Virgin Media customers suffer email outage – what you need to know

Virgin's email service covers emails ending with @virginmedia.com, @virgin.net, @ntlworld.com and @blueyonder.co.uk. We've seen dozens of complaints from customers who rely on the service. Virgin says the problem started on Monday and was resolved by Tuesday evening.

However, users are still reporting being unable to see historic messages in their inbox. Virgin told us this is 'temporary', and it is working 'flat out' on a fix.

'I'm still not able to get into my emails'

Here's a selection of the complaints we've seen about the issue on Twitter:

Can I get compensation for this outage?

An internet service provider's email service isn't covered by Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme, as this only covers access internet outages and engineering visits.

However, if you want to make a complaint to Virgin, you can dial 150 from your Virgin landline or call 0345 454 1111 from your mobile. Or if you'd prefer, you can raise a complaint online via free complaints tool Resolver. The tool helps you manage your complaint, and if the company doesn't play ball, it also helps you escalate your complaint to the free Ombudsman.

Consider moving to a different email provider

Many say wanting to keep their email address from their internet provider stops them from switching to a cheaper deal. But rather than relying on your service provider's email service, it's easy to set up a new email address.

You can shift to a free email service such as @gmail.com or @outlook.com. See our Is your email address costing you £100s a year? blog for instructions on how to gradually move across to another email service.

Use the issue as haggling ammunition

If you're one of the millions out of contract, and don't want to switch away (check our Cheap broadband comparison for the best deals if you do), use this issue as ammunition when haggling a better deal. Virgin is one of the easiest firms to haggle with, so if you have had problems, they should want to make it up to you, so you could unlock a bigger discount. See Broadband haggling for top tips.

What has Virgin Media said?

A Virgin Media spokesperson told us: "We have now restored the ability to send and receive emails for all affected accounts. Our teams are continuing to work flat out to restore historic emails into the inboxes of a small proportion of accounts. We apologise again for any inconvenience caused."