The Case Against Vodafone
–​   

 

In December 2023, 61 franchisees filed a legal claim against Vodafone, alleging the company breached the Franchise Agreement and its duty of good faith. The claim centres on a series of decisions, starting in July 2020, that the franchisees say were made without proper rationale or transparency, and which ultimately caused them severe personal and professional harm.
Among the core allegations:

​

• Sudden commission cuts with less than two weeks’ notice drastically reduce store income.
   

• Withholding of rent relief and business rates support intended for struggling small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

• Excessive fines and clawbacks, allegedly incentivised internally, further squeezed already-fragile businesses.

​

• Removal of stores with no explanation, cutting off franchisees from their livelihoods without due process or support.

 

• A shift in the commission model that reduced or removed pay for selling devices—an action franchisees say made stores unviable.

​​

Many of the claimants say they raised concerns repeatedly, but were met with silence, deflection, or punishment. The case not only sheds light on Vodafone’s alleged conduct but also raises serious questions about the power imbalance in franchise models and what ethical franchising should look like.

​

Now in active litigation, the claim is about more than financial damages. For those involved, it is about reclaiming dignity, holding a major corporation to account, and changing the system so that no other franchisee has to endure what they did.

​

​​