Campaign sparks consumer inquiries

The volume of consumer queries logged by the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs (ODCA) rose dramatically in the wake of an advertising campaign sponsored by the agency before Christmas.

The five-week information campaign, which cost €650,000, ran for five weeks until the end of December. It was conducted nationally and included radio, television and billboard advertising.

The Director of Consumer Affairs, Ms Carmel Foley said she was confident the campaign had achieved its goal of informing consumers of their rights.

Internal ODCA figures show 2,173 enquires on consumer issues in November. This rose to 3,353 in December and reached 4,612 last month.

While January sales traditionally generate a larger number of consumer problems, the trend still represents a "a huge increase", according to Ms Foley's staff.

"People have become more aware of their rights," Ms Foley said yesterday.

The ODCA has been informed that the number of consumer complaints reported to the Consumers' Association, the European Consumer Centre and Citizens Information Centres around the Republic has "rocketed" on a similar scale, Ms Foley said.

The campaign also generated significant interest in business circles, according to Ms Foley.