Tag: CCPC

Car rental websites improve consumer information and contract terms following CCPC and EU-wide online sweep

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), working with EU consumer authorities, has proactively engaged with Etrawler Unlimited Company, trading as Holiday Autos and Argus Car Hire, to clarify consumer information on these car rental websites.

The improvements follow a coordinated EU-wide sweep of 78 third-party car rental websites conducted in 2022 by consumer protection authorities in 10 EU member states and Norway, led by the European Commission. The aim of the sweep was to assess and improve compliance with EU consumer protection laws.

The sweep identified areas of potential non-compliance with consumer protection laws by various car rental websites. Issues raised with Etrawler were addressed to ensure that consumers can make informed choices based on clear information.

Since early 2024, Argus Car Hire and Holiday Autos have implemented a number of positive changes across their websites:

  • Contact email addresses were added on the Argus Car Hire and Holiday Autos websites as an additional contact channel alongside a pre-existing phone number, chat function, WhatsApp and customer portal. 
  • While road taxes and airport fees were included in the quoted price, following engagement with the CCPC the price summary box now clearly states that these charges are part of the total cost, making it easier for consumers to understand exactly what they’re paying for. 
  • Clearer information on the use of credit and debit cards is provided during the booking process and in booking confirmation emails. 

During engagement with the CCPC, Argus Car Hire and Holiday Autos stated that they were already in the process of updating their no-show policies so that consumers are offered an alternative car with no fees in the event that a supplier cannot fulfil a booking due to a flight delay or cancellation. In addition, if a consumer is a no-show but contacts Argus Car Hire or Holiday Autos within 72 hours of the scheduled pickup, they receive a refund minus the flat cancellation fee.

The CCPC has been monitoring the implementation of these changes.

Pat Kenny, CCPC commission member, said:  

“We want consumers to feel confident and protected when renting a car online. Online car rental should be transparent and fair for every consumer.

“We welcome the action taken by Etrawler to enhance clarity and transparency of the information available to consumers, enabling them to make informed decisions.

“The results of the sweep on car rental websites demonstrate how the CCPC and consumer protection authorities across Europe work together to ensure consumers’ rights are upheld.”

Under the Consumer Protection Cooperation framework, national authorities work together to effectively tackle widespread infringements of EU consumer law and to review the commercial practices of traders.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is the statutory body responsible for enforcing and promoting compliance with competition, consumer protection and product safety law, with new and expanding roles in digital and data regulation. We make markets work better for consumers and empower consumers to make informed choices through our consumer helpline, our website, public awareness campaigns and our financial education initiatives. For more information, visit CCPC.ie.

CCPC and ASA sign data-sharing agreement to strengthen social media influencer regulation

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has signed a new data-sharing agreement with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which will enhance regulatory oversight of social media platforms.

The agreement will enable the ASA to share information it receives through its online reporting portal while remaining in line with data protection laws. This will give the CCPC greater access to reports from the public of potential breaches of the law.

Under consumer protection law, social media influencers must not mislead consumers through unfair practices such as hidden or mislabelled advertising, or they could breach consumer protection law. This means they must clearly label posts that are commercial in nature.

A social media post may still breach consumer protection law even if it is properly labelled if the content is false or misleading.

The new data-sharing agreement means ASA will have the ability to share information regarding suspected breaches, which the CCPC may investigate further.

The CCPC, as a statutory body, has a range of enforcement tools to ensure that consumer protection law is adhered to, including compliance notices, fixed payment notices, undertakings, prohibition orders and prosecution.

Patrick Kenny, commission member at the CCPC, said:

“Consumer law protects consumers when engaging with the commercial content posted by online influencers. Commercial content from influencers must be clearly labelled as such and must also not be misleading. With the ASA, we have produced guidance for influencers to help them follow the law. This year we issued our first compliance notices against two prominent influencers.  We continue to monitor this sector closely and will act where we see breaches here.

“The new data-sharing agreement allows the ASA to share reports from the public and will support us in protecting consumers when it comes to social media advertising.”

Orla Twomey, chief executive of the ASA, said:

“We are delighted to formalise this data-sharing agreement, which marks a significant step towards enhancing regulatory outcomes for consumers in Ireland, ensuring a strong, responsive and resilient framework for the future. Social media advertising has been a key area of our focus, and this agreement is a further strengthening of cooperation between ASA and CCPC.”

Anyone concerned about suspected false or misleading advertising can contact the CCPC directly.

The agreement follows the publishing of new guidelines for influencers and social media advertisers by ASA and CCPC in October 2023.

CCPC clears Equinix’s acquisition of BT Datacentres Ireland

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has cleared the proposed acquisition of BT Datacentres Ireland by Equinix (Ireland).

Equinix operates six data centres in Dublin, which provide digital infrastructure for cloud, IT, finance, content and media service providers. BT Datacentres Ireland also operates data centres in Dublin, one in Citywest and one in Ballycoolin.

