complaining about difference between sterling and Euro prices in Ireland

needadvice07

hi not sure if this is the right forum to post this topic in, I'm taking this information from a topic in another forum I go on where we are trying to get people to email the various retailers who have stores in the republic of Ireland and also in the North of Ireland and UK.

We are trying to get them to change their policy in relation to why they charge shoppers in the republic so much more.

Below is a list of email addresses of major stores in the Republic or web link to their customer care form.

I have also included an email that is being sent out to the above retailers asking them to justify their rip off prices. Maybe if enough of us complain they will start taking notice and adjusting their prices accordingly:

Customer.Services@River-Island.com
NEXTDIRAIT@next.co.uk
info@argos.co.uk
customerrelations@debenhams.com
feedback@wallis.co.uk
customer.services@tesco.ie
customerservice@care.boots.com
webcustomerservices@newlook.co.uk
help@principles.co.uk
generalenquiries@monsoon.co.uk
help@oasis-stores.co.uk
sales@easons.com
service.customer@dunnes-stores.ie
dixonswebsales@dixons.co.uk
enquiries@stylo.co.uk - barratts
customer.service@evans.co.uk
cs@smyths.com
Websits with forms to complete online -

https://www.dorothyperkins.com/webapp/w ... ogId=20552 - fill in complaint online
https://www.marksandspencer.com/gp/cont ... Brand=core = fill in complaint online
http://askelc.metafaq.com/templates/ask ... 940DG7CDOG - fill in form online
https://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... FMStaIg%3D - fill in complaint online
http://adamskids.ie/shop/page-contact_us - fill in complaint form online

***********************************************************************************
To whom it may concern,

I am writing to your from the Republic of Ireland and I note that many of the products in your UK stores and websites which are sterling priced, are not in line with the euro rate in your Irish stores. I am aware of the recent Vat changes in the UK. However even taking this into consideration there is still a difference of at least 15% to 20% between sterling and euro prices.

This seems to be trend within UK companies. It is unacceptable. There has been numerous reports in the Irish media about this issue recently.

I would like to clarify that I will not purchase from your company until euro prices are in line with sterling - allowing for the VAT difference.

Please do not try to explain the large differential based on need for additional costs in relation to transport. You have stores in Northern Ireland and there is no price variation between stores in the North of Ireland and in the UK, transporting from the North to the rest of Ireland would not cost an additional 15 to 20%.

As the Euro has been gaining in strength against the pound for a long time, Euro prices in the republic for your goods should have been steadily decreasing, even given the fact that prices may be fixed at the start of a season.

Can you confirm please when you are prices were set and on what exchange rate they were based on, so that I can be assured that I am not being ripped off in relation to sterling/Euro prices based on the exchange rate set at that time.

I expect to receive confirmation that prices are going to be changed to reflect current exchange rates and not to be fobbed off with ridiculous excuses about why there is such a big price differential and until then I will no longer shop in your store.

I await your response.

Yours Sincerely

Lplated

Hey need advice,

No disrespect to you intended, but to be honest, i couldn't be bothered emailing them.

We know they've been overcharging us for years. They know we know. I've wasted enough time and money on them, and now i just go North every 2 weeks or so.

I'm sure my few euros won't make much difference to any of them but i suspect that losing a couple of thousand customers each week (see poll here and on pigsback, for e.g.), will probably bring them to their senses a lot quicker than a couple of emails.

dudara

You cannot take a sterling price, convert into Euros using a current exchange rate and expect to pay that in Ireland. We are different countries, with different taxes, charges and legislation. We have different populations and population densities. In short, we are different markets.

The companies may be charging us too much here in the South, but we have to rid of this idea that a sterling price should be converted directly in Euros.

Bluetonic

The OP is no better than SPAM.

Lplated

dudara wrote: »

You cannot take a sterling price, convert into Euros using a current exchange rate and expect to pay that in Ireland. We are different countries, with different taxes, charges and legislation. We have different populations and population densities. In short, we are different markets.

