Consumer contacts report H1 2024
Summary
Queries and complaints to Ireland’s consumer watchdog increased by 18% in the first six months of this year, with a total of 22,347 consumers contacting the CCPC helpline between January and June 2024. Published today, the CCPC’s Consumer Helpline Report details the key concerns of consumers across Ireland and the sectors and traders they struggle most with, with issues over faulty goods and services topping the list of consumer queries and complaints.- Publication date:13 August 2024
The top five sectors the CCPC was contacted about between January and June were:
- Vehicles and transport (2,904 contacts)
- Telecommunications (1,534)
- Home building and improvements (1,228)
- Holidays and travel (1,110)
- Clothing, footwear and accessories (1,018)
Eir was the company most frequently identified by callers to the CCPC helpline, with 356 contacts, followed by Ryanair (269). Sky was third with 254 contacts, followed by Vodafone (239) and Harvey Norman (234).
Commenting on the importance of consumers knowing their rights, Grainne Griffin, CCPC Director of Communications, said:
Whether you’re buying a birthday card or a brand‑new car, you have rights as a consumer, and the trader you’re buying from has certain responsibilities under the law.
It can be tricky for consumers to understand their rights when something breaks down or a delivery doesn’t show up, and that’s where the CCPC can help. An informed consumer is an empowered consumer, and knowing your rights can make life easier when things go wrong.
Traders who break the law can face fines and prosecution. Our enforcement officers use this helpline data to identify serious breaches of the law and patterns of non‑compliance.
In total, 4,900 consumers were referred to the Small Claims Court, almost 1,000 more than the same period in 2023. The sectors most frequently referred were home building and improvements (624 referrals) and vehicles and transport (588).
Commenting on the options available to consumers when things go wrong, Grainne Griffin said:
From January to June this year, we referred almost 5,000 consumers to the Small Claims Court, but many callers, including car buyers and those with home improvement issues, are automatically excluded due to the low claim limit.
The Small Claims Court is only open to claims of €2,000 or less, which is out of step with many basic and unavoidable consumer expenses. This needs to change, and we are advocating for the limit to be increased.
Speaking about punishment for law‑breaking, Grainne Griffin added:
Unscrupulous traders who rip off consumers make it harder for law‑abiding businesses to survive. We will use all powers available to us, up to and including prosecution, to detect and penalise lawbreakers. However, current fines are not always a deterrent, particularly for large businesses.
Changes to the law are needed to give the CCPC the power to impose larger fines for serious offences, such as fines linked to a business’s turnover.
The report also shows that 1,990 consumers contacted the CCPC with personal finance queries. There were notable increases in contacts about motor insurance and loans, while the PCP (Personal Contract Plan) page was the most‑visited personal finance page on the CCPC website in the first half of the year.
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