Maplin Prices Ireland vs UK - comparison

podgeandrodge

Picked up the Maplin Sale catalog today and compared it to the electronic uk sale brochure.

Some of the "exchange rates" they have used are as low as 0.59 !!

For anyone interested I've posted a megaupload link to an excel file showing a basket of 20 items and the difference in prices by going up north.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8E0SSPEY


Hard to justify shopping in Maplin down here I'm afraid.

swingking

That is ridiculous that you are spending over 606 euro by buying stock down here.

How is this justified. I do realise that the VAT rate is different, but this is a crazy price difference

rubadub

swingking wrote: »

How is this justified.

Why do they have to justify anything? if people think it costs to much they will go to similar B&M stores, like peats, who I find are usually more expensive.

How can peats "justify" their difference to maplins which actually IS in THE SAME COUNTRY!!!

podgeandrodge

rubadub wrote: »

Why do they have to justify anything? if people think it costs to much they will go to similar B&M stores, like peats, who I find are usually more expensive.

How can peats "justify" their difference to maplins which actually IS in THE SAME COUNTRY!!!

I think you are missing the point. If you don't like Peats start a 'Peats is a rip off' thread.

Maplin SHOULD justify why they, as a store that sells its goods in the UK, is profiteering to a huge extent in their Irish shops. No amount of "it costs more doing business in the republic" or "vat is higher" etc justifies the excessive cost.

skywalker_208

maplins in general is a ripoff anyway.. sure you have to pay 7 quid for their catalogue in order to look at their stuff before you buy it!

imagine if argos started doing that!

deffin

skywalker_208 wrote: »

maplins in general is a ripoff anyway.. sure you have to pay 7 quid for their catalogue in order to look at their stuff before you buy it!

imagine if argos started doing that!

Don't know who in their right mind would buy in one of their stores. Their prices are astronomic in comparison to what they charge their UK customers. One item in particular that caught my eye on the magazine is the HUMAX Freesat HD STB for an unbelievable €230 here and it retails for £147 in the UK. How can they justify that....?

ejmaztec

deffin wrote: »

Don't know who in their right mind would buy in one of their stores. Their prices are astronomic in comparison to what they charge their UK customers. One item in particular that caught my eye on the magazine is the HUMAX Freesat HD STB for an unbelievable €230 here and it retails for £147 in the UK. How can they justify that....?

Have you got a local supplier who could sell it for less than Maplin? It's these people that they're competing with.

Hagar

Good news on pricing might be coming. Link. I would expect things to get better but not quite fair.

Lunabu

podgeandrodge wrote: »

Picked up the Maplin Sale catalog today and compared it to the electronic uk sale brochure.

Some of the "exchange rates" they have used are as low as 0.59 !!

For anyone interested I've posted a megaupload link to an excel file showing a basket of 20 items and the difference in prices by going up north.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8E0SSPEY


Hard to justify shopping in Maplin down here I'm afraid.

Thanks for that:)
I'm aware of these crazy price difference as we compared the Argos sales brochure down here with the UK Argos sales brochure. The difference in prices on laptops (identical models) can be as much as 150 euro per item, plus you have a much larger choice of laptops in the UK/up North.
I'm plain disgusted by the rip off here and have been shopping in NI whenever poss for the last 2 years. Unfortunately, I live in Clare, so it's quite a distance to go and usually requires an overnight stay.

Lunabu

Hagar wrote: »

Good news on pricing might be coming. Link. I would expect things to get better but not quite fair.

Let's wait and see. I'm the eternal sceptic when it comes to not being ripped off in the Republic...:eek:

Alienontherun

Folks,

I moved to Ireland almost 3 months ago and ought to tell you all, since I think this is the pertinent forum: I am appalled with the extortionist price of everything around here. And I've decided to put my money away and go on a trip to the UK (where I was living before) to buy everything I've been in need since I came over: clothing, footwear, etc.

I can't understand how the retailers over here have no shame in overcharging people so much!

