Cornwall couple say Vodafone partnership left their finances and mental health in ruins
It comes as litigation against Vodafone intensifies
A couple from Cornwall have spoken out about their devastating experience as franchisees for Vodafone.
They say the partnership caused them a severe financial and mental health toll.
Rebecca and Lee Beer from Posanooth are among 62 former franchisees suing the telecoms giant, alleging business practices that led to financial ruin, significant debt, and harmed wellbeing.
Rebecca said: "They they did just lie and say that they would do all these things that they didn't make you aware of the risks and of what could happen to you.
"Like losing your home or being made bankrupt? Or hundreds and thousands of pounds worth of debt? They didn't make us aware of that.
"They just they sold you a very fake dream about all the amazing things of being your own boss and having good work life balance and that they were this fantastic company that cared about women in business as well."
Rebecca and Lee had decades of experience in phone retail before they joined Vodafone, stepping into leadership roles after having had successful careers at Carphone Warehouse.
They quickly made their mark, exceeding forecasts and earning the title of Partner Agent of the Year in 2023.
However, they said the reality soon changed, with commission cuts of up to 44% and targets they described as "bizarre" and increasingly unrealistic.
Despite being encouraged to take on additional stores under promises of financial backing, the support they expected was no longer available within months, they claim.
Mental health impact and family struggles
As the pressure of meeting changing targets intensified, Lee experienced a breakdown in August.
"He called me and told me that he was going to ram his car into the wall because he couldn't take Vodafone anymore, to which then he came off and I just ran it for the last little bit and tried to get us out of it", Rebecca explained.
Shortly after exiting the business, the family say they were left in severe financial difficulty, taking on £80,000 of bank debt and owing £50,000 to relatives who stepped in to help them keep their home.
Lee has since been diagnosed with leukaemia and is undergoing treatment.
They stress that Vodafone didn’t cause his illness but shattered his mental health.
"With having the four children, I have to work 80 hours plus a week, which I want to be there for my husband, obviously, in the hospital with him or at home with my children supporting them through the worst time ever.
"But I can't because we're in so much financial ruin that if I don't, we'll lose the house", Rebecca added.
Legal case against Vodafone
Rebecca and Lee are part of the group pursuing legal action against Vodafone.
The claims, centred around "unjust enrichment," allege that the telecom giant profited while many of its franchisees faced financial collapse.
Compensation estimates are between £78 million and £85 million, as those involved hope proceedings will hold Vodafone accountable for the alleged harm caused.
MPs have compared the allegations to the Post Office Horizon scandal, with discussions underway about potential new laws to protect against such impacts in future.
"We would like the government to try and hold Vodafone to account for what they've done, especially since some of the things that they've done to us financially were set by the government to help small businesses.
"But the one of the big things is - and I feel like a lot of the franchisees feel like this - that we just want them to put something into place so that big, large companies like this can't take advantage of small businesses or just working people that are trying to make a living."
A Vodafone spokesperson said: “We tried to resolve this complex commercial dispute and offered a significant payment that would ensure no claimants had debts linked to their franchise.
"We were disappointed to learn that it was rejected by the company funding the claim and remain open to further talks.
"We are sorry if any franchisee had difficulty operating their business. We currently have more than 350 successful franchise stores in the UK.”