Companies who upped their prices during the pandemic - price gougers, or simple suppl

el Fenomeno

Edit: didn't realise the title had exceeded character limits. Was supposed to finish with "supply and demand".

I was reading a debate (to put a generous title on it) between some commenters on Facebook page this evening, and they were discussing (and by discussing, I mean completely ignoring each others points and just repeating their own) companies who raised their prices during the pandemic.

A national sports/fitness equipment company were mentioned as having added - in some cases - hundreds of euros onto the prices of some of their gear due to the increase in demand, and with gyms reopening were now advertising a return to their normal prices as a sale.

Also mentioned were the crazy prices being charged for the likes of masks and hand sanitizer back when this all began.

What side of the argument do you land on? Free to do what they want as supply and demand dictates, or price gougers who's actions should not be forgotten?

el Fenomeno

el Fenomeno wrote: »

What side of the argument do you land on? Free to do what they want as supply and demand dictates, or price gougers who's actions should not be forgotten?

Both

Free to do it.

Shouldn't be forgotten.

JustAThought

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Both

Free to do it.

Shouldn't be forgotten.

I think I’d be more likely to remember the covid cheats who were willing to risk healthcare wirkers health & their community /teachers etc by having parties/ multiple different households in etc.

Also the gougers going door to door trying to drum up business for non essential illegal work in peoples houses and locally illegal home hairdressers etc.

Big one for some of the big so called caring family funeral homes charging for services they were not legally allowed provide and did not provide but hiding it in dumbed down itemised bills. Paracites & gougers of the worst type.

lintdrummer

Some things, such as the masks at the beginning of the pandemic was mostly gouging. There was a sudden massive demand and they could charge what they liked for them.
Other things such as sports equipment are probably a bit of gouging and a bit of supply chain issues as a result of the pandemic. Factory outputs reduced, demand up because gyms are closed, prices go up.

85603

ripples all the way down from the manufacturer in some cases though, doesn't it.
the price increase.

and the suppliers of the manufacturer can even be involved too.

and if your competition are grabbing market share, even at inflated prices, then you've got to join in or risk becoming irrelevant. so its important to find who the real scumbag is. the retailer may just be passing on the rip off.

in some cases the answer is in the final consumers hands, simply dont buy.
alternatives are usually available. or just wait out the scalpers.

hurikane

What ever came of this companies that sprung up over night and were awarded large government contracts? Some were supplying shoddy ppe and dodgy hand sanitiser

hot buttered scones

All I can see from trying to plan a "staycation" is that the likes of hotels, air bnbs etc are charging ridiculous money - hundreds a night for some places. I was all for spending my hard earned cash here over the summer, but gouging like that just turns me off. Even Ryanair aren't this bad. I get it - some people are trying to make back the money they lost during lockdown. But while some may be desperate enough to pay it this year, I don't think this is the way to guarantee yourself repeat custom. Sure, they are free to do it but we are also free not to accept it. All sense of solidarity has left me to be honest and I'm just going to save my money and spend it abroad at the first opportunity.

Joeseph Balls

I'm in purchasing, and I can tell you, in my area, shops are not gouging.
Fp2 masks have have doubled in price from suppliers. Nitrile gloves have tripled. Supply is a major issue too with silly things, like component parts, which is having a serious impact on stock levels.
But any increases is all trickelling down from suppliers. Your local shop isn't making anymore than what they were before, and most likely, the profit margins are less now.

Church on Tuesday

el Fenomeno wrote: »

Edit: didn't realise the title had exceeded character limits. Was supposed to finish with "supply and demand".

I was reading a debate (to put a generous title on it) between some commenters on Facebook page this evening, and they were discussing (and by discussing, I mean completely ignoring each others points and just repeating their own) companies who raised their prices during the pandemic.

A national sports/fitness equipment company were mentioned as having added - in some cases - hundreds of euros onto the prices of some of their gear due to the increase in demand, and with gyms reopening were now advertising a return to their normal prices as a sale.

Also mentioned were the crazy prices being charged for the likes of masks and hand sanitizer back when this all began.

What side of the argument do you land on? Free to do what they want as supply and demand dictates, or price gougers who's actions should not be forgotten?

Always a bastion of common sense in the comments section.

Non covid gear as in ppe, just business.

Critically needed items, gouging.

Like the nightclubs turning the water off and charging stupid money for bottled water in the 90s.

