Used cars, online shopping and home improvements: top consumer concerns of 2025, says CCPC
August 19, 2025
Faulty goods, poor online shopping experiences and botched home improvements top the list of issues consumers have contacted the CCPC about so far this year, according to their helpline report it issued today. The CCPC Consumer Helpline report breaks down calls made from January to June 2025. It details the top sectors, issues and traders that prompted consumers to contact the CCPC helpline.
Vehicles and transport led the list of sectors that consumers contacted the CCPC about, while the top traders named by consumers contacting the helpline included Ryanair, Eir and Sky.
- 20,526 consumers contacted the CCPC helpline, mostly by phone, email and webform
- Consumers reported spending an average of €6,400 on the product or service they had an issue with
- 4,724 contacts related to faulty goods & services
- The CCPC’s free online Money Tools were used 352,655 times
Grainne Griffin, CCPC Director of Communications, said:
“Consumer contacts to our helpline are vital in directing our work, particularly in enforcement. The information provided by consumers helps us to identify rogue traders, patterns of potential law breaking and means we can target our resources for maximum impact. This year, unannounced inspections by CCPC officers, often backed by intelligence gathered from our helpline, have uncovered consumer law breaches in shops, pubs, restaurants and car dealerships around Ireland.”
Informing car and home-buyers
Consumers contacted the CCPC helpline about goods and services with a reported total value of €56 million. The highest average spend was on vehicles & transport (€18,716) and home building & improvements (€13,443). Consumer contacts also direct our research and advocacy work.
Grainne Griffin said:
“Buying a car or a home are two of life’s most significant financial decisions. Making the wrong choice can be very expensive. This year, we have published in-depth research with practical recommendations that would make a huge difference for car buyers and homebuyers in Ireland.”
Earlier this year, we published a report calling for the government to create an online car history portal. This would allow consumers to check important information about a car’s mileage, past accidents, safety recalls, and import status before buying a used car. Recently we also called for more transparency in the homebuying process. Our homebuyers report called for the necessary information about a property to be made more accessible and be made available earlier in the homebuying process.”
Buyer Beware: Shopping online
4,419 consumers contacted the helpline about an online purchase, with 17% of purchases coming from businesses outside of the EU.
Grainne Griffin added:
“We’ve seen an increase in consumers contacting us about online purchases. We recommend buying from businesses based in Ireland or other EU countries, where your consumer rights are strong. This means that if you buy a product online and the product doesn’t reflect the reviews – or if you’ve changed your mind – you have a 14-day right to cancel and receive a full refund.
“If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Consumers should be very cautious of exclusively 5-star reviews or amazing deals that are out of step with other suppliers. Always do your research and if you spot a red flag, better to spend your money elsewhere.”
When shopping online, the CCPC advises consumers to take precautions including:
- Buyer beware: If a product is sold out everywhere but an unfamiliar website, research the company before buying.
- Browse before you buy: Reputable companies will always list ways to get in touch with them, so if the website doesn’t have a ‘Contact us’ page that includes a phone number, email address and postal address, it could be fraudulent.
- Pay securely: Consider using online payment services such as Paypal or a pre-pay credit card.
- Keep the receipts: Make sure to keep all records and details of your interactions with the trader in case an issue arises.
Personal finance
352,465 people visited our online Money Tools, which allows users to find the financial products that suit them best, calculate costs, and create budgets.
The report also revealed that 1,389 consumers contacted the helpline about personal finance. Motor insurance topped the list of personal finance queries, followed by mortgages and current accounts.
How to contact us
For consumer queries and complaints, contact the CCPC helpline on 01 402 5555 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm) or via our contact us form or email ask@ccpc.ie.
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