CCPC warns 3,000 traders to comply with law after surge in customer complaints

Commission said the volume of complaints made the homebuilding and improvements sector the second-biggest driver of calls to the CCPC in the first half of this year

“Issues with the home building and improvements sector are consistently one of the biggest call drivers to our helpline and can be very costly to consumers," said Patrick Kenny of the CCPC. 

Issues with the homebuilding and improvements sector are consistently one of the biggest call drivers to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), which has published an open letter warning traders to adhere to their legal obligations. 

The CCPC said it has written directly to almost 3,000 traders, following more than 1,200 complaints in the first six months of the year regarding workers in the home building and improvements sector. 

The volume of complaints made the sector the second-biggest driver of calls in the first half of 2025.

The top issues cited by consumers include traders refusing to resolve problems or being unwilling to resolve them to the consumer’s satisfaction, consumers waiting a long time for work to be started after agreeing on a start date with the trader, and traders not turning up when scheduled to fix an issue reported to them by the consumer. 

In one example, the commission said a consumer contacted them after hiring a plumber to carry out work on their property. They reported that the plumber’s work resulted in leaks in both the roof and the bathroom, and the bath no longer functioned properly. Despite multiple attempts to follow up, the consumer said the trader refused to engage or take responsibility for the issues.

In another incident, a consumer said they had engaged a sole trader to renovate their bathroom. They stated that there was a verbal agreement that the work would be completed within five days. However, when they contacted the CCPC, they reported that almost three months had passed, and the job remained unfinished. The consumer also reported that the radiator was unsafe, and the shower was leaking. They said the trader repeatedly promised to return but never did.

“Issues with the home building and improvements sector are consistently one of the biggest call drivers to our helpline and can be very costly to consumers," said Patrick Kenny of the CCPC. 

"Consumers in Ireland and across Europe have important rights when it comes to service contracts, and it’s important they know that, but equally important is that traders providing the service to them are aware of their responsibilities under the law. 

"That’s why we’ve contacted various trade associations, and written to the sector directly, to remind them of their obligations and provided them with clear guidelines on their responsibilities and in particular, what they have to do when things don’t go to plan. 

"There is an onus on traders to ensure they follow all relevant legislation. Failure to do so can result in enforcement action by the CCPC.”

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022, traders must provide clear pre-contract information, including contact details and the total price, or how the price will be calculated if it cannot be determined in advance.

Traders must also deliver services that match what was agreed with the consumer and meet reasonable expectations for that type of service, and offer remedies if the service does not meet contractual standards.