The Consumer Mediation Service (CMS), which helps to resolve disputes between consumers and businesses out-of-court, has received 37% more contacts than last year.
According to numbers released on Friday, CMS reported 20,501 contacts in 2025. However, the service attributes a sharp rise in contacts to increased visibility.
Of all the requests it received, 2,893 were forwarded to the appropriate mediation services, while 9,702 fell within the CMS's remit.
Among the cases it handled, 3,008 were deemed inadmissible, and amicable resolution attempts were initiated in 6,694 instances. The remaining 7,906 contacts were inquiries for information.
In total, 4,783 cases were closed last year. Half of these (2,371) were resolved amicably, 841 were dismissed without follow-up, and 1,571 led to impartial recommendations when no solution could be found.
The service noted that the average processing time for a case in 2025 was 57 days.
The significant rise was not surprising considering the service's growth, stronger digital presence, improved accessibility, and the wider use of artificial intelligence to guide citizens toward the CMS more quickly.
The CMS also published tips for both consumers and businesses to avoid disputes or facilitate amicable resolutions, while advising companies to be more accessible to consumers and mediators instead of overly relying on AI for interactions.
