Vodafone fair trading court case delay

Photo / Brett Phibbs

A Commerce Commission case against Vodafone for a promotion offering $10 free credit to customers has been delayed until next month.

The commission has laid charges against the phone and internet company for alleged breaches of the Fair Trading Act for a number of its advertising campaigns and promotions.

A hearing over availability of $10 free airtime Vodafone offered customers who registered their details on its website between 2007 and 2008 was adjourned in the Auckland District Court this morning until late November.

The Commission alleges that there were problems registering to get the $10 bonus.

Vodafone's lawyer Bruce Gray QC said both parties were making good progress on agreeing on a statement of facts for the case and there was an expectation this would be completed shortly.

Judge Allison Sinclair said this morning that if the facts are agreed upon, these will be need to be filed with the court by November 14 for a hearing on November 24.

A full day has been set aside for the hearing.

Both parties are also still to agree on a court date for a separate hearing for alleged breaches of Vodafone's "broadband everywhere" marketing campaign and claims Vodafone made about the size of its mobile network between 2008 and 2009.

This hearing is expected to take between five and seven days.

Each breach of the Fair Trading Act can come with a fine of up to $200,000.

Vodafone was fined $402,375 plus court costs in August for breaching the Act with its mobile internet service, Vodafone Live.