# IS LIVING IN THIS COUNTRY ONE BIG CON???



## anon (4 Dec 2003)

Is it just me or does other people think that we are being treated like idiots by shops etc.

Let me explain. When I go to a supermarket I see things like "Buy 2 get one free!" but no price displayed or not even and indication of what 2 would costs in the first place!! 

or 20% OFF but no sign of a price or what it was first charged at!!! So what exactly is the 20% off ??

or the use of miniscule writing to hide the price and then a HUGE sign saying 20% off and a price is quoted in large print. So u go to the till and u think u will get 20% off the large price but no u are referred to the tiny price.

My best example is today when I went to buy a xmas tree from a well known UK retailer with an outlet in Limerick. I checked their web page for the uk and saw the price was €115.00 converted from sterling. The price in Ireland was €119.99 but this was with the 20% off and the original price was €149.99. I find this very strange.I could go on but all these tricks of the trade I am sure they are outlawed in other countries so why not here?

anon


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## Freddie Kruger (4 Dec 2003)

*con*

As far as I know the Sale Of Goods Act does take account of this practice. It's been a while since I had a look at it but I'm almost certain that the 'Original' price that is advertsised as being discounted has to have been on the item for X number of days/weeks prior to to the sale.

Can anyone clarify?


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## rainyday (4 Dec 2003)

*Re: con*

AFAIK, items marked with discounted prices must have been sold at the higher price for 30 days of the preceeding 90 day period. Report them to the [broken link removed] if they have broken the law.


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## Brouhahaha (4 Dec 2003)

*Re: con*

Not being critical but how can a Christmas tree cost €115? I assume it was more than just a tree?


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## Robert (4 Dec 2003)

*Trees everywhere*

Just drive up the Dublin mountains and take one. €115 saved !!


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## IsleOfMan (4 Dec 2003)

*It's worth your while to be vigilant.*

Just go down to SuperValue in Blackrock and see the differences being charged at the checkout as compared to the shelf prices. I am constantly getting free food because I spot their mistakes and bring it to their attention.


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## Bamboo (4 Dec 2003)

*Price Display*

Consumer legislation requires that retail prices are displayed for retail items.  Where you see that this isn't the case, you should report the matter to Consumer Affairs who will send an inspector to examine the matter.  All going well, a prosecution should result.


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## The President (4 Dec 2003)

*overcharging*

and you still return?  Why?  Vote with your feet - we all have the power to decide not so allow shops top continue this practice - dont buy products without prices, ask for the now long dead receipt, and check it..it is peoples unwillingness to appear mean or needy that allows shops perpetuate these cons!


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## anon (5 Dec 2003)

*RIP OFF*

thanks I feel better now. the tree is artificial and if I have my way it will outlive us both so I won't have to buy another.

I am going to invest in a small digital camera and take photos of all these scams.  All I want is a fair price and a bit of respect to my intelligence.

anon


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## Skinflint (5 Dec 2003)

*.*

Did you really pay €100 plus for the tree? Sounds exhorbitant to me!


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## daltonr (6 Dec 2003)

*Re: .*



> Did you really pay €100 plus for the tree? Sounds exhorbitant to me!



Do trees really cost this much???????
Oh My Goodness.

I supose after 5 years or so of real trees it'll have paid for itself  but still.

You could just plant a tree in the garden and light it up every year, but the presents would probably get nicked.  And it'd confuse the hell out of Santa.

-Rd


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## Tina (6 Dec 2003)

*re*

it's not just Super value in Blackrock I was in the claremorris branch today saw the sign for river rock water buy 2 get 3rd free so I did,  at the checkout I watched to make sure it was free but it did not come up on computer so sales girl had to leave and check shelves then phone managers office in the meantime I had a queue of people waiting giving me dirty looks but I stuck it out  it was free eventually!!


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## IsleOfMan (6 Dec 2003)

*More free food.*

Supervalue Blackrock. Got a good sized pale ham for free.
It was priced at €12 but was charged €18 at checkout.
After the usual standing there while they returned to the shelving area to double check their overpricing they attempted to offer me the difference of €6 back.

Trying to be doubly smart. They can't lose.

I insisted on a complete refund which I got.


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## SlurrySlump (9 Dec 2003)

*No one ever eats the dust.*

Anyone notice the amount of "dust" at the bottom of Kelloggs corn flakes and rice krispies packets. Is it my imagination or is this increasing. Less crispies-more dust.?


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## Skinflint (9 Dec 2003)

*.*

Aldi cornflakes don't seem to suffer from that problem!


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## heinbloed (10 Dec 2003)

*dust*

They sell faster!


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## Ralph (10 Dec 2003)

*Wine*

Local restaurant owner buys wine for cash at Supervalue. then serves same at five times the price.

Is that a rip off or just a clever profit.

Personally I don't mind paying €25 - €40 for wine with a meal but if I 'know' the same bottle costs five times less in a local supermarket then I'd question my sanity.

My understanding is most of the wine you purchase at a restaurant is the same as you would get in Cheers, O'Briens, Mitchells etc but it is cleverly relabeled so one cannot make blatent like for like comparisons.


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## daltonr (10 Dec 2003)

*Re: Wine*

I'd be astonished if wine in a restaurant did not cost many times more than the same wine in a supermarket.

