Easons Rip-off - What's their returns policy?

rosboy

Hi all.

I buy all my books online, but today ventured into Eason because I was looking for a book on Adobe Photoshop. I wanted to be able to flick through the book and see if it was the right layout for me. The book was pricey (€38.60), but it was a big book, and these kind of technical manuals tend to be on the pricey side normally.

Anyways, I got the book a few hours ago, and just checked it up on thebookdepository.co.uk (the excellent side where I by all my online books). Including shipping, it costs approx €20.35.....almost half the price:eek:. This is a complete and utter disgrace. Talk about rip-off Ireland.

As I said already, I almost never buy books in brick and mortar shops in Ireland anymore (unless they are second hand shops). This does not entice me to change my ways.

My question is, does anyone know Easons returns policies? I'm happy to retun it and wait the 6-7 days for it to turn up from England. In fact, if it were to take 6-7 months to turn up I would be happy so long as Easons don't get to keep anymore of my money.

In future, I'm going to check out the book in the shop, take down the name, and buy it online at home!

jahalpin

Easons have a very goof returns policy. You can get a refund if you have a receipt and bring the product back in a re-saleable condition with all free gifts (eg DVD's) etc still attached.

The online sellers can sell cheaper than a normal shop as their costs are far lower due to the fact that they can place the warehouse anywhere. Online shops are actually usuaully the same price as normal stores except when they get specials deals with the distributors

What book did you get?

rosboy

Thanks Jahalpin. Sorry, I forgot to post the link. The book is: http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/WEBSITE/WWW/WEBPAGES/showbook.php?id=0240520645

I appreciate that online retailers operate under a different set of rules, and are often in a position to get better deals on products. If the difference in price in the book was a few euro I would have understood, but €18? On one book? That's taking the piss. I looked at the RRP on the back of the book (when I got home:rolleyes::o), and it is £21.99. That's approx €28. Eason's are still over charging by €10 per book going off this.

....oh, and the online retailer has to post the individual book (which is pretty heavy) to me.

Thanks for the help on th returns policy Jahalpin, but I have to say that I totally disagree with you on the rational of the price difference. Eason's are just ripping us off..... on that book anyways

MOH

rosboy wrote: »

Thanks Jahalpin. Sorry, I forgot to post the link. The book is: http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/WEBSITE/WWW/WEBPAGES/showbook.php?id=0240520645

I appreciate that online retailers operate under a different set of rules, and are often in a position to get better deals on products. If the difference in price in the book was a few euro I would have understood, but €18? On one book? That's taking the piss. I looked at the RRP on the back of the book (when I got home:rolleyes::o), and it is £21.99. That's approx €28. Eason's are still over charging by €10 per book going off this.

....oh, and the online retailer has to post the individual book (which is pretty heavy) to me.

Thanks for the help on th returns policy Jahalpin, but I have to say that I totally disagree with you on the rational of the price difference. Eason's are just ripping us off..... on that book anyways

Is there any chance the book is attracting extra VAT here because of the included DVD?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I think it takes a very hard neck to buy a book, flick through it at home, source it elsewhere and then take it back to the store. I check out books in the store before buying or check prices on-line before buying but I'd draw the line at trying to return one in the circumstances described above. Why do people always cry "Rip-off" when somewghere sells something dearer than somewhere else. There would be more outcry if they had a cartel and all charged the same price!

antoinolachtnai

Easons have to pay vat at 21 percent on the book, which makes up a big part of the difference between 28 and 38 euros. (The UK vat would probably only be 4 or 5 percent overall) Online operators also often make up some money on the shipping charges. So the price isn't that far out there.

rosboy

William Loud Strawberry wrote: »

I think it takes a very hard neck to buy a book, flick through it at home, source it elsewhere and then take it back to the store. I check out books in the store before buying or check prices on-line before buying but I'd draw the line at trying to return one in the circumstances described above. Why do people always cry "Rip-off" when somewghere sells something dearer than somewhere else. There would be more outcry if they had a cartel and all charged the same price!

You obviously didn't read/understand my original post.

I went in to the bricks and mortar store because I wanted to check out the book before I bought it. I wanted to get a feel for its layout. I spent a good 25 minutes in the shop going through the different Photoshop books to decide on the one I wanted. When I was happy, I purchased it.

