Commenting on the announcement that EE has been fined £2.7m by Ofcom for overcharging its mobile customers, Richard Neudegg, head of regulation at Uswitch.com, comments:
“The size of this fine by Ofcom, £2.7m, is more than double what EE was fined in 2015 for its failure to follow the rules on complaints. It is a clear sign from the regulator to all providers that billing mistakes will not be tolerated.
“EE customers who called the company’s ‘150’ customer services number while roaming within the EU were incorrectly charged as if they had called the United States. This mistake saw customers charged £1.20 per minute, instead of 19p per minute – an issue that impacted at least 32,145 customers who were overcharged around £245,700.
“EE originally stated they couldn’t identify all of the people it overcharged – and indeed they still haven’t. Whilst the Ofcom intervention has resulted in most of the customers now being reimbursed, it is especially disappointing to see that EE wasn’t able to do this from the outset, and only made headway after the regulator intervened. It is also disappointing to learn that some customers – maybe unknowingly – are still out of pocket.
“Many customers will simply assume their monthly bills will be correct – however, as this case shows, mistakes can happen. If you think you might have been impacted by this or another billing mistake, you should check your bill and make a formal complaint to your provider. If that doesn’t solve the problem, you have a right to take your complaint to the relevant ombudsman.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Claire Jones
Phone: 020 7148 4663
Email: Claire.Jones@uswitch.com
Twitter: @uswitchPR
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