Rathwood tops CCPC complaints list for first half of year

Rathwood, a retailer specializing in garden centres and outdoor furniture, has been identified as the most complained-about business in Ireland for the first half of the year. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) reported that Rathwood attracted 737 complaints between January and June, significantly more than other major companies like Ryanair, Sky, Currys, and Harvey Norman.

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91% of consumers took action following calls to the helpline and nearly 40% were resolved.

These complaints stem from well-publicized issues concerning delays in order delivery and difficulties in obtaining refunds. Following Rathwood's entry into examinership in April, the CCPC urged affected customers to take immediate action, including requesting chargebacks from their banks or card providers.

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The research also shows that almost half of consumers had to contact the retailer more than five times and the issues still weren't resolved. Now that we have this research, it will inform our work.

Overall, the CCPC's consumer watchdog helpline received 22,724 complaints during the same period. Faulty goods, second-hand cars, and home improvements were the primary reasons for consumers contacting the helpline. The average spending on the product or service in question was €6,473. Notably, complaints related to 'utilities & fuel' saw a substantial 248% increase compared to the previous year.

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where we see breaches of the law, we will act. Based on calls to our helpline, we can and do take action.

CCPC Director of Communications Aoibhín de Búrca highlighted that 91% of consumers took action after calling the helpline, with nearly 40% of issues resolved. She noted that almost half of consumers had to contact the retailer more than five times before their issues were addressed. De Búrca emphasized that the CCPC acts on intelligence received through the helpline, citing a recent case where €250,000 in unspent gift card credit was returned to Irish consumers by JD Sports. The commission is also pushing for government commitment to new powers allowing them to impose higher fines on businesses that violate consumer protection laws, as current fines of €1,000 are seen as insufficient deterrents.

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In the last 18 months, we have taken successful prosecutions against six major retailers and two second-hand car dealers for misleading consumers. So, we strongly encourage consumers to alert us when they see breaches of the law.