Faulty goods and services top consumer complaint to watchdog
The majority (86%) of consumers who contacted the CCPC had shopped from Irish-based businesses. Picture: iStock
Issues relating to faulty goods and services were the most common reason that members of the public contacted the consumer watchdog in the first half of the year, a new report shows.
More than 19,800 contacts were made to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s (CCPC) helpline between January and June 2021, according to its half-year report, published on Friday.
Some 3,175 of these queries related to faulty goods and services, a 15% increase when compared to the same period last year.
Examples of the types of queries included whether consumers were entitled to seek a refund, or if they had to accept a repair or replacement.
Additionally, some consumers were unhappy with the solution being offered to them and wanted to know their rights and entitlements.
More than 70% (2,241) of consumers who contacted the CCPC about faulty goods were referred to the Small Claims Court as a possible next step to address their issue, the report added.
There was also a "marked change" in consumer issues by sector, according to the CCPC.
There was a 63% rise in queries relating to audio-visual (AV) and electronic goods, compared with a 71% fall in queries relating to travel, transport and holidays for the same period.
AV and electronic goods were also the number one sector overall for contacts referred to the Small Claims Court.
Of those who contacted the CCPC during this period, almost 1 in 2 (47%) bought online, which was consistent with 2020.
The report also shows a 16% increase in the number of consumers wanting to know their rights when buying online (1,356), making it the second most common reason that consumers contacted the CCPC.
Some of the queries posed by consumers questioned whether they were entitled to a refund following significant delivery delays.
Consumers also complained about signing up for a service online, changing their mind, and then being charged a cancellation fee.
Brexit was also particularly popular, with the CCPC's information page on the matter receiving more than 36,500 visits from people seeking clarity on the impact of the UK leaving the EU.
Other common queries related to consumers who had bought online only to find out after they paid that additional costs such as VAT were not included.
The majority (86%) of consumers who contacted the CCPC had shopped from Irish-based businesses.
Almost one in 10 (8%) consumer queries to the CCPC related to purchases made from UK-based businesses, which represents a 3% increase on the first half of 2020.
Almost a quarter (23%) of personal finance queries during this time related to mortgages or equity release.
Grainne Griffin, director of communications with the CCPC, said these insights suggest consumers have shifted to using online services for a lot of their purchases.
“The reality is that the Covid-19 pandemic has changed how and where many of us shop. Even as restrictions have eased, our insights suggest that a mixed approach between in-store and online shopping is set to continue,” she said.
“As we move into the second half of the year and toward a traditionally busy shopping period, the CCPC is reminding consumers of the importance of knowing their rights, particularly when shopping online from Irish, EU or other international websites.”
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