Mobile Firm giffgaff Accused of Providing Inaccurate Info. to Ofcom

Mobile operator giffgaff (O2 MVNO) is facing a new challenge after Ofcom said they found “reasonable grounds for believing” that the UK firm may have provided “inaccurate information” in response to two requests, which were sent during the course of a probe into allegedly “inaccurate” billing.

The probe itself began last September 2018 (here) after the regulator warned that giffgaff may have rendered bills that were “inaccurate” as a result of a “billing error” that started in June 2016, which if true would be a breach of the General Condition 11.1 rule. GC11.1 requires, amongst other things, that broadband ISPs and mobile operators accurately bill consumers for their use of communication services.

Apparently this investigation is still on-going and may have been hampered by the latest development. “We have decided there are reasonable grounds for believing giffgaff has contravened its obligations under section 135 of the Communications Act 2003 (the ‘Act’) as a result of providing inaccurate information in response to two information requests sent during the course of our investigation,” said Ofcom.

The regulator has now given the operator a chance to respond before handing down its final judgement on the matter.