Trouble with Vodafone continues: consumer advocate reveals how bad it is

Vodafone is still in the focus because of subordinated contracts in dozens of partner shops. Even before that, the Düsseldorf company could not really score points in terms of customer satisfaction. A consumer advocate now reveals how popular Vodafone is and what customers should be aware of in the shop.

Vodafone cracked down on the cases of subordinated contracts that became known from several partner shops. A total of 53 Vodafone shops operated by franchisees have already been closed, and there are also several criminal charges. Even so, the incidents are unlikely to have a positive impact on the Group's image.

Vodafone will collect more than 11,000 complaints in 2020

Vodafone thinks that is at least possible: The company told Spiegel that it does not tolerate the procedure in some partner shops. Also because it harms customers and the company - a view that Carola Elbrecht from the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (VZBV) shares.

"Something like that gets around. That could have a long-term effect on customer satisfaction and increase the willingness to switch to the competition, "she explains in an interview (source: Spiegel). And further: "We receive significantly more complaints about Vodafone than from any other network operator, last year there were around 11,000."

What consumers should consider when concluding a contract

So that consumers do not become part of these statistics, a few tips should be observed in the store: Since the entire contract is often not legible when signing on the tablet, always have all documents printed out before signing. The best thing is not to sign anything on the tablet, but to take the contract home with you and check it out there in peace and quiet without being put under pressure.

In the case of offers that apply "only here and today", one should become suspicious and "best leave the shop immediately", says Elbrecht. In addition, advise the consumer advice center to ideally always have a witness with you . This also applies to calls to the customer hotline.

Even if everything goes well when the contract is concluded, it can make sense to terminate the mobile phone contract - you can see why in the video :

Even before the current incidents became known, the VZBV had determined that no other telecommunications provider in Germany fared worse with consumers than Vodafone. Around 66 percent of all complaints about broadband internet and landline connections come from the people of Düsseldorf.