vodafone red business plan

Home » Reviews » Vodafone » Vodafone Red vs Basics

When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

• This funds the production of our content, keeping the website free for everyone to use.
• You'll always get the same price (or better) than if you went direct.

Learn more about how Ken's Tech Tips is funded →

Vodafone Red & Vodafone Basics Plans: How Do They Compare?

Vodafone Red plans give you access to 5G, along with larger data options and some advanced features. Compare Vodafone Red and Vodafone Basics plans.

On the Red plans, you’ll have access to Vodafone’s 5G network, and a choice of data allowances that go up to 200GB per month. In contrast, the Vodafone Basics plans are restricted to 4G coverage and a maximum of 50GB data per month.

For most people, we still think Vodafone Basics is a better value choice. Although you’re restricted to 4G coverage, this can still give you download speeds of around 25Mbps on average. That’s fast enough for pretty much anything you’d like to do on your phone, including streaming Ultra HD video. The Basics plans go up to 50GB per month, which is enough for most users (as the average UK mobile user only needs 8GB per month). The shorter 12-month contract also gives you more flexibility, compared to Vodafone Red.

If you’re looking for a more fully-featured option, Vodafone Red gives you access to 5G with download speeds that are up to 10 times faster than 4G. You can also choose from a range of data plans going up to 200GB per month, but you’ll need to commit to a 24-month contract for the best deal. You’ll also be able to add Vodafone OneNumber (for smartwatches, tablets and Alexa), and you’ll have access to international calls and premium-rate calls (additional charges will apply).

In this article, we’ll compare Vodafone Red and Vodafone Basics, looking at the features available on each and the best value deals. We’ll also look at how you can keep your phone number when you move to Vodafone.

• 1 Vodafone Red & Vodafone Basics Compared
• 2 What is Vodafone Red?
• 3 What is Vodafone Basics?
• 4 Keeping Your Phone Number
• 5 More Information

Vodafone Red & Vodafone Basics Compared

If you’re joining Vodafone as a Pay Monthly mobile customer in the UK, you’ll be able to choose between a Vodafone Red and Vodafone Basics plan. You can also choose Vodafone Unlimited if you want a plan with unlimited data.

The following table shows a side-by-side comparison of Vodafone Red and Basics:

What is Vodafone Red?

• You’ll have access to 5G coverage on Vodafone Red plans. Unlike the Vodafone Basics plans which are limited to 4G, you’ll have complete access to Vodafone’s 5G network on Red. If you’re using a compatible 5G phone in a 5G coverage area, your average download speeds will be around 150-200Mbps (about 10 times faster than 4G). You’ll also have access to more network capacity, which is handy if you’re using a phone in a busy urban area.
• You can use your number on a smartwatch, tablet or Alexa (charges apply). On Vodafone Red plans, you’ll be able to add the OneNumber service from an extra £7.50 per month. This gives you connectivity on your smartwatch or tablet, with the ability to share your data as well. You’ll also be able to make and receive phone calls on Alexa devices.
• You’ll be able to call international and premium-rate numbers (charges apply). If you’d like to call an international number or a premium-rate number (beginning with 09), this is only possible when you choose a Vodafone Red plan. Having said that, additional charges will apply for this and there are normally cheaper ways to do it (e.g. using FaceTime or WhatsApp).
• You’ll be able to choose a ‘Euro Roam’, ‘Global Roam’ or ‘Entertainment’ plan. On Vodafone Red, you can upgrade your plan to ‘Xtra Euro Roam’ or ‘Xtra Global Roam’. This will give you inclusive roaming, either in 51 European destinations or 83 worldwide destinations . There’s also the option to add Entertainment to your plan (for inclusive YouTube Premium, Amazon Prime or Spotify). Additional charges will apply for this upgrade.

The following table shows the best Vodafone Red deals that are currently available:

To get the best prices, you’ll need to get your Vodafone Red plan on a 24-month contract. It’s also possible to get Red SIM-only plans on a shorter 1-month rolling or 12-month contracts. However, you’ll generally need to pay quite a bit extra for this, so most people will choose the 24-month option.

If you want a plan with more than 200GB data per month, Vodafone also offers unlimited data plans .

What is Vodafone Basics?

There are a number of limitations worth being aware of on Vodafone Basics:

• You won’t have 5G coverage on Vodafone Basics. On Vodafone Basics, you’re restricted to Vodafone’s 4G network. In our opinion, this shouldn’t really be a deal-breaker as 4G is already fast enough for pretty much anything you’d like to do on your phone (including video calls & watching ultra HD video). The main downside is that you might need to wait a little bit longer for large downloads, though this might not be that noticeable (e.g around 10 seconds more for a typical app to download). You also won’t get the additional capacity benefits that are available on 5G.
• Vodafone Basics offers up to 50GB data per month. In our opinion, that’s more than enough for the vast majority of users. According to Ofcom (2023), the average UK mobile user consumes around 8GB data per month. However, if you’re a heavy user needing more than 50GB per month, Vodafone Basics won’t be suitable for you.
• Some rarely-used features are not available on Vodafone Basics. For instance, you won’t be able to make international phone calls or premium-rate calls to numbers beginning with 09. You can, however, continue to do this through apps such as FaceTime and WhatsApp (which are cheaper as well). In addition, OneNumber isn’t compatible with Vodafone Basics. However, this only makes a difference if you have a smartwatch or tablet that you’d like to connect to your plan.
• Vodafone Basics is for new customers only. Vodafone Basics is only available to new Vodafone Pay Monthly customers. This means, for instance, it isn’t possible to switch from Vodafone Red to Vodafone Basics.

The following table shows the latest Vodafone Basics deals:

Prior to March 2022, international roaming was not available on Vodafone Basics. It’s now available from an extra £2.25 per day (the same price that’s charged on Vodafone Red). Unlike on Vodafone Red, there’s no way to upgrade to an ‘Xtra Euro Roam’ or ‘Xtra Global Roam’ version of the plan.

On Vodafone Basics, there are no download speed limits on the 4G network: you’ll get Vodafone’s fastest-available 4G speeds. In contrast, some other networks have download speed limits (e.g. on EE’s No Frills plan ).

Keeping Your Phone Number

To do so, start by contacting your old mobile network and asking them for a PAC Code. This is a nine-digit code that authorises the transfer of your phone number to Vodafone. You can get a PAC Code through your mobile network’s website or app, or by texting PAC to 65075.

Once you’ve gotten a PAC Code from your current network, you can order your new plan from Vodafone’s website . During the order process, you’ll be able to provide your PAC Code. Alternatively, you can wait for the SIM card to arrive and then provide the PAC Code through this online form . Your phone number transfer will then normally take place on the next working day.

For a step-by-step guide on transferring your phone number to Vodafone , please select your current mobile network from the drop-down menu below:

Select your current mobile network:

Your current mobile network... BT Mobile EE giffgaff O2 Sky Mobile Three Virgin Mobile Vodafone 1pMobile ASDA Mobile Honest Mobile iD Mobile Lebara Mobile Lycamobile Orange Plusnet Mobile Smarty Superdrug Mobile Talk Home Talkmobile TalkTalk Mobile Tesco Mobile T-Mobile Vectone Mobile VOXI

   More Options

More Information

Please see Vodafone’s official website to learn more about their Vodafone Red and Vodafone Basics plans.

Related Articles

Your Comments 13 so far

We'd love to hear your thoughts and any questions you may have. So far, we've received 13 comments from readers. You can add your own comment here .

Hello, I theory yes, however Vodafone does it somehow that GBs disappear very quickly even if all attachments closed and you do literally nothing. My previous comment was that 1.3GB disappeared just browsing linkedIn, news, and checking emails with no video or music in 5 days. So I was keeping the only one app opened Vodafone writing that comment, and 0.1GB has just been written off! Miracle by Vodafone! So to do anything and listen to music it’s a must to have unlimited. Thinking about leaving Vodafone though.

Hello, Just moved from Basic 5GB plan (I paid £18+ for some reason) to Red 5GB plan which is £15. Recently noticed, even being on the previous plan, GB started disappearing very quickly even if you don’t do anything but browsing LinkedIn, etc. 5 days and 1.3 GB has gone. No music, no film watching, nothing, very basic stuff like reading news and checking emails, not downloading anything huge. I have no idea how Vodafone does that … I’m not saying they are cheating but that’s interesting how they do it anyway.

Ken replied:

Hi Tony, Thanks for your comment. Out of interest, what does the data usage monitor on your smartphone say and how does this data usage differ from what Vodafone is reporting? I’d personally be really surprised if they’re measuring your data usage incorrectly. Instead, it’s often the case that something’s running in the background (e.g. background app updates, cloud sync & backup services, etc) meaning data is consumed on your device in the background without you knowing. Ken

Tony replied:

Hi Ken, Thank you. Probably I went to the wrong forum. Sorry. I meant what I said. I don’t do sync or cloud services as I simply don’t use it. My phone is not backed up for ages, that’s what my phone says. How it can be running in this case. I just don’t need to back up. Nothing on it literally. What can be run without me knowing. All apps closed. Switched off and on. Looked a couple of times on LinkedIn and Facebook. 0.1 Gb have gone. I think Vodafone is trying to trick us burning our Gbs somehow thinking we are going to go for more allowance paying them more. They are wrong. When my Gbs finish I’ll turn mobile data off.

Hi Tony, That’s very strange – I’m not quite sure why that’s happening. If you were to contact Vodafone, they should be able to give you more details on the charges including how they were calculated if you’d like to interrogate it further. Ken

R Temps said:

Hi.. I am coming to the end of a Vodafone Red Entertainment pack, which had 25gb + Spotify/Sky and Global Roaming included. It seems that the new policies on offer will not have Global Roaming included, rather, they will charge £5/day usage for North America. Or am I wrong? I was told by a representative that if I stay on my contract, I will only lose the ‘Entertainment Option’ ie. Spotify/Sky, but will still have Global Roaming included..

I travel to North America once a month and would like to have North America included in my price plan, as opposed to paying a ££ daily rate.

Any help or suggestions for another carrier?

Many thanks,

Hi there, It’s still possible to get Global Roaming Plus, which gives you up to 25GB of data each month for use in 77 destinations including the USA, Canada and Mexico. To get it, you’ll need to choose the Unlimited Max price plan which starts from £30/month on a SIM-only basis. Entertainment will cost you an extra £6/month so the total package with Entertainment starts from £36/month. Hope this helps, Ken

Load more comments (6)

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Please let me know by e-mail when there is a reply to my message.

Red Family - Hello new

Enjoy the Latest Entertainment Apps in the Market that Fit your Needs

Welcome to the World of RED

Download the app from here & migrate to the new RED plans

Red family small banner(new)

Red Family Card Carousel - Content(new)

10000 minutes to any network.

