Consumer advocates are taking action against Vodafone’s fixed-line service price increase, with tens of thousands joining a lawsuit.
The class action lawsuit challenging the price hike in Vodafone’s fixed-line contracts has garnered significant attention. Within just one week, 40,445 consumers have registered with the Federal Office of Justice’s lawsuit register, as reported by the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv). Registrations are still being accepted, so the number is expected to rise.
The federation filed the lawsuit last autumn at the Higher Regional Court of Hamm, and since late April, consumers have been able to join in. Approximately 10 million customers were affected by the said price increases. Since mid-2023, they have been paying an extra five euros per month for their fixed-line internet service. The vzbv considers the price increase to be unlawful. Vodafone has justified the hike with higher operational costs and has dismissed the accusation of illegality.
If successful, consumers stand to get their money back directly without the need to go to court again. This lawsuit is among the first cases of a new legal action called “relief lawsuit” introduced in Germany in October 2023, allowing customers to participate in the proceedings free of charge. In the event of a victory, they could directly receive a reimbursement.