But we all can teach them a lesson: Just Buy nothing over here; Put your money away; Talk to people who realize the same things as you; Let's get organized; Let's arrange to go in groups to the UK or Northern Ireland, because this way everybody can share the costs, and buy everything elsewhere. Thus, they (the retailers over here) will soon realize they have to stop their extortion!!!

We have the power to change their criminal mentality!!!:D:D:D

richiepoorman

Alienontherun wrote: »

Folks,

I moved to Ireland almost 3 months ago and ought to tell you all, since I think this is the pertinent forum: I am appalled with the extortionist price of everything around here. And I've decided to put my money away and go on a trip to the UK (where I was living before) to buy everything I've been in need since I came over: clothing, footwear, etc.

I can't understand how the retailers over here have no shame in overcharging people so much!

But we all can teach them a lesson: Just Buy nothing over here; Put your money away; Talk to people who realize the same things as you; Let's get organized; Let's arrange to go in groups to the UK or Northern Ireland, because this way everybody can share the costs, and buy everything elsewhere. Thus, they (the retailers over here) will soon realize they have to stop their extortion!!!

We have the power to change their criminal mentality!!!:D:D:D

Totally agree, i moved back to Ireland a few years and was amazed at the arogance of retailers, there attitude is awful, and i am always amazed at the laziness of people, who can't be bothered to shop around, we will see this time next year whether people will be as blase about it,because we will still be in recession ???.:)

Alienontherun

richiepoorman wrote: »

Totally agree, i moved back to Ireland a few years and was amazed at the arogance of retailers, there attitude is awful, and i am always amazed at the laziness of people, who can't be bothered to shop around, we will see this time next year whether people will be as blase about it,because we will still be in recession ???.:)

Also, I don't know if it's my impression, the so-called customer service over here is also dispensed in a very strange way. People don't seem very natural, they're like robots, inexpressive!
Does anyone relate to my particular impression or am I alone on this one?

brian ireland

podgeandrodge wrote: »

Picked up the Maplin Sale catalog today and compared it to the electronic uk sale brochure.

Some of the "exchange rates" they have used are as low as 0.59 !!

For anyone interested I've posted a megaupload link to an excel file showing a basket of 20 items and the difference in prices by going up north.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8E0SSPEY


Hard to justify shopping in Maplin down here I'm afraid.

Thanks for taking the time to put that information together. Its very interesting.

ttm

Its always been hard to justify shopping in Maplin as a lot of what they sell are massively marked up items direct from China and Hong Kong. Take a look on eBay for the smaller computer items Maplin sell and you'll often find the exact same item that will arrive with the same software in the same packaging from HK. Price difference is like 49.99euro from Maplin or 5euro including delivery (and I admit a long delay) from HK.

lostdesign

Forget e-bay and maplin, checkout Farnell, they have an amazing selection of products and deliver direct to your door, only found them a few months ago and will never buy an electrical component anywhere else now.

http://ie.farnell.com/

I never buy anything in the shops here unless I have too, I know we should be supporting the Irish economy but money is tight these days and people need to realise they are getting ripped off!

rubadub

podgeandrodge wrote: »

I think you are missing the point. If you don't like Peats start a 'Peats is a rip off' thread.

Maplin SHOULD justify why they, as a store that sells its goods in the UK, is profiteering to a huge extent in their Irish shops. No amount of "it costs more doing business in the republic" or "vat is higher" etc justifies the excessive cost.

No I think you missed the point entirely, I have nothing against peats. I was using peats as an example of an irish store who you should compare them against, rather than shops in other countries. Maplins would be utter idiots not to charge what the market will bear.

ejmaztec wrote: »

Have you got a local supplier who could sell it for less than Maplin? It's these people that they're competing with.

+1 it is bizarre in this day & age that people expect companies to charge the exact same price all around the world, it truly worries me how utterly ignorant some people are.

lostdesign wrote: »

Forget e-bay and maplin, checkout Farnell, they have an amazing selection of products and deliver direct to your door, only found them a few months ago and will never buy an electrical component anywhere else now.

Farnell are pretty expensive, we regard them as a convenience store in work.

