# sterling/euro differences in shop prices.



## chrisboy

My girlfriend bought a pair of jeans from an irish outlet of a UK chain recently, and the price was 33 euro, yet on the tag was the sterling price of £22. Now, with the exchange rate around the .85 mark, i was wondering does anyone know of any shops that will take sterling? I know i bought stuff in Arnott's last December and they took sterling..


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## Celtwytch

A lot of the shops here may take sterling, but they would most likely use a fixed rate of exchange.  This rate might be fixed on a daily basis, or maybe a weekly basis - it depends on the shop.  If you're wondering if you could pay the Sterling price marked on an item with Sterling, well, many other posters here have wondered the same thing, but so far, no one seems to have tried it.


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## vandriver

I was in a department store in Lisburn last week and saw a dress for £100 with a euro price of €160!


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## p45

If you really want to see rip off exchange rates, pay a visit to the re opened Iceland store in Ballyfermot.  £1 comes in at a jaw dropping €1.75!


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## Celtwytch

p45 said:


> If you really want to see rip off exchange rates, pay a visit to the re opened Iceland store in Ballyfermot. £1 comes in at a jaw dropping €1.75!


 
Madness!  That alone would justify driving to a branch in the North.


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## gillarosa

Celtwytch said:


> Madness! That alone would justify driving to a branch in the North.


 
Except for the defrosting problem!! although in the current cold snap you never know!!


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## DonKing

I've heard a story that this guy went into M&S in Liffey Valley, brought 3 or 4 hundreds worth of clothes to the till and when the assistant gave him the total price, he insisted that he paid for the clothes at the sterling price but in euro equivalent (at that days exchange rate).

Apparently when the manager came over he agreed to it.

I was in M&S in LV today and it looks like they have removed all the sterling prices from their clothes or at least covered them with stickers.


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## chrisboy

DonKing said:


> I've heard a story that this guy went into M&S in Liffey Valley, brought 3 or 4 hundreds worth of clothes to the till and when the assistant gave him the total price, he insisted that he paid for the clothes at the sterling price but in euro equivalent (at that days exchange rate).
> 
> Apparently when the manager came over he agreed to it.
> 
> I was in M&S in LV today and it looks like they have removed all the sterling prices from their clothes or at least covered them with stickers.



That's close to what i'm talking about, but a lot of shops wont do it..


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## biggerry

I was in Boots in Dundrum today and they have the £ / € displayed where £1 = €1.50 so I didn't bother buying anything there.


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## tara83

I was buying  a gift set in Boots a few weeks ago priced at €15.  When I went to the till I was charged something like €13.50.  The cashier said  it was because of the change in the sterling/ euro difference.


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## Celtwytch

tara83 said:


> I was buying a gift set in Boots a few weeks ago priced at €15. When I went to the till I was charged something like €13.50. The cashier said it was because of the change in the sterling/ euro difference.


 
There are signs dotted around the stores announcing "Christmas price drops", with a handy reckoner for working out the actual price.  Nice to see that someone is finally taking note of the currency fluctuations!


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## p45

Yeah, fair play to Boots, tag price was €22 was charged €20 at till.


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## callybags

I fail to see the logic in constantly comparing the euro price with that which is being charged in the uk.
Firstly if an article is priced at €10 and you think that is good value then that is a stand-alone view. If you then see that it is priced for the UK market at STG£5 ( €6 approx), it should not cloud you judgement as to whether €10 is good value. 
Alternatively if the article was priced at STG£10 (€11.50) it still does not alter the good value or not of the original price of €10.


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## orka

callybags said:


> I fail to see the logic in constantly comparing the euro price with that which is being charged in the uk.
> Firstly if an article is priced at €10 and you think that is good value then that is a stand-alone view. If you then see that it is priced for the UK market at STG£5 ( €6 approx), it should not cloud you judgement as to whether €10 is good value.
> Alternatively if the article was priced at STG£10 (€11.50) it still does not alter the good value or not of the original price of €10.


