# Christmas craft fair - RDS - extortionate price for food



## quinno (10 Dec 2007)

Was at the Christmas Craft Fare at the RDS yesterday. Good to see rip-off Ireland is still going strong and showing no signs of abating. After paying €26 in (2 adults @ €10 plus €6 to park), which we knew in advance and were happy to pay (Well, Mrs Quinno was anyhow!), we went to get a sandwich.

One stall in there was looking for €12 for a ham roll (consisted of a vac packed roll, butter, ham) or if you liked a measly slice of quiche (same price). Both came with salad on the side (coleslaw, potato salad, etc). No where to sit and eat this - there were common areas that were packed. So you were expected to pay this and eat it off a paper plate, standing up. No signs of any pricing whatsoever - plenty of boards explaining all their products were 'gourmet'. I found out the price just as the lady in front of me was paying, nautuallly I wasn't going to pay this for a ham roll. When I queried the extortionate price at the till, gourmet or not, the arrogance of the guy there beggared belief.

It's probably too late to do anything about this now (the show finished yesterday), but anyone had any success of shopping guys like these to the Consumer Association? The fact that they didn't have prices displayed is probably one count. It would be nice to teach him a lesson in value and manners for future events. I have purposely not put his name here.


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## ClubMan (10 Dec 2007)

quinno said:


> but anyone had any success of shopping guys like these to the Consumer Association? The fact that they didn't have prices displayed is probably one count.


That is the only count on which they have transgressed as far as I can see. Charging high/extortionate prices is not a rip-off in itself - but not displaying a price list as required under law is. You should report them to the NCA. The _Consumer Association _are not a statutory body so have no actual powers in this context. The _NCA _do.


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## aircobra19 (10 Dec 2007)

Worth trying the Consumer Association to be aware of these guys at other shows. I would say if they displayed their prices a lot of people wouldn't go near them. Though no ones forced to buy from them. Doesn't require much effort to eat before hand, or bring your own food.


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## ClubMan (10 Dec 2007)

aircobra19 said:


> Worth trying the Consumer Association to be aware of these guys at other shows.


National Consumer *Authority* surely?


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## quinno (10 Dec 2007)

aircobra19 said:


> Doesn't require much effort to eat before hand, or bring your own food.


 
Fair comment, but we had chosen to get something there. We had a hectic morning that day (had to collect our 15 month old from sister-in-laws), so we felt a sandwich at a reasonable price was not too much an ask. In the end, we got some fantastic veggie samosas and pizza slices from the Blazing Salads stand -  [broken link removed] - at €2.85 each, delicious....


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## gillarosa (10 Dec 2007)

quinno said:


> It's probably too late to do anything about this now (the show finished yesterday), but anyone had any success of shopping guys like these to the Consumer Association? The fact that they didn't have prices displayed is probably one count. It would be nice to teach him a lesson in value and manners for future events. I have purposely not put his name here.


 
As far as I know there are only three Catering Companies who have a contract for the RDS, so unless it was a stall there for that particular event which this doesn't sound like it should be one of them, you can contact the RDS to complain maybe? I could be wrong but imagine the person at the till was an employee rather than the cat getting the cream?


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## ClubMan (10 Dec 2007)

quinno said:


> One stall in there was looking for €12 for a ham roll (consisted of a vac packed roll, butter, ham) or if you liked a measly slice of quiche (same price). Both came with salad on the side (coleslaw, potato salad, etc).


I wouldn't have thought that €12 for a roll or quiche with side salads was totally outrageous in this day and age. Especially at an event with a largely captuve audience. Whether or not it was good value is one thing. If the price was clearly displayed then it certainly would not have been a rip-off. However if no prices were displayed then they have broken the law. Did you point this out to them at the time? You should still report it in my opinion.


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## quinno (10 Dec 2007)

Well, thankfully there were choices - the RDS had a cafe / restautrant doing hot food and sandwiches (neitehr of which we fancied) at reasonable prices, as well as the other smaller stands. So no harm done in the end. 

I was just amazed at how many people got to the till, said "sorry, how much - €12? ok, here you go". Suppose that's the reason they get away with it....


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## ClubMan (10 Dec 2007)

But €12 for a sambo/quiche and side salads would not be extortionate around _Dublin _city generally as far as I know. I'm not saying that it's good value but I doubt that it's unusual. The lack of a price list is unacceptable though.


