Proactive Investors - When BT Group PLC (LON:BT), EE and Vodafone Group PLC (LON:VOD) users noticed their broadband bill in May had jumped a whopping 14.4% most might’ve quickly tried to cancel the contract and find a cheaper alternative.
After waiting, probably hours, on the phone hoping to speak with a representative, lots are met with the distressing news that a hefty fee is required to exit the deal.
As the realisation of the new price sinks in, customers may begin to find comfort in hoping that at least the hikes will keep the service running smoothly.
This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Over half of broadband customers have experienced connection issues this year alone and according to research from Which?, the largest players are the biggest offenders.
Around two-thirds of Sky, Virgin Media and EE customers said they experienced issues like internet outages, router problems or slow connection speeds.
BT, which performed best out of the major telecom firms, still saw over half of its customers suffer from internet troubles in 2023.
Worst of all when trying to fix the troubles, four in ten reported having issues with customer service and 11% never got the problem fixed.
“If people are sick of experiencing broadband issues and are out-of-contract, then it may be time to consider switching providers,” said the consumer group Which?
According to its research, customers can save £92 a year by switching away.
Rocio Concha, director of policy and advocacy at Which? understands though “that many are trapped” between high bills and even higher exit fees.
She said: “It’s absolutely critical that Ofcom’s review of inflation-linked mid-contract hikes results in changes that ensure customers are never trapped in this situation again.”
The regulator launched a review in April and will collect data until autumn before publishing the findings at the end of the year.
Although, by then the prospect of another round of mid-contract hikes will be rearing its ugly head.