It was €38. This is not cheap, and I knew I could probably get it only line for a few euro cheaper. I was happy however to have the oppurtunity to get a feel for the actual book before I purchased it, and therefore didn't mind paying €3-5 euro extra for the book.

When I got home, I again flicked through the book and was very happy with my purchase. I decided to check out how it would have cost me online, and THEN found out I was paying double the RRP.

I'm not crying rip-off because something is available somewhere else cheaper. I'm crying rip-off because I was charged double the RRP! That is a rip off.

rosboy

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

Easons have to pay vat at 21 percent on the book, which makes up a big part of the difference between 28 and 38 euros. (The UK vat would probably only be 4 or 5 percent overall) Online operators also often make up some money on the shipping charges. So the price isn't that far out there.

The last two books I bought were:

Generation Kill: RRP €9.09 (£6.99). Eason's price: €9.60
What I Talk ABout When I Talk About Running: RRP €12.88 (£9.99) Eason's price: €11.99

How can Eason's sell at the (English) RRP or below for those books, but be so much more on this one?

jor el

rosboy wrote: »

I'm not crying rip-off because something is available somewhere else cheaper. I'm crying rip-off because I was charged double the RRP! That is a rip off.

But you weren't charged double the RRP. You said the price on the book is £21.99 which is close to €30 (not the €28.40 on xe.com). You paid €38, so that's €8 more than RRP. The difference in VAT accounts for some of this, as will the extra costs associated with a bricks n mortar shop over an online only shop.

The much cheaper price online is better, but Easons price is not a rip off.

Not sure of Easons policy, but they're under no obligation to accept the return. They might however, so you've nothing to loose by asking and you could save yourself about €17.

rosboy

jor el wrote: »

But you weren't charged double the RRP. You said the price on the book is £21.99 which is close to €30 (not the €28.40 on xe.com). You paid €38, so that's €8 more than RRP. The difference in VAT accounts for some of this, as will the extra costs associated with a bricks n mortar shop over an online only shop.

The much cheaper price online is better, but Easons price is not a rip off.

Not sure of Easons policy, but they're under no obligation to accept the return. They might however, so you've nothing to loose by asking and you could save yourself about €17.

Sorry, you're right....I was thinking double charged in relation to the online price, which is less than the RRP.

On the issue of the cost of a costs for brick and mortar stores as opposed to online, we have to remember that the online stores don't live in a different world where they haven't got any expenses. A major one for them is posting the book to the customer, in this case in Ireland. If I was to go into the post office and try and post this book to England myself I'd be charged about about €7. I know the online retailer wouldn't pay that much, but it would still be a significent part of their margin on the book. Eason's don't have to pay this (they do have to pay other overheads of course). So it isn't all profit for the online retailer!

Edit: Oh, and I returned the book yesterday no problem!

luap_42

jor el wrote: »

The much cheaper price online is better, but Easons price is not a rip off.

Easons absolutely are and always have been the top rip off company in Ireland.

Remember Aer Lingus charging IR£300 for return flights from Shannon to London before they had any competition? Well Easons has never had any bricks and mortar competition and is the top practicing Irish rip off company.

Easons charge approximately double the marked sterling price for magazines when sterling and the euro are almost equal.

Even when the euro was 30% less, this was a rip off, which they have been perpetrating on the Irish people for as long as they have been in existence.

When it was Irish punt vs sterling they did exactly the same thing. The currency conversion bears no relation to Easons prices.

They have always charged more than the average exchange rate in any given year, and NEVER reduce this price. Yet when the currency goes in favour of sterling they will change the price immediately the euro drops. They'll probably use the euro returning to 20-30% less than sterling as justification for another 20-30% price increase on all UK magazines.

Explain the price of "The Word" magazine Decemer 2008: UK price printed on the magazine: £4.99, Easons price: €9.98, spot rate GB£1 = €0.99. All other similar magazines price differences approximately the same: more than 90% markup by Eason if you factor in the bank rate!

There is absolutely no justification for this.

