Faulty goods prompted 4,577 consumers to contact the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) helpline during the first half of this year, according to a newly published report.
A total of 22,724 people contacted the consumer watchdog in the first six months of 2026, up 10% on the same period last year, with Rathwood (737), Ryanair (238), Sky (228), Currys (223) and Harvey Norman (196) the five most complained-about traders.
In terms of the top issues reported by customers, faulty goods, pricing and contract performance were the main problems for customers and 34% of contacts related to an online purchase.
Honing in on the faulty goods complaints, Aoibhín de Búrca, the new director of communications and consumer information at the CCPC, who hails from Tourmakeady, Co Mayo, says it is a “stubbornly consistent” issue for people, and the levels are “too high”.
“The complaints tend to be things like a customer goes back to a retailer [looking for a refund or a replacement], and they are being sent back to the manufacturer on a bit of a wild goose chase.
“What we are saying to people is, on faulty goods, you have really strong consumer protection in this country. It’s for you, and you need to know it, but contact us and we’ll talk you through the rules.”
She also advises consumers to use the CCPC’s Faulty Goods tool on ccpc.ie where you answer a couple of simple questions about your purchase – when it was bought and where, and it then advises you of your rights.
“Sometimes people will go up to the till and they will get sent away [by the retailer], and they’ll say, ‘I’m not sure’ or ‘I thought I had more rights’, and they are a bit bamboozled. This tool will tell you in 30 seconds, and you can turn right back around, and you can say, ‘This is what the CCPC says I’m entitled to.’
“One person contacted us after they were told they couldn’t get a refund [on faulty goods] and when they went back with the CCPC information from the helpline, the business immediately paid up.
“In the first 30 days, regardless of guarantees or warranties or all of the noise you might hear, you’ve the right to a full refund. After that you’ve a right to a repair or a replacement. This isn’t negotiable – this is the law,” she emphasises.
Sectors where most problems arose for consumers were in vehicles and transport, utilities and fuel, and home building and improvements.
The good news from their research is that consumers armed with the correct information can get their replacements, repairs and refunds due to them.
“We found 91% of consumers took action following calls to the helpline, and nearly 40% were resolved [within four weeks]. But the research also shows that almost half of consumers had to contact the retailer more than five times and the issues still weren’t resolved,” she stresses.
High-profile wins
The CCPC did have some high-profile wins detailed in the report. For example, many people got in touch this year when JD Sports would not honour gift cards or vouchers. The CCPC later secured the return of €250,000 in unspent gift card credit without taking legal action.
“That’s really good for consumers. If they tell us, we can engage and get something done,” Aoibhín underlines.
“What we don’t want is the 7% of people who have called back more than 20 times and the 16% who have contacted retailers 10 to 19 times. For a quarter of people that is their experience in consumer protection, and that is not good enough,” she points out, saying it may need to follow up with enforcement action.
What Ms de Búrca would like the Government to bring forward is new legislation to allow the CCPC to set the fines as a percentage of turnover to act as a proper deterrent rather than going to the District Court, where some have been fined as little as €500.
“We’d like to do it ourselves, and we have got a commitment from Government on that. We’re hoping the new legislation will be in by the new year.”
The other big promise the Government needs to follow through with is increasing the limits through the Small Claims Court process, which currently stands at just €2,000. The report indicates that “record numbers” equating to almost 6,000 consumers were referred to the court in the first six months of the year alone.
We found 91% of consumers took action following calls to the helpline, and nearly 40% were resolved [within four weeks]. But the research also shows that almost half of consumers had to contact the retailer more than five times and the issues still weren’t resolved
The procedure is a simplified way of taking a consumer case against a business, without needing to hire a solicitor. Complainants to the CCPC reported spending an average of €6,473 on a product or service in the first half of the year, but larger amounts for a car or home improvements are currently “locked out” of the Small Claims Court, where good resolutions are often brokered. Increasing the limits is part of the Programme for Government, she points out, and the consumer organisation wants it to rise to €8,000.
Her message for businesses is clear: put more of a focus on customer service in the future.
“We’d be saying look at your practices, especially around customer service and the information you give out. It’s very clear, and we are going to look at that ourselves,” and if the CCPC finds an issue, it will result in prosecution action just like it has for some high-profile retailers and car dealerships for misleading customers on price and where items were made in recent times.
Aoibhín concludes on a positive note. “Improvements have been made by some businesses who were previously in the top five most complained about, so it can be done.”
Contact the CCPC helpline on 01 402 5555 or see ccpc.ie
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