Rip off Ireland - Christmas Party!

[Kelmar]

We have just had our Christmas Party and what rip off the whole event was! The restaurant/bar we had it in was already expensive but after 10pm the price of drinks was increased by around 50c - are they allowed to do this??

3 weeks in advance we asked our normal taxi company to arrange taxis home for all staff leaving at 1:30am. On the night about 2 of the 20 ordered turned up!! When we asked why they said they had just dispatched the jobs at 12:30 (that night!?) and they were busy!?!

Bah humbug!

 

[Humpback]

Firstly, nothing in your comments here are anything resembling "Rip Off Ireland".

Just because you've experienced poor service, expensive goods/services, and a taxi company not providing any service, you can't say that anything was a "rip off".

There are a lot of questions below in response to your comment. I'm hoping that they're rhetorical and that you've done all of the things below, rather than just coming on to a bulletin board like this and complaining after the fact.

We have just had our Christmas Party and what rip off the whole event was! The restaurant/bar we had it in was already expensive but after 10pm the price of drinks was increased by around 50c - are they allowed to do this??

As long as the legally required signs advertising the prices of the drinks were changed to reflect the increase in prices after 10pm, then the place did nothing illegal.
Sharp practice maybe, but not illegal.
Did you check to see if the price lists were updated? Were there any price lists visible at all? Did you say anything to the owners/management/staff before/during/or after the event to let them know your/your companys displeasure?
Have you told them that because of their sharp practice this year that you're unlikely to be going back next year and that you'll be recommending to anyone willing to listen to your rant that you won't be going back?

3 weeks in advance we asked our normal taxi company to arrange taxis home for all staff leaving at 1:30am. On the night about 2 of the 20 ordered turned up!! When we asked why they said they had just dispatched the jobs at 12:30 (that night!?) and they were busy!?!

Again, did you say anything to the owners/management/staff of the taxi company before/during/or after the event to let them know your/your companys displeasure?

Have you told them that because of their poor service this year, at a time when they were most needed that you're unlikely to be going back next year and that you'll be recommending to anyone willing to listen to your rant that you won't be going back?

Has the company threatened to pull their whole business from this "normal taxi company" because of the way they treated you all on the night of the party?

Bah humbug!

Happy Christmas to you to.

 

[ClubMan]

Firstly, nothing in your comments here are anything resembling "Rip Off Ireland".

Good man Ronan - taking a bullet for me this time on the whole kneejerk ROI thing!

 

[Kelmar]

Firstly, nothing in your comments here are anything resembling "Rip Off Ireland".

"rip-off definition
noun {C usually singular}

something that is not worth what you pay for it:"

I dont understand your point that nothing resembled ROI - the whole thing was clearly a rip off!

Of course we have complained in writing to both companies. My point in raising it here was not to complain to the board or to seek your detailed advice on what to do when you are not happy with a servce (thanks anyway?!) but to highlight the fact that it happened so I could see how widespread it is. I admit this could have been made clearer in my original post.

This type of rip off is happening all too often in my opinion and I would like to hear if others agree, or not.

 

[Lauren]

I'd suggest that is has more to do with Christmas than it has to do with Ireland.......Businesses deal with increased demand in many different ways not always to our liking.

 

[tiger]

For me, ripoff equals any off:
- bad value for money
- sub-standard service
- bad customer service

So in my the Kelmar was ripped off.

Also, the usual "anti rip-off" argument of "you chose to spend" doesn't apply, as clearly they weren't in a position to walk away.

 

[onekeano]

Sharp practice maybe, but not illegal.......

Did you check to see if the price lists were updated?

Have to say this is the greatest load of [expletive deleted]. So, now we are encouraging sharp practice once it's technically legal? And in addition to this we are supposed to sit under the price lists to check before buying each drink if they had been "updated".

If it looks like a Ripoff and sounds like a Ripoff chances are IT IS A RIPOFF!

Roy

 

[ClubMan]

This is a Letting Off Steam issue so has been moved - which means that the original contributor and others who don't meet the required posting criteria (i.e. one month's registration and 50+ posts) will no longer be able to contribute.

