Deferred contracts and slow network: Vodafone tops the lists of complaints and terminations.
The group sees itself as a victim.
Düsseldorf - Vodafone is leading - but unfortunately in a somewhat unpopular category, the number of consumer complaints.
As early as May, the consumer protection associations reported a noticeably high number of complaints about the Düsseldorf telecommunications company.
The numbers of a termination service confirm the dissatisfaction of the consumers.
Every year the consumer advice centers in Germany receive numerous complaints, including about mobile phone and internet contracts.
Customers get annoyed about faked contracts, expensive rip-offs or a bad internet connection.
Only recently, the Federal Association (vzbv) announced the evaluation of all consumer complaints in 2020.
Vodafone, the second largest provider of broadband and fixed network in Germany, headed the list of complaints "by far".
Consumer protection: Vodafone leads the way in complaints - "No relation to market size"
Carola Elbrecht, vzbz consultant sums it up as follows: “Vodafone leads the order of complaints in the telecommunications sector with a margin that is disproportionate to the size of the market.” While Vodafone has a market share of 33 percent in the “broadband” sector, for example, the company pulls according to vzbz, 66 percent of all complaints in this area.
In the area of “mobile communications” there are slightly fewer: with a market share of 20 percent, 33 percent of all mobile communications complaints are due to Vodafone.
Termination at Vodafone: Supposed contracts and poor customer service
This is due, among other things, to the provider's frequent connection problems.
As the main reason for complaint, Elbrecht names the company's form of distribution, which includes door-to-door sales and subordinate contracts in stationary retail and on the phone.
"Some consumers tell us how they are resigned because they have tried several times to defend themselves against, for example, contracts imposed by Vodafone."
The statistics of the termination service Volders also speak for poor service at the Düsseldorf telecommunications company.
The online service can terminate a wide variety of contracts for a fee.
He evaluated his contract terminations according to the reason for termination.
In the category “poor customer service”, Vodafone had the highest share in 2020 - the second year in a row.
Vodafone Service ensure contract terminations - Group takes a stand
Is this harsh judgment justified?
Vodafone classifies the statistics of the consumer centers across from the IT news website heise.de.
With a total of more than 45 million customers, the number of customer complaints relating to Vodafone is “well below the homeopathic per mille range”.
Of course, every justified complaint is one too many.
Every single complaint is investigated, and constant efforts are made to improve customer service.
An “honest, clean and sustainable business” is also decisive for the group in sales. A contract should only be concluded with each customer if they are aware of the product and want to use it. It should be taken into account that “Vodafone is initially the victim of subordinated contracts,” a Vodafone spokesman explained to heise.de. Sales partners who submitted unwanted customer contracts did so in order to "collect unjustified commissions and possibly to put expensive smartphones aside for themselves". According to its own information, the group is following up every indication of irregularities. (vs)