When stuff that is manufactured on the other side of the world and takes months to get here doubles in price overnight at retail it's good to make a note of those retailers. Later on yeah supply constraints made a big difference.
Similar to when oil prices rise and they throw up price at the pump the next day. As if they're buying direct from the well.

the beer revolu

Joeseph Balls wrote: »

I'm in purchasing, and I can tell you, in my area, shops are not gouging.
Fp2 masks have have doubled in price from suppliers. Nitrile gloves have tripled. Supply is a major issue too with silly things, like component parts, which is having a serious impact on stock levels.
But any increases is all trickelling down from suppliers. Your local shop isn't making anymore than what they were before, and most likely, the profit margins are less now.

This.
On a thread last year, a poster was lambasting a local pharmacy over the price they were charging for hand sanitizer while having zero clue how much the pharmacy had paid for the goods. No problem naming and shaming them with no evidence.
No doubt would have been upset if they had none in stock, too.

meeeeh

A lot of businesses will have a lot more cost and made huge losses. Excepting rock bottom prices from hotels which were closed and are now completely booked is a bit naive. Not to mention that hospitality was always expensive in Ireland. Countries with high cost of labour have higher priced services and hospitality. Nobody wants for their own wages to be lowered but somehow they expect cheap hospitality and people there paid even less than they are.

There are also issues with certain supplies. Metals are in high demand and prices are rocketing. Wood and building materials are similar. There are international pressures that will affect a lot of sectors.

branie2

Terrible thing to do

SEPT 23 1989

The cost of shipping has gone through the roof

corks finest

el Fenomeno wrote: »

Edit: didn't realise the title had exceeded character limits. Was supposed to finish with "supply and demand".

I was reading a debate (to put a generous title on it) between some commenters on Facebook page this evening, and they were discussing (and by discussing, I mean completely ignoring each others points and just repeating their own) companies who raised their prices during the pandemic.

A national sports/fitness equipment company were mentioned as having added - in some cases - hundreds of euros onto the prices of some of their gear due to the increase in demand, and with gyms reopening were now advertising a return to their normal prices as a sale.

Also mentioned were the crazy prices being charged for the likes of masks and hand sanitizer back when this all began.

What side of the argument do you land on? Free to do what they want as supply and demand dictates, or price gougers who's actions should not be forgotten?

All my local stores Aldi Lidl Dunne’s and SuperValu

banie01

On the reopening of Barbers and the huge jump in prices.
It's gone from an average €14 in my local area, to €21:eek:

I know lockdown has been tough on service businesses, but I'd rather look like Geldof than give money to someone trying to ride me without even the courtesy of a reach around!

Captain Havoc

The OPW are opening their sites for free this year, which I thought was very kind of them. A lot of the ridiculous staycation prices are being publicized which is unfortunate as most of the B&Bs and hotels are not gouging but receiving absolutely no publicity. My own business has kept the same price from two years ago.

Merak

I was at my dentist on Friday and there's a €5 charge for PPE. The dentist wore a long gown and a face mask. She followed me out to hand over my paperwork to the receptionist and brought in the next person straight away. So what was I paying €5 for? She didn't even change her mask. Does this qualify as price gouging?

Ubbquittious

Don't forget the big Brex for pushing up prices as well. A lot of stuff used to come from UK or was at least being pumped through the UK from China

twowheelsonly

banie01 wrote: »

On the reopening of Barbers and the huge jump in prices.
It's gone from an average €14 in my local area, to €21:eek:

I've heard of one local barbers that went from €20 last year to €25 at Christmas and now €40. God help you if you have a beard because a haircut and beard trim is now €60 !!

My own local fella will never see me again. No idea what he's charging now but he worked by appointment throughout the whole pandemic (in his own shop - windows blacked out), bitched and moaned about being closed but had no problem claiming the PUP payment. My own young fella, who got his hair cut there the day before his wedding and a close neighbour, who also had his hair cut for a family event, both told me the exact same thing so I have no reason to doubt it.

pgj2015

Certain publicans in my local town rammed as many people as they could fit into their pubs in the nights before Christmas 2020, they will never see my money again.

Muahahaha

Got a haircut for 20 quid on Friday and tbh I would have paid 30 such was the relief. But for the next one I'll be looking for a place that charges the usual 14/15 or so.

Was in an independent coffee shop and charged 3.70 for an Americano which I thought was a bit steep. It feels like only a short while ago that they broke the 3 euro barrier and now they're hurtling quickly to break the 4 euro one too. Not sure what a latte was but probably over 4 already. Jacking their prices up like that might be counterproductive because a lot of people bought high end coffee machines for their homes during lockdown and can now make coffee just as good as the coffee shops. Less people going to offices will be a factor for them too.