EGP 1150/month

Your Plan benefits

• Family Sharing: Add up to 3 members to share quota together.
• 300 GBs of DSL for Free with a speed of 30mbps
• Take Your Bundle Abroad for 3 weeks/Year
• Free Services: Missed Call Keeper, Black list & 30 mins to 2121 Personal Directory
• Handset Installments: Up to EGP 25,000

Subscription for

7000 Minutes to any network

EGP 800/month

• Family Sharing: Add up to 2 members to share quota together.
• Take Your Bundle Abroad for 2 weeks/Year

RED ADVANCE

5000 minutes to any network.

EGP 580/month

• Family Sharing: Add 1 member to share quota together.
• 140GBs of DSL for Free with a speed of 30mbps
• Take Your Bundle Abroad for 1 weeks/Year
• Free Services: Missed Call Keeper, Black list, 30 mins to 2121 Personal Directory
• Handset Installments: Up to EGP 12,000

RED ESSENTIAL

3000 minutes to any network.

EGP 350/month

• 140 GBs of DSL for free with a speed of 30mbps
• Free Services: Missed Call Keeper & Black list
• Handset Installments: Up to EGP 6,000

red family - content - test

RED is bringing you the latest Entertainment Apps in the market that fit your needs when it comes to VOD, Music & Sports. Immerse yourself in all the content that is brought to you by Anghami Plus, Shahid VIP, OSN Streaming, TOD and WATCHiT!

Red is introducing the Family Sharing feature, where you will be able to add family members, share your bundle together and call each other for free.

Now for the first time in Egypt, you will be able to TAKE YOUR BUNDLE ABROAD! You will be able to enjoy your local megabytes while roaming for a number of weeks per year.

Red family - accordion, still wondering we thought you might still have questions.

RED is introducing new plans that is inclusive of everything you and your family love, all on one bill.

Now with RED you will enjoy subscriptions to your favorite apps like OSN streaming, Shahid VIP , TOD , Watch IT and Anghami , also you will enjoy a free DSL bundle and for the first time in Egypt you will be able to take your bundle abroad and consume from your local bundle while roaming.

If you are already a postpaid customer, visit or download Ana Vodafone App to migrate to the rate plan you want.

If you are a prepaid customer, Head to the nearest retail store to migrate to RED.

Visit or download Ana Vodafone App to send an invitation to your loved ones to join your RED family

For the first time in Egypt, you will be able to Take Your Bundle Abroad!

Now you can enjoy your local megabytes while roaming for a certain number of weeks per year. Upon utilizing the free weeks, you can purchase an extra one for 500 LE.

Based on your rate plan, you will have a free DSL Bundle, varying between 140 GBs or 300 GBs for free. You can also upgrade to a higher bundle and only pay the difference. check Now

• RED ESSENTIAL: 3000 minutes
• RED ADVANCE: 5000 minutes
• RED PRIME: 7000 minutes
• RED ELITE: 10000 minutes
• Mobile internet after bundle charging: You will enjoy the lowest megabyte rate of Red Data Assistant charging mechanism.
• Fair Usage Policy is 10 gigabytes per week.
• This service is working in the following countries:

Saudi Arabic, UAE, USA, United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, Spain, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Ireland, Malta, Portugal, New Zealand, Turkey, Lebanon, Qatar, South Africa, Ghana, Congo, Tanzania, Mozambique, Albania & Lesotho.

• App subscriptions is valid as long as you are on RED plans and available apps will be updated every year.
• All prices are tax exclusive.
• Handset Installments:
• You have to pay a down payment of 20%
• You have to have stayed on RED for 12 months with the last 6 bills paid on time

Ramadan 2022 Promo - Terms & Conditions

WATCH IT Promo:

• New RED Rate Plans: WATCH IT Subscription is now available to the 300 & 500 during Ramadan
• RED Member Rate Plans: 1 Month WATCH IT Subscription during Ramadan only
• Old RED Rate Plans & Other Postpaid Rate Plans: WATCH IT Subscription with validity during Ramadan only
• WATCH IT subscription is available all year to RED Prime & RED Elite (new RED rate plans only)
• Customers can only redeem through Ana Vodafone App
• WATCH IT Promo will be available starting 1st day of Ramadan
• WATCH IT Promo will expire last day of Ramadan

10 GBs Promo:

• RED customers (New RED & Old RED) to enjoy up-to 10 GBs of streaming to be consumed on Shahid VIP & WATCH IT
• RED Classic to enjoy up-to 9 GBs of streaming to be consumed on Shahid VIP & WATCH IT
• Customers can not opt-out from this promo
• Customers can stream for free on Shahid VIP & WATCH IT during Ramadan
• Up-to 10GBs free streaming quota valid until the last day of Ramadan on Shahid VIP & WATCH it

When the customer finishes his/her streaming bundle, he/she will go back to his normal usage

Red - Partners carousel

Red points partners, as we appreciate every moment you spend with us. we designed red points program to offer you an exceptional. worldclass experience.

• Log in --> Log in
• Network Status Checker
• Find a store
• My Vodafone
• Help & information
• Pay monthly phones
• Pay as you go phones
• Samsung Galaxy
• Refurbished phones
• Compare phones

Mobile + Broadband

• Vodafone Together
• Be Unlimited
• SIM only for phones
• SIM only for tablets
• Pay as you go SIMs
• Broadband Deals
• Gigafast Broadband
• Compare Deals
• Ultimate Broadband Guarantee
• Wi-Fi Hub + App
• About Homephone

Broadband + Mobile

• Broadband help
• Auto Compensation

Billing & payments

• Recent bills
• Make a payment
• Manage Direct Debit

My products

• Existing customer offers
• Account settings
• Personal details
• Password & security
• My Account Controls

Vodafone apps

• My Vodafone app
• VeryMe Rewards

Costs and charges

• Travelling abroad
• Calling abroad from UK
• UK call charges
• Data charges
• Getting started
• Unlocking your phone
• Transfer your number
• Managing your data usage
• All support
• Network improvements
• Coming soon
• Accessibility Services
• Life events

Plan details

More information about what’s included in your chosen plan.

What’s included?

UK data, minutes and texts

An allowance to call standard UK mobiles and landlines (starting 01, 02 or 03), texts to UK mobiles and use 4G data.

Take your home plan abroad with Vodafone Global Roaming

All our Pay monthly plans come with Vodafone Global Roaming, which lets you use your UK data, minutes and texts in our 48 Roam-free destinations [PDF: 627KB] at no extra cost. And it’s just £6 a day to use your UK allowances in our 104 Roam-further destinations [PDF: 810KB]

Vodafone Secure Net

Our Red Extra plans also include Vodafone Secure Net which is a simple way for you and your family to stay safer online, whatever devices you're using, while connected to our mobile network. It's free for the first 3 months then £1 a month thereafter, you can use it to see how many threats we've stopped, then decide whether you want to keep the service. Once your free trial ends it's just £1 a month for each device you want to protect – there are no commitments and you can cancel any time you choose.

Vodafone Secure Net helps protect you and your family’s mobile devices when they're connected to our mobile network. If you have a plan with Secure Net, we'll process your data to block harmful content, such as viruses or harmful files and websites. You can also use it to restrict family members' access to certain types of content.

To get more information on how you can opt out of Secure Net and a description of the traffic we filter, visit our terms and conditions

To read more about how we process your data, visit our Privacy Policy

Out-of-plan charges

If you exceed your UK allowances, you’ll pay.

If you exceed your inclusive roaming data allowance, you’ll be charged our standard roaming rates for the country you’re in.

These are the types of calls and texts not included in your plan allowances and their prices.

*  A service charge also applies for calls to service numbers. The organisation offering the service (such as your bank or travel agent) needs to advertise the service charge for the number alongside their service number.

Other charges

Download our full list of prices [PDF: 1.66MB]

Other useful information

RPI (Retail Price Index) Each April, your plan price will increase by an amount equal to the RPI rate published in March of that year. See our RPI page for more information .

Credit check If you’re joining us on Pay monthly, we’ll carry out a credit check. Find out more about our credit checking policy

Cancellations You can cancel your contract at any time during the first 30 days with a full refund. After this you'll need to pay an early termination fee to cover the remaining cost of your contract.

Most Popular

Mobile Plans

Bill Payment

My Vodafone App

Store Locator

Find out how PORR doubled their business productivity at less cost with Vodafone's tailored business solutions.

Grand central bakery, make every call count find out how doha's grand central bakery benefited from vodafone unique business solutions., find out how carriage is able to deliver to the whole of qatar using vodafone's tailored business solutions., shafallah center, thanks to vodafone’s iot fleet management solution, shafallah center students are safe at all times..

Request a Call Back

Provide us with your contact details and we'll call you back.

Vodafone 2024 Annual Report

Vodafone Group Plc Annual Report 2024

Welcome to our 2024 Annual Report We continue to use a simplified digital-first approach to our reporting, reflecting how we operate as a business. We provide summaries at the start of each key section, denoted by an S . New shape of the Group Following the announced sale of Vodafone Spain and Vodafone Italy as part of right-sizing our portfolio for growth, both businesses are now treated as discontinued operations, and therefore excluded from Group results for continuing operations. Prior periods have also been re-stated to reflect the new shape of the Group. Environmental, Social and Governance (‘ESG’) reporting This year we have incorporated both our full cyber security and climate-related risk reporting into the Annual Report. We also report against a number of voluntary reporting frameworks to help our stakeholders understand our sustainable business performance. Disclosures prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (‘GRI’) and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (‘SASB’) guidance can be found in our ESG Addendum and on our website. Our website also includes a wide range of reports which can be found on the links below. Corporate website vodafone.com Investor Relations website investors.vodafone.com

Contents Strategic report

1 S FY24 highlights 2 S About Vodafone 3 S Operating in a rapidly changing industry 4 S Business model 6 S Key performance indicators 8 Chair’s message 9 Chief Executive’s statement and strategic roadmap 10 Mega trends 12 Stakeholder engagement 15 Our people strategy 21 Our financial performance 32 S Purpose, sustainability and responsible business 34 Our purpose 35 – Empowering People 38 – Protecting the Planet 43 Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals 44 Maintaining Trust 45 – Protecting data

ESG Addendum investors.vodafone.com/esgaddendum

ESG Addendum Methodology document investors.vodafone.com/esgmethodology Cyber security factsheet investors.vodafone.com/cyber ESG ratings investors.vodafone.com/esg-ratings

SASB disclosure investors.vodafone.com/sasb A-Z of ESG disclosures investors.vodafone.com/esga-z

51 – Protecting people 53 – Business integrity 55 Non-financial information 57 Risk management 63 – Long-term viability statement 64 – Climate-related risk Governance 70 S Governance at a glance 72 Chair’s governance statement

References Our Annual Report has been designed for easy navigation. We have cross-referenced relevant material and included the below navigation icons. Online content can be accessed by clicking links on the digital version, copying the website address into an internet browser, or scanning the QR code on a mobile device. Read more page reference Click to see related content online Click or scan to watch related video content online

