Ticketmaster and Eir top list of firms that triggered most complaints to CCPC in 2024

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has reported a significant rise in the number of people reaching out to its helpline, with a noticeable increase in complaints about faulty goods and services.

In 2024, a total of 44,247 consumers contacted the CCPC to either report a problem, ask a personal finance question, or get information on their consumer rights. 

This represented a 13% increase in the number of contacts from the previous year or an additional 5,000 contacts compared to 2023.

Issues relating to vehicles were the most common reason for consumers to get in touch with the CCPC, accounting for nearly 5,500 contacts. Following this were issues related to the telecommunications sector (2,920 contacts) and problems with home building and improvements (2,525 contacts). 

On average consumers reported spending just over €6,000 on the goods or services they contacted the helpline about, driven by the high costs associated with second-hand cars and home renovations.

And certain companies stood out for generating significant consumer frustration…

Most complained-about companies

According to the CCPC, the three most complained-about companies last year were Ticketmaster, Eir, and Ryanair.

Ticketmaster seemed to incur the wrath of almost every concert goer last year, especially Oasis fans, for its use of dynamic pricing with ticket sales. So it’s perhaps no surprise to see it take the top spot.

And Eir has long been synonymous with poor customer service and last year was branded a 'disgrace' by a judge in the Dublin District Court during a case taken by the CCPC over its failure to acknowledge customer complaints.

Ryanair also ranked highly in terms of customer grievances, which may not come as a surprise either given the airline almost seems to revel in bad publicity.

However, it's important to take the size of a company into account when looking at the number of complaints. Ryanair, for instance, flies nearly 200 million passengers every year, many of them from Ireland, while Eir has over 1.5 million customers, many of whom hold multiple services with the company.

Top 10 companies consumers complained about

Calls for reform of the Small Claims Court

CCPC spokeswoman Grainne Griffin welcomed the increasing number of consumers seeking guidance on their rights:

“We’re pleased to see more consumers reaching out to the CCPC when they face difficulties. Almost 45,000 consumers contacted us last year, and we were able to explain their rights or direct them to the appropriate service for help.”

But the CCPC also used the report’s release to advocate for a review of the Small Claims Court system. 

The court provides a low-cost, informal, and efficient way for consumers and businesses to resolve disputes without requiring legal representation. However, its current claim limit is set at just €2,000 - significantly lower than the average disputed amount reported by consumers contacting the CCPC. As a result, the CCPC is pushing for an increase in the claim threshold.

How to contact the CCPC

If you need guidance on your consumer rights or have a personal finance question, you can reach the CCPC through the following channels:

• Phone: 01 402 5555, open Monday to Friday, from 9am to 6pm
• Website: ccpc.ie/contact
• Email: ask@ccpc.ie

And if you have an issue relating to a vehicle, you can also contact the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) which operates a consumer complaints and arbitration service dealing with used cars, repairs and services purchased from its members. 

You can also read many of the in-depth personal finance guides we have on bonkers.ie such as our guide on your general consumers rights as well as our guide on gift vouchers.