 

[ClubMan]

The taxi issue is clealy not a rip-off - just poor service.

The bar being "already expensive" prior to 10PM is clearly not a rip-off because the opportunity was there for the customer to apprise themselves of the normal prices and make an informed decision about accepting them or booking another venue. If the individual(s) who booked the venue didn't check this out then that's their problem. If my company booked a venue that was known to be expensive I personally would decline the invitation unless they were paying (and even then I would have have doubts about this being the best way for the company to spend money).

The post 10PM price hike is annoying alright and a bit of a swizz. Given that they had a captive audience it is at least sharp practice and at worst a rip-off. Unless this policy was the norm and the customers could have apprised themselves in advance before booking/accepting. If this happened to me I would probably stop drinking and might repair to a more competitive venue if possible.

So - two of the three issues raised are not rip-offs and there may be some question mark over the third. If that success rate in identifying real rip-offs was replicated on a wider basis then it would suggest that many alleged rip-offs are not rip-offs at all.

 

[CCOVICH]

Lock this thread now. Season of goodwill and all..........

 

[casiopea]

We have just had our Christmas Party and what rip off the whole event was! The restaurant/bar we had it in was already expensive but after 10pm the price of drinks was increased by around 50c - are they allowed to do this??

If you were not happy you should tell the venue you will not be using them again because of this (assuming that is fine with your company), its all very well to complain about "rip-offs" but its better to do something about it.

 

[ClubMan]

The restaurant/bar we had it in was already expensive but after 10pm the price of drinks was increased by around 50c - are they allowed to do this??

As mentioned above, [broken link removed], as long as they update their price lists:

If the same premises has a bar, a lounge and a nightclub, each charging different prices ?

The price list displayed in each part of the premises must relate to the prices in that part of the premises.

If a licensed premises' policy is to increase prices after a certain time (e.g. after 11pm) ?

The price on display should be the price that is being charged at any given time.

 

[onekeano]

The post 10PM price hike is annoying alright and a bit of a swizz. Given that they had a captive audience it is at least sharp practice and at worst a rip-off.

Good man Clubman for accepting Kellmars point regarding the swizz / rip off. Personally when I go to a bar it's usually for a drink - not to "apprise" myself!!!
Sounds like the fun is going out of it when you have to start making informed decisions based on "normal" prices?

Anyway as CCOVICH says, it's Christmas so seasons greetings!

Roy

 

[car]

to echo what Ronan said, As to the taxis not turning up, Id have a word with your taxi firm account rep with an enquiry as to what they intend to do about not having taxis turn up as per ordered. If the company I work for ordered taxies, they didnt turn up (no matter when they were ordered for) and we received the excuse you did, we'd be looking for a new taxi firm.
They could have easily prebooked the 20 taxis and if one was on a job they could guesstimate what time they would be there at. 2 out of 20? Not acceptable in the least.

 

[ClubMan]

Good man Clubman for accepting Kellmars point regarding the swizz / rip off.

Just to clarigy, I accept that it was a swizz and perhaps a rip-off on the assumption that the venue's policy on increasing prices after 10PM was not clearly stated or asked about in advance. Otherwise I don't accept that it is a swizz or a rip-off. It's quite possible that three out of three of the alleged rip-offs are nothing of the sort. If you or others are happy not to apprise yourself of prices and pricing policies of venues when you go out socialising then you can't really moan about alleged rip-offs now can you?

 

[onekeano]

So Clubman, when you drop into Mulligans do you always ask the barman how much the pint is before you order? Obviously you do because you wouldn't want to be the victim of sharp practice or the barman having a bit of a swizz....

Roy

 

[Purple]

Things are expensive in a booming economy, that's just the way it is.
Things are cheaper in countries like France and Germany because they pay much more tax and their economies is screwed. I think we are better off the way we are.

Getting 20 odd taxies at that hour of the night is a tall order in any country.
I'm with Ronan and Clubbie on this one.

 

[ClubMan]

So Clubman, when you drop into Mulligans do you always ask the barman how much the pint is before you order?

