EE given 20 days to pay £1m fine

EE, the UK’s largest mobile phone operator, which is poised to merge with BT – if the competition authorities can be won over – has been whacked with a £1m fine by Ofcom for shoddy complaints handling.
Ofcom ruled that from 2011 to 2014, EE failed to provide its customers with full information about their right to take complaints to an independent body, as it did not inform customers in writing.
An EE spokesman pleaded that this was a historic offence and that everything was hunky dory these days. He said: “While this in no way excuses it, it is important to note that we identified issues in our complaints handling and began our programme to tackle these problems head-on in 2013, before Ofcom started its investigation.
“We have made considerable improvements since then. Ofcom’s current figures highlight that complaints into Ofcom about EE have fallen by 50% in the past year.”
Ofcom point that the 50% figure relates solely to complaints about mobile services, but that complaints about EE broadband and landlines services have risen by 50% and 30% respectively.
EE customers have the right to take unresolved complaints to an independent body after two months have elapsed from the time of the original complaint or after an official “deadlock” letter has been received.
Between 22 July 2011 and 8 April 2014, Ofcom found that a number of customers who had requested a “deadlock letter” never received one. It also found that EE did not notify some customers on their paper bills that they could refer any complaint to this body free of charge.
Ofcom said it imposes strict rules on how providers must handle complaints and treats any breach of these rules “very seriously”. The fine imposed against EE takes account of the serious failings that occurred in the company’s complaints handling, and the extended period over which these took place,” it added.
EE has 20 days to cough up the cash.