- The Consumer Rights Act 2015 sets out key protections for consumers, including for services.
- Services must be performed with reasonable care and skill under the Act.
- The Act addresses unfair terms in consumer contracts.
- It applies to broadband as a service consumers buy, alongside sector-specific rules.
- It provides a general consumer law backstop in addition to Ofcom's framework.
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires services, including broadband, to be performed with reasonable care and skill and addresses unfair contract terms. It provides a general consumer law backstop alongside Ofcom's rules.
Last reviewed: June 2026
What the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 is a major piece of consumer protection legislation that consolidated and set out key rights for consumers across goods, services and digital content. For broadband, which consumers buy as a service, the Act is relevant because it establishes general protections that apply alongside the sector-specific rules Ofcom administers. While Ofcom's framework provides detailed, broadband-specific protections, the Consumer Rights Act provides broader consumer law that also applies, acting as a backstop. Understanding how the Act relates to broadband helps consumers appreciate the full range of protections they have, both the specific and the general.
The Act applies to a wide range of consumer transactions, and broadband is one of them as a service. Its general protections complement, rather than replace, the specific rules for the sector, giving consumers more than one basis for their rights.
Services with reasonable care and skill
A central provision of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 for services is that a service must be performed with reasonable care and skill. Applied to broadband, this means the service should be provided to a reasonable standard, competently and properly. Where a service falls short of this standard, the Act provides consumers with rights to a remedy. This general standard sits alongside the specific broadband rules, such as the minimum guaranteed speed, and provides a broader basis for expecting the service to be delivered properly. The reasonable care and skill requirement is one of the key ways the Act protects consumers of services, including broadband.
| Protection | What it requires | Relevance to broadband |
|---|---|---|
| Reasonable care and skill | Services performed properly | Broadband delivered to a reasonable standard |
| Unfair terms | Terms must be fair | Unfair contract terms challengeable |
| Remedies for failure | Right to redress | Backstop for service failures |
| General consumer law | Applies across services | Works alongside Ofcom rules |
Unfair contract terms
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 also addresses unfair terms in consumer contracts. Terms that are unfair to the consumer, in the sense defined by the Act, may not be binding, which protects consumers from being held to terms that unreasonably disadvantage them. For broadband contracts, this means the terms must meet the standards of fairness the Act sets, and a term that is unfair may be challengeable. This provision complements the sector-specific requirements on contract transparency and fairness, providing a general legal basis for challenging unfair terms in a broadband contract, which strengthens the consumer's position.
How the Act applies to broadband
Broadband is a service that consumers buy, so the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies to it, including the requirements for reasonable care and skill and around unfair terms. This means a consumer of broadband has the protections of the Act in addition to the sector-specific protections Ofcom administers. In practice, the two work together: Ofcom's rules provide detailed, broadband-specific protections such as the speeds code and complaints requirements, while the Act provides general consumer law that also applies. A consumer with a problem may be able to rely on both, depending on the situation, which gives them a broader range of rights than either alone.
Service failures
Where a broadband service fails to meet the standard of reasonable care and skill, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 provides consumers with rights to a remedy. What counts as a service failure depends on the circumstances, but a service provided to a poor standard, or not as it should be, may fall short of the Act's requirements. The remedies available under the Act for services can include having the problem put right or, in some cases, a price reduction. This provides a general legal route to redress for service failures, complementing the specific remedies under Ofcom's framework, such as the right to exit for speed failure or automatic compensation for certain events.
The Act alongside Ofcom's framework
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 and Ofcom's framework operate together to protect broadband consumers. Ofcom's framework, made under the Communications Act 2003, provides detailed, sector-specific rules and remedies, such as the General Conditions, the speeds codes, complaints requirements and automatic compensation. The Consumer Rights Act provides general consumer law that also applies to broadband as a service. For a consumer, this layered protection means there is both specific and general law to rely on. In practice, sector-specific routes are often the most direct for broadband issues, but the general consumer law provides an important additional backstop.
Using your rights
For a consumer with a broadband problem, the practical approach is usually to use the most relevant route, which for many broadband-specific issues is the provider's complaints process and the sector-specific protections, with escalation to an approved dispute resolution scheme if needed. The Consumer Rights Act provides an additional basis for rights, particularly around the standard of the service and unfair terms, which can be relevant where the specific rules do not fully address the issue. Being aware that both the sector-specific framework and general consumer law apply helps a consumer understand the full range of protections and choose the right route for their situation.
Why the Act matters for broadband
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 matters for broadband because it ensures that, as a service, broadband is subject to general consumer protections in addition to the specific rules for the sector. The requirements for reasonable care and skill and around unfair terms provide a broad foundation of rights that apply regardless of the sector-specific detail. This means broadband consumers are protected both by the specialised framework and by general consumer law, giving them a robust set of rights. The Act is part of the wider legal context that underpins the consumer's position, even though sector-specific routes are often used first.
Knowing your full protections
In summary, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 provides general consumer protections that apply to broadband as a service, including the requirement that services be performed with reasonable care and skill and protections against unfair contract terms. It works alongside Ofcom's sector-specific framework, providing a general consumer law backstop in addition to the specialised rules. For broadband issues, sector-specific routes are often the most direct, but the Act provides an important additional basis for rights. Knowing that both apply ensures consumers understand the full range of protections available to them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Consumer Rights Act apply to broadband?
Yes. Broadband is a service that consumers buy, so the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies to it, including the requirement that services be performed with reasonable care and skill and the protections around unfair contract terms. It provides general consumer law that applies alongside the sector-specific protections Ofcom administers, giving consumers more than one basis for their rights.
What is a reasonable standard of broadband service?
Under the Consumer Rights Act, a service must be performed with reasonable care and skill, meaning broadband should be provided to a reasonable standard, competently and properly. What this means in practice depends on the circumstances, but a service provided to a poor standard or not as it should be may fall short, giving the consumer rights to a remedy.
How does the Consumer Rights Act help with broadband disputes?
It provides a general legal basis for rights, particularly around the standard of the service being reasonable care and skill, and against unfair contract terms. This complements the sector-specific routes such as the provider's complaints process and Ofcom's framework. A consumer may be able to rely on both, depending on the situation, which broadens the range of rights available.
What are unfair contract terms in broadband?
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 addresses terms that are unfair to the consumer, in the sense defined by the Act, which may not be binding. For broadband, this means contract terms must meet the standards of fairness the Act sets, and a term that unreasonably disadvantages the consumer may be challengeable, complementing the sector-specific requirements on contract transparency and fairness.
Can I use the Consumer Rights Act to cancel my broadband?
The Act provides remedies where a service fails to meet the standard of reasonable care and skill, which can include having the problem put right or, in some cases, other remedies, depending on the circumstances. For broadband-specific issues such as speed failure, the sector-specific right to exit is often the most direct route, but the Act provides an additional general basis for redress.
How does the Act work alongside Ofcom's rules?
They operate together. Ofcom's framework, under the Communications Act 2003, provides detailed, sector-specific rules and remedies such as the speeds codes and complaints requirements, while the Consumer Rights Act provides general consumer law that also applies to broadband as a service. This layered protection gives consumers both specific and general law to rely on, with sector-specific routes often the most direct.
