1. National Consumer Agency
Market Research Findings:
Consumer Experiences with Direct Selling
August 2011
Market Research Conducted by

2. Table of Contents Key Findings Section 1: Door-to-Door Selling
Section 2: Telephone Sales
Research Background and Methodology
Profile of Sample

3. Key Findings

4. Key Findings Direct Selling 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
43% received calls – of this 18% signed up
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%

5. Section 1: Door-to-Door Selling

6. Experience of Door-to-Door Selling
(Base: All aged – 1,000)
Experienced Somebody Trying to Sell You a Product/Service
Experienced Somebody Trying to Get You to Switch from Current Provider % %
Yes
Yes
Higher amongst
Living in Dublin 41%
45-54 Year olds 42%
Part-time employed 41%
Higher amongst
Living in Dublin 43%
35-54 Year olds 42% 6

7. Categories of Product/Service Sold and Incidence of Switching/Signing up
(Base: All who experienced door-to-door selling in past 12 months - 405) %
% Purchase/Switched
Energy suppliers
Telecommunications
TV Service
Home Improvements, Gardening etc.
Catalogue sales
Monitored home security system
Others* * * * * *
* All others 1% or less
* Caution small base 7

8. Information Provided at the Door
(Base: All who experienced door-to-door selling in past 12 months - 405)
Offer was Fully Explained Before Signing Up
Felt Pressurised into Signing up/Taking out Product/Service % %
Was informed of my right to cancel any purchase
Received written information on product/service before signing up %
Strongly Agree (5)
21%
57%
Agree (4) %
Neither/ Nor (3)
47%
Disagree (2)
Strongly Disagree (1)
Mean Score:
3.5
2.6 8

9. Cancellation Form & Expectations
(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? % %
Yes
Yes
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% 9

10. Section 2: Telephone Sales

11. Experience of Telephone Selling
(Base: All aged – 1,000)
Experienced Somebody Trying to Sell You a Product/Service
Experienced Somebody Trying to Get You to Switch from Current Provider % % No
Yes No
Yes
Higher amongst:
45-54 Year olds 29%
Higher amongst:
45-54 Year olds 28% 11

12. Categories of Product/Service Sold over the Phone and Incidence of Switching/Signing up
(Base: All who experienced direct phone selling in past 12 months - 242) %
% Purchase/Switched
Telecommunications
Energy suppliers
TV Service
Home Improvements, Gardening etc.
Monitored home security system
Catalogue sales
Others* * * * * * *
* All others 1% or less
* Caution small base 12

13. Information Provided Over the Phone
(Base: All who experienced direct phone selling in past 12 months - 242)
Offer was Fully Explained Before Signing Up
Felt Pressurised into Signing up/Taking out Product/Service % %
Was informed of my right to cancel any purchase
Strongly Agree (5) %
20%
43%
Agree (4)
Neither/ Nor (3)
41%
Disagree (2)
Strongly Disagree (1)
Mean Score:
3.3
2.7 13

14. Research Background and Methodology

15. Research Background and Methodology
Nov/Dec 2007
Aug 2008
Nov/Dec 2008
May/June 2009
Benchmark
Wave 1
Wave 2
Wave 3
Nov/Dec 2009
June 2010
Nov/December 2010
May/June 2011
Wave 4
Wave 5
Wave 6
Wave 7
Current Wave
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. 15

16. Profile of Sample – I (Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)
MAIN GROCERY SHOPPER % % % %
15-24
Dublin
Male
ABC1
F50+
25-34
Yes No
Rest of Leinster
35-44
45-54
Munster
Female
C2DE
F50-
55+
Conn/
Ulster 16