Vodafone has a serious complaints problem

SPAIN Vodafone, the British telecommunications company, leads the number of consumer complaints for its Spanish branch. It is also at the bottom of the 'like' list, both according to FACUA, the leading consumer organization, which has received the largest number of complaints about this company. In fact, complaints against all telecommunications companies, head the list as set out annually by the FACUA - for the tenth year in succession, even after complaints about banking, which are considerable in number. 28% of complaints about telecommunications (including mobile phone and broadband services, also billing) are about Vodafone, followed by Movistar (25%), France Telecom (25%), Ono (by cable, 10%) and Jazztel (8%). Most complaints are about>>>the companies not meeting the promises made in their advertising, services not requested, billing after requesting cancellation of service, threats of abusive penalties when requesting cancellation before the end of the period of permanency, charges for calls never made and delays in processing contract cancellations.

In its report, FACUA criticises the passivity of the authorities whose job it is to protect the consumer, or those in charge of telecommunications, as well as the regional authorities, whose 'systems' of consumer complaints are, to say the least, deficient.

'There are not enough controls nor sanctions big enough to battle fraud from these companies,' says the report.