Unannounced inspections carried out at eight Tullamore retail stores
A total of eight retail stores in Tullamore were the subject of unannounced inspections from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) earlier this month.
The CCPC said today (Tuesday) that the eight inspections in the county town were part of a total of 55 which it carried out across the country this month.
These inspections covered "a wide range of retail sectors including clothing, beauty, furniture, groceries and hospitality," and were designed to "monitor compliance with consumer protection laws and ensure fair trading practices" across Ireland.
The CCPC said it found "several breaches of consumer protection law" nationally during the inspections.
In a statement, it said: "The law sets out how traders must display prices and covers the selling price, unit price and reduced prices. CCPC officers identified several breaches of consumer protection law, including inadequate or inaccurate price displays on items for sale.
"Inspections were also carried out across the retail motor fuel sector, including at leading service stations, identifying several breaches of the price display rules as set out in the Retail Prices (Diesel and Petrol) Display Order, 1997."
Patrick Kenny, Member of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, added: "CCPC enforcement officers use our national helpline data to spot patterns of consumer harm and traders who might merit investigation.
"We carry out unannounced inspections and if we find traders breaking the law, we can issue fines and take prosecutions.
"Consumers need to see prices up front in order to make informed choices. If our enforcement officers find breaches of consumer protection law, we will act."
The commission said traders were selected based on location and sector and, in some cases, following consumer complaints to the CCPC consumer helpline. Complaints were cited as "a valuable source of information to the CCPC" as they help identify sectors where consumers may be at risk.
Last year more than 44,000 consumers contacted the helpline, over 5,000 more than in 2023.
Consumers who suspect a trader has breached consumer law are encouraged to report their concerns to the CCPC by phoning our National Consumer Helpline on 01 402 5555 or emailing ask@ccpc.ie.