I sort of see what you are saying but it is more a question of fairness than willingness to pay.  Often purchases won't be based on 'is this good value and am I willing to pay the price' but on 'do I need/want this product and am I (perhaps reluctantly given I have no choice) willing to pay the price'.  Just because I am willing to pay the price doesn't make me happier if someone else gets it cheaper for no good reason than the seller think that I am a patsy with no choice but to pay more - which I find offensive.  And often, there will not be an identical substitutable product available to buy so I can't take my custom elsewhere.  
My worst is skincare wipes (for teenage daughter so no choice...) from the Body Shop - €9.99 here and £5.50 in London - 82% difference which no exchange rate/VAT difference/shipping costs can justify.  I am willing to pay the €9.99 here when I run out of stocks bought in London but I will stock up next time I am over there and I feel quite aggrieved generally at the Body Shop so if there ever is a substituable product (or any chance to take my custom elsewhere) I will.


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## Bids08

Tesco seem to be doing a similair thing to what Boots are now doing, was Tesco Mahon Cork at the weekend, went to but pair of tights, priced at 5.50, yet when i went to pay for them they were only 4.95. there was a 10% sterling discount on the receipt. 

Now if only the likes of Jane Norman and Warehouse copped onto this and stopped marking up clothes nealy 50% as opposes to the actual exchange rate I would be a lot happier!!!!


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## troy15

*1.00 EUR*

*=*

*0.964134 GBP*


On the 27 Dec 2008 in Whitewater Newbridge
monsoon are selling a top valued £45 for €55.
Jean Norman have slippers for £14 but cost €26.
Debnhams have a cardigian which cost €54 but onlt £36.
Have any other contributors similair examples.
Personally I can do without any of these products.


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## allthedoyles

troy15 said:


> *1.00 EUR*
> 
> *=*
> 
> *0.964134 GBP*
> 
> 
> Debnhams have a cardigian which cost €54 but onlt £36.
> Have any other contributors similair examples.
> Personally I can do without any of these products.


 
Of Course all department stores are similar.........You must remember that these items are not moving as fast as the exchange rate is at the moment, and these tags were prepared probably at least 2 months ago.

Also remember most of these goods were imported from UK which means extra costs like .......Transport , Storage , Customs Clearance , Port Agency fees , Distributor Fees , Merchandiser wages , ............and many more costs which the UK retailer are passing on to the Irish consumer .


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## ang1170

allthedoyles said:


> Also remember most of these goods were imported from UK which means extra costs like .......Transport , Storage , Customs Clearance , Port Agency fees , Distributor Fees , Merchandiser wages , ............and many more costs which the UK retailer are passing on to the Irish consumer .


 
Very little to do with it: by far the biggest factor in retail pricing is charging what the customer is prepared to pay. We're prepared to pay for it (or were, until very recently) so we get charged more. Simple, really.


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## colm

allthedoyles said:


> Of Course all department stores are similar.........You must remember that these items are not moving as fast as the exchange rate is at the moment, and these tags were prepared probably at least 2 months ago.
> 
> Also remember most of these goods were imported from UK which means extra costs like .......Transport , Storage , Customs Clearance , Port Agency fees , Distributor Fees , Merchandiser wages , ............and many more costs which the UK retailer are passing on to the Irish consumer .


 
Which has nothing to do with the exchange rate. The tags being prepared 2 months ago is irrelevant. If sterling jumped up 20%-25% in the morning do you think changing the tags would be a problem??
Extra costs like extra costs like .......Transport , Storage , Customs Clearance , Port Agency fees , Distributor Fees , Merchandiser wages has nothing to do with the exchange rate either, these costings are factored into the retail price already.
Heres a question I have wondered about. If an Irish store prices in euro & sterling are they oblidged to accept sterling as a cash payment.?
Might be worth wile taking a trip to the bank on your way to the shops.


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## aman

colm said:


> Extra costs like extra costs like .......Transport , Storage , Customs Clearance , Port Agency fees , Distributor Fees , Merchandiser wages has nothing to do with the exchange rate either, these costings are factored into the retail price already.
> .


 
Yes but these are factored into each price individually - therefore the UK price doesn't bear relevance to the Euro price. If you take an adults item of clothing for instance there is a 6% difference in VAT between the two prices. Should the retailer charge more in the UK purely to narrow the price differential on the dual price ticket?


