Vodafone to face class action lawsuit

A legal firm is preparing to mount a class action against Vodafone after years of complaints about the telecommunications provider.

Piper Alderman is set to announce a class action on behalf of 23,000 "disgruntled Vodafone customers over network coverage problems and poor customer service".

The lawsuit was first floated in December 2010 in reaction to the mass 'Vodafail' movement.

Piper Alderman and LCM Litigation Fund (LCM) will group thousands of small claims together into one action as single claim against Vodafone "is big enough to warrant its own legal action".

“We know of a doctor who couldn’t receive calls in the hospital, a mother who couldn’t contact her child’s day care centre and people who have had their credit rating unfairly tarnished by Vodafone,” Sasha Ivantsoff, the partner leading the action for Piper Alderman said in a statement.

The company’s lawyers outlined details of the legal action at a media conference in Sydney on Tuesday morning and said it will not officially instigate proceedings for three months.

“Listening to the experiences people have had with Vodafone I’m pleased to support this action so class members can participate on a no-win no-fee basis. Vodafone customers were unable to make or receive calls in areas that should have coverage like metropolitan airports and the CBD," Patrick Coope,  Managing Director of LCM, said.

Last month Vodafone decided to wind up its Crazy John's mobile phones and accessories brand and said as many as 300 jobs were at risk as the company decided how it could deploy staff.

Vodafone Australia say they haven't had any contact from Piper Alderman.