TalkTalk faces £139m fine for bogus bills

TalkTalk, the UK's second-biggest broadband provider, faces a fine of up to £139m for putting debt collectors on to customers who did not owe it money.
Ofcom yesterday ordered TalkTalk, which is 32.5pc-owned by founder Charles Dunstone, to "clean up" its act or "face the consequences".

The telecoms watchdog said more than 1,100 customers had complained that TalkTalk aggressively demanded payment for bills that did not exist.

One customer was ordered to pay £610 for services she cancelled in 2006, another was contacted by debt collectors demanding £354 for a broadband account terminated more than two years ago.

Ofcom ordered TalkTalk to refund all customers billed for cancelled services since the start of the year.

It also demanded that TalkTalk call off debt collectors and take "any necessary steps" to repair affected customers' credit ratings.