Look at the cost of a glass of coke in a restaurant!
You could buy a 2 litre bottle for the same price in a supermarket.

-Rd


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## tedd (11 Dec 2003)

*Re: Wine*

It's not really surprising that wine is more expensive in a restaurant than in a supermarket. After all the restaurant has to pay someone to open it, pour it, a license to serve it, a glass for you to drink it from, a corkscrew to open it with and insurance in case after you drink a bottle of it you fall over and sue them.


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## Thrifty Knot (11 Dec 2003)

*Re: Wine*

**It's not really surprising that wine is more expensive in a restaurant than in a supermarket. After all the restaurant has to pay someone to open it, pour it, a license to serve it, a glass for you to drink it from, a corkscrew to open it with and insurance in case after you drink a bottle of it you fall over and sue them. **

I don't buy this at all - was in Rome last weekend, had many meals out in restuarants, and the price of a bottle of wine varied from €3 to €5. There is no reason why a restuarant cannot charge the same as retailers do for wine. They are already making a profit on the food, but the wine prices in restuarants are so outrageous that I would say a high % of their profits are from overcharging for wine.
Yes, this is ripoff Ireland.

Also, after eating out in Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, and more, we can be proud of the quality of Irish restuarants, they are as good as their European counterparts. The problem only starts with the bill!


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## tedd (11 Dec 2003)

*Re: Wine*

The basic price of the wine is much cheaper in most of the countries you mention, as is the price of food. Most people don't believe it, but the restaurant industry is a low margin business. I give out about the cost of meals as much as the next person, but I can see how the prices need to be high to stay in business. What annoys me much more is when you pay this much for meals and the service is poor.

I agree with you that the cheap and cheerful type of restaurants that are so plentiful on the continent are thin on the ground here. Irish restaurants all want to have gourmet notions...and unfortunately gourmet prices.


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## IsleOfMan (15 Dec 2003)

*Hey mister!.*

My son tells me that to gain entry in to the Stillorgan Bowling Alley you have to pay €3.50.  Just to get in the door!!!!


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## daltonr (15 Dec 2003)

*Re: Hey mister!.*

WHAT?

It used to be €1 not too long ago if they've increased it to €3.50 that's shocking.

The idea I think was to stop crowds of kids gathering there with no intention of spending money.  I don't know if it worked.

I refused to pay once because we'd booked to go bowling.  They protested a little but eventually let us in when I said we'd just cancel the booking and go elsewhere.

I went once without booking and I paid the €1.  But there's no way in hell I'd pay €3.50.

-Rd


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## soc (4 Nov 2004)

*Re: Wine*



> It's not really surprising that wine is more expensive in a restaurant than in a supermarket. After all the restaurant has to pay someone to open it, pour it, a license to serve it, a glass for you to drink it from, a corkscrew to open it with and insurance in case after you drink a bottle of it you fall over and sue them.



I'm sorry but I don't accept that reason... what about those that consume Coke?  There is no excuse for a can of coke to cost 90c in Supermarket and glass of Coke in restaurant to cost €2.10!

I was actually in a restaurant last week... asked for a Coke with my meal - while I was pleasantly chatting with my b/f I noticed that they were filling up a glass of Coke for me from a 2 Litre (or 1.5Lt) bottle of Coke!!  At the end of the meal, we were charge €2.10 per glass of Coke!!!  What the heck justifies charging us THAT much money for beverages when it is served from a bottle that problem came from the Supermarket down the road... they must get at least 20 glasses out Coke out of each bottle - that means for the price of €1.99 Coke bottle (from local Supermarket), they can make about €40.01 from selling the stuff!! :mad 

soc


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## rainyday (4 Nov 2004)

*Re: Wine*

Hi Soc

What price would you put on "pay someone to open it, pour it,  a glass for you to drink it from, insurance in case after you drink a bottle of it you fall over and sue them."? What was their reaction when you complained to them? Did you see the price of the Coke on the menu before you ordered it?


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## soc (4 Nov 2004)

*Re: Wine*

Chances of me falling over after drinking a bottle of Coke is next to nothing!  If I did happen to fall over or have an NON-alcohol induced accident on their premises, I'm sure the inflationary cost of their food contributes to their payment for an insurance policy.

I saw the price in the menu, yes... I put up with those sort of prices in pubs - it has become somewhat the 'norm'... though I don't want it to be.  BUT when they serve me something out of a 2lt bottle rather than from pumps, or from a 'freshly' opened glass Coke bottle (you know the ones that you see in the pub)... then that is taking the mick.

I unfortunately didn't say anything due to 
a. not having the guts  
b. not wanting to make a scene in front of the b/f who was kindly taking me out.

... but I certainly won't be going back there in a hurry.


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## Max Hopper (6 Nov 2004)

We are all on for moaning about prices. Do I hear anyone asking for an inflation-indexed payrise, selling price of their house, or second-hand automobile? A show of hands, please!<!--EZCODE BR START--><!--EZCODE BR END--><!--EZCODE BR START--><!--EZCODE BR END-->We are all out to gouge one another. Face it, our outrage and indignation over prices is one-way. That, dear readers is known as *hypocrisy*.


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