Price of Condoms

hermit

I am over in Berlin at the moment on a weeks hols. I can#t believe how cheap condoms are over here in comparison to Dublin/Ireland.

A pack of 10 durex is €4.75. Compared to about €16 for 12 in Dublin.

Its madness. I think there is a campaign at the moment to try force the government to reduce/remove the luxury tax bracket assigned to condoms. Seems like the least they could do considering their recent marketing of safer sex...

But I wonder is it all just tax? I imagine a lot of it is also extra profit for vendors too. Knocking the tax of condoms would only bring the price down to about €12 - that is still along way off €4.75

_feedback_

hermit wrote:

I am over in Berlin at the moment on a weeks hols. I can#t believe how cheap condoms are over here in comparison to Dublin/Ireland.

A pack of 10 durex is €4.75. Compared to about €16 for 12 in Dublin.

Its madness. I think there is a campaign at the moment to try force the government to reduce/remove the luxury tax bracket assigned to condoms. Seems like the least they could do considering their recent marketing of safer sex...

But I wonder is it all just tax? I imagine a lot of it is also extra profit for vendors too. Knocking the tax of condoms would only bring the price down to about €12 - that is still along way off €4.75

That's really strange ..... I was saying the exact same thing last night!

To YORE MA

The Freeman

elviscostello wrote:

To YORE MA

niiiice!......real nice!

hermit

elviscostello wrote:

That's really strange ..... I was saying the exact same thing last night!

To YORE MA

Yeah... you're well clever!

Nevyn

Condoms have 21% Vat on them as they care classed as a luxary items in this country.

Getting this dropped to 5% is one of the issues the IFPA have been lobbying for.

http://www.ifpa.ie/news/index.php?mr=118

Family Planning Association Call for Reduction in Condom Tax

- Release date: 27 March 2006

The Irish Family Planning Association has called on the Minister for Finance to take a leaf out of Gordon Brown’s book and reduce the level of tax on condom sales in Ireland. Last week’s budget in Britain saw the Chancellor of the Exchequer reduce the level of VAT on condoms from 17.5% down to 5%.

According to Rosie Toner of the IFPA, the level of Vat on condom sales in Ireland is one of the highest in Europe. “Condoms carry the highest standard rate of VAT at 21%. Given that we are now experiencing huge increases in levels of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), this tax should be reduced – or even dropped – in the next budget.

“Increased use of condoms would take pressure off our health service, with less people having to present themselves for STI testing and treatment. Because of the rise in STI cases, screening services in our major hospitals are under enormous strain. In some cases, people are being forced to wait for six weeks to secure a screening appointment.

Notifiable sexually transmitted infections (STIs) increased by 12.1% in 2004 when compared with 2003, according to the latest available figures released by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre. The most commonly notified STIs in 2004 were ano-genital warts, genital chlamydia infection and non-specific urethritis.

“By taking a small hit in reducing VAT on condoms, the Minister for Finance could make significant savings in the overall health budget if less people were presenting with STIs.”

Depending on variety, many boxes of 12 condoms cost over €20. “For someone on a low income, we are talking a lot of money and this is part of the reason for their under use. While condoms from abroad can be purchased on the internet at a saving, many younger people who are sexually active don’t have credit cards to enable them make internet purchases. Some young people are reluctant to have condoms delivered in the post to their home.

“Taking a sensible and practical step to make condoms an ‘essential’ item rather than a ‘luxury’ item would be an important health initiative,” said Rosie Toner

sunzz

who even bothers with them, its like washing your feet with a sock on.

I'd rather get aids......:rolleyes:

Tar.Aldarion

It's one of the most annoying things to buy...
3for2 or 2for1 in boots is what I do, internet would probablybe best but meh.

LundiMardi

I use cling film...

Binomate

Empty Tayto bag ftw.

jesus_thats_gre

elviscostello wrote:

That's really strange ..... I was saying the exact same thing last night!

To YORE MA

Niceeeeeee.......

WindSock

Can you get them for free in family planning clinics?

magicbastarder

sunzz wrote:

who even bothers with them, its like washing your feet with a sock on.

I'd rather get aids......:rolleyes:

are you a bloke?
it's always blokes who say **** like this.

Binomate

Be gratfull that they're so expensive. It's probably the reason most of you are here.

wba88

Hey lads I am currently doing market research for a my new online retail shop (hopefully be set up by the end of the summer). Anyway i can sell durex (and other brands) of condoms for a lot cheaper than shops in Ireland e.g. 12 Durex Extra Safe for €8-€9, but sure the more you buy the more you save, the reason I get them so cheap is that the Durex box is not supplied so they come in singles (no pun intended). Im wondering would this put people off buying them for whatever reasons. Need some feedback

AlmightyCushion

Binomate wrote:

Empty Tayto bag ftw.

Turn it inside out and ya have a flavoured one aswell.

"So love, salt & vinegar or cheese & onion?"

Creamy Goodness

well i wouldn't want to be using the salt and vinegar one not inside out. :eek:

cmcd

AlmightyCushion wrote:

Turn it inside out and ya have a flavoured one aswell.

