Name and shame

ScumLord

I couldn't find a thread on the difference between Irish and UK prices that everyone was complaining about a while ago with the big shops.

I've just noticed websites are at it too. A fairly well known cd shop (won't say which yet just incase I'm not allowed) it's not with specific sites for different European country's including Ireland and the UK are around 1 or 2 euro more expensive for cds and around €5 more for a Wii remote. The UK site even has free worldwide delivery.

Example: Coldplay cd uk site £6.99 - €8.81
coldplay on Irish site €9.99

Wii remote UK site £26.99 - €35
Wii remote Ireland €42

I was fairly shocked. I didn't think websites would be at it especially since most ship from the same place anyway.

calex71

*lay.c*m was the site maybe??? thay have been doing this for years it used to only work out @ 50c difference but with stearling the way it is now its much worse

ScumLord

Nope it has wow in the address.

inforfun

AFAIK you are able to pay in Sterling at website with WOW in the name....
And dont forget that Irish VAT is higher than in the UK.
4% if i am right.

ScumLord

Yeah, the UK site ships to Ireland. Seems a bit daft, they must think we're awful fools altogether I suppose we must be.

The VAT difference still doesn't explain the €7 price difference in the Wii remote.

craichoe

ScumLord wrote: »

Yeah, the UK site ships to Ireland. Seems a bit daft, they must think we're awful fools altogether I suppose we must be.

The VAT difference still doesn't explain the €7 price difference in the Wii remote.

Neither does it explain that you can never ever get the rate displayed through xe.com does it ?

jahalpin

craichoe wrote: »

Neither does it explain that you can never ever get the rate displayed through xe.com does it ?

The rate on XE.com is the inter-bank rate for currencies. You will never actually get this rate in a bank due to the fact that they have to make money.

It costs more to post to ROI than within the UK, so the Euro is always higher than the STG price on sites as this additional cost must be absorbed into the price charged

CH3OH

jahalpin wrote: »

It costs more to post to ROI than within the UK, so the Euro is always higher than the STG price on sites as this additional cost must be absorbed into the price charged

The example above is from cdwow.com who do not post from the uk. It is just another example of how companies take Irish consumers as mugs

Colonel Sanders

AFAIK you can buy in sterling from the wow site and get shipped to Ireland.

A certain other site refuses to play this game (ha ha!!)

The 2nd site says postage is free so have no reason to charge more. they used to let you buy in sterling but no more (I suppose they'd make less money if they did)

ncmc

I was disgusted when I picked up a pair of flip-flops in Monsoon last week that were priced at £12 and €20. This is the worst example of this that I have ever come across. I actually e-mailed them about it and got a reply saying that they bought the stock some time ago when the exchange rate was higher and that the cost of doing business in Ireland is higher.

This is a load of rubbish on both counts, firstly, I understand that they can't mirror the exchange rate exactly and that they may have bought the stock 6-12 months ago. However even 6-12 months ago the exchange rate was nowhere near this high, so it was a rip-off then and a rip-off now.

Secondly, isn't it true that our low corporation tax, negates the extra expense of our slightly higher VAT and wage rates?

I reckon Monsoon are making an extra €4-5 pure profit on just this one item, imagine what they are making on their more expensive items?

I'm lucky in that I have access to the Northern shops and can pick things up cheaper, but not everyone has this option.

Plus, they are now blacking out their sterling prices on the items, they know they are taking the p1ss and are trying to cover it up...:mad:

jor el

CH3OH wrote: »

The example above is from cdwow.com who do not post from the uk. It is just another example of how companies take Irish consumers as mugs

Indeed, cdwow post most items from Hong Kong, some from Luxemburg and a few times I've seen them from Cyprus. Post to UK and Ireland would be the same. The price difference on cdwow.ie is pure rip off for DVDs and stuff. For CDs, cdwow agreed with IRMA to charge an extra premium to keep them happy, they weren't happy with the royalties they were getting.

Anyone not happy with the rip off prices in shops that display Sterling end euro prices, should pick up all the items they would buy, go and ask for a manager, and show them exactly how much you would have spent. Then hand over the items, and walk away. Tell them you have no intention of shopping there until the rip off stops. If you don't let them know what they're loosing, they won't change. Also, if you keep shopping there, they won't change either.

MOH

In fairness to CD-WOW, there's always been a discepancy between euro and sterling prices - any time I've bought anything off them I check the price on both .co.uk and .ie and order the cheaper, and there's been times .ie has been cheaper than the sterling one.

But it's a pain on other websites where you can't avail of a cheaper sterling price.

Blisterman

Works both ways. Gap and Zara in London have Euro prices, which often times are cheaper than the sterling prices.
Of course, when I offer to pay in Euros, they don't accept.

ncmc

Blisterman wrote: »

Works both ways. Gap and Zara in London have Euro prices, which often times are cheaper than the sterling prices.
Of course, when I offer to pay in Euros, they don't accept.

This is a fair point, certainly Zara are a good deal more expensive in Sterling. I think it's something to do with them being a Spanish store and the prices originating in Euro.

However, these occurances are few and far between. In general we are paying a lot more over here.