74 Our governance structure 75 Division of responsibilities 76 Our Board 79 Our Executive Committee

Watch our video content Our performance

80 Our Company purpose, values and culture 81 Board activities and principal decisions 84 Board effectiveness 86 Nominations and Governance Committee 89 Audit and Risk Committee 95 Technology Committee 96 ESG Committee 98 Remuneration Committee 100 Remuneration Policy 106 Annual Report on Remuneration 119 US listing requirements 120 Directors’ report Financials 122 Reporting on our financial performance 123 Directors’ statement of responsibility 125 Auditor’s report 135 Consolidated financial statements and notes 227 Company financial statements and notes Other information 235 Non-GAAP measures

Our digital investor briefings

FY24 update: Margherita Della Valle, Chief Executive, Luka Mucic, Chief Financial Officer

Vodafone Business

Digital services & experiences

Vodafone Technology

Social contract

Purpose pillars

Responsible business

Digital inclusion Net zero

Data privacy

Cyber security

Human rights

Responsible taxation

Our governance

Jean-François van Boxmeer, Chair

David Nish, Senior Independent Director

Amparo Moraleda, Chair of the ESG Committee

Simon Segars, Chair of the Technology Committee

Luka Mucic, Chief Financial Officer

249 Shareholder information 255 History and development 255 Regulation 261 Form 20-F cross reference guide 264 Forward-looking statements 265 Definition of terms

Deborah Kerr, Non-Executive Director

Stephen Carter, Non-Executive Director

Delphine Ernotte Cunci, Non-Executive Director

Christine Ramon, Non-Executive Director

Hatem Dowidar, Non-Executive Director

This document is the Group’s UK Annual Report and is not the Group’s Annual Report on Form 20-F that will be filed separately with the US SEC at a later date. This report contains references to Vodafone’s website, and other supporting disclosures located thereon such as videos, our ESG Addendum and Methodology document, and our cyber security factsheet, amongst others. These references are for readers’ convenience only and information included on Vodafone’s website is not incorporated in, and does not form part of, this Annual Report.

Strategic report

Other information

FY24 highlights

Progress against our strategic priorities We have made good initial progress against our strategic priorities, which are focused on Customers, Simplicity and Growth. We have right-sized our European portfolio for growth. During the year we announced: – UK: merger of Vodafone UK and Three UK €8bn – Italy: sale of Vodafone Italy to Swisscom €5bn – Spain: sale of Vodafone Spain to Zegona We are now focused on growing telecommunications markets, where we have strong assets and good scale. Progress against our strategic priorities:

FY24 results

Our financial performance was slightly ahead of expectations for the year.

Organic service revenue growth 1

4.2% 3.6% 4.0%

Q4 FY24 Q3 FY24 Q2 FY24 Q1 FY24 Q4 FY23

Group – All segments growing in FY24 – Group growth accelerated in Q4 – Vodafone Business +5.4% growth in Q4

Group excluding Turkey

Revenue market share

Consumer NPS

Adjusted EBITDAaL

€12.4bn €11.0bn

Other Europe South Africa

Key: Improved Deteriorated

FY23 EBTDAaL (re-presented)

FY23 EBTDAaL (reported)

Italy & Spain

FY24 EBTDAaL (reported)

Network quality Very good reliability in all European markets. German cable network quality recognised in 4 independent tests

– On a like-for-like basis +2.2% growth in FY24 – EBITDAaL margin impacted by higher energy costs

Europe opex savings 1 €0.4bn (FY23 and FY24) Shared operations NPS +85%

Productivity 1 c.5k role reductions

8.2% 6.8% Return on capital employed (‘ROCE’) 3 1.4pp

Employee engagement +75%

FY23 (reported)

FY23 (re-presented)

FY24 (reported)

Pre-tax ROCE

Organic service revenue growth +6.3% Organic adjusted EBITDAal growth +2.2%

Adjusted free cash flow €2.6bn B2B organic service revenue growth +5.0%

– Higher pre-tax ROCE under the new footprint – Lower operating profit impacting year-over-year

Full year dividend: 9.0 eurocents per share

Notes: 1. Organic growth. See page 235 for more information. 2. Organic Adjusted EBITDAaL growth. 3. This is a non-GAAP measure. See page 235 for more information..

Pre-tax return on capital employed +7.5%

Click or scan to watch our Group Chief Executive, Margherita Della Valle and Chief Financial Officer provide an update on our FY24 results: investors.vodafone.com/videos

Read more about our financial performance in FY24 on pages 21 to 31

Notes: 1. Includes Vodafone Italy and Vodafone Spain. 2. These are non-GAAP measures. See page 235 for more information.

About Vodafone

We are a leading European and African telecommunications company transforming the way our customers live and work through our technology, platforms, products and services.

Where we operate We operate mobile and fixed networks in 15 countries and have stakes in a further seven countries through our joint ventures and associates. We also partner with mobile networks in 43 countries outside our footprint. Our portfolio of local markets is supported by corporate services and shared operations, which deliver benefits through scale and standardisation.

How we are structured and what we sell Our business comprises of infrastructure assets, shared operations, growth platforms and retail and service operations. Our retail and service operations are split across three broad business lines: Vodafone Business, Europe Consumer and Africa Consumer. Core connectivity products and services in fixed and mobile account for the majority of our revenue. However, our portfolio also includes high return growth areas that leverage and complement our core connectivity business, such as digital services, the Internet of Things (‘IoT’) and financial services. We market and sell through digital and physical channels.

9 countries

6 countries

98m mobile customers 17m fixed customers 4m converged customers

157m mobile customers 46m FinTech users

We serve private and public sector customers of all sizes with a broad range of connectivity services, supported by our dedicated global network. We have unique scale and capabilities, and are expanding our portfolio of products and services into growth areas such as unified communications, cloud & security, and IoT.

Vodafone Business €8bn service revenue

We provide a range of market leading mobile and fixed line connectivity services in our European markets. Our converged plans combine these offerings, providing simplicity and better value for our customers. Other value added services include our Consumer IoT propositions, as well as security and insurance products.

We provide a range of mobile services. The demand for mobile data is growing rapidly driven by the lack of fixed broadband access and by increased smartphone penetration. Together with Vodacom’s VodaPay super-app and the M-Pesa payment platform, we are the leading provider of financial services, as well as business and merchant services in Africa.

Africa Consumer €5bn service revenue

Europe Consumer 1 €16bn service revenue

Note: 1. Includes Turkey.

Operating in a rapidly changing industry Our governance

The long-term trends that are shaping our industry and driving new growth opportunities. Mega trends

Our business is underpinned by our strong governance and risk management framework.

Connected devices

Governance The Board held seven scheduled meetings this year to discuss key strategic matters, our purpose and culture, our people and stakeholder interests. The Nominations and Governance Committee evaluates the composition and performance of the Board and ensures an appropriate balance of independence, skills, knowledge, experience and diversity. The Audit and Risk Committee provides effective governance over the appropriateness of financial reporting of the Group, including the adequacy of related disclosures, the performance of the internal audit function and the external auditor and oversight of the Group’s systems of internal control, risk management framework and compliance activities. The Technology Committee supports the Board with fulfilling the technology strategy for the Group, including assessing risks and exploring new innovations for future growth. The ESG Committee oversees our Environmental, Social and Governance (‘ESG’) programme, including our purpose, sustainability and responsible business practices, and our contribution to the societies we operate in under our social contract. The Remuneration Committee advises the Board on policies for executive remuneration and reward packages for the Chair, executives and senior management team.

– A wide range of new devices, across all sectors and applications, are increasingly being connected to the internet. – The Internet of Things (‘IoT’) is expected to create huge value for businesses and society, unlocking new efficiencies by delivering real-time information. – As the number of IoT devices increases, physical assets are also communicating with each other in real-time and new digital markets are being established giving birth to the ‘Economy of Things’. – Businesses demand reliable and secure mobile connectivity as transactions migrate to online channels and apps. – In Africa, increasing smartphone penetration drives the adoption of digital payments. – Network operators and a range of FinTech startups are using mobile payment applications to sell additional financial services focused products such as insurance and loans. – The cloud is increasingly utilised by businesses and consumers as a more efficient way of sharing compute capacity and services. – SMEs increasingly understand the benefits of cloud technology but lack the technical expertise or direct relationships with cloud specialists to make an effective transition to the cloud. – This presents an opportunity for network operators to play a role as a partner to support smaller businesses on their digital transformation journeys. – The full range of potential applications and long-term impacts of Gen AI are only starting to be understood. – The technology is widely expected to drive significant economic benefit globally through productivity increases and new business opportunities. – Potential applications include AI-generated content for marketing campaigns, customer care and back-office activities.

Click or scan to watch our Vodafone Business investor briefing: investors.vodafone.com/ vtbriefing

Digital payments

Click or scan to watch our Digital Services investor briefing: investors.vodafone.com/ digital-services

Read more on pages 70 to 99

Click or scan to watch our Non- Executive Directors speak about their roles in short video interviews: investors.vodafone.com/videos

Adoption of cloud technology

Risk management Risks are not static and as the environment changes, so do risks – some diminish or increase, while new risks appear. We continuously review and improve our risk processes in order to ensure that the Company has the appropriate level of support in meeting its strategic objectives. Our risk framework clearly defines roles and responsibilities, and sets out a consistent end-to-end process for identifying and managing risks. We have embedded the risk framework across the Group as this allows us to take a holistic approach and to make meaningful comparisons. Our approach is continuously enhanced, enabling more dynamic risk detection, modelling of risk interconnectedness and use of data, all of which are improving our risk visibility and our responses. Our Board oversees principal and emerging risks, which are reported to the various management committees and the Board throughout the year. Additionally, risk owners are invited to present in-depth reviews to ensure that risks are continuously monitored, and appropriate treatment plans are implemented to bring each risk within an acceptable tolerance level.

Click or scan to watch our Vodafone Technology investor briefing: investors.vodafone.com/ vtbriefing

Generative artificial intelligence (‘Gen AI’)

Click or scan to learn more about how Vodafone works with artificial intelligence (‘AI’): investors.vodafone.com/ artificial-intelligence

Read more on pages 57 to 63

Click or scan to watch our privacy and cyber experts explain how we protect customer data and our networks: investors.vodafone.com/videos

Read more on pages 10 to11

Business Model Our investment case

We operate in growing markets, where we hold strong positions with good local scale. We have a sustainable and predictable financial profile, and have compelling structural drivers in Vodafone Business, Africa and in our portfolio of investments. 1 Strong positions in growing markets Attractive markets Germany UK Other Europe Africa Market size €57bn +3.2% €56bn +3.4% €28bn 1 +3.1% €18bn +6.8% Majority three player markets, all growing over the last three years Strong assets Vodafone revenue mix 38% 19% 23% 2 20% Service revenue growth 3 0.2% 5.0% 4.2% 9.2% Vodafone growing faster than the market in most regions

2 Focus on driving operational excellence

Right-sized for growth & reorganised for operational excellence Europe 1

Africa 4 – 6 countries – 157m mobile customers – 46m FinTech users

Business – Connectivity – Communications services – Cloud & Security – Internet of Things

Investments – Operations – Infrastructure – Innovation – Partner Markets (43 countries)

– 9 countries – 98m mobile customers – 17m fixed customers

Shared Operations – Procurement

– Technology and operations

– Roaming and carrier services

– Network services

3 Sustainable and predictable financial profile

Robust balance sheet – Long dated and low cost debt 2.25-2.75x target leverage range

Attractive returns

– Secure and growing dividend – Long-term share buyback programme

– Growing free cash flow per share

4 Structural

Vodafone Business Digital service growth +11%

Investments & innovation

growth drivers

Financial service growth +20%

Notes: 1. Includes Turkey. 2. Includes Turkey and Common Functions. 3. Organic growth. See page 235 for more information. 4. Excludes Safaricom.