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## colm

aman said:


> Yes but these are factored into each price individually - therefore the UK price doesn't bear relevance to the Euro price. If you take an adults item of clothing for instance there is a 6% difference in VAT between the two prices. Should the retailer charge more in the UK purely to narrow the price differential on the dual price ticket?


 
But they are not quoting UK Price & Irish price on the tags they are quoting Sterling & Euro. These prices should reflect the current exchange rate. Taking that argument then there should be a list of prices in all EU countries where different rates of VAT & taxs apply.
Have just come back from Next today where an item of clothing for £30 was marked at €45 thats a 50% mark up. No external factors can justify that rip off.


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## gipimann

If items have additional costs factored into each price individually as mentioned above, isn't it quite a co-indidence that the sterling & euro prices displayed in different stores on different items happen to be exactly the same?

For example, an item for £25 is usually displayed at €40 - whether it's a pair of shoes or a pair of trousers.   Are the additional costs exactly the same for each item for each store?

Was mooching round M&S yesterday, and their sterling/euro price displays (which were always reasonably accurate when £1 = €1.50 or so) are now very different - e.g. cardigan £39.50 - €60!


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## gipimann

colm said:


> But they are not quoting UK Price & Irish price on the tags they are quoting Sterling & Euro. These prices should reflect the current exchange rate. Taking that argument then there should be a list of prices in all EU countries where different rates of VAT & taxs apply.


 
Think Vero Moda & Pull and Bear show prices for different countries - and if I recall, all of the Euro-land prices quoted are the same.   They also quote sterling and one of the Scandinavian currencies (just can't remember which one!).


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## Sylvester3

My wife returned a top she had bought in the North to a Marks and Spencers in Cork a few months back and got the Euro value... would it be worthwhile investing in a few items in the UK and returning them in the South to take advantage of the Euro difference? You would get a fantastic return!


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## Joe1234

Sylvester3 said:


> would it be worthwhile investing in a few items in the UK and returning them in the South to take advantage of the Euro difference? You would get a fantastic return!



Now there is a thought !!


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## Sylvester3

Joe1234 said:


> Now there is a thought !!




I notice that you fail to say what _kind_ of thought it is....


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## sam h

I was about to order some books from the book people (on line) until I realised their rate of exchange is, on average, *double*.

They said it's down to size population & postage, but they already factor that in as they charge more for postage, or you have to order a heck of alot more to get free delivery. 

They won't let me order through the UK site, so I guess they won;t be getting my business until they review their pricing.


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## mcaul

I think there will be dramatic changes in retail pricing for Spring / summer. - Whilst I only have a one gift store store in Carlow, I'm moving from a 1.25 exchange which I applied since August, to a one for one exchange for all product once the sale is over in 2 weeks. - Same will apply to online sales.

I believe Oasis, Coast, Karen Millen are introducing a similar pricing which will then have to be adopted by most of the other retailers.


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## troy15

Can anyone explain why the Irish Times cost €1.80 in ROI but only £1.10 in Northern Ireland?


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## Jister

troy15 said:


> Can anyone explain why the Irish Times cost €1.80 in ROI but only £1.10 in Northern Ireland?


 
Gouging, plain and simple!


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## allthedoyles

Look , these tags were probably printed 3 months ago whwn the exchage rate was completely different.

Also remember most of these items are imported from UK , which incur additional costs like .........Transport , handling , clearance fees , warehouse storage fees ,nad many other costs too


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## chrisboy

allthedoyles said:


> Look , these tags were probably printed 3 months ago whwn the exchage rate was completely different.
> 
> Also remember most of these items are imported from UK , which incur additional costs like .........Transport , handling , clearance fees , warehouse storage fees ,nad many other costs too




So do the stuff that go to newry transported, handled, stored etc. differently to the stuff in Dundalk?


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## rmelly

allthedoyles said:


> Also remember most of these items are imported from UK , which incur additional costs like .........Transport , handling , clearance fees , warehouse storage fees ,nad many other costs too


 
Lets not forget most of these items were manufactured thousands of miles away - not in the UK, so most if not all of the costs listed above are applicable for both UK and Irish stores. The UK bound stock incurs handling costs and warehouse storage fees etc.

