National Consumer Agency Market Research Findings: Consumer Empowerment and Complaints August 2011 Market Research Conducted by

2 Making Complaints  Key Findings  Section 1: Consumer Empowerment  Section 2: Making Complaints  Research Background and Methodology  Profile of Sample Table of Contents

3 Making Complaints Key Findings

4 Making Complaints Key Findings Consumer Rights 78% state they are confident of their rights (↑3% points) 71% assert they are knowledgeable of their rights (↑3% points) 71% feel protected in respect of their rights (↑2% points) Propensity to Complain 85% of consumers state that they are willing to complain (↑8% points) Complain/Return an Item 22% of consumers(↓8% points) had cause to do so 92% (↑12% points) of those who had cause actually complained Over 3 in 4 (78%) found the complaints process easy Over 4 in 5 (84%) have had their complaint completely resolved

5 Making Complaints Section 1: Consumer Empowerment

6 Making Complaints Confidence about Rights as a Consumer (Base: All aged – 1,000) %

7 Making Complaints Knowledge about Consumer Rights (Base: All aged – 1,000) %

8 Making Complaints Protected Regarding Consumer Rights (Base: All aged – 1,000) %

9 Making Complaints Empowerment Levels x Profile of Sample (Base: All aged – 1,000) Overall Confident 78% Not Confident 10% Knowledgeable 71% Not Knowledgeable 17% Protected 71% Not Protected 8% Male73%12%65%20%70%7% Female82%8%76%15%72%10% %15%54%27%56%7% %7%76%14%74%6% %9%74%15%76%8% %8%78%13%76% %12%71%17%73%10% ABC1/F50+82%9%76%13%79%6% C2DE/F50-74%12%66%21%64%10% Responsible for main shop 84%8%77%14%73%10% Not responsible for main shop 72%13%64%20%69%6% = Significantly lower than total sample = Significantly higher than total sample

10 Making Complaints Section 2: Making Complaints

11 Making Complaints Complaining Nation? Yes As a consumer would you be prepared to complain if a problem had occurred or you are dissatisfied with a good or service you have purchased? (Base: All aged – 1,000) (77%) () = Nov/Dec 2011 Main grocery shopper Knowledgeable of consumer rights Confident of consumer rights Protected with regards consumer rights Most Likely to Complain % %

12 Making Complaints Reasons to Complain Over Last 12 Months? Yes Complaint in Relation to... % % Whether or Not had Reason to Complain In-store Purchase Online Purchase Catalogue/Mail purchase Telephone Purchase Other Purchase Last Time Past 12 Months (Base: All aged – 1,000) Higher amongst: Responsible for main grocery shop 28% Part time employed 29% Not protected regards consumer rights 30%

13 Making Complaints Whether Complaint/Return Made When had Reason to Do So Yes Whether Made Complaint Wave % Yes Wave % Yes Wave % Yes Wave % Yes Wave % Yes Yes Reason to Complain () = Nov/Dec 2010 (Base: All aged – 1,000) (Base: All those who had cause or reason to complain/return in past 12 months - 219) No (20%) (80%)

14 Making Complaints Assessment of the Complaints/Returns Process % Very easy (5) Somewhat easy (4) Neither/Nor (3) Somewhat difficult (2) Very difficult (1) 78% (75%) ( ) = Nov/Dec % (19%) Level of Difficulty Experienced Mean3.9 (3.9) (38) (37) (6) (14) (5) (Base: All those who made a complaint/return - 202) % Resolution Status of Problem Not Resolved at all Partly Resolved Don’t know Completely Resolved (87%) (6%) (7%)

15 Making Complaints Research Background and Methodology

16 Making Complaints  The research was conducted by means of face-to-face interviewing with 1,000 people between the ages of  To ensure that the data is nationally representative, quotas were applied on the basis of age, gender and social class  Interviewing was conducted over a four week period in May/June 2011 Research Background and Methodology Nov/Dec 2007 Aug 2008 Nov/Dec 2008 Nov/Dec 2009June 2010 Nov/December 2010 Benchmark Wave 4Wave 5 Wave 1Wave 2 Wave 6 Current Wave May/June 2011 Wave 7 May/June 2009 Wave 3

17 Making Complaints Profile of Sample (Base: All aged – 1,000) Male Female % %% Dublin Rest of Leinster Munster Conn/ Ulster ABC1 F50+ C2DE F50- MAIN GROCERY SHOPPER YesNo