Clear and consistent strategic priorities To drive operational excellence across the Group.

We are committed to delivering value and building strong relationships with all of our stakeholders. Creating long-term value for our stakeholders

Our customers 310m

22m broadband customers 1

Our priorities

mobile customers 1 18m TV customers 1 93,000 employees and contractors 8,000 suppliers €6.3bn capital additions

Customers – Delivering the simple and predictable experience our customers expect – Getting the basics right and refocusing our resources towards improving customer experience

75% employee engagement index

€19bn spend

Our suppliers

Simplicity – Become a simple and faster business – Simplify our operations and executing on our cost programmes to improve profitability

€40m donated in contributions and in-kind services, combined with our technology, to improve health and education, and provide emergency response across 21 countries.

Our local communities and non-governmental organisations (‘NGOs’)

Government and regulators €2.6bn total direct

€9.3bn total tax and economic contribution 2

contribution across 2 63 markets 2

Growth – Right-sizing the portfolio for growth – Significant opportunity to grow in: – Business – Africa – Vodafone Investments

Secure and growing dividend

Sustainable returns

Our investors

Well positioned to take advantage of the key mega trends shaping our industry

Notes: 1. Includes VodafoneZiggo and Safaricom. 2. FY23.

Read more on pages 12-14

Read more on pages 9 to 11

Our progress Key Performance Indicators Financial and non-financial performance We measure our success by tracking key performance indicators that reflect our strategic, operational and financial progress and performance.

Financial results summary 1

Group revenue Group service revenue Operating profit Adjusted EBITDAaL 2

€m 36,717 €m 29,912 €m 11,019

37,672 37,010 30,318 30,207 12,424 12,693

€m €m €c €c €m

3,665 1,570 4.45 7.47 2,600

14,451 12,582 43.66 11.28 4,139

5,740 2,588 7.07 10.18 4,560

Profit for the financial year (continuing operations) Basic earnings per share (continuing operations) Adjusted basic earnings per share 2 Cash inflow from operating activities

18,054 18,081

Adjusted free cash flow 2 Total dividends per share Net debt 2

€m (33,242) (33,250) (39,711)

Performance against our strategic priorities 1

Simplicity Europe opex savings 3 (FY23 and FY24) Employee engagement index 4,5 Shared operations NPS 4 Productivity (role reductions) 3

Customers Consumer NPS Germany UK Other Europe South Africa

0.4 75 85 c.5

Detractors Germany UK

Other Europe South Africa Revenue market share Germany UK

Growth 2 Organic service revenue growth B2B organic service revenue growth Organic adjusted EBITDAaL growth Adjusted free cash flow Pre-tax return on capital employed

6.3 5.0 2.2 2.6 7.5

Other Europe South Africa Key: Improved Deteriorated

Network quality Very good reliability in all European markets. German cable network quality recognised in 4 independent tests.

Notes: 1. The results for the year ended 31 March 2024 exclude Vodafone Spain and Vodafone Italy and therefore, except as otherwise described, the results for the year ended 31 March 2023 and 31 March 2022 have been re-presented to reflect that. 2. These are non-GAAP measures. See page 235 for more information. 3. Includes Vodafone Italy and Vodafone Spain.

4. As at May 2024. 5. The employee engagement index is based on an average index of responses to three questions: satisfaction working at Vodafone; experiencing positive emotions at work; and recommending us as an employer.

A purpose-led, sustainable and responsible business We want to enable a digital, inclusive and sustainable society. To underpin the delivery of our purpose, we ensure that we operate in a responsible way. Acting lawfully and with integrity is critical to our long-term success.

Empowering People 1,2 4G population coverage (outdoor 1Mbps) – Europe 2 4G population coverage (outdoor 1Mbps) – Africa 3 4G population coverage (outdoor 1Mbps) – Group 2 Cumulative V-Hub unique visitors 4 Customers connected to our financial inclusion services 6

2024 99 74 85 3.3 66.2

2023 99 70 83 2.3 60.7

2022 99 66 80 3.6 5 54.5

million million

Protecting our Planet 1,2

Energy use Total energy use

Mobile and fixed access network and technology centres energy use Percentage of purchased electricity from renewable sources Percentage of purchased electricity from renewable sources in Europe Greenhouse gas emissions (‘GHGs’) Total Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions (market-based method) Total customer emissions avoided due to our green digital solutions 7 Waste Total network waste (including hazardous waste) Total Scope 3 GHG emissions Our people Average number of employees and contractors Employee turnover rate (voluntary) Women in management and senior leadership roles Women on the Board Women as a percentage of employees Health & safety Number of lost-time incidents – employees and contractors Lost-time incident rate per 200,000 hours 8 Code of Conduct Completed ‘Doing What’s Right’ employee training 5 Network waste reused or recycled Maintaining Trust 1

93 84 100 0.69 6.07 32.8

93 75 100 0.91 6.92 24.9

m tonnes CO 2 e m tonnes CO 2 e m tonnes CO 2 e metric tonnes

1.02 6.91 13.5

93 42 35 9 39 18

91 12 54 33 39 13

90 14 50 31 39

0.02 94 649

0.01 92 505

0.01 89 642

Number of ‘Speak Up’ reports 5 Tax and economic contribution Total tax and economic contributions 9 Responsible supply chain Total spend 10 Number of direct suppliers 10,11

9.3 21 83 9

8.2 20 71 9

Number of site assessments conducted collectively by JAC 12 initiative members

Notes: 1. Information relating to 2023 and 2022 has been restated to reflect portfolio changes completed during FY23 and FY24. 2. Operations in Italy and Spain have been classified as discontinued operations in line with ‘IFRS 5 - Non-current Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations’. All remaining operations are reported as continuing operations. This disaggregation of information has been reflected in all comparative periods. 3. Based on coverage in Africa, including Egypt. 4. Includes 100% of data relating to Vodafone Ziggo.

8. Total Recordable Incident Rate (‘TRIR’) is an industry-standard calculation that is based on the assumption that 100 employees work a combined 200,000 hours p.a (equivalent to 40 hours per week, for 50 weeks of the year per employee). 9. Includes direct taxes, non-taxation based revenue mechanisms, such as payments for the right to use spectrum, and indirect taxes collected on behalf of governments around the world, excludes joint ventures and associates. The FY24 figure will be finalised during FY25. For more information, refer to our Tax and Economic Contribution reports, available at: vodafone.com/tax. 10. Unique suppliers based on suppliers’ ultimate parent company. 11. Excludes Vodafone Automotive. 12. Joint Alliance for CSR.

5. Includes Vodafone Italy and Vodafone Spain. 6. Includes 100% of data relating to Safaricom.

7. The avoided emissions for 2022 have been restated to 13.5 million tonnes CO 2 e (previously 15.6 million tonnes CO 2 e) resulting from the incorrect calculation of emissions avoided in fleet management solutions.

Reshaping Vodafone for growth Chair’s message

This has been a year of significant change as we aim to deliver our purpose to connect for a better future. We have taken all the steps needed to transform our portfolio and good progress has been made with our strategic priorities of Customers, Simplicity and Growth. Portfolio transformed, good initial strategic progress As I said last year, the Company has underperformed and further change is needed to drive sustainable value creation for our shareholders. The Board and I have been pleased with Margherita’s pace and decisiveness over the last year and we have seen the first impacts of our focus on our new strategic priorities of Customers, Simplicity and Growth. Whilst there is much more to do, we are making faster and more decisive commercial decisions, customer satisfaction has seen broad-based improvements, and we have moved towards a commercial model for our shared operations. Vodafone Business growth is accelerating as we are strengthening our position as the leading platform for businesses, supported by unique strategic partnerships. We are also forging partnerships that leverage our existing strengths, unlock value and accelerate growth. The shape of the Group has also changed as we focus on markets where we can grow and earn returns on our investments in excess of our cost of capital; this was not possible organically in UK, Spain or Italy. With our reshaped footprint, Vodafone will have strong positions with good local scale in each of our markets, and this will ensure we can deliver sustainable and predictable growth and a step-up in returns. Board composition Following an extensive and rigorous search, I was delighted to welcome Luka Mucic as Chief Financial Officer and an Executive Director of the Board in September 2023. Luka brings substantial experience in finance, international leadership and enterprise & technology solutions. Luka has been very supportive of the transformation of Vodafone and I am confident that his track record and expertise will aid the delivery of our strategic priorities. We have also welcomed Hatem Dowidar, Group Chief Executive Officer of e&, to our Board as a Non-Executive Director from 19 February 2024. Hatem represents our largest shareholder and brings extensive telecommunications experience. He also knows us well after holding various Vodafone leadership positions prior to joining e&. Hatem’s appointment to the Board marks the next phase of our strategic relationship with e&. Last year, the Board approved the creation of a Technology Committee as a Committee of the Board. I have been pleased to see the Committee and its expert membership bring additional insight to the Board and Vodafone, in its first year overseeing the Group’s technology strategy and considering how it supports the overall Company strategy today, and in the future. FY24 financial performance & new capital allocation framework Our financial results for FY24 were ahead of expectations and we achieved our financial guidance for the year. Total revenue declined 2.5% to €36.7 billion, with Group organic service revenue growing by 6.3% 1 this year. This was driven by growth in Europe, Africa and Business. Our reported financials were also impacted by adverse currency movements during the year. Adjusted EBITDAaL increased by 2.2% 1 on an organic basis as good service revenue progress was partially offset by higher energy costs and inflationary impacts. Adjusted free cash flow was €2.6 billion 1 , reflecting lower adjusted EBITDAaL. Group return on capital employed