The proposed acquisition was originally notified to the CCPC on January 10, 2025. Following an extended preliminary investigation, the CCPC determined in May 2025 that a full investigation was required to establish if the proposed acquisition would lead to a substantial lessening of competition in the State. This type of detailed further review is commonly referred to as a Phase 2 investigation.

Significant additional information was provided by both parties during the course of the investigation, such that the CCPC is satisfied that the deal can proceed.

The CCPC will publish the full decision on its website within 60 working days, following redaction of confidential information

Information about the merger notification can be found at M/25/003.

CCPC publishes its 2024 annual report

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has today published its 2024 Annual Report, detailing the investigations, enforcement actions and public awareness campaigns carried out last year. 2024 also marked a significant milestone as the CCPC celebrated its 10th anniversary, marking a decade of work promoting competition and enhancing consumer welfare.

Key highlights from 2024:

•    Blocked daa’s purchase of the former QuickPark car park site at Dublin Airport to prevent a monopoly in that market

•    Cleared 71% of merger determinations within 13.3 days, under a simplified process, despite merger notifications increasing by 21%

•    Opened five new investigations for suspected breaches of competition law

•    Carried out dawn raids on two premises as part of an ongoing cartel-related investigation in the home alarm industry, and assisted the Italian competition authority with an unannounced search of Ryanair’s headquarters in Dublin as part of an ongoing Italian competition investigation

•    Recalled, withdrew or prevented 178,596 unsafe products reaching the Irish market

•    Launched proceedings against several nationwide retailers for breaches of new sales pricing laws

•    Undertook 205 consumer protection inspections

•    Responded to over 44,000 helpline contacts and received 1.8 million visits to ccpc.ie

Among its highlights include the CCPC’s successful intervention to prevent a potential monopoly in car parking at Dublin Airport, blocking the daa’s attempted purchase of the former Quickpark site. The deal was stopped due to findings that it would lead to higher prices, less choice and lower service quality for consumers, and facilitated the entry of a new competitor to the car park market at Dublin Airport. Recent analysis conducted by the Commission shows evidence of consumers benefiting from increased competition for car park business at the airport.

Over 178,000 unsafe products removed or prevented from reaching the Irish market

Following consumer complaints, referrals from European networks, proactive investigations and work with Revenue Customs, the CCPC recalled, removed or prevented almost 180,000 unsafe and non-compliant products from reaching the Irish market. Recalls included almost 10,000 babies’ sleepsuits and over 2,400 toy construction trucks, in addition to compliance inspections across hundreds of products.

Enforcement and legal actions

Work to protect Irish consumers from breaches of consumer protection law continued at pace with more than 200 inspections undertaken, 47 fixed penalty notices and 23 compliance notices issued. Successful prosecutions were brought against five retailers, with Tesco Ireland pleading guilty to two sample counts of failing to comply with the law in how they displayed the price of products offered on promotion to Clubcard holders.

Dawn raids

The CCPC carried out dawn raids on two premises as part of an ongoing cartel-related investigation in the home alarm industry. It also assisted the Italian Competition Authority, the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM), in an unannounced search of Ryanair’s headquarters in Dublin as part of an ongoing Italian competition law investigation.

CCPC Chairperson Brian McHugh commented:

“2024 marked a major milestone for the CCPC — ten years of championing consumer rights and fostering competitive markets in Ireland. Open, fair markets are the backbone of our economy’s success, ensuring that whether consumers are making small everyday purchases or major financial decisions, their interests are protected.

“Our Annual Report highlights the vital role the CCPC plays across all sectors of the economy, from enforcing consumer law on retail pricing, to advocating proactively for reforming the legal sector to better serve the interests of Irish businesses and consumers. As we look ahead, it is clear that the CCPC’s work is more important than ever and our vision for open and competitive markets where consumers are protected and businesses actively compete, remains at the heart of everything we do.

“Following a year of notable achievements and a decade of progress, our focus remains on delivering transparent outcomes, empowering consumers with knowledge of their rights, and being a leading voice for competition and consumer welfare across Ireland.”

For more information, read the CCPC’s 2024 Annual Report.

Editor’s Notes

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is the statutory body responsible for enforcing and promoting compliance with competition, consumer protection and product safety law, with new and expanding roles in digital and data regulation. We make markets work better for consumers and empower consumers to make informed choices.

Other CCPC reports for 2024 that may be of interest include:

–    The Contacts Report which breaks down the sectors, issues and traders detailed by consumers who contacted the CCPC for information on their rights in 2024.

–    The Annual Mergers and Acquisitions Report which provides details of the mergers and acquisitions notified to, and reviewed by, the CCPC throughout 2024.

–    The Consumer Protection List which details the CCPC’s consumer protection enforcement activities in 2024.