Ryanair, with 269 contacts, generated the second highest number of complaints and queries to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission in the first half of the year, after telecoms company Eir, which had 356 contacts.
The CCPC reported an 18pc increase in interactions with consumers in the first half of the year
The CCPC runs a national consumer helpline offering free information and support on consumer rights and personal finance.
The CCPC wants greater powers to tackle anti-consumer behaviour a few years after it was created with the merger of National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority. and is advocating for an increase in the Small Claims Court claim limit.
Vehicles and transport was the area that generated the most contacts, with 2,904 in total. Holidays and travel was in fourth place.
The report shows 4,900 consumers were referred to the Small Claims Court up 1,000 on the first six months of 2023. The Small Claims Court is open to claims for €2,000 or less, a figures the CCPC says should be increased as it is “out of step with many of the most basic and unavoidable expenses faced by consumers today.”
CCPC’s director of communications Grainne Griffin said “whether people are buying a birthday card or a new car, they have rights as a consumer, and the trader from which they were buying had certain responsibilities under the law. It can be tricky for consumers to understand their rights when something breaks down or a delivery doesn’t show up, and that’s where the CCPC can help. An informed consumer is an empowered consumer, and knowing your rights can make life easier when things go wrong.”
