Overview

• In 2023, Vodafone raised fixed-line internet fees by €5 per month for about 10 million customers, a move now challenged as unlawful.
• The Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband filed the class-action claim at the Oberlandesgericht Hamm seeking refunds of the disputed charges.
• More than 100,000 people have joined the suit via the Bundesamt für Justiz’s registry; registrations close on December 24, 2025, and the oral hearing is set for December 3, 2025 at the Oberlandesgericht Hamm.
• Vodafone argues the increase was moderate, necessary to cover rising costs and was authorized under its general terms and conditions.
• If the court rules for the plaintiffs, Vodafone would have to reimburse customers with interest and be barred from enforcing similar hikes under unchanged contracts.