increased as a result of the right-sizing of our portfolio, however decreased year-on-year to 7.5% on a pre-tax basis due to lower operating profit 1 . Group operating profit decreased by 74.6% to €3.7 billion, primarily reflecting business disposals in the prior financial year and adverse foreign exchange rate movements, and as a result basic earnings per share decreased to 7.47 eurocents. Our balance sheet position remains robust, with Group leverage now at 2.5x 2 .The Board has declared a total dividend per share of 9.0 eurocents with respect to FY24, implying a final dividend per share of 4.5 eurocents, which will be paid on 2 August 2024 following shareholder approval at our AGM. In March 2024, we announced a new capital allocation framework as the execution of our portfolio right-sizing has provided the necessary clarity over the future shape of the Group. Under our new capital allocation framework, we will continue our disciplined investment approach, supporting our network, strategy and growth levers; adopt a new lower target leverage range with built-in flexibility; re-base the FY25 dividend to 4.5 eurocents per share to reflect the reshaped Group, with an ambition to grow over time; and return surplus capital to shareholders through share buybacks. Connectivity drives competitiveness As the economies and societies in Vodafone’s markets continue to evolve, our role in providing digital connectivity and solutions grows in importance, not only for our customers but for policymakers too. Our digital services help to improve lives, transform industrial productivity, drive growth and secure infrastructure. We remain firmly committed to supporting Europe’s and Africa’s digital ambitions for the benefit of their citizens and businesses. In Africa, connectivity that enables our customers to access the internet and make mobile money transfers is fundamental to the economic development of the six countries in which we operate. As more customers wish to move to more advanced technologies, Vodafone is working with international partners and multilateral institutions to tackle the challenge of smartphone affordability. In Europe, a ‘connectivity chasm’ is opening with regions like North America and Asia. There is a risk that in the future Europeans will have inferior access to the latest digital innovations simply because of outdated public policies. As a result, Europe will lack the advanced connectivity that is essential to its global competitiveness. Though European policymakers have made some progress, the telecommunications market in Europe remains highly fragmented and more needs to be done to create the right environment for investing in next-generation connectivity. With structurally low returns on capital in European markets and its wider importance to competitiveness, connectivity must be a priority for European politicians as they seek to reverse the continent’s declining productivity and share of global output. This is an important year for Europe. European Parliament elections and a new European Commission give political leaders the rare chance to change course and return the continent to its position as a global economic leader. They must take it. The year ahead On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank all our colleagues across the Group who have continued to work tirelessly to support our transformation as we focus on our customers, become a simpler business, and accelerate growth. As we enter FY25, I am confident that Margherita and her management team will continue to make progress on our strategic priorities. The ‘reshaped Vodafone’ will be a best-in-class telco in Europe & Africa and the leading platform for businesses, ultimately delivering value for all our stakeholders. Jean-François van Boxmeer Chair

Notes: 1. This is a non-GAAP measure. See page 235 for more information. 2. Proforma ratio after adjusting for foreign exchange and M&A.

Chief Executive’s statement and strategic roadmap Transformation gaining momentum

Early strategic execution We have made good initial progress against our strategic priorities.

“A year ago, I set out my plans to transform Vodafone, including the need to right-size Europe for growth. Since then, we have announced a series of transactions and we are now delivering growth in all of our markets across Europe and Africa. Much more still needs to be done in the year ahead. We will step-up investment in our customer experience, improve our underlying performance in Germany and accelerate our momentum in Business, whilst also continuing to simplify our operations throughout the group. We are fundamentally transforming Vodafone for growth.” Margherita Della Valle Group Chief Executive In May 2023, we set out a new roadmap to transform Vodafone along three strategic priorities: Customers, Simplicity, and Growth. We measure our operational progress in these areas through a consistent scorecard summarised below. During FY24, we have reshaped our European footprint to focus on growing markets, with strong positions and good local scale. Alongside the progress to right-size our portfolio for growth, we have made good early progress with our operational transformation, which aims to improve the experience provided to our customers, remove complexity from our operations and accelerate growth in revenue, profit, cash flow and return on capital. Customers – Wide-reaching customer experience transformation underway, supported by additional investment of €140 million 1 in FY24, as well as new incentives and talent development plans. – Customers insights processed through real-time AI models, feeding into detailed action plans on a weekly basis in all markets. – Frontline tools and processes enhancements benefitting 70,000 team members. – Significant improvement in Germany fixed network reliability, recognised in four independent network quality tests. – Despite material price inflation, customer detractors have reduced across all segments, and we now have leading or co-leading net promotor scores in 5 out of 9 European markets 1 . Simplicity – New organisational structure and executive management team in place. – Completed first phase of commercialising shared operations, enabling greater transparency, productivity and flexibility. – Actioned 5,000 1 role reductions and announced a further 2,000 in first year of 3-year 11,000 1 plan and continued to deliver opex efficiencies. Growth – Reshaped European footprint focused on growing telecommunications markets, with strong positions and good local scale. – Vodafone now growing in all segments and accelerating throughout the year. – Accelerated organic service revenue growth of Vodafone Business to 5.4% in Q4; B2B focus step-up with new organisation, sales transformation plan, investment in products and capabilities and strategic partnership with Microsoft. More remains to be done across all these areas in FY25. Our priorities for the year ahead include: stepping-up our operational performance in Germany; further strengthening our capabilities in Vodafone Business; completing the commercialisation of our shared operations; and completing our in-flight portfolio transformation.

Organic service revenue growth +6.3% Organic adjusted EBITDAaL growth +2.2%

B2B organic service revenue growth +5.0%

Adjusted free cash flow €2.6bn

10 Vodafone Group Plc Annual Report 2024

Mega trends Long-term trends shaping our industry

Digital payments Businesses in Europe continue to expand and migrate sales channels from physical premises to online channels such as websites and mobile applications. As a result, businesses increasingly transact through mobile-enabled payment services which remove the need for legacy fixed sales terminals. Consequently, businesses demand reliable and secure mobile connectivity. Consumers are also increasingly transitioning away from using cash to digital payment methods conducted directly via mobile phones or smartwatches, further increasing the importance of mobile networks. In Africa, digital payments are primarily conducted via mobile phones through payment networks owned and operated by network operators. The annual value of mobile money transactions reached €1.3 trillion globally in 2023, up 14% versus the previous year 2 . Consumers are also moving beyond peer-to-peer transactions as rising smartphone penetration drives the adoption of mobile payment applications. Network operators and a range of FinTech start-ups are using these applications to sell additional financial services focused products, ranging from advances on mobile airtime and device insurance to more complex offerings such as life insurance, loans and e-commerce marketplaces. These play a critical role in improving financial inclusion for millions of people across Africa in areas where the traditional banking sector has not been able to reach. M-Pesa is Africa’s most successful mobile money service and the region’s largest Fintech platform. It provides more than 63 million customers across six countries in Africa with a safe, secure and affordable way to send and receive money, top up airtime, make bill payments, receive salaries and get short-term loans. Businesses are also increasingly reliant on operator-owned payment infrastructure for consumer-to-business payments and for large business-to-business transfers. These payment networks drive scale benefits for the largest operators by allowing customers to save on transaction fees whilst also driving both business and consumer customers to seek reliable and secure networks. Vodacom’s super app VodaPay allows users to manage money through a digital wallet and make payments for all the products and services that the app offers through a wide range of partner businesses.

Digital services and next-generation connectivity are increasingly central to everything we do – and will be the driving forces that redefine relationships between sectors, employers, employees, customers, and friends and family. There are four ‘mega trends’ that we believe will continue to shape our industry and the key areas of focus in our strategy for the years ahead: connected devices, digital payments, adoption of cloud technology, and generative artificial intelligence. Connected devices The world is becoming ever more connected, and it is not just driven by smartphones. A wide range of new devices, across all sectors and applications, are increasingly being connected to the internet. The number of connections for these devices, known as the Internet of Things (‘IoT’), is expected to increase from 2.9 billion in 2022, to 7.3 billion in 2032 1 . For consumers, there are a growing range of applications such as smartwatches, tracking devices for pets, bags and bicycles, and connected vehicles, which can lower insurance premiums and enable a range of advanced in-vehicle solutions. For businesses, the demand for IoT and potential use cases is even more evident. These include solutions such as automated monitoring of energy usage across national grids, tracking consumption in smart buildings and detecting traffic and congestion in cities. In environments that are more localised, such as factories and ports, network operators are building and running Mobile Private Networks (‘MPNs’). MPNs offer corporate customers unparalleled security and bespoke network control. As an example, MPNs enable autonomous factories to connect to thousands of robots, enabling them to work in a synchronised way. Once a product leaves the factory it can also be tracked seamlessly through global supply chain management applications, whether it is delivered through the post, in a vehicle or even via drones. In areas where the same solution can be deployed across multiple sectors, network operators are moving beyond connectivity to provide complex end-to-end hardware and software solutions such as surveillance, smart metering and remote monitoring. It is often more efficient for these solutions to be created in-house. Scaled operators can leverage their unique position to co-create or partner with nimble start-ups at attractive economics. As the number of IoT devices increases, physical assets are also communicating with each other in real time and new digital markets are being established. This is leading to the Economy of Things, where connected devices securely trade with each other on a user’s behalf, without human intervention. This presents businesses across multiple industries with exciting opportunities to transform goods into tradeable digital assets which can compete in new disruptive online markets.

Read more about how we build platforms for financial inclusion on pages 36-37

Click or scan to watch our digital services and experiences investor briefing: investors.vodafone.com/ digital-services

Read more on how we enable customers to reduce their GHG emissions with IoT on page 41

Click or scan to watch our Vodafone Business investor briefing: investors.vodafone.com/ vbbriefing

Notes: 1. Analysys Mason, 2023. 2. GSMA, 2024.

11 Vodafone Group Plc Annual Report 2024

Adoption of cloud technology Over the past decade, large technology companies have invested heavily in advanced centralised data storage and processing capabilities that organisations and consumers can access remotely through connectivity services (commonly termed ‘cloud’ technology). As a result, organisations and consumers are increasingly moving away from using their own expensive hardware and device-specific software to using more efficient shared hardware capacity or services through the cloud. This is popular as it allows upfront capital investment savings, the ability to efficiently scale resources to meet demand, systems that can be easily updated and increased resilience. This is driving demand for fast, reliable and secure connectivity with lower latency. Many small businesses increasingly understand the benefits of cloud technology, however, they lack the technical expertise or direct relationships with large enterprise and cloud specialists. This presents an opportunity for network operators, particularly those with strong existing relationships to help customers navigate their move to the cloud at scale. Larger corporates, which may already use the cloud today, are progressively moving away from complex systems based on their own servers or single cloud solutions, to multi-cloud offers sold by network operators and their partners. This approach reduces supplier risk and increases corporate agility and resilience. Large corporates continue to drive higher demand for robust, secure and efficient connectivity services as they transition from their own legacy hardware and services. Cloud providers also recognise the criticality of telecommunications networks. Many cloud providers are partnering with the largest network operators, sometimes through revenue sharing agreements, to develop edge computing solutions which integrate data centres at the edge of telecommunication networks to deliver customers reduced latency. The opportunity is significant, as the total addressable market in business-to-business cloud and security is expected to reach €86 billion by 2028 compared to €47 billion today. Consumers use cloud solutions for a variety of reasons, including digital storage, online media consumption or interacting through the metaverse. Consumer hardware can also in some cases be replaced by cloud-first solutions. For example, new cloud-based gaming services allow consumers to stream complex, bandwidth-heavy computer games directly to their phones or tablets, without the need for expensive dedicated hardware. Fast and reliable connectivity will act as a catalyst for further innovation and consumer applications, many of which do not yet exist today.