Tigger

thgere is no vat on books

ztoical

rosboy wrote: »

The last two books I bought were:

Generation Kill: RRP €9.09 (£6.99). Eason's price: €9.60
What I Talk ABout When I Talk About Running: RRP €12.88 (£9.99) Eason's price: €11.99

How can Eason's sell at the (English) RRP or below for those books, but be so much more on this one?

because they get discounts on bulk orders from the publisher thats why. Computer books/academic books aren't big sellers for easons, only the bigger shops stock them and the smaller ones can't even order them in for customers. Staff don't even get a discount on those books.

aoibhebree

How is this a rip-off? Shops can charge what they want, it is the customer's responsibility to shop around for the best price, whether online or in a shop. Some customers aren't bothered to do this, or can afford not to, which is why shops like Easons can make a profit - and they're well within their rights to do so. Easons are not in the wrong here.

darc

Tigger wrote: »

thgere is no vat on books

There is when there is an added element to it such as a CD - then it becomes a vatable item. Whereas in the UK, if the main part of the product is not vatable, then the whole item is not vatable.

tallaghtoutlaws

Seriously these types of posts are starting to annoy me.

Rosboy let me get this straight you didn't shop around before buying the book. I see you said you flicked through it which is fair enough but you still could have shopped around now you knew it was the book for you. You even say you used that website regurlarly, So why after judging the book was for you did you not shoot to an internet cafe and check the price online first before purchasing??

Look these threads are fast getting old Rip off Ireland needs to dry up. Seriously if you dont like it anymore fook off and move to a country that is cheaper and then moan about that country, when you find your wages are lower or the cost of living for the wage you are getting is still too fooking high. Jebus Ireland has become a seriously moany country.

If you think Easons is too expensive or Tesco or Dunnes or whoever well I have a solution for you dont fooking go there anymore :rolleyes:

Sorry for the rant lol

ejmaztec

Computer related books have always been OTT expensive in bricks and mortar shops, both here and in the UK. It seems that, when for example, the book price in US dollars is 39.99, it seems to translate into 39.99 Euro or 39.99 Pounds, depending on where you are.

Next time one of your chums flies off to the US, put in a book order.

jahalpin

luap_42 wrote: »

Easons absolutely are and always have been the top rip off company in Ireland.

Remember Aer Lingus charging IR£300 for return flights from Shannon to London before they had any competition? Well Easons has never had any bricks and mortar competition and is the top practicing Irish rip off company.

Easons charge approximately double the marked sterling price for magazines when sterling and the euro are almost equal.

Even when the euro was 30% less, this was a rip off, which they have been perpetrating on the Irish people for as long as they have been in existence.

When it was Irish punt vs sterling they did exactly the same thing. The currency conversion bears no relation to Easons prices.



They have always charged more than the average exchange rate in any given year, and NEVER reduce this price. Yet when the currency goes in favour of sterling they will change the price immediately the euro drops. They'll probably use the euro returning to 20-30% less than sterling as justification for another 20-30% price increase on all UK magazines.

Explain the price of "The Word" magazine Decemer 2008: UK price printed on the magazine: £4.99, Easons price: €9.98, spot rate GB£1 = €0.99. All other similar magazines price differences approximately the same: more than 90% markup by Eason if you factor in the bank rate!

There is absolutely no justification for this.

What are you talking about? There is plenty of "bricks and mortar" competition around, there are Waterstones branches throughout the country. There are also loads of smaller bookshsops.

The reason that the euro and sterling price for magazines are never the same is due to both the fact that they are different currencies and due to the fact that the Revenue here charges VAT on magazines whereas HMCE does not.

The current rate for sterling is 0.9014 (according to AIB Fxcentre). Most companies that trade internationally actually buy the foreign currency in advance through the use of contracts etc.

Easons also have alot of promotions including 3 for 2 and 50% off bestsellers etc. The exchange rate on books is also quite good at the moment.

ztoical

jahalpin wrote: »

The current rate for sterling is 0.9014 (according to AIB Fxcentre). Most companies that trade internationally actually buy the foreign currency in advance through the use of contracts etc.

Easons buys sterling only a couple of times a year which is why you shouldn't use what ever the current sterling exchange rate is to work out the price. Also magazines have between 12.5 to 21% VAT on them depending on the type of magazine [partworks being the highest ones].

Easons do have a monopoly though when it comes to the wholesale book market in Ireland. Most small bookstores around the country have to order from Easons wholesale or else order from a British wholesaler and have much longer waits for stock.

