National Consumer Agency
Market Research Findings:
Consumer Experiences with Direct Selling
August 2011
Market Research Conducted by
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Key Findings
Section 1: Door-to-Door Selling
Section 2: Telephone Sales
Research Background and Methodology
Profile of Sample
Table of Contents
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Key Findings
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Key Findings
Door-to-Door Selling Telephone Sales
Experienced in the past
12 months
% of all consumers
41% 24%
Most commonly
contacted by
Energy suppliers
79% received calls – of this 30% signed up
Telecommunications
76% received calls – of this 12% signed up
2nd most common Telecommunications
43% received calls – of this 18% signed up
Energy suppliers
40% received calls – of this 10% signed up
Of those who signed up -
informed of right to
cancel purchase
57% 42%
Of those who signed up -
felt pressurised into
signing up
21% 20%
Direct Selling
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Section 1: Door-to-Door Selling
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Experience of Door-to-Door Selling
34%Yes
35% Yes
(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)
%%
Experienced Somebody Trying to
Sell You a Product/Service
Experienced Somebody Trying to Get You
to Switch from Current Provider
Higher amongst Living in Dublin 43% 35-54 Year olds 42%
Higher amongst Living in Dublin 41% 45-54 Year olds 42% Part-time employed 41%
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Energy suppliers
Telecommunications
TV Service
Home Improvements, Gardening etc.
Catalogue sales
Monitored home security system
Others*
Categories of Product/Service Sold and Incidence
of Switching/Signing up
* All others 1% or less
* Caution small base
%
79
43
33
18
18
12
5
(Base: All who experienced door-to-door selling in past 12 months - 405)
% Purchase/Switched
30
18
11
9
9
6
*
*
*
*
*
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114
46
17
28
32
31
7168
Was informed of my
right to cancel any
purchase
Received written
information on
product/service before
signing up
Information Provided at the Door
%
57
39
(Base: All who experienced door-to-door selling in past 12 months - 405)
Strongly
Agree (5)
57%
21%
%
Felt Pressurised into Signing up/Taking
out Product/Service
%
Agree (4)
Neither/
Nor (3)
Strongly
Disagree (1)
Disagree (2)
2.63.5Mean Score:
Offer was Fully Explained Before
Signing Up
%
47%
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Cancellation Form & Expectations
84%
Yes
29%
Yes
(Base: All who signed up to a product/service at the door - 130)
%%
Receipt of cancellation form
upon sign up/switch?
Product/service Received Correspond to
Information given by Sales Person?
Higher amongst: 35-44 Year olds 34% Knowledgeable regards consumer rights 33% Protected regards consumer rights 33% Confident regards consumer rights 32%
Higher amongst ABC1/F50+ 91% Females 88% Knowledgeable regards consumer rights 88% Protected regards consumer rights 89%
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Section 2: Telephone Sales
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Experience of Telephone Selling
20%No Yes
21%No Yes
(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)
%%
Experienced Somebody Trying to
Sell You a Product/Service
Experienced Somebody Trying to Get You
to Switch from Current Provider
Higher amongst:
45-54 Year olds 29%
Higher amongst:
45-54 Year olds 28%
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* All others 1% or less
* Caution small base
Telecommunications
Energy suppliers
TV Service
Home Improvements, Gardening etc.
Monitored home security system
Catalogue sales
Others*
Categories of Product/Service Sold over the
Phone and Incidence of Switching/Signing up
%
76
40
22
10
6
6
4
(Base: All who experienced direct phone selling in past 12 months - 242)
% Purchase/Switched
12
10
8
*
*
*
*
*
*
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Was informed of my
right to cancel any
purchase
Information Provided Over the Phone
%
42
(Base: All who experienced direct phone selling in past 12 months - 242)
Strongly
Agree (5) 5 3
38
17
40
39
27
8 149
43%
20%
%
Felt Pressurised into Signing up/Taking
out Product/Service
%
Agree (4)
Neither/
Nor (3)
Strongly
Disagree (1)
Disagree (2)
2.73.3Mean Score:
Offer was Fully Explained Before
Signing Up
41%
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Research Background and Methodology
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The research was conducted by means of face-to-face interviewing with 1,000 people between the ages of 15-74.
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
2007Aug 2008
Nov/Dec
2008
Nov/Dec 2009 June 2010Nov/December
2010
Benchmark
Wave 4 Wave 5
Wave 1 Wave 2
Wave 6
Current Wave
May/June 2011
Wave 7
May/June
2009
Wave 3
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1728
4822
52
19
2816
1826
49
26
51
SEX AGE REGION
SOCIAL
CLASS
Profile of Sample – I
(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)
Male
Female
% % % %
15-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55+
Dublin
Rest of Leinster
Munster
Conn/ Ulster
ABC1 F50+
C2DEF50-
MAIN GROCERY
SHOPPER
Yes No50%50%