Massive Muscles

people expect companies to charge the exact same price all around the world,

No, but people should expect prices to be close enough in Ireland and the UK given the similarties. This is the whole point of this forum.

rubadub

Massive Muscles wrote: »

No, but people should expect prices to be close enough in Ireland and the UK given the similarties. This is the whole point of this forum.

If you read the charter it says

Typedef wrote: »

Following popular demand and the general evolution of discourse here, note the name change.

Now called Rip-Off Ireland.

For discussion about inflation, inflationary exploitation, lack of movement on addressing inflation and associated topics.

Sadly it has degenerated into mindless idiots trying to spot the biggest price difference between an item on sale here and in another country -usually UK firms (ah sure we all hate the brits sure :rolleyes:).

After looking at the countless threads I find it baffling how people do not realise that we do NOT have one particular similarity with the UK, i.e. PRICES, and WHAT THE MARKET IS WILLING TO PAY.

Why the fcuk would a non-irish shopkeeper not charge prices in line with what other irish retailers are getting from customers. And people say they are taking us for fools, people are expecting THEM to act like utter fools.

Why the dumb point blank refusal to compare with irish stores?

zynaps

rubadub wrote: »

After looking at the countless threads I find it baffling how people do not realise that we do NOT have one particular similarity with the UK, i.e. PRICES, and WHAT THE MARKET IS WILLING TO PAY.

You're missing the point of this forum. When the price is far higher here than in the UK, it suggests that the majority of that price difference (sometimes ~50% and over €100 in the examples here) is just extra profit that they take because they can. Because, as you say, the market is willing to pay for it. That is still a rip off, and I want to know about these disparities so I can vote with my feet and not be another sheepish Irish consumer who pays any price asked.

rubadub wrote: »

Why the fcuk would a non-irish shopkeeper not charge prices in line with what other irish retailers are getting from customers. And people say they are taking us for fools, people are expecting THEM to act like utter fools.

Why the dumb point blank refusal to compare with irish stores?

I think the point of Rip Off Ireland is to recognise where we are being ripped off, whether the market is willing to pay it or not.

In fact, since you've quoted the charter and extrapolated that we are "mindless idiots" to question the prices charged in Irish shops, I will quote the (recently-created) "What is a Rip Off" thread:

LFCFan wrote:

What this forum is for is to discuss when consumers have been ripped off because of high prices. Ripoff Ireland forum was started to discuss the rediculously hihg prices of goods and services in Ireland compared to our European neighbours and mainly came about because of our change to Euro and the fact it was easier to see the price differences.

Emphasis added.

If the market is willing to pay 50-100% more here for many items compared to what's available in the UK, it's down to lack of competition, and laziness and general ignorance that there is better elsewhere. It's worth talking about. I certainly think it is foolish to put on blinkers and say "doesn't matter what's happening elsewhere, we should only compare to other shops here" - consider how quickly groceries got cheaper when Lidl and Aldi started opening up branches here?

nmesisca

zynaps wrote: »

You're missing the point of this forum. When the price is far higher here than in the UK, it suggests that the majority of that price difference (sometimes ~50% and over €100 in the examples here) is just extra profit that they take because they can. Because, as you say, the market is willing to pay for it. That is still a rip off, and I want to know about these disparities so I can vote with my feet and not be another sheepish Irish consumer who pays any price asked.

I think the point of Rip Off Ireland is to recognise where we are being ripped off, whether the market is willing to pay it or not.

In fact, since you've quoted the charter and extrapolated that we are "mindless idiots" to question the prices charged in Irish shops, I will quote the (recently-created) "What is a Rip Off" thread:

Emphasis added.

If the market is willing to pay 50-100% more here for many items compared to what's available in the UK, it's down to lack of competition, and laziness and general ignorance that there is better elsewhere. It's worth talking about. I certainly think it is foolish to put on blinkers and say "doesn't matter what's happening elsewhere, we should only compare to other shops here" - consider how quickly groceries got cheaper when Lidl and Aldi started opening up branches here?

+1

I wish Rubadub would just.. quit posting.
Plus... who moderates the mods ??

ejmaztec

nmesisca wrote: »

+1

I wish Rubadub would just.. quit posting.
Plus... who moderates the mods ??

