mobile top up fees

hoganpoly

Retailers down south wake up!!!!!Was charged 50 cents for the privilege of purchasing ten euros worth of phone credit from gala supermarket, carlow rd, Athy. Expressed my utter disgust regarding same and was informed I could go elsewhere to purchase same but this contribution was all the retailer was getting from this service provider and was entitled to it. Would be interested to know why some greedy retailers continue to fleece the customer whilst others are happy to waive this fee to entice continued support of their business.

Xterminator

As long as you get warned before you buy, i cant see the problem here.

They tell you its 50c extra, you say yes or no.

If enough people say, hell no then they will review their decision.

Itws the shops that print off the voucher, then say 10.50 please, they are the rip off merchants.

shellyboo

This surcharge is a retailer response to the phone companies reducing their margin on the top-ups in the first place.

You're right in observing that some stores don't do it, so why should anyone - but it's more a case of them absorbing the cost then 'waiving a fee'.

The basic gist of it is that retailers feel it's unfair for the phone companies to provide a product that has a set value to them (€10) and then continually increase the cost to the retailer by reducing the commission - it's like the dairy coming and saying, 'we're going to start charging you 90c for a litre of milk instead of 80c, but you still have to sell it for €1'. So the retailer either has to pass on the cost, or absorb it. And if they absorb it, they have to make up that money elsewhere - so the cost of other items in the store go up.

Not defending either side here... but just explaining why it happens. Here's a something from one of the retail associations about it.

4arc

I always refused to pay the €1 extra on €20 credit, and that was before the recession. Just another example of rip-off republic and the greed of the retailers. Hopefully the current economic recession will weed-out the greedy ones, and people will now begin to demand value for money!

Del2005

There are lots of other free ways to top up and Dunnes, Tesco etc often add a 10% bonus when you top up with them.

steo87

4arc wrote: »

I always refused to pay the €1 extra on €20 credit

Yeah same here....thieving bastards!

MOH

4arc wrote: »

I always refused to pay the €1 extra on €20 credit, and that was before the recession. Just another example of rip-off republic and the greed of the retailers. Hopefully the current economic recession will weed-out the greedy ones, and people will now begin to demand value for money!

Or, indeed, the mobile phone companies, who are the ones cutting the margin.

Sam Vimes

MOH wrote: »

Or, indeed, the mobile phone companies, who are the ones cutting the margin.

exactly. the networks cut the commission to the retailers so the retailers upped the price. makes sense to me. i'd still never pay extra for a top up since there are so many ways to top up without paying extra

foggy_lad

all centra and spar and many other "small" shops do not charge this extra on top-ups so shop around as if you are charged in one shop the next shop down the street probably does not charge!

tony1kenobi

Ask for a VAT receipt for the amount paid.

Vouchers are non refundable. When you ask for one don't accept one that they have already printed. Insist they generate one at the time you asked for it.

It is a completely unjustified surcharge. It's like having a lottery machine in your store, or selling cigarettes and papers. These are items that bring in business that may make other purchases. Not a sole profit maker.

Let them print off the credit then offer the amount on the voucher. They will soon get sick of calling the providers to get vouchers cancelled as it is a slow pain in the arse of a process.....probably.

mikemac

tony1kenobi wrote: »

Vouchers are non refundable. When you ask for one don't accept one that they have already printed. Insist they generate one at the time you asked for it.

Definitly!
I've dealt with a shop that would print off vouchers in advance and sell them.
But one I bought wouldn't work and Meteor technical support confirmed it was used two hours before I bought it.

Now maybe the staff were using the vouchers and hoping noone would complain. Or maybe customers were using that well known scam of getting a voucher, taking a picture on a camera phone and then handing it back as they changed their mind.

I'll never knew what happened but it took a lot of arguing to get my money back and I'll never buy credit from a pre-printed voucher again.

Scribbes Newsagent, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 :mad:

Shelflife

its not the fault of the retailers but the providers, mainly vodafone, over the last number of years they have increased the price of the topups to the retailer yet they keep the end value the same.

all the retailer wants to do is to try and maintain their margins.

its a big company abusing its position in the market, if they want to put up the prices then do so, but all they are doing is screwing the retailer who when he passes on the increase gets slated by the public.

foggy_lad

Shelflife wrote: »

its not the fault of the retailers but the providers, mainly vodafone, over the last number of years they have increased the price of the topups to the retailer yet they keep the end value the same.

all the retailer wants to do is to try and maintain their margins.

its a big company abusing its position in the market, if they want to put up the prices then do so, but all they are doing is screwing the retailer who when he passes on the increase gets slated by the public.

oh stop with the shopkeeper whinging over a few cents! ye are still making more than enough from the top-ups to justify having the machine in store and if you are not then simply get rid of it!

Sam Vimes

foggy_lad wrote: »

oh stop with the shopkeeper whinging over a few cents! ye are still making more than enough from the top-ups to justify having the machine in store and if you are not then simply get rid of it!

it's a few cents to you. but a few cents by 50 customers a day is many cents

foggy_lad

Sam Vimes wrote: »

it's a few cents to you. but a few cents by 50 customers a day is many cents

as i said get rid of the machines then and save even more by not having to have a phone line connected to it and not having it plugged in increasing the esb bill!

Shelflife

foggy lad your grasp of business is poor to say the least, you dont want to listen to the reason behind the problem , and even when its pointed out to you that the problem is caused by the providors yet you still decide to berate the retailer.