"So love, salt & vinegar or cheese & onion?"

Prawn cocktail FTW. Its aroma hides a multitude of sins.

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

ciano1

the only reason you were born was because the chemist was closed;)

Karoma

The Scientist wrote:

I was in Latvia recently where 3 Durex was about €0.55c.
What could we do only stock up...
You should have seen how gay we looked in the supermarket.... 6 paddys one after the other buying about 5/10 boxes each.
Poor Olga at the counter did'nt know what to make of us.

You did your bit for the Irish male reputation abroad. <O.

mathew

Thaedydal wrote:

Condoms have 21% Vat on them as they care classed as a luxary items in this country.

Getting this dropped to 5% is one of the issues the IFPA have been lobbying for.

Then were still bieng terribly ripped off (surprise surprise). Before tax a box of 10 would cost €10, based on 12 costing €16 as OP said...

Alter-Ego

www.smartpaddy.ie tbh.

Karoma

http://www.condoms.ie : Condom Pricewatch, Facts and Figures, and useful links.

The_Minister

hermit wrote:

Its madness. I think there is a campaign at the moment to try force the government to reduce/remove the luxury tax bracket assigned to condoms. Seems like the least they could do considering their recent marketing of safer sex...

I think Mary Harney promised to get it done, and Fiona O'Malley being calling for it for years. So I think there's some movement on that.

ambman

EBAY. got 140 of our rubber friends for about 25 yo yos. that should do me and the missus for the next ten years :mad:

Agent Smith

ciano1 wrote:

the only reason you were born was because the chemist was closed;)

and the fact that its not that long ago that condoms were only available from doctors, if you were married

2 stroke

If you are using cheap condoms make sure they're not counterfiet. check that there is a kitemark on the condom, not just on the packaging.

Smellyirishman

ambman wrote:

should do me and the missus for the next ten years :mad:

But they expire in five (tell the wife 1 or 2), no point in wasting money so get to work!

rivers

any links for where to buy condoms cheaper online?

apart from smartpaddy.ie...

Spyral

Meh Im a practising Catholic, Natural Family Planning FTW !

(its free healthy, more respectful and more reliable -- condoms only work 85% of the time in practise :P plus its a moral sin if Catholic )

The_B_Man

they shud be the same price as smokes, if not cheaper! coz u can only use a box of smokes once before it gets too soggy!

KamiKazi

The_B_Man wrote:

they shud be the same price as smokes, if not cheaper! coz u can only use a box of smokes once before it gets too soggy!

f*cking LOL

Dooom

Lidl condoms ftw

Boston

Spyral wrote:

Meh Im a practising Catholic, Natural Family Planning FTW !

(its free healthy, more respectful and more reliable -- condoms only work 85% of the time in practise :P plus its a moral sin if Catholic )

Lordy, you keep telling yourself that mate.

Pigman II

This auld geezer knew how to save a few quid on the jonnies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G9yyD4qrGg

Judt

Ohh come on, considering how popular the "Are you still a virgin?" threads are here on Boards this is a bit like having a conversation about the stock market down in Dunsink

Still, yes, Johnny Foreigner (excuse the pun) is once more ahead of the Irish game on this. Not that that'd probably stop most 14 year old mammies and daddies...

boneless

Personally, I think condoms should be given out free. I recently read about the incidences of STDs' among the 13-18 age brackets being on a steady rise. Let's face it, teenagers are going to have sex, no matter what the law states. They may as well be protected as much as possible.

An aside... I remember only too well having to travel to Belfast to stock up on johnnies... and being searched by Customs at Connolly Station and being threatened with prosecution for importing banned articles!! I am only 41!!! So it is not so long ago....:p

Spyral

Personally, I think condoms should be given out free. I recently read about the incidences of STDs' among the 13-18 age brackets being on a steady rise. Let's face it, teenagers are going to have sex, no matter what the law states. They may as well be protected as much as possible.

yeah well it doesnt work in africa even in the places where condoms are present so I dont think that they should be given out free. Its only condoning what 13-18 year olds are doing which is not the message that should be given out.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

in africa there are catholic priests telling the uneducated masses that condoms are evil, and to just abstain.

Gran Hermano

AlmightyCushion wrote:

Turn it inside out and ya have a flavoured one aswell.

"So love, salt & vinegar or cheese & onion?"

Ripples FTW

Mordeth wrote:

in africa there are catholic priests telling the uneducated masses that condoms are evil, and to just abstain.

The Catholic church in Africa has spread propaganda in the past informing the natives that the AIDS
virus is so small that it passes through the condom thus not protecting the 'participants'.

challengemaster

Cremo wrote:

well i wouldn't want to be using the salt and vinegar one not inside out. :eek:

idd. and the other one just gives a new defination to "knob cheese"

..I'll get my coat...

Jimi-Spandex

Gran Hermano wrote:

The Catholic church in Africa has spread propaganda in the past informing the natives that the AIDS
virus is so small that it passes through the condom thus not protecting the 'participants'.

