I'm boycotting MOnsoon/Accessorize!

ncmc

I know there is a lot of talk at the moment about the difference in the sterling price on an item and the euro price, but I think Monsoon are taking the biscuit.

I was in Accessorize last night looking at a pair of flip-flops. They were marked £12 and €20! That is a mark up of 2/3! With the current exchange rate, they should only be priced at about €15. Now I know that they can't follow the exchange rate exactly, but it has never been 1.66, which is what they were using for those flip flops. I walked out in disgust and i'm really tempted to email their head office.

You know the really stupid thing? A couple of years ago, when the exchange rate was much higher, they had flip-flops marked at £12 and €18, so why the jump of €2 when the exchange rate has gone down? :mad:

Niamho!

well i personally would never buy from Monsoon, scabby fooks. they get away with the Scandalous amounts they charge coz dimwits keep buying from them. i want to murder my sis the odd time she buys from them....

SheenaD

i agree the prices are madness :eek:

bit of the subject but i have a wedding next weekend and planning on doing a false tan can anyone suggest a good one ?

ncmc

Niamho! wrote: »

well i personally would never buy from Monsoon, scabby fooks. they get away with the Scandalous amounts they charge coz dimwits keep buying from them. i want to murder my sis the odd time she buys from them....

To be honest, I don't buy much off them either, I think their stuff is over priced at the best of times so my boycott isn't gonna bankrupt them! But I still think that is the most outrageous exchange rate i've ever seen, I'm not gonna even step inside their door now. :mad:

Sheena you'd be better off starting a new thread on that one, more likely to get responses.

Larianne

ncmc wrote: »

Sheena you'd be better off starting a new thread on that one, more likely to get responses.

Or use the search function. Plenty of threads on it in here!

I'll be shopping in Newry or Belfast from now on. Saving yourself a lot by doing so. Never shopped in Monsoon anyway as stuff there way overpriced!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kizzyr

SheenaD wrote: »

i agree the prices are madness :eek:

bit of the subject but i have a wedding next weekend and planning on doing a false tan can anyone suggest a good one ?

I use the Lancome Flash Bronzer. Its pretty easy to apply, isn't too dark and doesn't stink like lots of the others do.

ncmc

Larianne wrote: »

Or use the search function. Plenty of threads on it in here!

I'll be shopping in Newry or Belfast from now on. Saving yourself a lot by doing so. Never shopped in Monsoon anyway as stuff there way overpriced!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TBH Larianne, I intend to go up North to do my pre-hols shopping, I'm from up by the border originally so no hassle for me to pop to Newry. But for a lot of people down South, going up the North isn't an opton and the point is; they shouldn't have to! The shops should be charging us a fair price to start with.

I am asking every person on this forum, every time they see an outrageous example of this over charging using the exchange rate to email the company with a complaint. It only takes 5 mins and maybe if enough people do it to enough companies they might actually do something about it. This rip-off has gone on long enough, time for some People Power!

BeansMeansHynes

Yeah I am boycotting Oasis at the moment. Price different is unbelievable. I was looking at a brown leather jacket in there last week. £140 and €200. Same for most of the clothes in there at the moment. We are being totally ripped off.

Larianne

ncmc wrote: »

I am asking every person on this forum, every time they see an outrageous example of this over charging using the exchange rate to email the company with a complaint. It only takes 5 mins and maybe if enough people do it to enough companies they might actually do something about it. This rip-off has gone on long enough, time for some People Power!

There's been a lot of publicity about this in the papers and what is happening now in the stores is that they are just blocking out the sterling price and just leaving the euro price on the tags so it's really down to the person whether they feel a product is worth the price on the tag. The stores aren't given consumers a fair deal. The only way for companies to listen is by not buying their products. To the second shops everyone --->

BeansMeansHynes

I think complaining and boycotting might have some effect.

I have noticed in Cork that A Wear have brought down their prices but that’s about the only one I think. All the rest have just blacked out the Sterling price or cut it off.