Not retail gouging but during the lockdown I thought it was a bit off the way all the main universities didnt give students any discount on their fees to reflect entire campuses not being open, libraries closed, gyms shut, etc. I think Waterford IT gave them 10% off or something like that but all the others were still charging students full whack. If you are an international student paying 10 or 12k a year you must feel pretty shortchanged after a year of Zoom lectures and little else.

Strumms

Merak wrote: »

I was at my dentist on Friday and there's a €5 charge for PPE. The dentist wore a long gown and a face mask. She followed me out to hand over my paperwork to the receptionist and brought in the next person straight away. So what was I paying €5 for? She didn't even change her mask. Does this qualify as price gouging?

I’d be changing my dentist..

What next, an extra charge from October to April to pay for heating the place ?

Dentists wear PPE regularly anyway, They already purchase and wear in non covid times...

Hand sanitizer

Surgical gowns

Gloves

Surgical Face Masks...

They buy in bulk from medical wholesalers...

That is a minimal extra cost and shouldn’t be passed on to the customer.

5 quid for a mask ? A medical grade mask retails for less then a euro per mask. That’s retail not wholesale...

Cheeky pricks.

Strumms

Muahahaha wrote: »

Got a haircut for 20 quid on Friday and tbh I would have paid 30 such was the relief. But for the next one I'll be looking for a place that charges the usual 14/15 or so.

Was in an independent coffee shop and charged 3.70 for an Americano which I thought was a bit steep. It feels like only a short while ago that they broke the 3 euro barrier and now they're hurtling quickly to break the 4 euro one too. Not sure what a latte was but probably over 4 already. Jacking their prices up like that might be counterproductive because a lot of people bought high end coffee machines for their homes during lockdown and can now make coffee just as good as the coffee shops. Less people going to offices will be a factor for them too.

Not retail gouging but during the lockdown I thought it was a bit off the way all the main universities didnt give students any discount on their fees to reflect entire campuses not being open, libraries closed, gyms shut, etc. I think Waterford IT gave them 10% off or something like that but all the others were still charging students full whack. If you are an international student paying 10 or 12k a year you must feel pretty shortchanged after a year of Zoom lectures and little else.

You would feel shortchanged...

The university/college is saving massively on...

Contractor costs - Cleaning, security, maintenance, etc...

Supplies - stationery, photocopier rental, tea, coffee,

Energy

Heat

Could have in good faith offered 25% off the fees..

Geuze

Muahahaha wrote: »

Not retail gouging but during the lockdown I thought it was a bit off the way all the main universities didnt give students any discount on their fees to reflect entire campuses not being open, libraries closed, gyms shut, etc. I think Waterford IT gave them 10% off or something like that but all the others were still charging students full whack. If you are an international student paying 10 or 12k a year you must feel pretty shortchanged after a year of Zoom lectures and little else.

In terms of undergrad, the HEI sets the fee, and the State pays the fee, except for the 3,000 "student contribution".

The State control the 3k.

So I suspect the HEI hands are tied here, they don't have much control.


Now, in terms of postgrad fees / international fees, the HEI has much more control.

Not sure what to think of the coffee carts charging €4 etc for coffees. Fair play for getting a business going, and it mightn’t last long, but quite expensive.

Also the whole charging 50c for a dash of a flavour of syrup from a bottle that costs about €3. Nice profit there.

I wonder will pubs chicken wings remain at €9 per portion after last summers €9 meal debacle, if they do that’s definitely gouging.

GT89

Muahahaha wrote: »

Got a haircut for 20 quid on Friday and tbh I would have paid 30 such was the relief. But for the next one I'll be looking for a place that charges the usual 14/15 or so.

Was in an independent coffee shop and charged 3.70 for an Americano which I thought was a bit steep. It feels like only a short while ago that they broke the 3 euro barrier and now they're hurtling quickly to break the 4 euro one too. Not sure what a latte was but probably over 4 already. Jacking their prices up like that might be counterproductive because a lot of people bought high end coffee machines for their homes during lockdown and can now make coffee just as good as the coffee shops. Less people going to offices will be a factor for them too.

Not retail gouging but during the lockdown I thought it was a bit off the way all the main universities didnt give students any discount on their fees to reflect entire campuses not being open, libraries closed, gyms shut, etc. I think Waterford IT gave them 10% off or something like that but all the others were still charging students full whack. If you are an international student paying 10 or 12k a year you must feel pretty shortchanged after a year of Zoom lectures and little else.