Yes the costs are not identical, e.g. different VAT rate etc, but the markups for the Irish stores aren't justified.


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## Nutso

I noticed today that the Karen Millen store in Grafton Street is offering an additional 10% discount on all pricing due to the currency fluctuations.


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## allthedoyles

rmelly said:


> , but the markups for the Irish stores aren't justified.


 
Ok but remember wages are way higher here .........

Minimum wage UK is £4.77 PH 18-21 yrs - £ 5.73 over 21 

Arent the majority workers in these department store at peak times under 21 ?


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## rmelly

allthedoyles said:


> Ok but remember wages are way higher here .........
> 
> Minimum wage UK is £4.77 PH 18-21 yrs - £ 5.73 over 21
> 
> Arent the majority workers in these department store at peak times under 21 ?


 
I don't work in retail so can't say whether minimum wage is the wage that the retailers pay in both jurisdictions - can you confirm this is the case, in particular in clothing retailers. 

What % of total costs is staff costs for these retailers? If for example it was 25%, then based on your figures showing the Irish pay rate being approx 20% more, 20% of 25% is 5%, so this gives a difference of 5%. And I think my 25% is being quite generous.

The following article came to mind - it's the Republic vs. Northern Ireland but I'm sure much of it holds true.

http://www.rte.ie/business/2008/1222/retail.html



> A study carried out by state agency Forfás has found that higher business costs for retailers justify only a 5% to 6% price difference between the Republic and Northern Ireland.


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## IsleOfMan

M & S meal for two £10 in U.K.       €12.50 in Ireland.  Todays rate of exchange should mean £10 = €10.34.


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## cararuby

I had a magazine row in Mace yesterday; UK magazine No. l priced at 78p Sterling - their Euro sticker was 2.5l; No. 2 UK priced at 87p - Euro price 2.75; No. 3UK price 90p - Euro 1.43.  Mace manager appeared and said that an Irish company set the prices - nothing to do with the shop.  Just another example of Ireland's rip-off culture - with the current rate of exchange, no justification for these massive inflated prices.


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## losttheplot

The VAT difference between here and the UK has to be considered too. As for Irish shops accepting sterling if the price is displayed in sterling, I would imagine it's at their discretion, unless sterling is considered legal tender in this country.


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## Lightning

Why cant someone put an average percent on the "VAT and higher business costs" differential in Ireland? Then everyone can make fair comparisons.


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## Jister

allthedoyles said:


> Look , these tags were probably printed 3 months ago whwn the exchage rate was completely different.


 
And why can't they cross out the old price and put in the new one? Or, just put up signs around the stores saying that because of exchange rate fluctuations reduce tags by 10/20/30% etc.

I accept there may be higher costs due to freight, VAT, wages etc. but a 500ml of MADE IN LIMERICK Ballygowan costs 35P in ASDA in Newry and its around double the price in Tesco in Newcastlewest county Limerick where the stuff is made or 4 times the price in the corner shops in Newcastlewest.

Thats just price gouging. Same goes for stuff like Kerrymaid thats way cheaper in the north than in Kerry.

I can handle an average price variation of 10-15% to cover VAT, wages etc. but its more like 40% across the board, groceries, clothes, electrical etc.


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## CatherineB

colm said:


> If an Irish store prices in euro & sterling are they oblidged to accept sterling as a cash payment.?




Of course not, since it isn't legal tender. Dual price tagging is for convenience when the clothes are being sold in the Uk and Ireland..and other countries, see Vero Moda/Zara etc price tags. It would logically be slightly more expensive if each item had to be tagged for each country.

Warehouse, Karen Millen and a few others have introduced a 10% exchange rate bonus discount off everything in store on top of their extensive sales and the Mosaic group (karen Millen, Coast etc) are planning on a spring quarter price slash in euro anyway..apparently almost parity.

I work in retail, I can tell you starting wage in Dunnes is €9.22, €9.40 in M&S, €9.11 in Boots, €9.30 in Karen Millen, €10 in Brown Thomas and 9 or above in most other places. €8.65 (bang on minimum wage) in Topshop (presumably the rest of Arcadia also). €9 in Penneys also. Dunnes pay time and a half Sundays and bank holidays, so do M&S, Topshop pay time and a third, BT's pay double. Not sure about the others but I'm fairly sure Debenhams and Arnotts pay time a half Sundays. Most British retailers don't.