There was something on Prime Time last night about it! Hopefully all the media attention might do some good.

ncmc

BeansMeansHynes wrote: »

I think complaining and boycotting might have some effect.

I have noticed in Cork that A Wear have brought down their prices but that’s about the only one I think. All the rest have just blacked out the Sterling price or cut it off.

There was something on Prime Time last night about it! Hopefully all the media attention might do some good.

Now that you mention it, the majority of the prices in Accessorize were blacked out, but the dopes used the kind of black marker that you could see through. That's just made me even angrier, even worse deception!

I have emailed Monsoon, so I am awaiting their reply with interest!

Surely retailers in Dublin must be feeling a pinch as everyone North of Dublin that used to travel there for shopping are now heading up to Newry and Belfast.

Boycotting the store is the best course of action, but please also email and let them know the reason you're not going in, otherwise they'll just think it's the credit crunch biting!

Sugar Drunk

Re the blacking out of prices - I was in Dublin airport a while ago. In monsoon, the prices in EURO had been scribbled out and another price written. With the rate being strong I assumed the prices had been reduced but no - they had been increased!! I reckon a good few people thought they had been decreased and wouldnto have checked what the conversion was. I just was shocked the had the cheek to increase their prices. every item in the shop had the original price scribbled out

Sugar Drunk

Just to add I am also boycotting claires accessorise. £3.25 does not equal six euros!!!

lubie76

ncmc wrote: »

Boycotting the store is the best course of action, but please also email and let them know the reason you're not going in, otherwise they'll just think it's the credit crunch biting!

I totally agree with you NCMC and have just finished emailing the store site to tell them so.

I was in London recently for a weekend and was shocked about the difference between the price differences. I was actually questioning my maths skills when I was working out the currency rates between the two.

Irish people are too easygoing for this type of thing. We need to stand up for our consumer rights.The credit crunch thing has us all in financial trouble as it is so why should we be paying over the odds for what we can just about afford anyway.

Larianne

I think you may need to change the threads title to boycotting Oasis, Marks and Spencer, Awear, Topshop, Jigsaw, River Island.

They're all at it!!!!!:mad: The French wouldn't have any of this, they'd be all out protesting. Irish people's attitude is too laid back and 'ah sure, someone else will deal with it'.

Pythia

Something to remember is that costs and Vat is more expensive here. I know most shops are ripping people off far worse that that but just something to remember for small differences.

trishasaffron

Its all very well to say we should complain but doing so is really time consuming. I did buy something (way overpriced) in Monsoon recently and explained to the assistant that I would like if she would tell managment that people were complaining about the sterling conversion - u know something on the lines of " I know its not your fault but ......" Even though she was pleasant I had to listen to "Its not me who sets the prices" over and over again. Certainly put me off complaining. If she'd just said "I'll bring your comments to management attention" and then shut up it'd have been fine.

simu

Yeah, Monsoon was always overpriced imho. How are these shops going to get through the looming recession?

Donald-Duck

BeansMeansHynes wrote: »

Yeah I am boycotting Oasis at the moment. Price different is unbelievable. I was looking at a brown leather jacket in there last week. £140 and €200. Same for most of the clothes in there at the moment. We are being totally ripped off.

Just think about this.

Did they buy their stock this week, or earlier in the year.

ncmc

Donald-Duck wrote: »

Just think about this.

Did they buy their stock this week, or earlier in the year.

I know that they can't keep their prices completely up to date, but if you read my OP, Monsoon are adding 2/3 on to the Sterling price, now I'm no finance expert, but I don't think the exchange rate has ever, ever been this high! They are using it an excuse to make an extra couple of euro, it is a scam.

Its all very well to say we should complain but doing so is really time consuming. I did buy something (way overpriced) in Monsoon recently and explained to the assistant that I would like if she would tell managment that people were complaining about the sterling conversion - u know something on the lines of " I know its not your fault but ......" Even though she was pleasant I had to listen to "Its not me who sets the prices" over and over again. Certainly put me off complaining. If she'd just said "I'll bring your comments to management attention" and then shut up it'd have been fine.

