Issues connected with airlines based in the Republic were behind more than one-third of the complaints made to the Irish division of the European authority charged with resolving cross-border disputes, a new report has found.
More than 4,000 queries were handled by the European Consumer Centre Ireland (ECCI) last year, with more than €400,000 recovered from traders across the EU on behalf of consumers in Ireland and elsewhere.
The ECCI advises consumers on their rights and assists them in the amicable resolution of disputes with businesses if they have a cross-border issue. Its latest report details its activity in the first full year that it has been hosted by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC).
Irish consumers accounted for 48 per cent of the complaints processed by the ECCI here, with issues connected with air travel behind 34 per cent of the complaints processed, its annual report said.
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After air travel, clothes and shoes, online services and hotels and accommodation were the other key areas where the ECCI was able to intervene.
Complaints around air travel reflect continuing challenges such as schedule changes, weather events, industrial action and global conflicts, and covered a broad range of issues including flight cancellations, baggage disputes and intermediary-related disputes.
“Complaints around flight disruptions have dropped, which suggests airlines are abiding by consumer protection laws, and refunding and rerouting as required,” said ECCI director Colette Crowne. “However, we have seen increases in complaints regarding late check-in and oversized baggage charges.”
She said that airlines have “a responsibility to ensure their baggage and check-in requirements are clearly communicated to passengers before travel to help them avoid unexpected charges at the airport”.
Most complaints related to businesses based in the UK, followed by businesses based in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and France.
Crowne noted that “consumers have strong rights when buying products across the EU. If a product is faulty, the seller must fix the problem through a repair or replacement. If the seller is unable to offer you a repair or replacement or if this does not correct the problem, you can ask for a refund.”
She highlighted the “strong rights when shopping in the European Union” and said that if consumers are unable to resolve an issue on their own “then they can contact ECCI and we will mediate with the business on their behalf.”