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## gipimann

I was in a couple of shops in my local shopping centre today, and took a look at their new Spring stock to see what the prices would be like...

Next:
Trousers - £43, €68
Top - £22, €33

Dorothy Perkins:
Trousers - £25, €40

So no change there then for Spring 2009 anyway!


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## olddoll

I was in M & S today and the sterling price section of the price tag was removed on a large number of men's suits.

One blouse I looked at there cost £29.50 / €45.00


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## Megan

A pair of ear rings in Dunnes Stores today priced at €6 and £4. They were made in China.
Dunnes Stores are an Irish Compny.


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## theoneill

With sterling in freefall can we expect to see a 15-20% reduction in prices on the high street in the near future?


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## NOAH

Dream on prices are going up full stop


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## fitzg

I've seen a pair of shoes in Clarks that are €90 in stores here and £54.17 on the Clarks UK website


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## sue_flaherty

olddoll said:


> I was in M & S today and the sterling price section of the price tag was removed on a large number of men's suits.
> 
> One blouse I looked at there cost £29.50 / €45.00


 

I noticed that today with new stock of womens clothes in - no UK prices anymore.


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## shesells

I saw an offer on jumpers in Tesco. 2 for £12 or €18! Hardly a current exchange rate!


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## ramble

This is a temporary phase, if the pound stays low the prices in the UK will go up because most of the clothes are  made in Asia and paid for by the retailer in euro or dollar.  the stock in the shops  now has already been paid for at exchange rates from months ago.  Unfortunately most of the stock in Irish shops is routed through the UK because thats traditionally our main trading partner and they are a much bigger market than us.  Our economy is much more closely tied to UK than europe and if we weren't in the Euro we would be forced to devalue.  It looks like a lot of the UK high street is in serious trouble so enjoy Monsoon, top shop and the like while you can because they may not be around much longer.  I was in UK last week and most of the shops had their winter stock at 70% off, they sold very little before christmas and will not make it up on sales at 70% discount.


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## mell61

I was looking to get the Wii Tomb Raider underworld game, and priced it locally at Eu42.99 in HMV. Was due to head up North so decided to check price online (at HMV's own website), and it was £17.99, i decided to buy online and shipping was £2.50 - its gone onto my visa at €21.68. So basically they are charging double locally.
With price differentials like that, why would I consider using the local branch? I don't mind an extra 10-15% on things like games / cds, as they are a luxury product, and I'll pay for the convenience of 'here and now', instead of waiting for a package to arrive, but 50% difference!


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## colm

sam h said:


> I was about to order some books from the book people (on line) until I realised their rate of exchange is, on average, *double*.
> 
> They said it's down to size population & postage, but they already factor that in as they charge more for postage, or you have to order a heck of alot more to get free delivery.
> 
> They won't let me order through the UK site, so I guess they won;t be getting my business until they review their pricing.


Well done. More of this attitude will soon get rid of these rip offs.
They way the English high street stores are disappearing you would think they would get the message


allthedoyles said:


> Also remember most of these items are imported from UK , which incur additional costs like .........Transport , handling , clearance fees , warehouse storage fees ,nad many other costs too


Which are factored into the price before the exchange rate



chrisboy said:


> So do the stuff that go to newry transported, handled, stored etc. differently to the stuff in Dundalk?


Exactly!!



allthedoyles said:


> Ok but remember wages are way higher here .........
> 
> Minimum wage UK is £4.77 PH 18-21 yrs - £ 5.73 over 21
> 
> Arent the majority workers in these department store at peak times under 21 ?


What has this got to do with the current exchange rate????



NOAH said:


> Dream on prices are going up full stop


 
They will eventually fall. With people having less disposable income they will get more price consious & the retails will have to compete more.

The argument about the tags being printed montha ago is not valid. If sterling suddenly gained 20-30 pence  do you think there would be any delay in replacing the price tags???


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## TLC

In Debenhams today Jasper Conran Jeans marked €62 other price £40  needless to say I didn't buy them - I'll wait & either get them in the UK or online.  Talk about rip off - also they were not included in the Debenhams sale which isn't great!


