Consumers face rising costs and delayed compensation
The Cyprus Consumers Association (CCA) recorded thousands of consumer complaints in 2024, marking a 24 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
The association’s annual report, released on Wednesday, showed that a range of major issues continued to affect consumers, ranging from passenger rights to rising living costs.
According to the CCA’s 2024 complaint report, the association facilitated the return of a total amount of €3,240.76 to consumers through informal mediation.
The complaints in the report include cases that were either forwarded to relevant authorities for potential legal violations or handled directly by the CCA.
Others involved providing consumers with guidance and advice. The CCA said that many complaints have been successfully resolved.
Passenger complaints increase by 63 per cent
The CCA reported that certain categories saw a sharp rise in complaints compared to the previous year.
Complaints related to passenger rights and package holidays rose by 63 per cent, while complaints regarding distance selling and off-premises purchases (right to withdrawal) increased by 52 per cent.
Moreover, energy complaints rose by 47 per cent, and complaints about tourism services saw a 41 per cent increase.
The passenger rights and package holidays category experienced a significant rise in 2024, peaking during the summer.
This was largely due to ongoing air traffic controller strikes in France and Germany and extreme weather events affecting European flights.
Additionally, a system failure of Microsoft Windows on 19 July 2024 led to thousands of flight cancellations in the US, also impacting EU airports.
Complaints from passengers included flight cancellations, boarding delays, overbooked flights forcing passengers to travel at a later time, and the mishandling of luggage.
Other complaints in this category included overcharging during check-ins due to app malfunctions, and delays in compensation payments, some extending beyond five months.
Regarding package holidays, complaints primarily concerned unilateral changes to the terms of contracts between consumers and companies.
These changes involved route alterations, the removal of meals, and additional charges for excursions not included in the original agreement.
Online frauds and consumer protection issues
Complaints about online fraud and email scams mainly involved phishing for personal data, fake competitions promising gift vouchers, and online scams offering free airline tickets.
Other issues included holiday package frauds, loan scams from unlicensed entities, and problems with online purchases where businesses deactivated consumer accounts, preventing refunds or deliveries.
In the cost of living and price increases category, complaints highlighted price hikes for essential goods, fuel price increases after subsidies were removed, rising costs for fruits and vegetables, and the need to reinstate zero VAT on basic items.
There were also concerns about the increased cost of electricity, difficulties in paying rent, and issues with repaying loans from credit institutions.
Consumers also called for the expansion of the list of those eligible for discounted electricity tariffs.
Complaints on return policies and energy schemes
Complaints were also made regarding store return policies, particularly during sales periods.
According to the CCA, the current legislation (Consumer Protection Law 2021, No. 112(I)/2021) does not address product return policies, leaving it up to individual businesses whether to refund consumers or provide credit notes.
In the energy (subsidy schemes for renewable energy) category, complaints focused on the government’s ‘solar panels for all’ scheme, with many consumers, especially large families, finding the 4.16 kWh limit insufficient.
Some companies involved in the scheme also failed to provide the mandatory seven-year warranty required by the government.
Bank fees and telecommunication complaints
Consumer complaints about banking services centred around increased fees, abusive terms in contracts with licensed financial institutions, and charges for early loan repayment.
Meanwhile, complaints in the telecommunication providers category were related to unsatisfactory network connections, additional charges not specified in contracts, refusal of service, and delays in customer support.
What is more, some contracts were also found to include potentially unfair terms.
Tourism complaints and food safety issues
Tourism-related complaints involved issues with hotel bookings made through international platforms, where consumers were informed that no rooms were available, despite having paid. There were also complaints about inadequate hotel conditions, including poor hygiene and cleanliness.
Complaints in the food safety category highlighted food poisoning, spoiled food, food with foreign objects, products past their best before dates sold at discounted prices without proper consumer information, and misleading food labelling.
Complaints about faulty products and guarantees
The faulty products and warranties category recorded the highest number of complaints, particularly regarding businesses refusing to comply with product warranty laws.
Complaints focused on unreasonable delays in repairing faulty products, charging consumers for repairs under warranty, and additional charges for technical assessments.
Consumer complaints in other sectors
Additional complaints were recorded in areas such as banking charges, telecommunication services, and tourism.
Other complaints included difficulties with public services, erroneous charges by utility providers, and delays in police investigations.
Click here to change your cookie preferences