Complaints to Ireland’s consumer watchdog jumped sharply in the first half of the year, with telecoms operator Eir and Ryanair the two companies most likely to be referenced by callers to its helpline.
According to the new report from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), published this Wednesday, queries and complaints from the public increased by 18 per cent between January and June when compared with the same period in 2023.
More than 20,000 contacts were managed by the watchdog which is calling for legislative changes to give it the power to impose larger fines for serious offences, including fines that represent a percentage of a business’s turnover.
Eir was the company most frequently identified by callers to the CCPC helpline, with the company being referenced by 356 of those who made contact, followed by Ryanair on 269. In third place was Sky with 254 contacts, followed by Vodafone which was mentioned by 239 callers, while Harvey Norman was in fifth place on 234.
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The other companies rounding out the top 10 were Currys, Virgin, Aer Lingus, Power City and Lidl.
Earlier this year Eir was labelled a “disgrace” by a District Court judge after a court heard evidence that the telecom provider warned staff they could be disciplined for adhering to statutory regulations governing customer complaints. In the case taken by ComReg, Eir and its parent company Eircom pleaded guilty to multiple breaches of the law over its failure to acknowledge customer complaints and provide responses within 10 working days among other issues. The company was fined €750 for each of 10 counts before the court.
[ Consumers being denied access to redress routes because of outdated rules, watchdog says ]
Of the top five sectors the CCPC was contacted about between January and June, vehicles and transport topped the list, generating 2,904 contacts. Telecommunications operations were responsible for 1,534 contacts, followed by home building and improvements on 1,228. Holidays and travel issues prompted 1,110 contacts, followed by clothing, footwear and accessories on 1,018.
The report also reveals that 1,990 consumers contacted the CCPC with a question about personal finance.
There were notable increases in consumer contacts relating to motor insurance and loans, while the page on PCPs (Personal Contract Plans) was the most-visited personal finance page on the CCPC website in the first half of this year.
“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,” said the CCPC’s director of communications Grainne Griffin.
“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.”
Ms Griffin expressed concern about access to the Small Claims Court, and said many callers, including car buyers and those contacting the CCPC about issues with home improvements, “are automatically excluded from this option due to the low claim limit”. She also called for the toughening up of other laws.
She said “unscrupulous traders who rip off consumers make it harder for law-abiding businesses to survive”.
“We’ll use all the powers available to us, up to and including prosecution, to detect and penalise lawbreakers. However, we know that the level of fines issued for breaches of consumer protection law is not always a deterrent, especially for large businesses. Changes to the law are needed to give the CCPC the power to impose larger fines for serious offences, for example fines that are a percentage of a business’s turnover.”
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