In A recent post, I asked: “What will it take for these fuckers* to actually do something to protect consumers?”. This was in response to the failure of the National Consumer Agency to prosecute and fine another car dealer who breached consumer legislation and ripped off consumers by selling 4 clocked cars.

It was pointed out to me that the NCA have recently actually prosecuted and fined publicans for selling watered down vodka.

As reported at the start of October, a publican in Kilkenny was convicted and fined €2,500 (with €1,000 in costs charged also) for the offence of selling watered down vodka following a complaint from a member of the public.

I stand corrected.

A publican sells a watered down vodka for €3 or €4 to a consumer and is convicted and has to pay over €3,500 to the NCA. But a car dealer sells a clocked car for possibly upwards on 1,000 times the cost of a vodka, but that rip off car dealer gets away with promising to be a good boy in future.

Did someone say useless pointless regulator? Maybe I wasn’t so wrong after all?