No - I check the price list and decide if I am happy paying the asking price. I don't drink in Mulligans, Poolbeg Street that often or Mulligans, Stoneybatter at all.

Obviously you do because you wouldn't want to be the victim of sharp practice or the barman having a bit of a swizz....

Yes - obviously I don't want to be diddled. But when I decide to pay a particular price, no matter what it was, I don't go moaning to others after the fact that I was ripped off.

 

[Humpback]

In the Christmas season and all, all I can say is "Ho ho ho"... I got a great laugh out of some of these comments. I'd be with CCOVICH on closing this thread because we're going to get into all the same old arguements we had last August. But since it's not closed yet, and we're going to our own Christmas party tonight, I'm free for a while, so here goes.

"rip-off definition
noun {C usually singular}
something that is not worth what you pay for it:"

Two can play that game. Here's a definition I found elsewhere.
Noun: (n) heist, rip-off (the act of stealing)

So, if the bar/restaurant or the taxi company has stolen from you or anyone from your company, please report this immediately to the Gardai. Stealing is an offence, and therefore the perpretrators should be arrested, charged and banged away in a "stasiland" prison.

I'd suggest that is has more to do with Christmas than it has to do with Ireland

I'm with you on this one Lauren. I've had a recent experience where a very well known and highly recommended restaurant in Ballsbridge hosted 12 of us for a night out last week. The food was ordinary at best, as was the service. And we were literally booted out the door at 9pm.
I'm told that this is not the usual for this place, but they obviously decided to churn faster to make more money over Christmas.
It wasn't a "rip off" though. It was very poor value for money, and poor service.

For me, ripoff equals any off:
- bad value for money
- sub-standard service
- bad customer service
So in my the Kelmar was ripped off.

Bad value is bad value. If the had steak for €10 on the menu, and charged you €25 on the bill, then that would be a rip-off. But didn't happen in this case, so it was just bad value.

Sub-standard service, and bad customer service are one and the same thing, and aren't a rip-off either. It's just exactly what you say they are - Sub-standard service, and bad customer service.

You could get Sub-standard service, and bad customer service, in a situation where you're not actually paying for the service in the first place, but you wouldn't describe that as a rip-off.

Also, the usual "anti rip-off" argument of "you chose to spend" doesn't apply, as clearly they weren't in a position to walk away.

A business that imprisons customers and makes them stay and buy drinks and forces them to endure their service. Wow, think you may have a scoop here for the newspapers.

You always have the option to leave and say "thanks, but no thanks".

Have to say this is the greatest load of [expletive deleted]. So, now we are encouraging sharp practice once it's technically legal? And in addition to this we are supposed to sit under the price lists to check before buying each drink if they had been "updated".

I never said it was okay, or technically legal, or should be encouraged. I said that if they did this, it WAS legal. I never said anything about the "moral" rights and wrongs about it.

If you have a problem with what they did by increasing the prices, then yes, I suggest you do sit under the price list and see if they update them.

Chances are that they didn't change them, and hence broke the law. If they'd checked this out, they could have reported them to ODCA and at least gotten a little "Stasiland" satisfaction out of the whole thing by having them fined and punished for it.

If it looks like a Ripoff and sounds like a Ripoff chances are IT IS A RIPOFF!

If a "rip-off" happens in a bar/restaurant that has no customers because everyone knows how the bar/restaurant operates and no-one goes there, is it still a "rip-off"????

Good man Clubman for accepting Kellmars point regarding the swizz / rip off. Personally when I go to a bar it's usually for a drink - not to "apprise" myself!!!
Sounds like the fun is going out of it when you have to start making informed decisions based on "normal" prices?

It's unfortunate that in the Ireland of today that it's mostly an attitude like this that has places such as the bar/restaurant mentioned above being able to get away with the "sharp practices" that they engage in.
Because people don't really care (in the most part) about places doing such things, they never complain, and never avoid the places in the future.

If everyone was as upset about the actions of this place as the OP, and they all refused to go back, maybe then the owners might realise that they can't get away with this stuff because customers are more aware, and that they "apprise" themselves better before spending their hard earned money.

 

[Humpback]

And I'm still bored