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## loukkcat

I know it's ages since anyone posted on this, but experienced the worst exchange rate rip off yesterday two days ago....

I had a £20 gift voucher for M&S.. When I went to use it in Dublin, I was told that it was worth €21.70 - an exchange rate of €1 = £0.93. I thought this seemed a bit low.

I used it to buy three packets of tights, which came to €30.75, so I had to pay €9 towards the price. When I came home, I took off the € price stickers to reveal the £stg ones underneath...the total I would have paid in sterling would have been £22.50. This means an exchange rate of €1 = £0.73 was used. That's a 20% difference between what they use on gift vouchers - complete farce and rip off. I don't even know if it's legal, but I presume they can do whatever they like!! Had I been in the UK, I would have ended up paying £2.50 towards my purchase, in Ireland, I had to pay €9. Makes no sense.

I emailed their customer service department to complain, but as you can imagine, have heard nothing back in reply!!


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## BeeLazy

While browsing about M&S and Euro/Sterling difference I came across this topic. I was feeling very aggrieved by the price difference I found while shopping in M&S - a store I rarely shop in as we don't have one locally. I now feel a bit better about the huge difference as I had only thought about the 8% currency difference and hadn't taken into account the 6% VAT difference and the very big wage cost difference between here and the UK if what is reported in this topic is correct UK £5.73 or €6.19 as opposed to ROI €8.65 or 33%, VAT 6% and Exchange Rate diff 8% which would need a 50% mark-up to make the Sterling/Euro price equivalent. Is Ireland really 50% dearer to do business in, in comparison to the UK or are my calculations completely off the wall? A very sobering thought indeed.


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## poundhound

Bought my godson a buzzlightyear toy in las Vegas last month. It cost $25, around €20.
A couple of weeks later in Liverpool, the same toy was £20, about €23. not much difference.
However, last week I seen the same toy in smyths for €59.99!!!!

Can't wait for the government to start their "buy Irish" campaign leading up to Christmas.
Newry anyone?


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## Fatphrog

I was looking at Aqueous Cream in Boots in the north today. £3.97 for 500g own brand. In Boots Dundalk, 500g made in Dundalk brand, €4.04 for 500g.


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## BeeLazy

Well the 7cent difference is made up of the 6% extra on the VAT and the 9% difference on the currency so Boots Dundalk are spot on and they haven't included a premium of 33% for the wage difference either.  It would be good if the stores put up a notice showing people how the differene is calculated between the ROI and N. Ireland.


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## DB74

The difference in rents payable should also be taken into account - far dearer to rent here than in the North I would have thought.


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## gipimann

Anyone spot that Tesco appear to have stopped their Euro for Pound pricing on clothes for the winter season?   Their winter range is priced in both pound and euro (e.g. jacket was priced at £20 and €23).  A lot closer to a real exchange rate than they used to have!

Let's hope the other UK retailers follow suit! (no pun intended...)


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## chrisboy

gipimann said:


> Anyone spot that Tesco appear to have stopped their Euro for Pound pricing on clothes for the winter season?   Their winter range is priced in both pound and euro (e.g. jacket was priced at £20 and €23).  A lot closer to a real exchange rate than they used to have!
> 
> Let's hope the other UK retailers follow suit! (no pun intended...)




Noticed that today alright, bought a halloween costume for my youngest. 10 sterling or 11.50 euro!


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## Protocol

DB74 said:


> The difference in rents payable should also be taken into account - far dearer to rent here than in the North I would have thought.


 

Yes, high comm rents are one of the main reasons retail prices are so high in Ireland.

The temp VAT difference of 6.5% extra will soon be 4% extra, and that's a minor difference.

Whereas 100% extra rental costs in RoI is a massive factor.


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## AlanH

http://www.marksandspencer.com/Christmas-Food-to-Order-E-Catalogues-Whats-New/b/64294031

Huge difference to the prices being charged in their south of the border stores.


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## GreenQueen

Gipiman apparently they ceased their "save the difference" scheme at the end of September.  I notice there was no fanfare about that.

