Deficient goods and services cost consumers €500m

Covering the cost of bad customer service and poorly made goods, cost Irish consumers half a billion euro last year, a major new survey has revealed.

The survey from the newly minted Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) also found that one in 10 Irish consumers spent more than 10 hours trying to resolve consumer problems, with almost 50 per cent of all issues never resolved in any way by companies.

The commission, formed through the amalgamation of the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency has, for the first time, quantified the financial loss experienced by Irish consumers with complaints about products or services.

It paints a very bleak picture of the level of customer support given to consumers.

Detrimental

Of 2,504 people surveyed, 44 per cent said they had had a problem following the purchase of goods or services over the previous 12 months, with the overall financial detriment experienced by consumers put at almost €500 million.

Eleven per cent of consumers devoted 10 hours or more of personal time to resolving problems, while 34 per cent spent between two and 10 hours trying to have problems fixed.

People were asked about 12 main product categories including communications, banking, electronics and household goods.

The survey found that people were most likely to have experienced difficulties with their phone, internet or television provider, with 16 per cent saying they had experienced a problem in this category.

In second place was financial services, with 7 per cent of consumers encountering problems in this area.

In terms of financial loss, problems with household goods and services and internet, phone and TV cost Irish consumers the most money. The two categories made up 25 per cent and 21 per cent of the total money lost respectively.