I agree, talking to someone in the shop is useless, I'm sure the comments never reach the people who matter. Half the time you are probably talking to some college student who works there part time and doesn't give a sh1t. That's why I'm suggesting emails to the companies head office, it isn't at all time consuming and it's more likely to reach the relevent people.

fruitbat

Where can we shop if Monsoon, River Island, Topshop, Oasis, Wallis, Principles, M&S, etc, aren't charging fairly and should be boycotted?



Pennys, Dunnes & Brown Thomas? Are there any other Irish chains?

I don't think I'd ever find anything!

sickpuppy32

SheenaD wrote: »

i agree the prices are madness :eek:

bit of the subject but i have a wedding next weekend and planning on doing a false tan can anyone suggest a good one ?

the one that turns you orange is the best!

Dee369369

trishasaffron wrote: »

- u know something on the lines of " I know its not your fault but ......" Even though she was pleasant I had to listen to "Its not me who sets the prices" over and over again. quote]

I know where u coming from but i used to work in a newsagents and people would always give out bout the price of milk etc saying they could get it for 20cent cheaper down the road and even though u smile and say sorry u feel like saying go down the road and buy the cheaper milk so!:D

xOxSinéadxOx

BeansMeansHynes wrote: »

I think complaining and boycotting might have some effect.

I have noticed in Cork that A Wear have brought down their prices but that’s about the only one I think. All the rest have just blacked out the Sterling price or cut it off.

There was something on Prime Time last night about it! Hopefully all the media attention might do some good.

is a/wear not an irish shop?

kizzyr

xOxSinéadxOx wrote: »

is a/wear not an irish shop?

I know it certainly used to be. One of the owners of Brown Thomas set the shops up.

chuci

Just buy everything on the internet for cheaper. It saves going into town and all the rest of that. Im so sick of the rip off republic. When i was austria for a few months i bought a good bit of stuff over there, like surfer brands etc and the price difference here for the exact same item is a total joke my god it made me so angry.

emee

was in monsoon yesterday and bought a cardigan and two hair bands and it came to 73 euro - i was obviously off in my own little world because i payed on my laser and only now realised the price when i checked banking365.

price on the cardigan was 38 pounds and looking at my receipt i paid 59 euro for it!! :eek:

on xe.com 38 pounds = ~48 euro

the two hair bands also had the euro price scribbled off with a black marker but you could still read them and they had a euro sticker with a higher price stuck on.

i wouldn't mind but when we were at the till my mother asked the girl why the mark up was so high that surely the prices should come down with the exchange rate and the girl said some crap about printing all the labels at the beginning of the year.... well if thats the case then why are they scribbling out some prices to mark them up even more!

i've a good mind to return the cardigan now its not *that* nice

ncmc

Well Monsoon replied to my email, so here is a copy of what they said:

Thankyou for your e mail regarding the Euro and the exchange rate. I was sorry to hear you feel the need to boycott our stores.

I have been advised that the Exchange Rate we use is set periodically and as such, our prices will therefore not reflect any fluctuating Exchange Rates.

In addition to this, factors such as extra costs incurred in distributing to the Republic of Ireland and the differing tax structure also have an impact on the costs of garments as sold in ROI.

Please be assured we take this matter very seriously and I will pass your comments onto our finance team.

I hope that this clarifies this situation for you, if I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind Regards

Mary Kirkham
Monsoon Accessorize Customer Services

What a load of crap, you can be sure if the exchange rate was going the other way they'd be fast enough to adjust their prices.

I have been advised that the Exchange Rate we use is set periodically and as such, our prices will therefore not reflect any fluctuating Exchange Rates.

The exchange rate has been going down for months, surely it's time they looked at their prices?

In addition to this, factors such as extra costs incurred in distributing to the Republic of Ireland and the differing tax structure also have an impact on the costs of garments as sold in ROI.