It's interesting that even with their prices creeping up they're still apparently the cheapest supermarket in the Republic for essential item groceries.  That's according to the pricewatch on The Afternoon Show.


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## redwood park

Hi. My daughter is doing up a room. Got price in Dublins " Laura Ashley" for curtains,wallpaper etc. She went on line to their Belfast shop and picked out what she wanted and found same products were 500 Euro cheaper. She rang Belfast. Paid for her order in sterling and arranged to collect it in Belfast. Well worth while.


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## Megan

AlanH said:


> http://www.marksandspencer.com/Christmas-Food-to-Order-E-Catalogues-Whats-New/b/64294031
> 
> Huge difference to the prices being charged in their south of the border stores.



I saw a pair of boots in my local M&S yesterday priced at €60. The sterling price under this price was £45. That's a bit steep even allowing for rents etc.


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## cbreeze

Debenhams in Newry were giving 93 p to the Euro yesterday. Although all there products have a €IRL price, these prices are not as good as the rate in the shop.


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## mcaul

What bugs me is the number of people who complain about prices charged in Ireland by british store and the go to the EXACT SAME stores in northern ireland to buy stuff! - WHY??????

Try checking prices in local independent retailers that price their goods locally based on recent exchange rates and not in some high rise office block in London - you'd be VERY surprised at the results. 

example - my stores which i can't name, currently use 1.13 exchange rate on all UK bought product and have done so since last year. I know 2 other fashion retailers who are just as ****ed off as they seel items similar to Debenhams (same brands) at 20% less - but everyone just assumes that Debenhams will be cheaper! - which is utter rubbish!


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## grommit

Megan said:


> I saw a pair of boots in my local M&S yesterday priced at €60. The sterling price under this price was £45. That's a bit steep even allowing for rents etc.



I spotted a pair of boots I liked on the M&S website, Sterling price £79.  I went into town to buy them, Euro price €109.  I came home empty handed.


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## orionstar21

Instead of whinging about paying 40€ for something that was SIMULTANIOUSLY labelled for 30£ why not complaint to the national consumer agency.  This is clearly an invitation to pay with either currency.  If a shop does not allow you to pay in either currency then surely it is breaking consumer laws?  The only gotcha would probably they will only accept the exact amount or wont give you sterling change....  Or do what I do, just dont entertain it, let them keep their whacky price differences


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## Leo

orionstar21 said:


> Instead of whinging about paying 40€ for something that was SIMULTANIOUSLY labelled for 30£ why not complaint to the national consumer agency. This is clearly an invitation to pay with either currency. If a shop does not allow you to pay in either currency then surely it is breaking consumer laws? The only gotcha would probably they will only accept the exact amount or wont give you sterling change.... Or do what I do, just dont entertain it, let them keep their whacky price differences


 
You need to take a further read of the legislation, it is an invitation to treat, and this does not form a legally binding contract. The shop is perfectly entitled to refuse to sell you an item at any price. The shop is also under no obligation to accept any currency other than Euro.


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## rosey

The difference is not just in shop prices-
Littlewoods catalogue is unbelievable...saw a dress on Littlewoods.com for £35- the very same dress on Littlewoods.ie is €83!!!!
The day I looked the £35 was equal to €39!!! How can they justify this difference?
Littlewoods dont have a store so difference cant be put down to overheads, rent, wages etc of running store in Ireland.
Even if you have northern Ireland address to deliver goods to- the littlewoods.com recognises the Irish credit cards and doesn't allow the purchase....
So is it just they recognise we are easy targets to be ripped off?


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## mcaul

rosey said:


> The difference is not just in shop prices-
> Littlewoods catalogue is unbelievable...saw a dress on Littlewoods.com for £35- the very same dress on Littlewoods.ie is €83!!!!
> The day I looked the £35 was equal to €39!!! How can they justify this difference?
> Littlewoods dont have a store so difference cant be put down to overheads, rent, wages etc of running store in Ireland.
> Even if you have northern Ireland address to deliver goods to- the littlewoods.com recognises the Irish credit cards and doesn't allow the purchase....
> So is it just they recognise we are easy targets to be ripped off?


 
Yet another UK retailer with this pricing practice!!

Anyone seeing the similarity between all the compaints about unfair differences between sterling & euro??

