Talks to end vodafone £120 million legal claim fail

THE CLAIM IS BETWEEN VODAFONE AND MORE THAN 60 OF THE MOBILE PHONE GROUP’S FRANCHISE OPERATORS 15:28, 20 May 2025 Vodafone is currently caught in the middle of a £120 million legal claim

with more than 60 of the mobile phone group’s franchise operators. They filed the case against Vodafone for “unjustly enriching” itself by implementing a series of cost-cutting tactics

during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. The cuts to the operators' commission rates paid to franchisees were allegedly due to the small business owners running up personal

debts. READ MORE: MARTIN LEWIS ISSUES 'MUCH NEEDED' UPDATE TO ANYONE USING POPULAR PAYMENT METHOD IN UK Vodafone has said it apologises “unreservedly to anyone whose experiences

while operating their business has impacted [their health] in this way”. It added: “Where issues have been raised, we have sought to rectify these and we believe we have treated our

franchisees fairly”. A spokesperson for the claimants said: “As a group, we entered into the mediation process with the best intentions. We are extremely frustrated that the process failed

to resolve this dispute, which would have allowed both parties to move on. “Our group was formed because Vodafone’s decisions have caused significant and direct harm to the individuals’

businesses and lives. We will now continue our efforts to seek justice through the court process. "We remain absolutely committed to securing redress and accountability for everyone

affected.” Margherita Della Valle, the chief executive of the Vodafone group, addressed the situation while delivering the company’s results for the year to the end of March. She explained:

“The commercial dispute is specifically between Vodafone UK and some of our franchisees. “Our first joint attempt at mediation has not resolved the dispute despite our best engagement.

"We remain open to further discussions as the process continues.” Join our dedicated BirminghamLive WhatsApp community for the latest updates sent straight to your phone as they happen.

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