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## quinno (10 Dec 2007)

hmmm. I work in Dublin city centre, and even €12 for a takeaway sambo and a bit of salad would be steep. The pricelist was the one thing that annoyed me, this was obviously part of the game plan, knowing how unassertive the average Irish punter can be.


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## ClubMan (10 Dec 2007)

Well plenty of convenience stores (_Spar, Centra, Londis, M&S _etc.) near me in _Dublin _city centre (northside) charge about a fiver for a sambo and the same for salads. Add in a premium for having a largely captive audience and €12 does not sound that outrageous to me. Not that I would pay it mind you.  The lack of a price list is not just an annoyance - it is illegal.


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## quinno (10 Dec 2007)

When I say salad, it was dollup of something, so not a 'salad' in the true sense of the word. Anyway, I chose not to eat it, so not harm done. About €8 got us some lovely organic bits and pieces, which probably tasted a lot better.


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## ClubMan (10 Dec 2007)

quinno said:


> When I say salad, it was dollup of something, so not a 'salad' in the true sense of the word.


Eh? Previously you said...


quinno said:


> One stall in there was looking for €12 for a ham roll (consisted of a vac packed roll, butter, ham) or if you liked a measly slice of quiche (same price). Both came with salad on the side (coleslaw, potato salad, etc).


... so which is it? 

Remember that the art of complaining involves getting your facts right and stating them clearly...


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## quinno (10 Dec 2007)

OK, so a typical exchange went like this with customers ahead of me:

"Here's your roll, would you like coleslaw or potato salad". Evidenced by a spoon of either / or a combination both being applied to the plate along with the roll. 

I therefore used the term 'salad' somewhat euphemistically.


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## Newbie! (10 Dec 2007)

ClubMan said:


> But €12 for a sambo/quiche and side salads would not be extortionate around _Dublin _city generally as far as I know. I'm not saying that it's good value but I doubt that it's unusual. The lack of a price list is unacceptable though.




I would eat lunch out and about alot and to be honest is very very steep. Whether people pay it or not is entirely they're own business but i personally couldnt justify 12quid for bread and ham and a little bit of salad. 

By the way, I was at the fair and did see the rolls. Didnt notice that many people eating though. Maybe the high price backfired a little?


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## Trudee (11 Dec 2007)

When you add on the entrance fee it certainly does make it an expensive sandwich, so if you paid euro 10 in to the Fair that makes your sandwich (if you had bought it) euro 22.  I can never understand how the RDS charge so much into Fairs i.e. Art Ireland, Crafts Fair, Garden Shows etc. when you are there to hopefully buy something, surely the stall holders are already paying top price to pitch up there for the week or however long the show is for.


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## ClubMan (11 Dec 2007)

Trudee said:


> When you add on the entrance fee it certainly does make it an expensive sandwich,


I don't see that the entrance fee is relevant to the price of a sambo inside.


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## Trudee (25 Dec 2007)

Entrance fee relevant to price of sandwich in that if you were in town you wouldn't have to pay to go in and buy a sandwich in a pub or coffee shop or if you went into a hotel you wouldn't be paying an entrance fee to get a sandwich brought to your table, the price of sandwich is all you'll pay in any of these situations, if you've paid an entrance fee into RDS it makes it an expensive sandwich in my book.


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## bigchicken (2 Jan 2008)

Newbie! said:


> I would eat lunch out and about alot and to be honest is very very steep. Whether people pay it or not is entirely they're own business but i personally couldnt justify 12quid for bread and ham and a little bit of salad.


 
I agree - I work in the city centre and I consider 12 euro outragous for a roll. I would expect a full main course for that. Most of the places |I eat lunch in in town charge anywhere between 4 euro and 8 euro for a sandwich (eating in!) depending on whats in it and what its served with.


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## ClubMan (2 Jan 2008)

Trudee said:


> Entrance fee relevant to price of sandwich in that if you were in town you wouldn't have to pay to go in and buy a sandwich in a pub or coffee shop or if you went into a hotel you wouldn't be paying an entrance fee to get a sandwich brought to your table, the price of sandwich is all you'll pay in any of these situations, if you've paid an entrance fee into RDS it makes it an expensive sandwich in my book.


