The rip-off has to end

Vodafone makes things difficult for its customers from time to time – and also for some who actually aren’t or don’t want to be. Consumer protection has therefore targeted the provider. Vodafone should no longer simply do what you want with its contracts.

Consumer protection: Vodafone must abide by contracts as they are

Vodafone customers are often used to grief. This is also shown in a current case in which the Hamburg consumer advice center is taking action against the provider from Düsseldorf. Vodafone should no longer bill or even confirm contracts to customers which have not actually and demonstrably been completed.

“We regularly receive complaints from those affected who invest time and nerves to look after themselves to defend against invoices for which there is no contractual basis”, explains Julia Rehberg from the Hamburg Consumer Center. In several cases, as well as in the current one, things looked different: 960 euros for a two-year contract a Vodafone customer was supposed to pay, although according to her, there was no contact with Vodafone for a new contract.

That’s why you should cancel cell phone contracts regularly:

The consumer advocates acted with a warning against Vodafone – successfully (source: Consumer Center Hamburg). Vodafone is therefore not allowed to confirm the conclusion of a contract for the “Vodafone CableMax 1000” product to consumers without there being a corresponding order.

“If you don’t order anything, you don’t have to pay anything”, continues Rehberg. The customer in the current case already had an ongoing contract with Vodafone, but received a new one for which the full monthly fee was debited. She had previously had no contact, by telephone or in writing, with Vodafone about this contract. In addition, the customer contradicted the supposed order confirmation that she received by e-mail.

Vodafone rip-off: consumer protection suspects provider scam

According to consumer advocate Rehberg, Vodafone tried to simply foist a new one on the person concerned before the end of the current contract and thus continue to collect. Since last year, contracts must be automatically terminable on a monthly basis after the end of the original term.

Vodafone and its partner shops had previously been criticized several times for foisted contracts. That should actually be the end of it now. Because even if the provider were to ignore future cases, the hope of profiting financially from them should be gone.