The companies may be charging us too much here in the South, but we have to rid of this idea that a sterling price should be converted directly in Euros.

I think you're right, but the coversion aids in figuring out how much the difference is in a particular price. In other words, its just a starting point.

In using the term rip-off, I think you do have to make some allowance for the fact that our minimum wage is higher, that property prices are higher etc... So one wouldn't expect parity as between a northern price and one down here.

That said however, the fact remains that good value is to be had by shopping around, regardless of the 'use' you put currency conversion rates to in making your analysis.

The issue may well be a beaten docket for Southern retailers - it is unlikely (impossible perhaps?) that the cost issues that push up the prices down here, together with the rip-off factor, could be corrected in sufficient time to stem the flow across the border - and even if were possible to make some significant move to that end, I'm not sure that the anger that is evident around the place would be placated by anything that does not go far beyond mere tokenism.

snaps

if goods are marked in both sterling and euro (Which a lot of chains do here), why cant we pay in sterling at the sterling price?

Bluetonic

snaps wrote: »

if goods are marked in both sterling and euro (Which a lot of chains do here), why cant we pay in sterling at the sterling price?

Sterling is not legal tender in ROI.

rubadub

snaps wrote: »

if goods are marked in both sterling and euro (Which a lot of chains do here), why cant we pay in sterling at the sterling price?

If the goods were not dual priced then they would cost even more, for both euro and sterling payers. i.e. they would need separate labels done up and different stocking etc, ending up costing more which the company would pass on to you.

None of these currency threads are ripoffs, if the product is not worth it you do not buy it. The company is not pulling any scam or marketing/confidence trick.

People see an item and think it is worth the price, then see the dual price and get all upset and do not buy it. If it only had the euro price they would have bought it though. And if it was just the euro price it could well have ended up costing more than a dual priced one.

I will no longer shop in your store

They do not have to explain their pricing to anybody. Others will still shop in their store, they just charge what they can get away with, like any business would. If everybody does stop shopping they will have to reduce them. Thing is shops with dual pricing are usually around the same prices as "euro only priced shops". Most people just want the item as cheap as possible. I don't get pissed off knowing a big mac is only €1.50 in china.

And why only pick on UK retailers? Look up the current offers on aldi and lidls sites in other countries and see the prices.

gurramok

Bluetonic wrote: »

Sterling is not legal tender in ROI.

And neither is Euro in NI.

Then, explain why nearly every British retailer shop accepts Euro in Newry then?

If the shoe was on the other foot with hordes of nordies coming down here for shopping, they'll accept sterling.

rubadub

gurramok wrote: »

Then, explain why nearly every British retailer shop accepts Euro in Newry then?

Marketing, and they know what their customers want. Many shops here do accept sterling or dollars, they will give you an exchange rate, just like the shops up north are doing. They certainly will not let you pay in the currency of the other country and expect to get it for the price it is in that country. Otherwise I would be in the levis store with US dollars, and I would be in mcdonalds with Chinese RMB.

gordonnet

prices of computer magazine in easons are quite expensive in Euros, for a magazine that is marked £4.99 we have to pay €8.10, easons excuse is that they adjust the prices on a monthly basis ??

jahalpin

Why do you have Easons and Dunnes Stores in your list?

Both of these are ROI companies

If you are referring to the price differences between magazines, there is no VAT on magazines in the UK whereas VAT is charged on either 13.5% or 21.5% in the ROI, therefore, most of the difference in price is due to the Revenue Commissoners and not Easons.

Due to the low population densities in the Republic it is more expensive to distribute products throughout the country and this taken into account when the Euro prices are set.

Foreign currency is normally bought in advance and so the rate used to work out the prices would be the rate that the actual sterling was bought it. Otherwise, prices would have to be revised every day

It does cost more to ship goods to the Republic than to Northern Ireland as freight companies etc charge deliveries to the Republic as international

Fighting Irish

RETAILERS WILL CHARGE WHAT PEOPLE WILL PAY

Dumb people drive pirces up.

