an engineer doesn't turn up.
"People will get the money they deserve, while providers will want to work harder to improve their service."
Consumer groups have welcomed the move.
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Alex Neil of Which?, said: “We are pleased that compensation for poor broadband is going to become automatic, as it is now such an essential part of all of our everyday lives.
“For all consumers to get what they're entitled to, it’s vital that all providers play fair and sign up to this scheme.”
Gillian Guy of Citizens Advice added: "People rely on broadband for many of their daily activities, but all too often providers fail to deliver the service their customers are paying for.
"The introduction of this voluntary scheme means that consumers will no longer have to waste valuable time negotiating with providers, and is therefore welcome.
"But it’s essential that Ofcom holds the broadband companies to account through strict reporting to ensure consumers receive the compensation they are entitled to."
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