Generative artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (‘AI’) is the ability of machines to perform tasks that are typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning and problem-solving. Generative AI (‘Gen AI’) is a type of AI that can create new content, such as images, text or music by learning from existing examples of the same content. It does this by training foundation models, known as Large Language Models (‘LLMs’), on huge sets of example data. At the end of the training, the model can generate content that is statistically similar to the examples used for its training. Growth in computing power and the abundance of data available for training has led to an exponential growth in the size and capability of artificial neural networks, with the release of ChatGPT in November 2022 sparking a significant increase in interest in the technology among both consumers and enterprises. The latest Gen AI models are based on networks with trillions of parameters and have been trained on the entire contents of the internet. Potential applications of Gen AI can range from those that directly benefit customers, such as AI-generated recommendations or hyper-personalised marketing content, to more operational use cases such as analysis of unstructured data or software development ‘co-piloting’ (drafting computer code based on natural-language prompts). The full range of potential applications and long-term impacts of Gen AI are starting to be understood, but the technology is widely expected to drive significant economic benefit globally through productivity increases and new business opportunities. Vodafone is strategically positioned to deploy Gen AI at industry- leading speed and scale, leveraging our deep partnerships with Google and Microsoft and our best-in-class reference architecture and cloud-based data ocean. Initial use cases include enhancing customer satisfaction by delivering hyper-personalised experiences across all Vodafone customer touch points, including Vodafone’s digital assistant TOBi. Vodafone employees will also be able to leverage Gen AI capabilities to transform working practices, boost productivity and improve digital efficiency.

Click or scan to learn more about how Vodafone is working with AI: investors.vodafone.com/ artificial-intelligence

Click to read more about our 10 -year strategic partnership with Microsoft: investors.vodafone.com/ microsoft-strategic-partnership

Read more about Vodafone’s approach to responsible AI on page 46

Click to read more about our six- year strategic partnership with Google: investors.vodafone.com/ google-strategic-partnership

Click or scan to learn more about our cloud technology in our technology investor briefing: investors.vodafone.com/ vtbriefing

Powered by FlippingBook

These are all the Red Lobster restaurants the company wants to close

• Red Lobster has announced which restaurants it wants to close after filing for bankruptcy.
• It's already closed dozens of restaurants throughout the US.
• The additional restaurants include many in Florida and Texas.

Red Lobster has released a list of all the restaurants it wants to close after it filed for bankruptcy.

The beleaguered seafood chain voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 19. The 56-year-old chain had been struggling for years with high levels of leadership turnover, expensive leases, and the effects of private equity involvement .

In filings, Red Lobster said it operated about 570 restaurants and attached lists of 120 it wanted to reject the leases of.

It said that these leases were "likely to continue to drive losses" for the company.

"The Debtors' meticulous, well-considered lease rejection plan is centered on value maximization," it said. "In order to manage their business and assets responsibly and economically, the Debtors seek to reject unexpired leases of nonresidential property, which are a burden on the Debtors and their estates."

Of the restaurants included in the list, 24 are in Florida, where Red Lobster is based, 15 are in Texas, and nine are in California. Its flagship Times Square location in Manhattan is also on the list.

This is in addition to the dozens of locations that closed in May. Some of the restaurants included in the list of 120 additional restaurants have already closed.

2620 McFarland Blvd E, Tuscaloosa

1521 S Yuma Palms Parkway, Yuma

2810 North 75th Ave, Phoenix

5061 North Oracle Road, Tucson

7921 West Bell Rd, Peoria

2500 S Beulah Blvd, Flagstaff

7401 Rogers Ave, Fort Smith

8407 W Markham Street, Little Rock

3885 N Shiloh Drive, Fayetteville

4500 Central Avenue, Hot Springs

1180 Admiral Callaghan Lane, Vallejo

1720 N Main Street, Salinas

195 E Hospitality Lane, San Bernardino

2283 W March Lane, Stockton

4095 Century Blvd, Pittsburg

503 E Calaveras Blvd, Milpitas

928 W Huntington Ave, Monrovia

6231 Sunrise Blvd, Citrus Heights

2040 Aborn Road, San Jose

2885 23rd Ave, Greeley

4925 N Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs

3301 S College Ave, Fort Collins

3306 N Elizabeth Street, Pueblo

Connecticut

320 Universal Drive North, North Haven

309 Rocky Run Parkway, Talleyville

2000 University Dr, Coral Springs

13300 Biscayne Blvd, North Miami

11550 SW 88th St, Miami

32 Blanding Blvd, Orange Park

11601 N Dale Mabry, Tampa

26320 US 19th North, Clearwater

2355 W New Haven Ave, Melbourne

2328 Commercial Way, Spring Hill

215 E Merritt Island Causeway, Merritt Island

2201 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd, West Palm Beach

326 Miracle Strip Pkwy SW, Fort Walton Beach

3706 North Road 98, Lakeland

3801 Cleveland Ave, Fort Myers

5690 Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy, Kissimmee

6638 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth

8909 US Highway 19, Port Richey

5936 International Drive, Orlando

5950 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale

617 N Alafaya Trail, Orlando

6151 34th Street North, Saint Petersburg

5110 N 9th Ave, Pensacola

9892 International Drive, Orlando

2475 Highway 27 South, Clermont

3830 Wedgewood Lane, The Villages

6550 Tara Blvd, Jonesboro

2679 Adams Farm Dr, Columbus

700 Shorter Ave NW, Rome

2579 Cobb Parkway, Smyrna

1604 N State Road Route 50, Bourbonnais

1901 N. Prospect Ave, Champaign

5400 National Road East, Richmond

Related stories

4353 Franklin Street, Michigan City

1900 S US 31 By-Pass, Kokomo

1100 Buckeye Ave, Ames

1915 S Wanamaker Road, Topeka

9475 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park

5151 Hinkleville Road, Paducah

4639 Outer Loop, Louisville

2314 N Salisbury Blvd, Salisbury

3920 28th Street. SE, Kentwood

4109 Wilder Road, Bay City

479 Telegraph Road, Waterford

1951 American Blvd West, Bloomington

8900 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley

Mississippi

895 Barnes Crossing Road, Tupelo

4328 Noland Rd, Independence

3131 Range Line Rd, Joplin

12235 Saint Charles Rock Rd, Bridgeton

2381 Maplewood Commons Drive, Maplewood

211 Route 17 S, Paramus

4411 Black Horse Pike, Mays Landing

3003 Route 130 South, Delran

750 Upper Glen Street, Queensbury

2090 Bartow Avenue, Bronx

5 Times Square, Manhattan

801 Sunrise Highway, Copiague

North Carolina

304 A Western Blvd, Jacksonville

6500 Miller Lane, Dayton

4990 Monroe St, Toledo

2340 Tiffin Avenue, Findlay

7607 Day Drive, Parma

255 Graff Road, SE, New Philadelphia

1422 Reynolds Road, Maumee

17227 Southpark Center, Strongsville

Pennsylvania

935 Wayne Ave, Chambersburg

425 W. DeKalb Pike, King Of Prussia

4766 McKnight Road, Pittsburgh

South Carolina

1270 Knox Abbott Drive, Cayce

2131 Northgate Mall Dr, Chattanooga

17415 US 281 North, San Antonio

18446 Interstate 45 South, Shenandoah

3056 Preston Road, Frisco

3002 Saint Michael Drive, Texarkana

3815 S. Lamar Blvd, Austin

4401 Kemp Blvd, Wichita Falls

5034 50th Street, Lubbock

5815 N Loop 1604 West, San Antonio

5825 South Padre Island Drive, Corpus Christi

603 N Cockrell Hill Road, Duncanville

7800 Bedford-Euless Road, North Richland Hills

100 I 35 North, San Marcos

109 W Anderson Lane, Austin

1381 SW Loop 410, San Antonio

2760 S Highway 6, Houston

555 S. Van Dorn Street, Alexandria

10325 Fairfax Blvd, Fairfax

8009 West Broad Street, Richmond

709 Independence Blvd, Virginia Beach

3109 Spotsylvania Mall Drive, Fredericksburg

4115 Chesapeake Square Blvd, Chesapeake

4415 S. Laburnum Ave, Richmond

821 Lynnhaven Pkwy, Virginia Beach

4231 196th SW, Lynnwood

West Virginia

3705 Murdock Avenue, Parkersburg

5010 East 2nd Street, Casper

• Main content

• Lone Star Politics
• Politifact Texas
• Austin History

A dozen more Texas Red Lobsters at risk of closing if court approves restructuring plan

Dozens more Red Lobster locations are at risk of closure if a court approves the company's plan.

After abruptly closing 50 locations throughout the U.S., the seafood chain filed for bankruptcy . Red Lobster reported having over $1 billion in debt and under $30 million in cash on hand. By selling its business to its lenders, the company hopes to get financing to stay afloat, according to CNN .

Red Lobster says it is doing what it can to restructure and stay alive. "For many of our guests, visiting their local Red Lobster is a family tradition reserved to mark a special occasion, big or small," the company said in a statement to USA TODAY on Tuesday. "We're honored our guests choose us to be at the center of their important life moments and we can't wait to be there with warm Cheddar Bay biscuits for generations to come."

More on bankruptcy: Red Lobster files for bankruptcy days after closing dozens of locations, 8 in Texas

Red Lobster started in Lakeland, Fla., in the late 1960s. In an April 2024  Bloomberg report citing sources familiar with the discussions , the seafood chain was considering a bankruptcy filing to renegotiate burdensome leases and address other long-term contracts, as well as rising labor costs.

According to Bloomberg, Red Lobster has been finding it difficult to make money with its current leases and labor costs.  CNN also reported  that the company suffered a $12.5 million operating loss in the fourth quarter of 2023, despite its " Ultimate Endless Shrimp " promotion.

LIST: Red Lobster locations in Texas at risk of closing

If the court approves the company's plan, the following 12 Texas locations are at risk of closure:

• Austin − 3815 S Lamar Blvd
• Austin − 109 W Anderson Ln
• Corpus Christi − 5825 S Padre Island Dr
• Duncanville − 603 S Cockrell Hill Rd
• Frisco − 3056 Preston Road
• Lubbock − 5034 50th St
• San Antonio − 5815 North Loop, La Cantera, 1604 West Access Road
• San Antonio − 17415 US-281
• San Marcos − 100 I 35 N Frontage Rd
• Shenandoah − 18446 North Fwy
• Texarkana − 3002 St Michael Dr
• Wichita Falls − 4401 Kemp Blvd

MAP: National Red Lobster closures

Who owns red lobster restaurants.

