A reader complains to VHI: If the new policy has the same benefits, why charge €284 more? ‘After a 20-minute call I was none the wiser and this was with a senior manager,’ reader complainsTue May 14 2024 - 06:10
Ireland’s ‘sick’ car insurance system: A scrape involving two drivers who know each other turns ‘nasty’One woman’s insurer paid out on a claim after an incident that caused minimal damageMon May 13 2024 - 06:10
Poetry not pints as old pub a new home for publishers after fundraising campaignManaging director of Salmon Publishing Jessie Lendennie ‘astounded’ by generosity of those who pledged money to her cause via GoFundMeSat May 11 2024 - 08:00
Twenty tips for a frugal but fun summer with the kidsPricewatch: Before shelling out on expensive aways days and treats for your children, consider these cost-effective alternativesMon May 06 2024 - 00:00
How does a 6 cent increase in the price of a pint by Guinness become a 30 cent increase by publicans?Publicans are accused of profiteering, but they have an explanationThu May 02 2024 - 06:00
Visitors spend in excess of €1,000 on trips to Ireland in March - CSOAverage cost of airfares to and from the country put at €271Tue Apr 30 2024 - 16:04
Grocery inflation falls again as Easter egg sales surgeKantar puts grocery inflation at 2.9 per cent in the 12 weeks to the middle of AprilMon Apr 29 2024 - 14:53
Supermarket ‘yellow pack’ was once ridiculed. Now Irish consumers love own brand. Here’s why it makes sensePricewatch: Driven by cost-of-living concerns and better produce, Irish shoppers are embracing own-brandMon Apr 29 2024 - 06:00
Aldi Parmesan, Dunnes sausages, Tesco coffee: The best own-brand products in Ireland, chosen by youA straw poll of readers’ favourite supermarket products, from tea to detergent, moisturiser to biscuitsMon Apr 29 2024 - 06:00
Claims involving uninsured or untraced drivers jump 11%Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland estimates the cost of such claims adds €35 on to every motor insurance premiumMon Apr 29 2024 - 00:01
Return of own-brand formula highlights big companies’ profits - Senator Rebecca Moynihan says Aldi’s ability to sell baby formula for considerably less than branded feeds shows it can be doneSun Apr 28 2024 - 16:18
Lidl shoppers seeking middle-aisle deals targeted by scammersFake online offers designed to trick customers into providing card and personal detailsSun Apr 28 2024 - 15:17
Exhausted, dominated by technology and broke: Sign of the Times survey is all bad newsSurvey indicates a loss of confidence in the ability of Irish governments to tackle important social issues or to have empathy for people strugglingSat Apr 27 2024 - 06:00
Will consumers benefit from Aviva entering the Irish health insurance market?With the insurer clearly seeing a gap in the market, ‘aggressive competition is to be expected’Fri Apr 26 2024 - 05:45
Guaranteed Irish symbol comes with trust and history, Oireachtas hearing is toldChief executive says that it ‘does not mean that the product is made in Ireland’Wed Apr 24 2024 - 18:11
Deposit return scheme ‘teething issues’ will be resolved, chief promisesSome 50 million containers are expected to be returned to retailers this monthTue Apr 23 2024 - 19:00
Electricity prices are falling - but when will you see the savings?Q&A: Cost of wholesale electricity has fallen by over 70%, but how much will you see off your bill?Tue Apr 23 2024 - 12:51
When is Ireland not in Ireland? Airbnb gives reader runaround over voucherA gift to a friend North of the border exposes serious problems with using AirbnbTue Apr 23 2024 - 07:28
Deposit return scheme: ‘I spent 90 minutes trying to return bottles. This scheme is vile’Re-Turn scheme: A reader shares her negative experience of returning plastic bottles, and another wonders whether ‘the whole thing is pointless’Mon Apr 22 2024 - 06:10
The death of customer service: Eir is not alone in letting its customers downWhen it comes to poor customer care, Eir is not alone in letting its customers downSat Apr 20 2024 - 06:00
Records that shaped me: by Ray D’Arcy, Chupi Sweetman, Joe Duffy, Pauline McLynn, Paul Howard and moreThe way we listen to music may have changed but our relationship with recorded sound remains a vital part of who we areSat Apr 20 2024 - 05:00
Anti-immigration rally and counter-protest at International Protection Office pass off peacefullyChants of ‘Send them home’ responded to with chants of ‘Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here’ from across the roadFri Apr 19 2024 - 21:08
‘This is like our Christmas’: Music outlets preparing for queues on World Record Store DayHard copies of releases from U2, The Cranberries, Fleetwood Mac, Pearl Jam and more to be in demand despite availability of music onlineFri Apr 19 2024 - 15:40
Learn to complain effectively, it will save you time, stress and money - and try these trigger wordsThe phrase ‘I want a supervisor’ can be less effective than ‘I want to log a formal complaint’Fri Apr 19 2024 - 11:12
How a fake ad with a celebrity making money from bitcoin cost one reader almost €10,000Signing up for crypto from an article on Facebook about a TV personality making money, led to the inevitable endingThu Apr 18 2024 - 07:47
