As one of the busiest airlines in the world, Ryanair is used by everyone from time to time, but as one social media user said “never fly with them if you can avoid it”.
Ryanair, Rathwood and Currys were the companies that attracted the highest number of complaints last year, according to the latest consumer helpline report from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.
The Irish airline led the list with 593 complaints, while 565 people contacted the CCPC regarding Rathwood — a Carlow-based business specialising mainly in garden and outdoor furniture sold both in-store and online, reports RTE.
The number of complaints concerning Rathwood surged from just 24 in 2024.
Previously, the company acknowledged problems with delivery delays and slow processing of refunds, reports RTE.
In response to the CCPC report, a Rathwood spokesperson told RTÉ News that the company accepts it “fell short” and is “fully committed” to rebuilding customer confidence.
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”, reports RTE.
Rathwood said it offered “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 made to the CCPC last year regarding Currys, reports RTE.
Both Ryanair and Currys also featured among the ten most complained-about companies in the CCPC’s 2024 consumer helpline report.
The watchdog’s 2025 research also found a notable rise in consumers contacting the CCPC about online shopping issues, increasing by 14% from 2024 to 9,802, reports RTE.
Complaints relating to home building or improvement services also rose by 12% compared to 2024, reaching 2,838.
Consumers reported spending an average of €14,597 on home building or improvement work that later presented problems, and last November the CCPC issued an open letter to traders in the sector reminding them of their responsibilities under consumer protection law, reports RTE.
However, in 2025 the largest source of complaints related to vehicle issues, with 5,827 cases.
Overall, the consumer watchdog received just under 43,000 complaints last year, reports RTE.
Commenting on the findings, 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, reports RTE.
“One fifth of all contacts to our helpline in 2025 related to an issue with faulty goods and services,” reports RTE.
Ms Griffin said it is “important that consumers know their rights if they buy something that turns out to be faulty”, reports RTE.
“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.
As part of its research, the CCPC said last October it began following up with consumers who had contacted its helpline to understand “what happened next”, reports RTE.
It said the initial follow-up occurred at least four weeks after the consumer first made contact.
At that point, 96% of consumers had reached out to the trader, 43% had resolved their issue, and 38% of those had received a refund, reports RTE.
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,” reports RTE.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