How come other chains don't feel the need to mark up the garments to the same degree (I know some take the p1ss, but some stores price quite fairly)
I knew that their reply would be a load of sh1t, but I will continue to send off complaints when I see an obvious rip off, at least it is forcing one of their employees to take the time to write an email and who knows, maybe if enough of us complain they might sit up and take notice.

Emee, you should take that cardi back and make sure you email them and let them know why you returned it!

BeansMeansHynes

What a stupid email. You are dead right ncmc. If the exchange rate was going they other way it wouldn’t take them long to change the prices.

I am still trying to find an email for Oasis Ireland so if anyone can help me on that one. I cant even find a phone number!

-aboutagirl-

I live in the UK at the moment and everytime I come home the prices seem more and more shocking! Fair enough that they can't predict fluctuations in the exchange rate but sterling has been falling for quite some time now! Some things are almost double the price, will definetly be buying everything I need while I'm here and not at home!!

bills

they dont care because they are getting away with it!! im not the best for complaining myself.I think Marks & spencer needs to be added to that list too- bought shoes for 30euro, only 20 sterling.

sunshine rose

I don't know if this is true or not but I heard that if a shop has prices displayed in sterling, if you want to pay for it in sterling they have to accept it! Can anyone verify this??

ncmc

BeansMeansHynes wrote: »

What a stupid email. You are dead right ncmc. If the exchange rate was going they other way it wouldn’t take them long to change the prices.

I am still trying to find an email for Oasis Ireland so if anyone can help me on that one. I cant even find a phone number!

I just sent my email to the main head office in England, I don't think they have seperate contact details for Ireland, so try help@oasis-stores.com

Let us know how you get on!

BeansMeansHynes

Just sent an email to Oasis there now so we will see what their excuses are for ripping us off!

michaelanthony

You are assuming that hey bought the stock at that rate. They might have bought the stock months before at a different exchange rate.

ncmc wrote: »

I know there is a lot of talk at the moment about the difference in the sterling price on an item and the euro price, but I think Monsoon are taking the biscuit.

I was in Accessorize last night looking at a pair of flip-flops. They were marked £12 and €20! That is a mark up of 2/3! With the current exchange rate, they should only be priced at about €15. Now I know that they can't follow the exchange rate exactly, but it has never been 1.66, which is what they were using for those flip flops. I walked out in disgust and i'm really tempted to email their head office.

You know the really stupid thing? A couple of years ago, when the exchange rate was much higher, they had flip-flops marked at £12 and €18, so why the jump of €2 when the exchange rate has gone down? :mad:

ncmc

michaelanthony wrote: »

You are assuming that hey bought the stock at that rate. They might have bought the stock months before at a different exchange rate.

If you read my OP, I have said that I understand that they cannot exactly track the exchange rate and I understand that they may have bought the stock when the rate was higher. My point is that they are adding 2/3 on to the Sterling price, the exchange rate has never, in my memory (however I am open to correction) been this high.

xOxSinéadxOx

sunshine rose wrote: »

I don't know if this is true or not but I heard that if a shop has prices displayed in sterling, if you want to pay for it in sterling they have to accept it! Can anyone verify this??

i dunno really but sterling isn't legal tender in the republic of ireland so i wouldn't say they have to

BeansMeansHynes

Thank you for your e-mail dated 18th June outlining the problem you have experienced with our euro pricing.

I am really sorry to read of your disappointment and would like to assure you that our exchange rates are set in advance of each season and for technical reasons it is not possible to take exchange rate fluctuations into account, whether positive or negative, during the season.

When calculating the rate, we also take into account the cost of doing business in Ireland, including the significantly higher VAT rates and the higher operating, distribution and labour costs. For customer convenience we have a consistent pricing structure over our retail and online business. We continuously conduct research into our price position in the Irish market and believe we deliver value for money through a combination of price, design and quality.

Please accept my most sincere apologies and if I can be of any further help to you please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sunny_Dublin

on that note i would like to add that cosmo this month costs 2 pounds sterling in the uk (converting to €2.52 in IE) but has a price tag of 4.99 in tesco...
will read cosmo online this month... and complained to tesco....

