Faulty goods, second-hand cars and home improvements are top Irish consumer concerns

22,724 consumers contacted the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) helpline in the first half of 2026, according to the new CCPC helpline report.

The report gives insight into the top issues, sectors and traders reported by Irish consumers. New research from callbacks to those who contacted the helpline now shows us what happened next for those consumers.

Irish consumer concerns

• The top issues were faulty goods, pricing and contract performance
• The top sectors were vehicles and transport, utilities and fuel, and homebuilding and improvements
• The top five traders were Rathwood (737 contacts), Ryanair (238 contacts), Sky (228 contacts), Currys (223 contacts) and Harvey Norman (196 contacts)
• Consumers reported spending an average of €6,473 on the product or service they contacted the CCPC about
• Increase of 34% in contacts related to an online purchase
• 4,577 contacts related to faulty goods & services
• Over 1 million visits to the CCPC website

Aoibhín de Búrca, CCPC Director of Communications and Consumer Information said:

“The CCPC advises consumers on their rights when they contact the helpline, and from the numbers contacting us we can see there is ongoing demand out there, especially on faulty goods.

“It’s important that consumers know their rights if they buy something that turns out to be faulty. Regardless of whether you had a warranty or a guarantee, it’s up to the seller to resolve your issue, not the manufacturer.

“Our new research shows that when consumers are armed with the information we give them, they can get the replacements, repairs and refunds due to them. 91% of consumers took action following calls to the helpline and nearly 40% were resolved. 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. Now that we have this research it will inform our work.”

Aoibhín de Búrca added:

“Where we see breaches of the law we will act. Based on calls to our helpline we can and do take action. In July, with the help of intelligence received by the helpline, the CCPC secured the return of €250,000 in unspent gift card credit to Irish consumers by JD Sports. And in the last 18 months we have taken successful prosecutions against six major retailers and two second-hand car dealers for misleading consumers. So, we strongly encourage consumers to alert us when they see breaches of the law.

“Currently the CCPC must prosecute a business in court where a judge can then impose a fine. Recent consumer protection law cases have incurred fines of €1,000. This is why we welcome the commitment made by the Government to give the CCPC new powers to impose fines for breaches of consumer protection laws. And we want the fines to be higher to deter businesses from breaking the law.”

Getting the full picture from consumers

Since October 2025, the CCPC has been following up with consumers that have contacted our helpline to see how their journey is going. So far in 2026, 2,326 consumers have had their first check-in, at least four weeks after they contacted the helpline.

At their first check-in:

• 38% of consumers had resolved their issue, with 41% of those receiving either a full or partial refund
• 43% of consumers were still seeking a resolution
• 22% of respondents incurred extra costs trying to resolve their issue
• 91% of respondents contacted the trader at least once, with over half contacting the trader five times or more

Aoibhín de Búrca said:

“Within a month of contacting us and receiving information about their rights and suggested next steps on engaging with the trader, nearly 40% of consumers reported that they were able to get the issue resolved. These issues aren’t trivial and neither are the costs involved so it’s positive to see businesses reaching resolutions with consumers in a timely manner. We’d encourage all consumers to go back to the business as the first step if an issue arises, to make the complaint in writing and keep written evidence.”

Record referrals to the Small Claims Court

Almost 6,000 consumers were referred to the Small Claims Court by the CCPC in the first six months of the year alone. The small claims procedure is a simplified way of taking a consumer case against a business, without needing to hire a solicitor, but it is only intended for claims of up to €2,000. Given that consumers reported spending an average of €6,473 on the product or service they contacted the CCPC about, many cannot use this option.

Aoibhín de Búrca said:

“Many consumers, especially those with issues with cars or home improvements, are automatically excluded from the option of the Small Claims Court due to the low claim threshold. The CCPC welcomes the commitment from the Government in its Programme for Government and its 2025 Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity to ‘substantially increase’ the limit of the small claims procedure. We strongly recommend it be increased to €8,000.”

Website refresh

Over 1 million consumers visited the CCPC website so far in 2026. The CCPC’s free online comparison tools, which allows consumers to compare financial products including mortgages, loans and saving rates from a range of different providers, had 280,969 visits.

In May, the CCPC launched a new website which has transformed the experience for businesses and consumers that interact with the CCPC. The new website is Ireland’s best source for free, impartial and trusted information on consumer rights and personal finance.

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 form or email ask@ccpc.ie.

Details of all completed prosecutions and enforcement actions taken by the CCPC can be found at ccpc.ie/cpl

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is the statutory body responsible for enforcing and promoting compliance with competition, consumer protection and product safety law, with new and expanding roles in digital and data regulation. We make markets work better for consumers and empower consumers to make informed choices. For more information and tips on your rights, how to complain, managing your money and unsafe products, visit www.ccpc.ie.

Case studies

The helpline report included seven case studies based on real consumer issues as reported to the helpline. Full details are included in the report.

*All information is presented from the perspective of the consumer. Some details have been altered for brevity and to protect anonymity.

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