Vodafone fined €13,000 over customer complaints

Phone and broadband provider pleads guilty to 12 sample counts in case taken by Comreg

Vodafone also agreed to pay an additional €20,000 towards ComReg’s costs
Vodafone also agreed to pay an additional €20,000 towards ComReg’s costs

Vodafone has been fined €13,000 for massive delays in transferring landline numbers and unlocking mobile phones for customers.

The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) prosecuted the broadband and phone service after looking into customer complaints in 2020 and earlier this year.

Vodafone pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court on Thursday to 12 sample counts in two prosecutions brought by the telecoms regulator.

It also agreed to pay an additional €20,000 towards ComReg’s costs.

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Vodafone had a record of previous offences in four prosecutions by ComReg and five brought by the Data Protection Commissioner.

Defence solicitor Michael Twomey asked the court to note that complaints about both types of issues dropped by about 70 per cent in the last year.

He said the company, which had two million customers, had improved its processes, co-operated with the investigation, and contributed to costs.

Judge Anthony Halpin described the offences as serious and rejected the defence plea to apply the Probation of Offenders Act.