Sam Vimes

foggy_lad wrote: »

as i said get rid of the machines then and save even more by not having to have a phone line connected to it and not having it plugged in increasing the esb bill!

and if the coke suppliers up their wholesale prices should get get rid of it?
and if the bread suppliers up their wholesale prices should get get rid of it?
and if the milk suppliers up their wholesale prices should get get rid of it?
and if the mars bar suppliers up their wholesale prices should get get rid of them?
and if the newspaper suppliers up their wholesale prices should get get rid of them?
and if the magazine suppliers up their wholesale prices should get get rid of them?

or should they do as businesses do and pass on the increased wholesale price to the consumer?

mikemac

Simple solution and someone posted it already.
If the shop doesn't have signs then assume they don't charge. Ask for your credit and if they lob on a surcharge tell them you'll go elsewhere and walk away.

The shop then has to cancel the credit or try to sell a pre-printed receipt to someone else.
They'll soon sort out their policy.

Besides you can top up at any ATM of your bank and who doesn't have an ATM card these days

foggy_lad

Sam Vimes wrote: »

and if the coke suppliers up their wholesale prices should get get rid of it?
and if the bread suppliers up their wholesale prices should get get rid of it?
and if the milk suppliers up their wholesale prices should get get rid of it?
and if the mars bar suppliers up their wholesale prices should get get rid of them?
and if the newspaper suppliers up their wholesale prices should get get rid of them?
and if the magazine suppliers up their wholesale prices should get get rid of them?

or should they do as businesses do and pass on the increased wholesale price to the consumer?

if a bottle of coke or any other product was priced at €2 and shopkeepers decided to sell it for €2.50 the suppliers wouldn't be long in discontinuing their supply.

also as is said to consumers all the time here if the shopkeepers do not like the price being offered by the mobile companies then dont stock their products!

mikemac

foggy_lad wrote: »

if a bottle of coke or any other product was priced at €2 and shopkeepers decided to sell it for €2.50 the suppliers wouldn't be long in discontinuing their supply.

But this already goes on!
You see a 2l bottle of coke and it's got special offer labelling with RRP of 1.59.
Shop still sells at 2.19

Much like my local Tesco.
Uncle Bens 500gm sauce jars are labelled 33% free.
How much do you think Tesco put up the price by on the 750gm jars

I haven't worked out percentages but not far off 33%!

Hey, I know it's legal and I know about invitation to treat, still poor form!

ScouseMouse

The issue of what someone pays for something has been flogged on boards for years and is not worth going over again.

It is up to the customer to decide if something is worth the price the retailer asks. If they dont like it, walk away.

You have no standing to demand the shop sells you a ten euro credit for ten euro. Just like the shop has no standing to demand the phone company does not increase the cost price while expecting the shop to take the hit.

If you have a problem with this, make a complaint to the phone company and see where that gets you - lip service of "oh thats terrible, they shouldn't be doing that"

They caused this.

Oh and one other thing, I charge the surcharge to. When vodaphone increased the cost to me, I put it straight onto the face value !

Sam Vimes

foggy_lad wrote: »

if a bottle of coke or any other product was priced at €2 and shopkeepers decided to sell it for €2.50 the suppliers wouldn't be long in discontinuing their supply.

but if the suppliers slap a big €2 across the bottle of coke and then sell it to the retailers for €1.99, it's hardly fair to the retailer now is it? They're entitled to make a profit on it

if the supplier starts selling it to them for €1 with the €2 label, then ups their price to €1.20, then €1.40, then €1.60 etc etc etc, do you honestly expect the retailer to just absorb all those losses with a smile? Because that's what happened with credit.

the networks are lucky because unlike most things, their product has a money value on it. if any other wholesaler puts up their price, the shop follows and everyone blames the wholesaler for putting up the price. But thick people just see the €10 amount written on the credit and can't understand that it's a product just like any other that the shop wants to make a profit on. The networks gouge the customers and the retailers get the blame.

foggy_lad wrote: »

also as is said to consumers all the time here if the shopkeepers do not like the price being offered by the mobile companies then dont stock their products!

i've never heard anyone say that except you in this thread. the shop around logic applies to consumers but a retailer can't just pick and choose what basic essentials it chooses to stock. they can't say to themselves "if i was to charge enough to make a profit on this it'd be too expensive so i won't stock it". That's an absolutely ridiculous suggestion

Kevin!

My brother who works for payzone has explained to me that for each transaction that is placed on the top up machine, there is a direct debit, which means every transaction that goes through there is a direct debit sir-charge,

I believe that payzone are trying to work out a system which when the retailer reaches a certain amount it will be direct debited rather than each transaction being charged.

Which means in some cases, if the retailer was to issue you credit he could be at a loss due to this issue.

I can nearly put the sur-charge down to this, but it could be somthing else.

Shelflife

Not quiet correct kevin, each time we print a topup its charged to our account straight away but only one direct debit is put through each week for your weekly invoice.

the reason for the surcharge is that the suppliers have increased the cost to the shops but refuse to change the value on the receipt.

it is a blatent abuse of position as we cannot source the top -ups from any one else.

ScouseMouse

Shelflife wrote: »

Not quiet correct kevin, each time we print a topup its charged to our account straight away but only one direct debit is put through each week for your weekly invoice.

the reason for the surcharge is that the suppliers have increased the cost to the shops but refuse to change the value on the receipt.

it is a blatent abuse of position as we cannot source the top -ups from any one else.

Here fecking here SHELFLIFE.

However the source in Payzone may be talking about billpay on the pink termial which is indeed taken two days after transaction. This starts me thinking, If I do one bill pay on a monday, and get 15c for it, then the bank charges me for 19c or whatever for the DD, then am I doing it at a loss? Me needs to look into that I think. COULD BE CAUSE FOR A SURCHARGE !! LOL :D:D