Rubadub's not a moderator of this forum.

nmesisca

ejmaztec wrote: »

Rubadub's not a moderator of this forum.

oh.
it does say Moderator under his name though..

Ronan|Raven

And it also says what forums he moderates a little bit lower down....

ttm

rubadub wrote: »

.....
Sadly it has degenerated into mindless idiots trying to spot the biggest price difference between an item on sale here and in another country -usually UK firms (ah sure we all hate the brits sure :rolleyes:).
......

Add me to the list of mindless idiots!

If I talk to someone about "Rip Off Ireland" it's most likely in the context of Ireland is a rip off compared to somewhere else. We are such a small country with neighbours that have the same curency its difficult not to compare prices here with abroad. Perhaps its because I mix with other "ignorant" people but anytime anyone comes back from hoilday one of the topics of converstation is nearly always "how cheap it was over there compared to Ireland". Then maybe if this thread was written down and past around by the postman we could ignore the prices in other countries, but we are all here on the internet and prices around the world can be found at the click of a mouse.

So maybe Dunnes is a rip off compared to Aldi (just an example) thats not specifically "Rip Off Ireland" thats just a "Rip Off" - Consumer Issue. Look at it another way if you saw a forum call "Rip Off UK" would you exect to find posts about say Marks and Spencer in the UK compared with say Aldi in the UK or UK prices compared with those in other countries?

btw I was in two minds about renewing my password at Boards.ie, having reread this thread and realising I'm "dumb", "ignorant" and a "mindless idiot", I'm not sure why I bothered :rolleyes:

witnessmenow

I used radionics there last week and found them very good and competitive. Was happy to give them bussiness over maplins anyways.

Prices do not include VAT

rubadub

zynaps wrote: »

we are "mindless idiots" to question the prices charged in Irish shops,

I never said that, maybe try reading my posts again. I was referring to the games people are playing in this forum, it has become a rant forum with little useful information, the odd thread is constructive. People refuse to actually sit back and think for a minute, I think there is a lot of feigned ignorance for the sake of a moan.

zynaps

rubadub wrote: »

zynaps wrote:

we are "mindless idiots" to question the prices charged in Irish shops,

I never said that, maybe try reading my posts again.

Sure you did:

rubadub wrote: »

Sadly it has degenerated into mindless idiots trying to spot the biggest price difference between an item on sale here and in another country -usually UK firms (ah sure we all hate the brits sure :rolleyes:).

You may have noticed that the thread title is "Maplin Prices Ireland vs UK - comparison".

rubadub

zynaps wrote: »

Sure you did:.

No I didn't, read again, perhaps slower.

zynaps wrote: »

You may have noticed that the thread title is "Maplin Prices Ireland vs UK - comparison".

You may not have noticed what I was actually responding to, it was not the OP.

nmesisca

rubadub wrote: »

I never said that, maybe try reading my posts again. I was referring to the games people are playing in this forum, it has become a rant forum with little useful information, the odd thread is constructive. People refuse to actually sit back and think for a minute, I think there is a lot of feigned ignorance for the sake of a moan.

then why do you keep posting the same over and over like a broken record?

live and let live....

smartblaa

I was gonna start a thread on this myself.

Example Netgear Powerline adaptor kit

Maplin UK £89.99

Rang the store on Jervis Street - €148!!!

Ended up getting Beyond2000 to order them in for €99 - result!

YourSQL

7e for a little can of gas

un****ing believable

Raiser

I've come to despise Maplins - Was delighted when they opened as some stuff you just couldn't source easily anywhere else - But I now just associate them with 900% mark-ups on cheap, poorly constructed crap manufactured in Taiwan/Hong Kong with the emphasis on cheap and shoddy.

SOCOM

Lol just in maplins dundalk to get o-rings which cost £2.99 uk and €4.99 irl, anyway while the lad went off to check stock I found several boxes of assorted o-rings, then the lad came back and said they were completely sold out and did not know when they would be in stock, which I said was a shame but bought the box of o-rings anyway!!! Lol sound lad though!