Each and every one of them is about a UK retailer who obviously does their pricing in the Uk and uses a farcial exchange rate!

They take no account of the real exchange rates like Irish retailer do!


Support IRISH retailers - we use REAL and current exchange rates.


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## Protocol

mcaul said:


> Yet another UK retailer with this pricing practice!!
> 
> Anyone seeing the similarity between all the compaints about unfair differences between sterling & euro??
> 
> Each and every one of them is about a UK retailer who obviously does their pricing in the Uk and uses a farcial exchange rate!
> 
> They take no account of the real exchange rates like Irish retailer do!
> 
> 
> Support IRISH retailers - we use REAL and current exchange rates.


 
Fair point.

I was in Debenhams in NI today.  Something for 10 stg was 15.50, 35 stg becomes 54, etc.

Adding *55% to the stg price* is madness.


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## smiley

Its not only the UK retailers though.
Think Irish bookshops and newsagents here....a magazine i buy has a £3.90 rrp.
Its €5.91 here...........and there are lots of other magazines and books like this.
PURE GREED....................and they wonder why we buy books etc. on-line!


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## Protocol

smiley said:


> Its not only the UK retailers though.
> Think Irish bookshops and newsagents here....a magazine i buy has a £3.90 rrp.
> Its €5.91 here...........and there are lots of other magazines and books like this.
> PURE GREED....................and they wonder why we buy books etc. on-line!


 
To be fair to the RoI shop, it should be said that there is 13.5% VAT on mags here, 0% in the UK.

Although that 5.91 euro is still too high.

There is a thread discussing magazine prices, have a search for it.


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## mcaul

smiley said:


> Its not only the UK retailers though.
> Think Irish bookshops and newsagents here....a magazine i buy has a £3.90 rrp.
> Its €5.91 here...........and there are lots of other magazines and books like this.
> PURE GREED....................and they wonder why we buy books etc. on-line!


 
Bookshops curreenty use between 1.15 & 1.20 exchange - certainly those I've been in recently. This is about the correct average buy rate for sterling over the past few months. - Todays rate is 1.136, even though the official rate is 1.104.

As for magazines the following is the current calculation

uk cover price + 10% distribution charge
x current 6 month set exchange rate of 1.18
+ 13.5% vat

No rip off applying there.

I have no interests in the book / magazine trade.


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## helllohello

McVities Victoria 800g box of biscuits - £4.99 stg in dunnes stores in newry, and €5.49 in Tesco Dundalk. 
still a bit of value to be got south of the border. not everything is cheaper North.


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## Fatphrog

Was browsing the apple store and was delighted to find this deal:



http://store.apple.com/uk/product/BF646ZM/A

£649 or €719. At last some value. Allowing for VAT, the Irish price is cheaper.


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## CatherineB

orionstar21 said:


> Instead of whinging about paying 40€ for something that was SIMULTANIOUSLY labelled for 30£ why not complaint to the national consumer agency.  This is clearly an invitation to pay with either currency.  If a shop does not allow you to pay in either currency then surely it is breaking consumer laws?  The only gotcha would probably they will only accept the exact amount or wont give you sterling change....  Or do what I do, just dont entertain it, let them keep their whacky price differences




No retailer is under any obligation to accept something that isn't legal tender. Invitation to treat- you have the right to offer to pay in peanuts and they have the right to refuse you.


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## TLC

Has anyone any experience of ordering clothing from Karen Millen UK? - the prices quoted on the Irish & UK websites are vastly different


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## batty

TLC said:


> Has anyone any experience of ordering clothing from Karen Millen UK? - the prices quoted on the Irish & UK websites are vastly different


 
I used to buy from Karen Millen UK website at UK prices.  KM then set up a micro site, prices quoted in € & at 40% more expensive than £.

I queried this with KM and after many, many emails I was informed that it is 40% more expensive to operate in Ireland than in UK.  When I pointed out that I was buying from a UK site that was quoting in € but operating from the UK (so had UK overheads) I received no answer.  

Out of stubborness I sent an email every day for a month - no response.


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## TLC

Thanks for the info - if I was to buy I think I'd get it sent to a family member in UK.


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