Finding that you are simply unable to get online can be an incredibly frustrating feeling, and when the problem stretches on for hours or even days, the situation can become downright inconvenient. After all, in addition to having to put your favourite leisure activities on hold (there will be no streaming TV or movies, downloading music, gaming online, or even just checking your Facebook account whilst you wait for the problem to be resolved), you could also be faced with the prospect of being unable to work or study. With many job interviews now taking place over Zoom too, there really is no limit to the damage that a broadband outage could cause you and your family. And not to mention the raised tensions of a household struggling to cope without their usual access to the internet!
If you have been affected in such a significant way, then it stands to reason that you might wonder if you would be eligible for compensation. The good news is that there is often a rate of compensation payable for broadband internet customers who have suffered significant periods of being unable to connect to the internet.
The Automatic Compensation Scheme (1) is in place to refund around £8 to customers who have been subjected to an internet outage which has lasted for longer than two full days. As the name suggests, the amount that you are due will be credited to your billing account automatically - but you must have reported the outage to your internet provider in order to be in line for any payment. If you have reported the outage, and the problems last longer than two days, you will be compensated to the tune of around £8 for each additional day you are forced to spend without internet access.
Many of the major internet providers are signed up to the Automatic Compensation Scheme, including BT, EE, Sky and NOW broadband, TalkTalk, Virgin Media, Hyperoptic, Utility Warehouse, and Zen Internet, so there is a good chance that you will be able to get some money back if you are affected by a broadband internet outage.
And, if you have had enough of broadband outages that take too long to get resolved, you are entitled to leave your broadband contract without being made to pay a release fee, also under the terms of the Automatic Compensation Scheme.
The scheme also pays out if a new internet connection is not up and running by the date agreed when you signed up, or if an appointment with your broadband provider's engineer ends up being cancelled by them. In these situations, you can expect a refund of £25 for a missed appointment, or for any appointment that has been cancelled within 24 hours of the agreed date. If your service doesn't start when planned, you are entitled to £5 for each day that you are left waiting to be connected.
It's important to note that this compensation will only be available for customers who have experienced broadband outages that were caused by issues occurring across the broadband network away from their homes or workplace. So if you find yourself unable to connect to the internet due to an old or broken router, you won't be able to make a successful claim.