Rathwood leads complaint list amid financial turmoil
New figures from Ireland's Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) show that home and garden retailer Rathwood was the most complained-about company in the country during the first six months of 2026. The troubled retailer was identified in 737 calls to the watchdog's helpline between January and June, almost three times more often than Ryanair, which came second with 238 contacts.
Sky logged 228 complaints, while Currys and Harvey Norman rounded out the top five, with 223 and 196 respectively, as reported by extra.ie, Irish Mirror, and The Irish Times.
Rathwood's position at the top of the list comes after a difficult year for the company. In April, it announced it was seeking the appointment of an examiner to secure its financial future. The High Court later heard the company had total liabilities of more than €21 million, and as many as 7,000 customers had ordered and paid for products the company was unable to deliver. By the end of July, a rescue plan was confirmed, with an external investor coming on board and new management taking control, ensuring the business could continue trading and saving 62 jobs.
Consumer helpline sees record demand
The CCPC data, published across several outlets including the Irish Mirror, reveal that a total of 22,724 consumers contacted the helpline in the first six months of the year. The most common complaints involved faulty goods, pricing, and contract performance, with the top offending sectors being vehicles and transport, utilities and fuel, and homebuilding and improvements.
On average, consumers spent €6,473 on the products or services that caused them difficulties, and there was a 34% spike in contacts related to online purchases. The report also highlighted that 4,577 contacts concerned faulty goods and services, and the CCPC's website received more than one million visits.
Consumer rights and effective action
Aoibhín de Búrca, the CCPC's Director of Communications and Consumer Information, emphasised the importance of consumers knowing their rights when a purchase is faulty. “Regardless of whether you had a warranty or a guarantee, it’s up to the seller to resolve your issue, not the manufacturer,” she said.
De Búrca pointed to the effect of the helpline, stating that 91% of consumers took action following their calls, and nearly 40% of issues were resolved. However, she noted that almost half of consumers had to contact the retailer more than five times before their issues were resolved, and that the new research would inform the CCPC's future work.
Calls for stronger enforcement
The Irish Times reported that the CCP has taken steps beyond the helpline, securing the return of €250,000 in gift card credit from JD Sports, and successful prosecutions against six major retailers and two second-hand car dealers. The same outlet reported that the government has committed to giving the CCPC new powers to impose fines, and de Búrca called for higher fines to deter businesses.
In the first half of the year, the CCP referred almost 6,000 callers to the Small Claims Court, whose current limit stands at €2,000. De Búrca reportedly recommends raising this limit to €8,000.
While some outlets, like extra.ie and The Irish Times, linked Rathwood's high complaint numbers to its operational troubles, the Irish Mirror's reporting focused on the broader consumer issues and the watchdog's findings without speculating on the cause of Rathwood's complaint volume.