Hagar

ztoical wrote: »

Easons buys sterling only a couple of times a year

If they do they are fools. There is obviously big bucks to be made playing the currency market. Don't cod yourself, there is a big difference between what they do and what the publicly claim to do. There's huge money to be made on currency exchange and they are ALL doing it. Don't be so naive.

ztoical

Hagar wrote: »

If they do they are fools. There is obviously big bucks to be made playing the currency market. Don't cod yourself, there is a big difference between what they do and what the publicly claim to do. There's huge money to be made on currency exchange and they are ALL doing it. Don't be so naive.

I worked for them so I'm not being naive.

Hagar

In what capacity? Had you direct access to the financial dealings/profitability figures?

I worked as IT Manager for a major importer for a number of years and believe me a significant amount of money was made through astute FX dealings. All our future costings were done for a month at a time based on a fixed exchange rate but all our purchases were made at prevailing rates and sterling was stockpiled when the rates were favourable. Bills were paid promptly when the rates were right and extra credit was taken when they weren't. Every item sold had a projected profit and an actual profit which included an extra percentage gained from FX. All good business sense. Do you think anyone outside a very small circle of people in the company knew how much of this went on? Not at all, the company line was the exact same as the one Easons and others use. The employees who repeated it to customers actually believed they were telling the truth.

ArseBurger

Hagar wrote: »

If they do they are fools. There is obviously big bucks to be made playing the currency market. Don't cod yourself, there is a big difference between what they do and what the publicly claim to do. There's huge money to be made on currency exchange and they are ALL doing it. Don't be so naive.

It's called hedging.

And they ALL hedge... It's good business practice. Sometimes companies win on it, sometimes they lose (like Ryanair and fuel last year).

Best to figure out what one's talking about before posting really. Unless one is a hairdresser or a taxi driver of course.

nitromaster

rosboy wrote: »

Thanks Jahalpin. Sorry, I forgot to post the link. The book is: http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/WEBSITE/WWW/WEBPAGES/showbook.php?id=0240520645

I appreciate that online retailers operate under a different set of rules, and are often in a position to get better deals on products. If the difference in price in the book was a few euro I would have understood, but €18? On one book? That's taking the piss. I looked at the RRP on the back of the book (when I got home:rolleyes::o), and it is £21.99. That's approx €28. Eason's are still over charging by €10 per book going off this.

....oh, and the online retailer has to post the individual book (which is pretty heavy) to me.

Thanks for the help on th returns policy Jahalpin, but I have to say that I totally disagree with you on the rational of the price difference. Eason's are just ripping us off..... on that book anyways

It's listed right now on that site for £29.87

rosboy

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

Seriously these types of posts are starting to annoy me.

Rosboy let me get this straight you didn't shop around before buying the book. I see you said you flicked through it which is fair enough but you still could have shopped around now you knew it was the book for you. You even say you used that website regurlarly, So why after judging the book was for you did you not shoot to an internet cafe and check the price online first before purchasing??

Look these threads are fast getting old Rip off Ireland needs to dry up. Seriously if you dont like it anymore fook off and move to a country that is cheaper and then moan about that country, when you find your wages are lower or the cost of living for the wage you are getting is still too fooking high. Jebus Ireland has become a seriously moany country.

If you think Easons is too expensive or Tesco or Dunnes or whoever well I have a solution for you dont fooking go there anymore :rolleyes:

Sorry for the rant lol

Moaning about people moaning. Fair enough. I conceed fully to your articulate post with its many elegent "fook" references. You are obviously a someone who is very rational, level headed and capable of looking at things in an impartial reasoned manner. I light of this I have changed my outlook on Easons, Ireland and life in general. I am now going to go and "fook" off for my self and you suggested. Thank you again.

tallaghtoutlaws

rosboy wrote: »

Moaning about people moaning. Fair enough. I conceed fully to your articulate post with its many elegent "fook" references. You are obviously a someone who is very rational, level headed and capable of looking at things in an impartial reasoned manner. I light of this I have changed my outlook on Easons, Ireland and life in general. I am now going to go and "fook" off for my self and you suggested. Thank you again.

haha your welcome :rolleyes: Its funny you moaned about a price and still bought it and then found it online cheaper later that day. You admitted that you normally buy from the same website you found it on. Then you come on here telling us it was a rip off. When really you made the conscious decision to buy it without shopping around. I failed to see how it was a consumer issue. It was you own fault. Logic and your own post tells us that. :rolleyes: I was ranting not moaning there is a difference.