I disagree. You are paying to go to a show. The fact that you might choose to look for sustenance while inside is incidental and the price of such sustenance is a separate matter. Obviously paying to enter and paying for food while inside are all discretionary matters and nobody is forced to do either or both.


bigchicken said:


> I agree - I work in the city centre and I consider 12 euro outragous for a roll. I would expect a full main course for that. Most of the places |I eat lunch in in town charge anywhere between 4 euro and 8 euro for a sandwich (eating in!) depending on whats in it and what its served with.


_M&S_ near me sell a range of sambos some of which cost up to a fiver. They also sell salads which are in a similar price range. It would be relatively easy to spend a tenner on a sambo/roll plus salads as outlined in the original post. As such €12 at a concession stand at a special interest show doesn't sound unbelievable to me. But as I said there is no way that I would pay it.


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## over2u (2 Jan 2008)

Clubman. Are you on RDS PAYROLL?. 12 Bucks for a sambo is outrageous, No matter where it is.


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## ClubMan (2 Jan 2008)

over2u said:


> Clubman. Are you on RDS PAYROLL?


No. You are obviously missing my point which is not to defend the _RDS _or the stallholder in this case but rather to point out some facts about retail prices and consumer behaviour in relation to them.


> 12 Bucks for a sambo is outrageous, No matter where it is.


That's a subjective value judgement. I would probably agree with it in general. Some would not and would willingly pay. Some would agree, still pay and just moan about it afterwards. Nobody is forced to pay such prices. Those that do do so of their own free will. I couldn't give a toss if somebody charged €50 for a ham and cheese sambo. Nobody is forcing anybody to buy it.


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## over2u (2 Jan 2008)

So you agree it is rip off?


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## ClubMan (2 Jan 2008)

over2u said:


> So you agree it is rip off?


A €12 price tag for a sambo clearly displayed so that consumers can make an informed buying decision? No - that is not a rip-off but it is arguably a very high price for what you get *if you choose of your own volition to make a purchase*. But in this case there was also no price list on display according to the original poster so the retailer was in breach of the law which is a serious issue.


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## polaris (2 Jan 2008)

"Rip off" can mean either a fraudulent transaction or excessive profiteering which are very different things. 

In this case as they had not displayed their prices, then this was a fraudulent transaction and was therefore a rip off!


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## over2u (2 Jan 2008)

Clubman, Clear this up. It's only a rip off if the price is clearly stated?


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## gebbel (2 Jan 2008)

ClubMan said:


> A €12 price tag for a sambo clearly displayed so that consumers can make an informed buying decision? No - that is not a rip-off


 
Come on ClubMan! Displayed price or not, that is an absoultely outrageous price to charge for any sandwich! Of course everybody can choose not to pay for it, but we are right to moan and highlight this rip-off culture whenever we come across it.


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## over2u (2 Jan 2008)

Well done gebbel


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## quinno (2 Jan 2008)

Ok, before this is locked, as the OP maybe I can conclude:


Entrance fee - no issue (we knew this in advance).

€12 - definitely a rip-off on two fronts.
1. It was only by pure chance I heard the lady in front of me pay €12 for her roll and some coleslaw. When it came to the till, I checked the price and yes it wwas €12. Ok, allowing for Dublin prices, blah blah, €12 is still steep.

2. Whether it's €1.20, €12.00 or €120.00 for a roll you have the choice as a consumer to pay this, but only if you are forewarned (via a clear price list - in this case it was totally absent). The operator in this case was capitalising on the usual Irish trait of paying rather than complaining. Hence his hostile attitude towards me. At least I saved him making up a roll and then not paying for it!!


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## over2u (2 Jan 2008)

Can we conclude then, that a rip off is a rip off, regardless of whether the price is stated? i.e. any attempt to overcharge for goods or services is A RIP OFF!!!


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## ClubMan (2 Jan 2008)

over2u said:


> Clubman, Clear this up. It's only a rip off if the price is clearly stated?


No - I didn't say that. I said:


ClubMan said:


> A €12 price tag for a sambo clearly displayed so that consumers can make an informed buying decision? No - that is not a rip-off ...


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## ClubMan (2 Jan 2008)

over2u said:


> Can we conclude then, that a rip off is a rip off, regardless of whether the price is stated? i.e. any attempt to overcharge for goods or services is A RIP OFF!!!


How exactly do you define "*over*charge" in a generalised way? Do you take the wholesale cost of the raw materials and add some fixed margin to cover overheads and profit and anything above that is overcharging? What is this magical formula?


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