Ryanair among most complained about firms in 2025 - CCPC

Ryanair, Rathwood and Currys were the most complained about companies last year, according to the latest consumer helpline report from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC).

The Irish airline topped the list with 593 complaints, while 565 people contacted the CCPC about Rathwood - a Carlow-based company selling mostly garden and outdoor furniture in store and online.

The number of complaints about Rathwood jumped from just 24 in 2024.

Previously, the company accepted it had issues with delays in orders being delivered and that there were slow response times in issuing refunds.

In response to the CCPC report, a Rathwood spokesperson told RTÉ News it acknowledges the company "fell short" and that it is "fully committed" to restoring customer trust.

In a statement, it added that last year "we lost our main supplier of uniquely designed garden furniture and have since rebuilt our supply chain, creating a stronger and more reliable system for the future".

Rathwood said it provided "over 9,000 complimentary tickets and financial vouchers - including for our santa train event - as a gesture of appreciation and to help rebuild trust".

Meanwhile, there were 445 complaints to the CCPC last year about UK electrical retailer Currys.

Both Ryanair and Currys were also among the top ten most complained about companies in the CCPC's 2024 consumer helpline report.

The research by the consumer watchdog for 2025 also noted that there was a significant increase in the number of consumers contacting the CCPC about online purchases, up by 14% since 2024 to 9,802.

Issues with home building or improvements were also up by 12% since 2024 – with 2,838 complaints.

Consumers reported spending an average of €14,597 on home building or improvements that they later found issues with and last November 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.

However in 2025, the biggest call driver was issues with vehicles at 5,827 complaints.

Overall, the consumer watchdog received just under 43,000 complaints last year.

Commenting on the report, CCPC Director of Communications Grainne Griffin 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."

Ms Griffin said it is "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," she added.

For its research, last October the CCPC said it began following up with consumers who contacted its helpline to find out "what happened next".

It said the first check in with consumers was a minimum of four weeks after they contacted the helpline.

It said that 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.

However, the watchdog noted: "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."