Tag: improvements

CCPC consumer helpline report 2025: online purchases, home improvement issues and cars

Faulty goods and services topped the list of concerns for Irish consumers for the fifth consecutive year, according to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s (CCPC) 2025 Consumer Helpline Report. The report details key statistics and insights from consumers who contacted the CCPC consumer helpline in 2025, as well as the most-named traders.

  • 42,791 consumers contacted the helpline, mostly by phone, email and webform
  • Consumers spent an average of €6,292 on the product or service that they had an issue with
  • 10,297 consumers were referred to the Small Claims Court for redress
  • The CCPC’s free online Money Tools were used 647,483 times

There was a significant increase in the number of consumers contacting CCPC about an online purchase, up by 14% since 2024. Issues with home building or improvements were also up – by 12% – since 2024 (2,838 consumers). The biggest call driver was issues with cars, with 5,827 contacts about vehicles. The top traders named by consumers contacting the helpline included Ryanair, Rathwood and Currys.

Grainne Griffin, CCPC Director of Communications said:

“Last year the CCPC helpline saw an increase in calls about online purchases. When shopping online in Ireland and the rest of the EU, consumers have strong rights, including the right to send goods back, as long as they inform the trader within 14 days.

“One fifth of all contacts to our helpline in 2025 related to an issue with faulty goods and services. 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, you shouldn’t have to go back to the manufacturer.”

Putting your rights to work

In October 2025, the CCPC began following up with consumers who contacted the CCPC helpline to find out what happened next. The first check-in with consumers was a minimum of four weeks after they contacted the helpline. At that stage, 96% of consumers had contacted the trader. 43% of respondents had reached a resolution, with 38% of those receiving a refund from the trader. There were still challenges for consumers with 16% reporting that they incurred costs and 61% contacting the trader five or more times while trying to resolve their issue.

Home improvement help 

2,838 consumers contacted the CCPC helpline about home building or improvements, an increase of 12% since 2024. Consumers reported spending an average of €14,597 on home building or improvements that they later found issues with. In November 2025, the CCPC published an open letter to traders that provide home maintenance, construction and improvement services to remind them of their obligations under consumer protection law.

Grainne Griffin said:

“Home improvements can be costly for consumers, especially if things go wrong. Check the references of contractors and if you can, physically review previous jobs that they have done.  Make sure you get a written quote rather than an estimate and sign a contract. Having those will give you stronger rights in the event of a problem.

“Every year, issues with home building and improvements are one of the biggest call drivers to our helpline. That’s why we wrote to traders last year with clear guidelines on their responsibilities to consumers. Where traders are not following the law, the CCPC can take enforcement action.”

Product safety concerns

Last year, 1,261 consumers contacted the CCPC with product safety concerns, with one particular report to the CCPC helpline from a concerned parent leading to the recall of 1,564 baby socks due to injury concerns.

How to contact us

For consumer queries and complaints, contact the CCPC helpline on 01 402 5555 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm) or via our contact form or email ask@ccpc.ie.

Renovation Nation: Home improvement projects drive consumer spending surge in Ireland

Revolut, the global financial app with more than 45 million customers worldwide, and over 2.8 million in Ireland, has identified a surge in the amount its customers across Ireland are spending on home improvements projects.

Revolut’s consumer spending analysis tracks millions of card payments each month to indicate several real-world spending trends by the country’s Revolut customers.

With Ireland’s national Residential Property Price Index (RPPI) increasing by more than 10% in the 12 months to August 2024, it could be that rising prices are pushing many across the country to renovate rather than relocate.

Rising prices driving renovation demand?

Whether getting onto the property ladder for the very first time or weighing up whether a move to a bigger home is within reach, it appears that priority number one for families across Ireland is renovating houses in accordance with their needs. Revolut’s analysis suggests that people are opting to renovate rather than relocate, either by extending or remodelling homes.

Headline figures included a 30% rise (QoQ increase) in payments to special trade contractors, with an additional 14% rise (QoQ increase) in masonry, stonework, and plastering costs, pointing to a probable jump in the number of house extensions getting underway last month.

Architects and tradespeople the beneficiaries

With an increased demand for work on home improvement projects, architectural firms and surveyors are proving the beneficiaries of people in Ireland’s need to renovate their homes. Spending on fees for these services rose 22% (QoQ increase) — up 18% on this time last year.

Busier carpentry contractors (33% QoQ increase) and heightened spending on plumbing and heating equipment (19% QoQ increase) suggests increasing workloads for these trades too.

Meanwhile, the amount spent at household appliance stores rose by 22% (QoQ increase), as consumers spent a third more (33% YoY increase) on furnishings for their homes in Ireland compared to last September — with a 22% increase in the last quarter (QoQ increase) reinforcing this trend.

Credit enabling home improvements

Revolut customers in Ireland looking to renovate their homes can avail of personal loans of up to €30,000 at competitive interest rates from 6.50% Annual Percentage Rate (APR) variable. Whether for home improvement projects, or something else, customers can spread the cost with flexible repayments. Over 20% of Revolut’s existing personal loan customers said their reason for accessing credit was to carry out home improvements, while in the last month, the amount of home improvement loan applications Revolut received rose by 4% (MoM increase).

A recent survey by market research company Dynata on behalf of Revolut found that over 18% of people (from a sample of 1,000 respondents representing every county in Ireland) said that renovating their house or apartment would be a good reason to use a loan in the next year.

Maurice Murphy, Head of Lending – Europe at Revolut Bank UAB, said: “During those big life events, such as moving or renovating your home, it’s important to be able to trust your bank, get a great return on your deposits, and have hassle-free access to credit when you need it. These spending patterns suggest that a growing number of our customers in Ireland are putting their money towards decorating, renovating, or extending their homes.”

Revolut Bank UAB (Irish Branch) was recently recognised by financial comparison site Bonkers.ie as ‘Ireland’s Best Consumer Business’ and ‘provider of the Best Current Account’, while the company ranked 9th as part of the Ireland RepTrak® 2024 study earlier this year.

For more information, visit: www.revolut.com/en-IE

Bank of Ireland investing additional €34 million in customer service improvements

Bank of Ireland has announced a major additional investment in customer services with more than €34 million in the transformation of its telephony and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems.

This investment in technology will lead to faster resolution of customer calls, enhanced self-service options (change account address, order duplicate statements, request a new card), allow more transactions to take place 24/7 via phone, and improved customer security. The investment will:

  • Provide 2,800 colleagues in branches and contact centres with quick ‘single view of customer’ data for faster call resolutions
  • Use voice biometrics to improve customer authentication for better fraud protection and reduce call waiting times
  • Enable more streamlined phone-based transactions which can be done 24/7, including improved customer verification methods, and removing complex menus

This latest announcement brings the total spend being made by Bank of Ireland on a range of customer service improvements to close to €150 million to the end of 2025.

Commenting on the investment, Susan Russell, CEO, Bank of Ireland Retail Ireland said:

“This is the largest single investment in enhanced systems and technology for our frontline colleagues in branches and contact centres that the Bank has ever made. We receive more than 11,000 calls on average each day and when customers call us they want speed, expertise and security. This investment equips colleagues with the latest technology to provide better and faster resolution of calls, and colleagues will now have a ‘single view’ of the customer at the touch of a button providing them with instant access to all their information without having to talk to another part of the bank. This investment will make things faster and better for customers and for colleagues, it’s a win-win.”

In January Bank of Ireland announced an investment of more than €60 million in a range of branch improvements, including the Bank’s largest single investment in ATMs in the last decade. The Bank also announced spending of €50 million on customer fraud prevention and protection in February including investment in new technology.