That is such a crock, I'm not a catholic but this fallacy that the catholic church, which preaches against pre-marital sex entirely, is somehow responsible for the spread of AIDS in Africa is lazy and offensive. Just think about it for a minute for feck sake. If the Africans stick to the church's preachings about condoms so strictly why would they ignore their teachings about fidelity and pre-marital abstinance?

At the same time I think Spyral's assertion that giving out free condoms condones or legitimises underage sex is ridiculous. Does giving out clean needles to intravenous drug users to prevent the spread of aids also encourage heroin use?

Back to the OP, I totally agree, the price of condoms is a farce in this country, especially in vending machines. The worst I've ever paid was €6 for 2. Bloody rip-off.

Binomate

Jimi-Spandex wrote:

That is such a crock, I'm not a catholic but this fallacy that the catholic church, which preaches against pre-marital sex entirely, is somehow responsible for the spread of AIDS in Africa is lazy and offensive. Just think about it for a minute for feck sake. If the Africans stick to the church's preachings about condoms so strictly why would they ignore their teachings about fidelity and pre-marital abstinance?

At the same time I think Spyral's assertion that giving out free condoms condones or legitimises underage sex is ridiculous. Does giving out clean needles to intravenous drug users to prevent the spread of aids also encourage heroin use?

Back to the OP, I totally agree, the price of condoms is a farce in this country, especially in vending machines. The worst I've ever paid was €6 for 2. Bloody rip-off.

Please enlighten us all. How does the act of getting married, grant immunity to AIDS? It stops sexual promiscuity to an extent, but it doesn't stop the transfer of AIDS sexually between one person to another. Condoms on the other hand, do.

Alter-Ego

Spyral wrote:

yeah well it doesnt work in africa even in the places where condoms are present so I dont think that they should be given out free. Its only condoning what 13-18 year olds are doing which is not the message that should be given out.

When i was part of the 13-18 age bracket the availablity of condoms to me did not affect my wanting to get laid.:) Denying teenagers condoms is just bloody stupid.

Boston

Spyral wrote:

yeah well it doesnt work in africa even in the places where condoms are present so I dont think that they should be given out free. Its only condoning what 13-18 year olds are doing which is not the message that should be given out.

Ah, morality. It doesn't matter if it happens once the moral majority/minority don't condon it. what exactly is charging for them achieving?

cooperguy

Spyral wrote:

Meh Im a practising Catholic, Natural Family Planning FTW !

(its free healthy, more respectful and more reliable -- condoms only work 85% of the time in practise :P plus its a moral sin if Catholic )

Where did u pull that "statistic" from?

Also how is natural family planning more respectful??

And finally I would just like to point out that Natural Family Planning is far from more reliable than condoms.

Jimi-Spandex

Binomate wrote:

Please enlighten us all. How does the act of getting married, grant immunity to AIDS? It stops sexual promiscuity to an extent, but it doesn't stop the transfer of AIDS sexually between one person to another. Condoms on the other hand, do.

Of course getting married doesn't grant immunity to AIDS and I agree that condoms are the best way of reducing the spread of AIDS. I was just reacting to a ridiculous suggestion, which I have heard before, that it is the various Christian groups in Africa who are somehow at fault for the rapid spread of the virus.

cabla

The price these days..Its like the country want the population to go up..i wonder???

DABADABA

You know you cant buy bleedin condoms without lube. I mean that puts up the price even more..last week I couldnt afford lube, and she burst on me...deadly...lucky enough shes not preggers.

Binomate

Jimi-Spandex wrote:

Of course getting married doesn't grant immunity to AIDS and I agree that condoms are the best way of reducing the spread of AIDS. I was just reacting to a ridiculous suggestion, which I have heard before, that it is the various Christian groups in Africa who are somehow at fault for the rapid spread of the virus.

They might not be entirely to blame, but they do carry a great burden of the blame.

Capt'n Midnight

Thaedydal wrote:

Condoms have 21% Vat on them as they care classed as a luxary items in this country.

Aren't tampons classified as internal clothing ?
Tampons are zero rated so condoms should be too. They are both worn in the same area and both are used for health reasons, both are only used once.

Or would they be considered medical items ?

http://www.revenue.ie/leaflets/vatguide_app.htm#2

Appendix B Goods and Services Chargeable at the Zero Rate

xiii medicine of a kind used for human oral consumption; To qualify for the zero-rating the medicine must be of a type that is taken through the mouth and swallowed. .... The zero-rating does not cover medicines for injection, gases for use in the treatment of patients, and similar products - these are liable at 21%. This rate also applies to diabetic sweets and to manufactured beverages, including fruit juices and invalid wines. Chocolate, or chocolate substitute, covered biscuits as consumed by diabetics are also liable to VAT at 21%.

...

xviii sanitary towels and sanitary tampons;

...

xixa. medical equipment and appliances being -

1. invalid carriages, and other vehicles (excluding mechanically propelled road vehicles), of a kind designed for use by invalids or infirm persons,

2. orthopaedic appliances, surgical belts, trusses and the like, deaf aids, and artificial limbs and other artificial parts of the body excluding artificial teeth, corrective spectacles and contact lenses,