Xcom2

jahalpin wrote: »

Why do you have Easons and Dunnes Stores in your list?

Both of these are ROI companies

If you are referring to the price differences between magazines, there is no VAT on magazines in the UK whereas VAT is charged on either 13.5% or 21.5% in the ROI, therefore, most of the difference in price is due to the Revenue Commissoners and not Easons.

Due to the low population densities in the Republic it is more expensive to distribute products throughout the country and this taken into account when the Euro prices are set.

Foreign currency is normally bought in advance and so the rate used to work out the prices would be the rate that the actual sterling was bought it. Otherwise, prices would have to be revised every day

It does cost more to ship goods to the Republic than to Northern Ireland as freight companies etc charge deliveries to the Republic as international

Looking at the December issue of Focus it has a price of £3.60,adding on 21.5% sterling 77p that makes £4.37 which in December is worth €5.05 so why has it got a price sticker on it of €6.43?

So it costs €1.38 per magazine to get to the newsagent?

ongarite

Xcom2 wrote: »

Looking at the December issue of Focus it has a price of £3.60,adding on 21.5% sterling 77p that makes £4.37 which in December is worth €5.05 so why has it got a price sticker on it of €6.43?

So it costs €1.38 per magazine to get to the newsagent?

Again you are making an assumption that wage, rent, electricity, telephony, waste & business rates are the same as the UK when in fact all of these are significantly higher in Ireland.

jahalpin

Xcom2 wrote: »

Looking at the December issue of Focus it has a price of £3.60,adding on 21.5% sterling 77p that makes £4.37 which in December is worth €5.05 so why has it got a price sticker on it of €6.43? So it costs €1.38 per magazine to get to the newsagent?

Where did you get a sterling rate of 1.15? The average rate of sterling in November was approx 1.20 (according to AIB) As the magazine had a sticker on it, you must have bought it in a third party shop (ie not an Eason shop). The prices that EMND give are only recommended prices and the shops can charge what they want

jahalpin

Why does everyone expect the prices to the same in the UK and ROI?

They are completely different markets. The costs of doing business in ROI are far higher than in the UK in the following ways;

1. Higher minimum wage in ROI
2. Very low population densities in ROI
3. Higher indirect taxes in ROI
4. Higher excise duties in ROI
5. Higher transportation costs to ROI
6. Higher administration charges in ROI
7. More competition in UK due to far higher population
8. Volitivity of currency exchange rates

Xcom2

I had a look today and the same issue of the magazine is on sale at my local eason for 15 cent more than my third party shop?

havana

Yes we may be two different countries so therefore i have no issue with some variation in price. What i do have an issue with is the fact that prices have not changed over time although the exchange rate has. I don't expect shops to change prices daily to reflect currency fluctuations but when we have seen the pound go from €1.50 to 1.15 or whatever surely prices have to reflect this at some point.

It may be more expensive here due to vat wages rents etc but have there increased dramatically in the last year to justify the ever increasing difference in prices. I know some have but to that extent?

Niall F

Rip-off Ireland is not new. We've been being ripped off for years. I just think we didn't care because we were all spending money like it was going out of fashion. If they can rip us off, they will. But sure haven't we put up with it? Its a lot different now and slowly but surely retailers are copping on to that fact. Prices have been coming down.
I don't think expecting a direct exchange rate is fair. There are different costs involved. Some UK retailers do have the corresponding prices though e.g. M&S meal for 2. £10 or €12.50. Can't really complain about that.

jahalpin

Boots have actually reduced their prices due to the currency fluctuation

The individual prices of items in their 3 for 2 promotions have been reduced since the dual-currency price tags were printed.

Bluetonic

gurramok wrote: »

And neither is Euro in NI.

Then, explain why nearly every British retailer shop accepts Euro in Newry then?

If the shoe was on the other foot with hordes of nordies coming down here for shopping, they'll accept sterling.

NI is a smaller economy than ROI so they need to accept Euro.

ROI do not need to accept GBP.

If you owned a business the last thing you want to be doing is taking currency risk.