Thai Unio n  Group  − which is based in Thailand − has been the largest shareholder since 2020, owning 49% of the company.  Darden Restaurants  originally sold off Red Lobster to private equity firm  Golden Gate Capital  in 2014 for about $2.1 billion.

— USA TODAY contributed to this report.

Red Lobster could close up to 129 more restaurants amid bankruptcy filing

June 7 (UPI) -- Red Lobster has identified an additional 129 restaurant locations across the United States it could shut down, if a bankruptcy court approves the company's plan.

In bankruptcy documents filed earlier this week, the Orlando-based casual dining chain said it has a total of 228 rejected leases it plans to close and sell. Advertisement

The company said those locations will continue to lose money if they continue to operate as things currently stand.

• Red Lobster files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after restaurant closures
• Red Lobster closes dozens of restaurants amid bankruptcy reports
• $2B New York settlement to maximize recoveries for bankrupt crypto firm investors

Several of the already-closed restaurants have already had their kitchen equipment stripped out and sold at auction as the company looks to pay off around $1 billion in debt compared to just $30 million in cash on hand, according to the bankruptcy filing in the Middle District of Florida.

The court filings last week listed the locations that could face closures including the 56-year-old chain's iconic location in New York City's Times Square, which it has occupied for 22 years.

Owners want $2.2 million in annual rent for the space, the New York Post reported . Advertisement

"Recently, the debtors have faced a number of financial and operational challenges, including a difficult macroeconomic environment, a bloated and underperforming restaurant footprint, failed or ill-advised strategic initiatives, and increased competition within the restaurant industry," Red Lobster CEO Jonathan Tibus said in court documents obtained by USA Today.

Tibus said the chain is also dealing with a 30% drop in guests since 2019.

Red Lobster first announced the closure of around 50 restaurants in early May while publicly considering the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

Last year, the restaurant attempted to boost business by offering its "Ultimate Endless Shrimp" deal for $20. However, orders exceeded expectations, causing the seafood chain to lose $11 million in the third quarter of last year.

Latest Headlines

Trending Stories

Money blog: 'Do not eat them' - Tesco urgently recalls chocolate bars over nut risk

The Food Standards Agency has advised Tesco customers to return the chocolate bars for a full refund. Read this and the rest of today's personal finance and consumer news in the Money blog - and leave a comment below on any of the stories we cover, or a money problem for our experts.

Monday 10 June 2024 15:59, UK

• Tesco urgently recalls chocolate bars over peanut risk
• PrettyLittleThing begins charging customer for returns
• The most common holiday booking scams - and red flags to watch out for
• EU elections and US jobs data knock global markets
• Money Problem: 'I bought a heat pump dryer that takes nine hours to dry a small load but Candy and AO say there's no fault - what can I do?'

Essential reads

• How long do trailers last at each cinema chain - and when to get there
• Consider swapping chicken breasts out of your shopping basket
• How brands get you to buy more, more, more
• How much are student loans and when do you start paying back?
• Best of the Money blog - an archive

Ask a question or make a comment

More than £366bn is sitting in UK current and savings accounts earning returns of 1% interest or less, according to new research.

The analysis by Yorkshire Building Society and data consultancy CACI shows there are still nearly 13 million current accounts held in the UK with balances above £5,001.

The figure is slightly down on the £380bn held in accounts paying 1% interest or less in January but means there is still more than £366bn sat in low-paying accounts.

In addition, 17% of people admit to having never checked what rate of interest they are earning on their savings, according to an Opinium survey for Yorkshire Building Society.

And 36% admit they keep their savings in their current account.

Chris Irwin, director of savings at Yorkshire Building Society, said it was "surprising" that there were such "large pockets of people who are significantly missing out on savings interest".

"It's encouraging to see that for a small number of people they have made moves to improve the situation," he said,

"However, there is still an incredible amount of money not earning returns like they could be."

Every Thursday we team up with  Savings Champion founder Anna Bowes , who shares her insights into the savings market and how to make the most of your money.

Last week she suggested now really is the time to move your money if you have cash languishing, earning less than inflation. 

This is especially the case, she said, if you can lock some away with a fixed rate, as a base rate cut will happen at some stage, we just don't know when.

Click below to see which type of accounts she recommended - and she'll be back again this Thursday...

Millions of cat owners in England face a fine of up to £500 if they fail to get their cat microchipped and registered on a database under new laws coming into force from today.

The legislation applies to cats aged 20 weeks and older - but of the estimated nine million pet cats in the country, up to 2.2 million are still not chipped, according to data from the charity Cats Protection.

It costs between £20 and £30 to have a cat microchipped by a vet, the charity said.

Owners found not to have microchipped their pet will have 21 days to have one implanted or face the financial penalty.

You can read more here ...

Tesco has urgently recalled two chocolate bars because they could contain undeclared peanuts.

The supermarket chain's Nutty Nougat Caramel Chocolate Bars Multipack and Dreamy Caramel Chocolate Bars Multipack are being taken off shelves over "possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to peanuts".

The products are sold in packs of six for £1.15.

"If you have bought the above products do not eat them," the UK's Food Standards Agency said.

"Instead, return them to any Tesco store for a full refund."

A Tesco spokesperson told Sky News: "Due to a mispack, there is a risk of peanuts not being declared as an ingredient in the product.

"This poses a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to peanuts."

PrettyLittleThing has become the latest retailer to introduce returns fees.

The fashion brand, which is owned by Boohoo, started charging all customers  £1.99 for returns from 3 June.

Customers who are PLT Royalty members, which costs £9.99 a year, will also have to pay the charge.

The retailer joins other brands such as Zara, which started charging £1.95 for postal returns in 2022, and Boohoo, which introduced a £1.99 fee in July 2022, in introducing a returns cost.

Next also introduced a £2.50 charge for courier returns last year.

PrettyLittleThing declined to comment but confirmed charges had been introduced.

By James Sillars , business reporter

Two major themes for financial markets to focus on today: the results of the EU parliamentary elections and hiring in the United States.

Both are knocking stock markets globally this morning, with the FTSE 100 opening sharply down along with its European counterparts.

If we look at all this chronologically, the much-stronger-than-expected US employment numbers released on Friday afternoon have put a lid on talk of interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve central bank.

Global investors are crying out for cheaper borrowing costs and that now seems a distant prospect, with some market watchers even predicting it will be 2025 before the Fed can act.

The dollar also strengthened when it emerged there were 272,000 net new jobs created in the world's biggest economy last month. A figure around 175,000 had been predicted.

The fear here for the Fed is that strong employment and wage growth will push up US inflation.

The FTSE opened 0.6% lower at 8,195 after Friday's decline of almost 0.5%.

The DAX in Germany and French CAC were down 0.7% and 1.9% respectively.

The opening performances reflected Emmanuel Macron calling French parliamentary elections after his party was trounced in the EU vote by Marine Le Pen's far-right group.

Wider results also showed big gains for far-right parties in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.

The euro hit a near two-year low versus the pound in Asia dealing and also lost further ground against the dollar.

It's good news if you have a holiday booked in the euro area, as your pound will go further when converted to the single currency.

By Emily Mee , Money team

You've been looking forward to your trip for months, but as you're waiting at the airport you discover - to much frustration - that your flight has been cancelled. 

Damn! Better go on to social media to tweet the company - you're hoping it might get their attention quicker than waiting on hold for an agent or in a long queue at the airport with hundreds of other passengers. 

Within a short while, you have a reply - finally some good news! The airline asks you to DM them, and after some back and forth they're willing to book you on to another flight. They'll need your payment details again, though. 

Little did you realise, this was a tricky-to-spot scam. In your weariness you hadn't realised you were talking to a fake social media profile posing as your chosen airline. 

This is one common holiday booking scam that has been tricking people out of their cash online. 

In a report this year, Lloyds revealed holiday purchase scams have risen by 7% over the past year, with nearly half starting on Facebook. 

The scams to watch out for

• Clone websites - these can appear for airlines, holidays, villas and more. Although you may think you're on a legitimate site, you may not have spotted the URL has been changed. You may even get fake confirmation emails or booking references. 
• Social media promotions - similar to the clone websites, these can often impersonate airlines or hotels, or they may advertise accommodation that doesn't exist.
• Fake activities - when travellers end up paying for activities from fraudulent operators and the tour or activity does not exist.
• Phishing emails - these can appear to come from a legitimate provider and will often ask travellers to confirm their personal and payment details.
• Fake social media messages (as we mentioned above) - after passengers reach out for help on social media, scammers might reply posing as the airline or tour operator.
• Service fees for documents - a long-running scam sees copycat websites pop up where a fee is charged to process or renew a document or health insurance card. 
• Airport parking - some scammers will claim to have a "safe place" for your car but that might not be the case, with some drivers returning to find their cars filthy, damaged or with added mileage. 
• Counterfeit Atol numbers - while the Atol sign should mean your holiday is protected, scammers can use counterfeit numbers on fake web pages.

How can you avoid getting scammed?

Consumer champion Jane Hawkes, also known as Lady Janey , says it's important to do your research in the first place. 

If the website claims to be part of any official travel body, check this for yourself.

For example, you can check if a company is truly Atol protected here . 

Read reviews for the company too - although be aware that some may have fake reviews (these aren't easy to spot, but you should check for things like whether lots of reviews were posted at the same time, if lots of the reviews go over-the-top, and if many use the same phrasing). 

You can also do a Google Maps search for the property being advertised. 

Check contact details are readily available on websites and that there is a telephone number.

"Many scam sites purposely don't have one," Jane explains. 

"If you can't get hold of a company for general enquiries, it'll be a whole lot more difficult if something goes wrong." 

Jane also says you should check for red flags such as poor spelling and grammar in adverts, limited-time offers, and the pressure to make decisions on the spot. 

She recommends keeping all communication on the official platform, for example, when booking through Airbnb. 

"Scammers will try to lure you away in order to gain your personal and banking details. Steer away from any personal correspondence via email, WhatsApp or text," she says. 

When it comes to booking, Jane says to never action a bank transfer  or provide your bank details in response to an advert. 

She suggests using a credit card if the offer is legitimate - this means you'll benefit from extra cover if anything goes wrong. 

Don't agree to PayPal transfers, especially if the transfer is made as "PayPal Friends and Family" as this reduces the protection PayPal can offer. 

For the highest level of consumer protection, Jane recommends booking a package holiday with a trusted travel agent . 

If you have been the victim of a scam then you should report it to the Financial Conduct Authority, Trading Standards, Police Action Fraud or Citizens Advice Scam Action as appropriate. 

Every Monday we get an expert to answer your money problems or consumer disputes. Find out how to submit yours at the bottom of this post. Today's question is...

I purchased a new Candy Heat pump dryer from AO in December thinking I was making a more environmentally ethical purchase than a cheaper condenser or vented dryer. I carried out research and was satisfied with AO and Candy's description of drying time being a "little longer". 

