The volume of complaints and queries received by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) leapt by almost a fifth in the first six months of the year when compared to the same period last year.
Between January and June, a total of 22,347 consumers contacted the CCPC helpline, which offers free support and advice on consumer issues.
Issues related to vehicles and transport topped the list, making up 2,904 of the total, followed by telecoms at 1,534 and home building and improvements with 1,228.
Holidays and travel were responsible for 1,110 queries or complaints, while clothing, footwear and accessories accounted for 1,018.
The company most frequently referenced by those contacting the CCPC was Eir, with 356 contacts related to the phone, broadband and TV service supplier.
Budget airline Ryanair was the next most pointed to company, involved in 269 contacts, followed by Sky on 254 and Vodafone with 239.
Harvey Norman, the furniture, household goods and electronics retailer, was the subject of 234 contacts.
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"Whether you're buying a birthday card or a brand-new car, you have rights as a consumer, and the trader you’re buying from has certain responsibilities under the law," said Grainne Griffin, CCPC Director of Communications.
"It can be tricky for consumers to understand their rights when something breaks down or a delivery doesn’t show up, and that’s where the CCPC can help."
"An informed consumer is an empowered consumer, and knowing your rights can make life easier when things go wrong."
Nearly 4,900 consumers who contacted the CCPC were referred on to the Small Claims Court, up nearly a fifth on the same period in 2023.
However, the CCPC said many of those who contacted it were excluded from going on to the Small Claims Court because of the low claim limit.
"The Small Claims Court is only open to claims for €2,000 or less, and this is out of step with many of the most basic and unavoidable expenses faced by consumers today," said Ms Griffin.
"This needs to change and we are advocating for this limit to be increased."
The watchdog has a team of enforcement officers who use the data collected by its customer teams to identify serious breaches of the law and patterns of non-compliance.
"Unscrupulous traders who rip off consumers make it harder for law-abiding businesses to survive," said Ms Griffin.
"We’ll use all the powers available to us, up to and including prosecution, to detect and penalise lawbreakers - however, we know that the level of fines issued for breaches of consumer protection law is not always a deterrent, especially for large businesses."
Just under 2,000 consumers who contacted the commission did so with a question about personal finance.
Motor insurance and loans attracted the most personal finance queries and Personal Contract Plans (PCPs) continue to be the topic attracting the most interest on the CCPC website.
Mortgages, equity release and current accounts also led to many questions.
The CCPC first half of the year data shows that 88% of consumers who contacted it were buying from Ireland, with 6% purchasing from the UK and 4% from the EU.
Of the Irish purchases, 60% were in-store, 26% online and 9% on the phone.
Some 4,845 queries related to faulty goods and services, up from 3,414 in the first half of last year.
1,469 queries were connected to contract deposits, payment and charges.
