Motor sector tops CCPC consumer-calls list
A report from the consumer-rights watchdog shows that 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.
The report from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) breaks down calls made to its helpline from January to June this year.
Vehicles and transport led the list of sectors that consumers contacted the CCPC about (2,962 contacts), followed by home building and improvements (1,243) and telecommunications (1,233).
Telecoms contacts drop
While most categories showed little change from the same period last year, telecommunications contacts were down 20%.
The top traders named by consumers contacting the helpline included Ryanair (319 contacts), Eir (241), and Sky (219).
Electronics retailers Currys (203) and Harvey Norman (183) were next on the list.
"Lots of these companies are very big and have lots of customers, therefore they are more likely to appear in the top ten," Griffin told RTÉ radio.
The report shows that 20,526 consumers contacted the CCPC helpline during the six-month period, with just over 4,700 contacts linked to faulty goods and services.
Consumers reported spending an average of €6,400 on the product or service they had an issue with.
Helpline information ‘vital’
CCPC director of communications Grainne Griffin described the helpline as “vital” in directing the watchdog’s work, particularly in enforcement.
“The information provided by consumers helps us to identify rogue traders and patterns of potential law-breaking and means we can target our resources for maximum impact,” she stated.
Consumers contacted the CCPC helpline about goods and services with a reported total value of €56 million.
Car history
The highest average spend was on vehicles and transport (€18,716) and home building and improvements (€13,443).
“Earlier this year, we published a report calling for the Government to create an online car-history portal,” said Griffin.
“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.”
Just over 4,400 consumers contacted the helpline about an online purchase, with 17% of purchases coming from businesses outside of the EU.
The CCPC referred more than 5,000 consumers to the Small Claims Court after contacting the helpline.