The CCPC

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) was established on 31 October 2014. The agency is responsible for enforcing both competition law and consumer protection law. 

Consumers can also find a wide range of information on their rights when buying goods or services from the CCPC website.

If you feel that a business has breached your consumer rights, you can also report the issue on the CCPC website.

Other Irish regulators

Some sectors are covered by independent regulators or ombudsmen. These agencies can step in if you cannot resolve your complaint with a business. They include:

• Comreg, which regulates post and telecommunications services: www.comreg.ie
• The Data Protection Commissioner, who deals with complaints from consumers who feel that their data protection rights have been infringed: www.dataprotection.ie 
• The Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman, who deals with complaints about financial services: www.fspo.ie 

Typically, these agencies only act when a consumer has first tried to resolve the dispute by making a complaint to the business involved.

EU Regulators and procedures

If you have a complaint about goods or services purchased from a business in another EU member state, European law guarantees you certain rights. The European Consumer Centre offers consumers advice on their rights when shopping in another European state. For more information on your rights, or to make a complaint, visit the European Consumer Centre Ireland website.

A separate Small Claims Court procedure exists if you have an unresolved complaint against a business in another EU member state. For detailed information on this, download the Guide for Users to the European Small Claims Procedure.