Ofcom should look into hidden charges

One in six UK broadband users have to pay up for hidden broadband charges according to research carried out by the moneysupermarket.com.

It was found that, on average, broadband users are being charged an additional £44 per year.

This can be for something as simple as not paying by direct debit or opting for a paper statement instead of viewing bills online.

Other charges applied to customers’ accounts are for exceeding fair usage policies and when a customer makes a phone call to one of the internet service providers’ helplines.

The ISPs cover themselves by placing details of these charges in the small print of the terms and conditions.

Moneysupermarket.com believes that the regulator, Ofcom, should be looking into these charges in order make the whole process of using broadband more straightforward.