Consumer champion Which? has found that Brits are being hit with above-inflation price increases for their broadband while suffering from unreliable services.
According to the research – which gathered responses from nearly 4,000 broadband customers – 53 percent of respondents had experienced issues such as slow speeds, connection dropouts, outages, and router problems.
The problems were widespread across all broadband providers, with only marginal differences between the best and worst performers in terms of customer experiences.
The survey results come at a time when many providers have implemented above-inflation price increases, exacerbating the frustration for consumers.
Despite the ongoing cost of living crisis faced by many people, several providers decided to impose significant price hikes earlier this year, leading to customers paying more for mediocre services.
The dissatisfaction with broadband services is adding insult to injury for customers already struggling with financial challenges.
Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said:
“A reliable connection is essential to modern life. Earlier this year, many broadband consumers were hit with mid-contract price hikes of more than 14 per cent – meaning that it’s more important than ever that their provider offers a reliable connection and good customer service.
It’s completely unacceptable that customers who have faced these eye-watering increases are also experiencing so many problems with their connection. Broadband firms need to work harder to resolve these issues and offer a better service.
Among the major providers, Sky, Virgin Media, and EE had the lowest proportion of customers who did not report any issues, with only 32 percent, 35 percent, and 37 percent respectively.
BT performed relatively better, with 49 percent of its customers not experiencing any performance problems in the past year.
With providers such as Hyperoptic, Shell Energy Broadband, and Utility Warehouse, at least four in ten customers reported facing at least one problem.
The most common issue reported by customers was frequent connection dropouts, affecting 19 percent of respondents. Slow connection speeds were the second most prevalent problem, with 17 percent of customers experiencing this issue.
Other complaints included slow uploads and downloads (15%), router problems (14%), and complete loss of connection for at least an hour (14%).
Additionally, 12 percent of respondents faced slow or disrupted streaming, while 8 percent were without a connection for more than a day.
The survey also addressed customer service experiences.
Around 44 percent of respondents reported encountering some form of customer service issue, with 11 percent finding it difficult to get in touch with their provider or resolve their issues.
Earlier this year, Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, called on providers to improve their customer service.
Ofcom was criticised last year for failing to protect consumers with its request to ISPs not to raise broadband prices. The request wasn’t backed by regulatory action and has led to today’s higher prices for struggling households.
For customers who are tired of dealing with broadband issues and are out of contract, switching providers may be a viable option. Previous research by Which? indicated that switching can save customers an average of £92 per year.
However, for those locked into fixed-term contracts, switching is not as simple. Many customers find themselves in a catch-22 situation where they must either continue paying higher prices or incur steep exit fees to terminate their contracts early.
As part of its cost of living campaign, Which? has urged providers to allow customers to leave without penalty if they face mid-contract price increases. Unfortunately, only a few companies have responded positively to these demands, leaving customers feeling trapped.
Which? believes that Ofcom’s review should lead to changes that prevent customers from being stuck in such situations in the future, providing certainty regarding contract prices.
“While some customers are able to switch away to better service and prices, many are trapped in contracts where they either have to accept above-inflation price hikes in the spring or pay exorbitant exit fees to leave the contract early,” added Concha.
“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.”
(Photo by Sander Sammy on Unsplash)
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