The size of two Croke Parks: Conor Pope goes inside Ikea’s new Dublin delivery depot Sprawling 27,000 sq m facility with 200 staff members will be able to ship 9,000 of retail giant’s products faster than everWed Apr 17 2024 - 17:26
Eir should reassure workers they won’t face discipline for following law - union Company was chastised in court for failure to acknowledge customer complaintsWed Apr 17 2024 - 10:35
New Ikea distribution centre to cut delivery times to three daysCompany has plans to make more than 300,000 deliveries in the first year of operationWed Apr 17 2024 - 06:00
Home-buying costs could be cut by €1,000 if conveyancing ‘monopoly’ brokenConsumer watchdog suggests legal profession acting out of self-interest in area of conveyancingTue Apr 16 2024 - 06:00
Judge labels Eir a ‘disgrace’ after court heard customer service manuals warned staff not to obey lawIn wake of court case, telecom provider ‘categorically rejects’ accusations of instructing customer care team ‘to not comply with regulatory obligations’Tue Apr 16 2024 - 06:00
Is it better to buy an electric car now or to wait? Conor Pope and Michael McAleer debate the optionsLatest figures suggest many consumers are holding out for better charging infrastructure and battery technology, and lower prices. But what are the risks of waiting?Tue Apr 16 2024 - 06:00
Eir case: Mother unable to call 999 for sick child due to dropped signalCourt hears customer made 13 calls to Eir, sent five emails and tried to make contact eight times on social media but never got anywhereMon Apr 15 2024 - 18:55
The end of VHI Plan B: What do I need to know and do?Health insurer is ending the plan that up to one in 10 of its customers are onMon Apr 15 2024 - 18:14
Eircom customer service manuals warned staff not to obey law, court told Claims emerge in court case taken against company by communications regulator ComRegMon Apr 15 2024 - 12:23
Passing the parcel or passing the buck, who pays for all the careless deliveries?Pricewatch: The rise of online shopping has led to greater demands being placed on delivery companies and their drivers, resulting in more problems for customersMon Apr 15 2024 - 06:00
Tributes paid to longtime Galway Bay FM DJ Keith Finnegan on retirementPresident Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Simon Harris praised ‘warm’ and ‘curious’ broadcasterSat Apr 13 2024 - 14:40
RSA welcomes Harris directive on mandatory road safety policing by uniformed gardaíCommissioner’s instruction for members met with scepticism in forceFri Apr 12 2024 - 16:10
Is Dunnes breaking consumer law when it comes to returns?Pricewatch Extra: A reader, Ann, bought items on the retailer’s website in March and they arrived two days later. Just by opening the box, though, things started to go wrongThu Apr 11 2024 - 08:19
‘My blood is boiling’: Vodafone’s contact methods irk readers Pricewatch: Two people highlight their concerning experiences with the companyWed Apr 10 2024 - 00:00
Scam booking.com listing: 'My daughter looked on Google Earth and it became obvious the photos were not genuine'Pricewatch: Reader was trying to book a villa in Ibiza when he was deceived by a legitimate-looking advertTue Apr 09 2024 - 06:00
‘I’m thoroughly fed up’: The struggle to find a working deposit return scheme machine Pricewatch: More than 16 million containers have been returned already but some consumers are having difficulty finding working machines to take their returnsMon Apr 08 2024 - 00:01
Health insurer VHI records €43.4m loss as cost of claims rises by 18% State-owned company said that was a spike in demand for healthcare services in 2023, along with higher labour and energy costsFri Apr 05 2024 - 16:27
Eir leaves reader frazzled with letters to dead brother and contract confusionCan Pricewatch help our reader after a ‘saga’ that has produced in her a fear of losing vital services?Fri Apr 05 2024 - 06:00
Cost of health insurance jumped sharply last year - watchdogOlder people are typically paying almost 50 per cent more for cover than younger cohortsWed Apr 03 2024 - 12:52
Grocery price inflation falls to lowest level in two years Irish shoppers spent €25m on Easter eggs as on-brand label products perform well for supermarketsTue Apr 02 2024 - 12:32
Love Island outfits, Peaky Blinders extras and big shouts for Leo on last day of Fairyhouse Racing fans turn out in damp and drizzly weather, with taoiseach-designate Simon Harris and European Parliament hopeful Nina Carberry among VIPsMon Apr 01 2024 - 20:55
Simon Harris rules out deals with Independents in exchange for support in Taoiseach voteMinister says he is concerned about road deaths and plans ‘very early’ meeting with Road Safety Authority and GardaMon Apr 01 2024 - 18:38
How to be better at making consumer complaints: Don’t be misguided, act fast and 28 other tipsPricewatch: Customers across the country are routinely let down, mislead and ghosted, so we’ve put together a guide to make you the best complainer you can possibly beMon Apr 01 2024 - 06:00
O’Flaherty sets out stall as European human rights commissioner term beginsRise of hate speech, AI and climate crisis among significant challenges faced, new Council of Europe commissioner saysMon Apr 01 2024 - 06:00
Childminders who work in own homes will be able to take advantage of subsidies from SeptemberIncoming taoiseach Simon Harris is understood to be planning to fast track the moveSun Mar 31 2024 - 19:39