And by the way impartial? I don't care what Easons sell their books for. I would always find the best price before purchasing. Its threads like this blaming Ireland as a rip off nation that are ridiculous, when we are the idiots who are making it that way by not shopping around in the first place i.e You bought the book and this justified the rip off price to Easons in my eyes. Had you and every one else that complains simply said no to high prices and refused to buy Ireland might not be so much of rip off nation.

luap_42

jahalpin wrote: »

What are you talking about? There is plenty of "bricks and mortar" competition around, there are Waterstones branches throughout the country. There are also loads of smaller bookshsops.

No there is not. I said magazines. You need to read the post before replying. Waterstones do not compete with Easons in the magazine market. In fact there is no competition in this market hence the massive markup.

jahalpin wrote: »

The reason that the euro and sterling price for magazines are never the same is due to both the fact that they are different currencies and due to the fact that the Revenue here charges VAT on magazines whereas HMCE does not.

Absolute rubbish. 100% markup. No amount of VAT or currency difference between sterling and euro will ever account for that.

luap_42

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

I would always find the best price before purchasing. Its threads like this blaming Ireland as a rip off nation that are ridiculous, when we are the idiots who are making it that way by not shopping around in the first place i.e You bought the book and this justified the rip off price to Easons in my eyes. Had you and every one else that complains simply said no to high prices and refused to buy Ireland might not be so much of rip off nation.

Are you deliberately ignoring monoplies on certain products? Where on the internet or elsewhere do you go to buy a magazine? As far as I'm aware they are all imported by Eason's.

I agree about shopping around though. I have saved hundreds when buying various items (microwave, sinks, taps, tvs) for a new house, by having them shipped from across the water. They were all much cheaper even after delivery (courier), which indicates that there is a problem with distribution charges in Ireland.

MOH

luap_42 wrote: »

Where on the internet or elsewhere do you go to buy a magazine? As far as I'm aware they are all imported by Eason's.

From the publishers?

jahalpin

luap_42 wrote: »

Are you deliberately ignoring monoplies on certain products? Where on the internet or elsewhere do you go to buy a magazine? As far as I'm aware they are all imported by Eason's.

I agree about shopping around though. I have saved hundreds when buying various items (microwave, sinks, taps, tvs) for a new house, by having them shipped from across the water. They were all much cheaper even after delivery (courier), which indicates that there is a problem with distribution charges in Ireland.

The main reason for the difference in prices for magazines between the UK and ROI is due to VAT (HMCE don't charge VAT on magazines whereas the Revenue in Ireland charge at least 13.5% on most newspapers and magazines and 21.5% on certain magazines).

The low population density in ROI make it very expensive to distribute products throughout the country.

PS: Newspread ( a divsion of Independent Newspapers) also distribute magazines and newspapers in ROI

luap_42

jahalpin wrote: »

The main reason for the difference in prices for magazines between the UK and ROI is due to VAT (HMCE don't charge VAT on magazines whereas the Revenue in Ireland charge at least 13.5% on most newspapers and magazines and 21.5% on certain magazines).

The low population density in ROI make it very expensive to distribute products throughout the country.

PS: Newspread ( a divsion of Independent Newspapers) also distribute magazines and newspapers in ROI

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

VAT can only account for 13.5% difference. There is only one VAT rate for magazines and newspapers bought from Easons.

Currency difference for the past six months between 0% and 20%. I've beaten bank rates rates myself significantly by using a currency exchange specialist, so you can be sure Eason's get the best price possible.

UK price printed on December 2008 The Word magazine: GB£4.99, Eason's price: €9.98.

This leaves distribution costs and profit more than 65% per item when this magazine was purchased in December. You absolutely must be joking. And it has nothing to do with waiting for currencies to stabilise. When the currency changes in the opposite direction, they increase the prices almost instantaneously.

It is almost certain that Eason's themselves are taking advantage of their virtual monopoly in this market, hence the title of this thread. They are a rip-off merchant with a stranglehold on the market, possibly in league with a distributer. They are not alone either: Aer Lingus did exactly the same when they owned the market. Now look at them, exactly where they deserve to be.

Read the entire thread and posts before replying with incorrect information. And why are you trying to defend the indefensible anyway? Do you have an interest in Easons?