Faulty Goods Top CCPC Helpline Queries As Utility And Fuel Contacts Jump 248%
The CCPC helpline took 22,724 consumer contacts in the first half of 2026, with faulty goods the top issue and utility and fuel queries up 248%.
Faulty goods, second-hand cars and home improvements were among the leading consumer concerns raised with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission in the first half of 2026, according to a new helpline report published on 24 August 2026. A total of 22,724 consumers contacted the CCPC helpline between 1 January and 30 June, a rise of 10% on the same period in 2025, when 20,526 consumers made contact.
The most common queries related to faulty goods and services, pricing and contract performance. The top sectors were vehicles and transport, utilities and fuel, and home building and improvements.
Utilities and fuel recorded by far the sharpest movement of any of the top ten sectors, with contacts rising from 612 in the first half of 2025 to 2,130 in the same period of 2026, an increase of 248%. Vehicles and transport remained the largest single sector at 3,192 contacts, up 8%, while furniture and furnishings rose 56% to 1,004 contacts.
The sums at stake were substantial. Consumers reported spending an average of âŹ6,473 on the product or service they contacted the CCPC about.
Online shopping accounted for a growing share of contacts, with 5,925 relating to an online purchase, an increase of 34%. In-store purchases accounted for 6,299 contacts. There were 1,054,990 visits to the CCPC website during the period. The Commission's free online comparison tools, which let consumers compare financial products including mortgages, loans and saving rates from a range of different providers, recorded 280,969 visits.
AoibhĂn de BĂșrca, CCPC Director of Communications and Consumer Information:
"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."
The report also names the traders most frequently raised by consumers. Rathwood accounted for 737 contacts, well ahead of Ryanair on 238, Sky on 228, Currys on 223 and Harvey Norman on 196. Contacts about the top ten named traders made up 16% of all contacts where a trader was named.
Since October 2025 the CCPC has been following up with consumers who contacted the helpline to establish what happened next. So far in 2026, 2,326 consumers have had a first check-in at least four weeks after making contact.
Of those, 38% had resolved their issue, with 41% of that group receiving either a full or partial refund. Another 43% were still seeking a resolution and 19% were no longer pursuing the matter. Some 22% had incurred extra costs while trying to sort out the problem.
Persistence was frequently required. Some 91% of respondents contacted the trader at least once, with over half contacting the trader five times or more.
AoibhĂn de BĂșrca added:
"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."
The report records 5,271 consumers referred or signposted to the Small Claims Procedure in the first six months of the year, an increase of 4%. The procedure allows a consumer to take a case against a business through the District Court without hiring a solicitor, at a cost of âŹ25, but it only deals with claims up to âŹ2,000. Details are available at courts.ie.
Set against an average reported spend of âŹ6,473, that threshold puts many consumers outside the scheme entirely.
AoibhĂn de BĂșrca:
"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 âsubstantially increaseâ the limit of the small claims procedure. We strongly recommend it be increased to âŹ8,000."
On enforcement, the Commission pointed to action taken in July 2026 on foot of information received through the helpline.
AoibhĂn de BĂșrca:
"In July, with the help of intelligence received by the helpline, the CCPC secured the return of âŹ250,000 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."
The CCPC must currently prosecute a business in court for a judge to impose a fine, and it noted that recent consumer protection law cases have incurred fines of âŹ1,000. The Commission said it welcomes a Government commitment to give it new powers to impose fines for breaches of consumer protection laws, and that it wants those fines to be higher to deter businesses from breaking the law.
Consumers with a query or complaint can contact the CCPC helpline on 01 402 5555, Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm, by email to ask@ccpc.ie, or through the contact form on its website. Information on consumer rights and personal finance is available at ccpc.ie, and details of all completed prosecutions and enforcement actions taken by the CCPC are published at ccpc.ie/cpl.
