BT has refunded or credited £18 million to customers following a breach of Ofcom’s consumer protection rules.
An earlier investigation saw BT fined £2.8 million in 2023. Ofcom found that BT had failed to provide key contract information to some EE and Plusnet customers before they signed up to a new deal. This requirement is to ensure transparency and informed consumer choice.
According to Ofcom, BT did not issue the mandatory contract summary and full contract information documents, and says customers were not bound by the terms of those contracts under UK telecoms rules.
Some customers left BT before the end of their contract period and were wrongly charged early exit fees. Ofcom ruled that these fees should not have been applied in cases where the required documentation had not been supplied.
BT contacted offered impacted customers the chance to cancel without penalty and/or request the missing contract information. It also amended its sales processes to bring them into compliance,
Where customers could not be refunded directly, BT was instructed to donate the equivalent amount to charity. A total of £440,000 was distributed to 17 charities as part of that effort.
A BT spokesperson said the company had worked closely with Ofcom to address the issue and ensure all affected customers were treated fairly.
“The enforcement serves as a reminder to all providers of their obligations under Ofcom’s Fairness for Customers commitments, which include clear communication and transparent contract terms”, said Ofcom
