dual pricing?

endofrainbow

in a pub in Temple Bar last weekend where a pint of Heineken was E6.00. A couple (who looked like regulars) came in shortly afterwards and ordered 2 Heineken and were charged E5.50. I question the barman and was told that it was a special price for regulars only - is this even legal ?

Agent_99

Nothing new with discounting a price for regular customers most business do.

If the price list said 5.50 and the barman charged you 6.00 then that's illegal as bars have to maintain a pricing notice in the bar at all times.

slimjimmc

Price displayed is the maximum price the pub charges. They can charge less if they want but not more than the displayed price list.

skelligs

endofrainbow wrote: »

in a pub in Temple Bar last weekend where a pint of Heineken was E6.00. A couple (who looked like regulars) came in shortly afterwards and ordered 2 Heineken and were charged E5.50. I question the barman and was told that it was a special price for regulars only - is this even legal ?

B&Q Over 55's each thursday 10% off
Loads of shops - student prices
Over 55's holiday prices
Early bird restaurant deals

etc etc etc

any retail or service supplier can charge whatever they like to anyone. The can charge 10 different prices to 10 different people if they like - once they don;t charge over the published price in their store/bar/restaurant.

simplybam

Who in their right mind would pay €6 for a pint of pish like Heineken? Wouldn't drink the stuff if they paid me! :eek:

dudara

@simplybam - please stick to the topic at hand

dudara

Bepolite

Although it's different for pubs becuase of the specific legislation governing them, a price is simply an indication of what the person selling the goods is willing to accept for them. There is nothing to stop you offering less or even the seller demanding more.

Guy:Incognito

If it wasn't legal then thered be no such thing as haggling. The list price for a car would be what everyone pays.

rubadub

Agent_99 wrote: »

Nothing new with discounting a price for regular customers most business do.

Never heard of pubs doing it, even when it was legal to do so.

slimjimmc wrote: »

Price displayed is the maximum price the pub charges.

More like the minimum. Prices can only increase during throughtout day, they cannot go down.

Bepolite wrote: »

Although it's different for pubs becuase of the specific legislation governing them..

Yes, pubs are different. Sounds like what happened here is possibly illegal due to the happy hour law. However they only have to display the price of 1 lager which may not be heineken. But even then it looks like the happy hour law covers it.

Some pubs will have 2 sections and I think they can have different prices in these.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2003/en/act/pub/0031/sec0020.html#sec20

20.—(1) A licensee shall not supply intoxicating liquor on the licensed premises at a reduced price during a limited period on any day.

(2) In subsection (1), “reduced price” means a price less than that regularly being charged for the intoxicating liquor during an earlier period after 10.30 a.m. (12.30 p.m. on a Sunday) on the day concerned.

(3) A person who contravenes subsection (1) is guilty of an offence under this section and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding—

(a) for a first offence, €1,500, or

(b) for a second or any subsequent offence, €2,000.

coylemj

rubadub wrote: »

More like the minimum. Prices can only increase during throughtout day, they cannot go down.

I don't think that's right, surely if they were only required to display the minimum price then they could just put up a pricelist with everything priced at 1c and proceed to charge whatever they felt like which would make a mockery of the rules about displaying prices.

rubadub

coylemj wrote: »

I don't think that's right,

You are probably right, but saying it is the maximum is just as wrong, if not "more wrong" as it would be against the happy hour law, which is what I was really getting at.

Threads about prices increasing have come up before and I think they are obliged to put up a different price list if the price goes up after say 11.30pm

slimjimmc

rubadub wrote: »

You are probably right, but saying it is the maximum is just as wrong, if not "more wrong" as it would be against the happy hour law, which is what I was really getting at.

Threads about prices increasing have come up before and I think they are obliged to put up a different price list if the price goes up after say 11.30pm

The "happy hour" ban prohibits selling at lower prices for a "limited period on any day". i.e. if they gave everyone 10% off from 5-6pm that would definitely be illegal. The price reduction given to regulars wasn't time based, it was restricted to certain persons who could come in at any time. Everybody else there at the same time was being charged the displayed price.

L1011

rubadub wrote: »

You are probably right, but saying it is the maximum is just as wrong, if not "more wrong" as it would be against the happy hour law, which is what I was really getting at.

Threads about prices increasing have come up before and I think they are obliged to put up a different price list if the price goes up after say 11.30pm

I'm pretty certain that every step change in pricing has to be shown on the full price list. They also have to show the price of every product - showing one plucked lager on its own is not allowed either.

There is a reduced list which must be shown outside or immediately inside the door - this may be what you're thinking of. Having this does not prevent the need to display every price for every product somewhere in the venue.

There's no specific rules that I can find about differential pricing for different classes of customers, and its not uncommon at all - I've seen many rural pubs with a €2/€2.50/whatever it has inflated to now pint of Guinness for pensioners. Its not time-based so wouldn't be banned under that legislation.

rubadub

slimjimmc wrote: »

The price reduction given to regulars wasn't time based, it was restricted to certain persons who could come in at any time.

You might be right, if correct this would be another easy loophole in the law. I have suggested several loopholes in the happy hour law before.

I just thought of a case where I have heard of dual pricing, Dunphys pub in dun laoghaire were supposed to be giving discounts to pensioners, so this could be seen as similar to regulars. This still does not convince me its legal though, most pubs I go to have illegal smoking areas.

MYOB wrote: »

There is a reduced list which must be shown outside or immediately inside the door.

Yes, sorry I forgot about that, only read about it in the last year, I have never seen a full list in a pub, though I never asked.

slimjimmc

rubadub wrote: »

Yes, sorry I forgot about that, only read about it in the last year, I have never seen a full list in a pub, though I never asked.

They're only legally required to display prices for 16 specified drinks, which does not include many drinks such brandy or rum.
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/consumer_affairs/consumer_protection/pricing/price_display_of_goods_and_services.html

L1011

slimjimmc wrote: »

They're only legally required to display prices for 16 specified drinks, which does not include many drinks such brandy or rum.
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/consumer_affairs/consumer_protection/pricing/price_display_of_goods_and_services.html

The 16 item list is for the door. The full list must be available inside. From the very article you linked to:

"Both the 16 item and the comprehensive list need to be clear and visible to customers."

wingnut

I worked in a very touristy pub where one section had a small area the locals gravitated to. We used to charge a reduced price pints there. It wasn't a per person thing but anyone who ordered from that section/at that till.

L1011

Pretty common. My local is significantly cheaper in the front bar - don't generally care if regulars buy from there solely despite sitting in another bar.