Ofcom fines Virgin Media £28m for blocking cancellations

The UK telecommunications regulator Ofcom has imposed a record £28 million fine on Virgin Media for systematically preventing customers from cancelling their broadband, TV, and phone contracts. The penalty, announced on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, is the largest ever levied by Ofcom under its consumer protection rules.

An investigation found that between January 2022 and September 2024, Virgin Media made it unreasonably difficult for millions of customers to cancel and switch to rival providers. The regulator identified deliberate tactics used by the company, including dropping customer calls, making excessive and unnecessary transfers between departments, keeping callers on hold, and failing to process cancellation requests. These hurdles were linked to a two-tier retention system where frontline staff could not process cancellations, requiring transfers to specialist teams. Ofcom also found that a staff commission scheme financially rewarded agents for retaining customers, creating an incentive to obstruct cancellations.

Natalie Black, Ofcom’s Group Director for Infrastructure and Connectivity, stated that Virgin Media not only made it harder for customers to cancel but also did...