Macha

Guys, hate to be the odd one out but what the Monsoon email said is right. High street shops buy their stock 6 months-1 year in advance. That means that they have to cover the costs of the stock at the exchange rate that they bought it, not whatever the exchange rate happens to be today. Also, can you imagine the logistical nightmare it would be to try and change prices for every single item, not only on the physical tag but also in the databases? The accounts department would have a fit!!

Although, hopefully we will see better exchange rates in the new season.

As for distribution costs, I can tell you they're right there as well. Ireland has no rail freight, everything has to be transported by truck and with oil prices going through the roof, transport costs are just going to get higher and higher.

I'm just saying it isn't as black and white as some people here are making it out to be!

ncmc

taconnol wrote: »

Guys, hate to be the odd one out but what the Monsoon email said is right. High street shops buy their stock 6 months-1 year in advance. That means that they have to cover the costs of the stock at the exchange rate that they bought it, not whatever the exchange rate happens to be today. Also, can you imagine the logistical nightmare it would be to try and change prices for every single item, not only on the physical tag but also in the databases? The accounts department would have a fit!!

Although, hopefully we will see better exchange rates in the new season.

As for distribution costs, I can tell you they're right there as well. Ireland has no rail freight, everything has to be transported by truck and with oil prices going through the roof, transport costs are just going to get higher and higher.

I'm just saying it isn't as black and white as some people here are making it out to be!

No-one is arguing that they should change the prices to match the exchange rate exactly. We all know that they bought the stock up to a year ago, my point is that even a year ago, the exchange rate wasn't that high, it wasn't that high two years ago and if memory serves, it wasn't that high three years ago either. How far back are you suggesting they bought their stock?

As for the higher costs of doing business in Ireland, I heard that argument trotted out on the radio (Matt Cooper last week I think) and they basically said it was rubbish as our low corporation tax makes up for the slightly higher costs of doing business here.

I'm really glad to see that other people are complaining, it'll probably make no difference, but if enough of us do it... well you never know.

sandy123

£12 is only worth about €15 at the moment at most! i say go up north and get value for your money- before all the Euro/Sterling tags get adjusted to the proper rate!!

kikililly

Well last weekend in Topshop Jervis street I saw a bag I liked but its only a little tiny thing and it was €47 I didn't buy it but looked it up on their website and its £25 so I ordered it online, even with the £5 delivery charge I'm still saving money. Same goes for a dress I bought in Warehouse for €115 its £65 on the website, it makes me sick!!!

zen15

As Eddie Hobb's said years ago and Carmel foley said only a few days ago " if you don't like the price , don't buy it" to many people come on to the board and complain after they buy stuff , we can all get ripped off once but the second and third times are all are own fault,
Irish people have a great habit as an egyptian friend of mine said recently " we go to the pub to complain about the price of drink" and I think it sums us up perfectly .

xOxSinéadxOx

sandy123 wrote: »

£12 is only worth about €15 at the moment at most! i say go up north and get value for your money- before all the Euro/Sterling tags get adjusted to the proper rate!!

penneys are at it too then! i got a dress in there yesterday £12, €19!

Garret

there are many reasons for the apparent disparity in prices

Firstly most prices are set 6 months before the product hits the shop, and they couldnt have predicted that the sterling would weaken as much as it did

Most stores review prices every 18 months. Maybe you could argue that in this case it should be review prematurely, but generally, too many price changes confuse customers

Also, although prices seem higher, so are the prices of running the store in Ireland compared to the UK. Rent is higher. Wages are higher. Insurance is higher. The price has to be made relative to our economy.

And then there's delivery too. It is not just a case of them ripping us off. They do want to be fair and competitive, and I'm sure many would agree that yes atm the prices are a bit high, but what if they slash the prices, adn then the sterling strengthens, do they raise them again in 6 months??

fruitbat

I understand there is a disparency between the Euro and Sterling price, but the british chains still are the same, if not cheaper, with better ranges, than irish shops.