Fast forward to February I could stand it no longer and called Candy to discuss a "fault" as it was taking nine hours to dry a small load and three cycles. I was informed this was normal and not a fault. I then called AO, which liaised with Candy to send out an authorised engineer.

The engineer found no fault but told me he receives many many complaints about this model.

I have raised it with both AO and Candy, but they consider the matter closed as there is no fault.

Where do I go from here?

Donna Adams, Dumfries

Scott Dixon, from The Complaints Resolver , says the first thing to remember is that your contract is always with the retailer, not the manufacturer.

"You have done everything right. You carried out research and expected drying time to take a little longer," he says.

Scott says the  Consumer Rights Act 2015  right applies. It says goods ought to be: 

• Fit for purpose
• As described
• Satisfactory quality
• Last a reasonable length of time 

The act gives you 30 days to reject faulty goods - the onus is on you to prove that the goods are faulty. Once 30 days has elapsed, the onus is on the retailer to prove that the goods were not faulty when sold. After six months it changes again - the onus is on you to prove the goods had inherent faults when it was sold. 

"The engineer verbally confirmed an issue and that he receives many complaints about this particular model," says Scott.

"They will never put this in writing because they are not working for the consumer. They will simply write 'no faults' - case closed.

"This is one of many tried and tested fob-offs retailers use to deny you a remedy and 99% of the time it works."

The crux of your complaint, Scott says, is that the goods are not "as described", and your experience simply does not match what you or any reasonable person would expect.

Had you known it would take nine hours, you would have made a different decision.

What you can do

Scott says: "Google search the make and model of this particular heat pump dryer. It's likely you will find a forum where others have shared similar experiences. This will prove there are inherent issues and reinforce your case.

"You could also get an independent report from a qualified professional who can offer a written opinion to confirm what the engineer said.

"I take the view that you are entitled to reject the goods as they were not 'as described', the goods were misrepresented to you and you were misled into making a transactional decision you would not have otherwise made.

"The Consumer Rights Act 2015, the Misrepresentation Act 1967 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 support this."

If all this falls on deaf ears, Scott suggests writing to the chief executive of AO, John Roberts (his email address can be found online with a bit of digging).

"It's unlikely that the CEO will read it, although his escalated complaints team will," says Scott.

"If all else fails, follow  Simple Procedure in Scotland  (small claims court in England and Wales)."

Often, sending screenshots of your initial court papers will be enough to resolve a dispute before lodging the official complaint, Scott says.

AO response

After being contacted by Sky News, AO arranged to revisit Ms Adams's home.

They then told the Money blog: "Following a further inspection, Candy's engineer confirmed Mrs Adams's dryer was faulty so we've been in touch with her to offer a replacement with our apologies."

Candy did not respond to a request for comment.

This feature is not intended as financial advice - the aim is to give an overview of the things you should think about.  Submit your dilemma or consumer dispute via:

• The form above - you need to leave a phone number or email address so we can contact you for further details
• Email [email protected] with the subject line "Money blog"
• WhatsApp us  here

By Narbeh Minassian , news reporter

The time on your ticket is 7pm, but you already know it's not going to start then.

So, what time do you get to the cinema?

If you're arriving at 7.10pm, you're almost certainly safe, but any later and you may cut it fine.

Here, we've gathered information from the UK's major cinema chains and spoken to experts about how long you can expect adverts and trailers to run until the main event actually begins.

According to the Cineworld website, ads and trailers "normally last between 30-45 minutes before the actual film begins".

The cinema also asks customers to collect tickets at least 20 minutes before the listed time "to make the most of their visit".

There appears to be a shorter wait at Odeon, which claims advert and trailer length is "typically 15-25 minutes" - but this varies with each performance and can be "considerably less".

"We always recommend to avoid disappointment you arrive with enough time to enter the screen at the scheduled performance start time," the website says.

There's a wider range at Everyman, which says it plays 25 minutes' worth of adverts and trailers.

But beware - "the length of ads and trailers varies for special events and it can be between 15 and 40 minutes, subject to type of event".

There isn't any specific information on the website and we got no response when we reached out to them, but Showcase did respond to a customer on social media on this very question.

In a May 2022 tweet, the cinema said: "The advertised time is when the adverts/ trailers start and are approximately 20-25 minutes long before each show."

Vue offers a more precise window: "Please be aware that most films have around 20 to 25 minutes of ads and trailers before the feature starts."

Its only recommendation is to be in your seat at the time stated so you "don't take any chances in missing the start of your film".

'In general, it's 24 minutes'

Karen Stacey, the chief executive of Digital Cinema Media, which supplies advertisement for the likes of Odeon, Vue and Cineworld, told Sky News the wait is typically 24 minutes - 12 minutes for ads, and 12 for trailers.

This remains true whatever the film and whatever the time of day, with about 95% of DCM's schedules "exactly the same".

"It's very formulaic, that's what consumers are used to," she said. "By making it consistent in length, people are always happy to come and join in."

She said 24 minutes gives schedulers enough time to prepare the film and allow a more staggered entry for the audience - while also bringing in revenue.

Any longer than half an hour, though, is "rare".

"Cinemas want to have as many films in as possible and they want to be mindful they don't finish too late in the evening," Ms Stacey said.

"My experience working with them is they are quite strict."

Are there rules over the length?

As the above suggests, there aren't any set rules or procedures governing cinema advertising length.

Kathryn Jacob, chief executive of cinema advertising company Pearl & Dean, said the length was determined by the cinema.

"Some cinemas take only one ad, like the BFI IMAX, and the maximum length is determined by the cinemas themselves," she told Sky News.

"Factors determining the length depend on demand from advertisers and the films that a cinema might want to showcase to the audience that's at the screening via trailers."

Cinema policy is the key decider and she said research has shown audiences find advertising in cinema "part of the entertainment".

Do viewers like the adverts and trailers?

Ms Jacob may have a point.

According to research published by DCM , advertising in cinemas is more effective than in any other media.

For a 60-second advert in the cinema, viewers will watch 48 seconds, which is a far higher proportion than TV or social media.

It is also highly trusted, with DCM citing a survey by IPA Touchpoints claiming nearly 100% of respondents say they trust what they see in the cinema - for comparison, 75% trust TV adverts.

Avid cinema-goer Bill Boswell, who pays £18 a month for an unlimited pass at Cineworld on the Isle of Wight, said he was happy to wait.

"I know that these adverts help pay for the cinema to run," he told Sky News. "The cinema is my place to escape, so it's good for my mental health and I would not want to lose it.

"If I watch at home, I can sometimes reach for my mobile phone, but a film on the big screen would get my 100% attention, so I just accept the pre-show adverts."

But what are the drawbacks?

The main thing Mr Boswell considers is his car, as his nearest Cineworld offers three hours of free parking.

"I would sometimes plan on 30 minutes of trailers and work back so I can fit the free parking in, as the cinema costs enough already," he said.

"If the film is more than two and a half hours, I park outside town and walk to the cinema."

Consumer expert Martin Lewis raised parking tickets as one of the issues in a 2019 tweet, in which he said he waited 33 minutes for a film to start.

Responding to one user, he said greater clarity would help customers to save on parking tickets and babysitting, while giving "legitimate expectation".

"And there's no rigorous research that prices [cinema tickets] would go up - they're often set by market demand," he added.

Are there alternatives?

If you want to avoid the pre-show altogether, your best bet might be independent or community cinemas.

Draycott Community Cinema, for example, is the only cinema in the Somerset village and is run by volunteers.

Committee member Chloe Haywood told Sky News they are always debating how long to make their pre-show.

They try to keep it to two short trailers, often without any adverts - though they are planning to find a sponsor later this year.

"We do find that it sets the audience up for the screening," she said, referring to their brief pre-show.

"We don't have trailers for long. They're to advertise the next two films, any local news that might be of interest, and then standard 'switch off your phones' type info."

We had a lot of feedback after our in-depth look at why concert ticket prices are so high these days...

Here's some of what you said...

Why do arenas and sports events have to charge so much for food and drinks? Over £8 a pint is absolutely scandalous and opportunistic greed. Britain is an absolute rip off. Lee J

In the same way that football has been gentrified, music is being steered towards the rich and middle class - real fans like me are no longer wanted by agents like Ticketmaster. Frontman

The ones responsible are the ones paying the prices like with coffee shops and other consumer products. Stop paying stupid prices, they won't charge them! Toby

Why are resale tickets allowed to be tripled or quadrupled? Recently offered a David Gilmour ticket for £600??? Springbok

1970... $7.50 to see Elvis at his prime in Vegas. The greatest entertainer ever. 2020... £300 to see Taylor Swift. The most overrated singer around today.  I know who got the best deal there! Steve Elliott

A quick calculation shows $7.50 in 1970 is the equivalent of $60.61 today.

Next, a brief mention of Subway's decision to change its ordering process in all stores to electronic kiosks by the end of the year...

Some readers complained in our comments box but when we asked our followers on LinkedIn whether they liked or loathed self-service via a screen, this was the result...

Another post that got you exercised contained quotes from the boss of Emirates comparing Heathrow to a Second World War airport ...

There wasn't much love for the UK's biggest airport from readers - or for any other airport across the country...

There need to be a lot of change at Heathrow! Specially with immigration checks. The long queues are killing me, someone can't wait 2hrs in a queue to get a clearance, it's absurd! Cheka

Heathrow is not the only one. Coming back to UK through Gatwick yesterday was a sobering experience. Tatty floor covering, scuffed and drab paint everywhere. Wall graphics lacking any imagination or vibrancy. Narrow walkways and corridors. Doesn't show the UK in a good light all. Frequent traveller

Heathrow a Second World War airport? Try coming off a plane with 300 others at Leeds Bradford and queueing outside in the cold and pouring rain trying to shuffle in through a small door that looks like it used to be an emergency exit. How difficult can it be to erect something? Paula Blue

I totally disagree Heathrow is as bad as the president says. Has he ever visited Manchester Airport? AJ

A major HMRC glitch on Monday meant 500,000 families did not get their child benefit on time. Multiple readers wrote in with their views...

So they will be paying compensation then? As they would fine us for late payments... Cybertuck

HMRC? Apologise? Due to an error by working tax credits, I've only just been paid six years' worth. And as to child maintenance payments… I can't even begin to discuss that without crying. LWE

Is there any government IT system in this country that works as it should? Tudor1

I don't have children, very sadly, but if I were told that HMRC were "sorry" for this glitch I would probably feel very violent. We get a lot of apologies these days which mean absolutely nothing (regrettably). Gillydhill

Confirming the problem had been fixed late on Monday afternoon, HMRC said: "We are very sorry some customers didn't receive their scheduled child benefit payments as expected and we understand the concern and difficulty this may have caused. 

"We've fixed the problem and affected customers will now receive their payments on Wednesday morning."

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free