The price of a haircut in a barbers seemed to be going up year after year even prior to covid and then when they reopened they really have laid it on thick. I remember during the recession my local barbers charged €8 for a haircut on Mondays and Tuesdays and a tenner the rest of the week. They now charge €20 since covid and they charged something like €18 before covid.

The only thing that's changed since is they're using disposable plastic gowns to put over you instead of fabric ones. The staff don't change mask between customers. I doubt those gowns are worth the €2 price increase so me thinks they're lying it on thick a bit.

Potential-Monke

I don't notice many things, but I have noticed that pre-pandemic the price of a 24 can pack of Diet Coke was normally €12 down to €10/8 during special offers. Now it's €15.50 "normal" and down to €12/13 during "special offers". Smaller multipack sizes have also increased.

suicide_circus

Captain Havoc wrote: »

The OPW are opening their sites for free this year, which I thought was very kind of them.

just a point of order, places maintained by the OPW belong to us and we already pay for them so while it's good that theyre not charging, i dont think "kind" is the appropriate word

YFlyer

hurikane wrote: »

What ever came of this companies that sprung up over night and were awarded large government contracts? Some were supplying shoddy ppe and dodgy hand sanitiser

Give examples please?

paw patrol

airbnb at the min would break your heart

1500e a week for a gaff in donegal .
same area and type of house normally rents 90e a week for standard letting

I'll be off abroad thanks.

Muahahaha

YFlyer wrote: »

Give examples please?

The main one I remember was the Irish music festival promoter in Dubai who with a company with no trading history somehow got into the medical supply business and sold the HSE 14 million quid worth of ventilators which ended up not working to standard and were never used. The HSE paid cash up front for a load of cheap junk.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40191468.html

I haven't noticed much price gouging except for one local takeaway who I now avoid. Started cutting my own hair too, so won't be going back to barbers.

antimatterx

Tbf to coffee shops, the price of raw coffee has shot up over the last year. Inflation is alive and well.

ednwireland

paw patrol wrote: »

airbnb at the min would break your heart

1500e a week for a gaff in donegal .
same area and type of house normally rents 90e a week for standard letting

I'll be off abroad thanks.

i can get a suite in a sheraton for a week for half that

1huge1

My local Grafton barbers has now gone up to €26, I was paying €16 just 3 years ago (which was expensive at the time)

The cost of alcohol has definitely gone up so far this year, though a lot of it seems to be down to government leglisation on promotions, with it due to get significantly worse when minimum unit pricing comes in early next year.

Supermarkets seem to have increased in price, I'm sure Brexit and global capacity constraints due to covid are playing a significantly role in this. I'll be interested to see once logistics and manufacturing are back at pre-covid capacity will we see price decreases.

antimatterx

1huge1 wrote: »

My local Grafton barbers has now gone up to €26, I was paying €16 just 3 years ago (which was expensive at the time)

The cost of alcohol has definitely gone up so far this year, though a lot of it seems to be down to government leglisation on promotions, with it due to get significantly worse when minimum unit pricing comes in early next year.

Supermarkets seem to have increased in price, I'm sure Brexit and global capacity constraints due to graftocovid are playing a significantly role in this. I'll be interested to see once logistics and manufacturing are back at pre-covid capacity will we see price decreases.

Grafton were always robbing bastards unless you were a student tbf

Joeseph Balls

YFlyer wrote: »

Give examples please?

The one that sold the sub par sanitizer to the schools. They were a breakaway company from one I deal with. They had a turnover of a ridiculously low number a year before and then were awarded a what, 8 mill contract for sanitizer
Most of the staff have gone back to the old company.

2lazytogetup

i know one company that supplied food and drink to restaurants. they changed to supplying hand sanitizer and dispenser/signs for 500euros a pop. crazy money.

Tesco dont have as many offers anymore. and their 9cent noodles and 40cent toothpaste disappeared months ago.

beggars_bush

Captain Havoc wrote: »

The OPW are opening their sites for free this year, which I thought was very kind of them. A lot of the ridiculous staycation prices are being publicized which is unfortunate as most of the B&Bs and hotels are not gouging but receiving absolutely no publicity. My own business has kept the same price from two years ago.

We got very reasonably priced accommodation last summer for 2 weeks
same for this summer, but a different location

people complaining seem to forget most people book their holidays in January or February and don't wait until May