Centra Robinstown Mullingar. E5.60 for a roll

veryangryman

I purchased a roll from the deli today. White roll with sausage, bacon, hash brown and white pudding

After finishing it, I was about to bin the wrapping paper when I spotted the price set. E5.60 for "Roll with 7 pieces"

No problem, I thought. Simple mistake. I took the label back to the server who said "yes you got 7 parts". I said I did not and she said that they charge extra per sausage, rasher and pudding.

That is easily the biggest rip off I have encountered since the Celtic Tiger days.

Robinstown by name.....

L1011

Its a high enough price per item, but being charged per sausage, rasher and piece of pudding is absolutely normal. Two sausages, two rashers, two pieces of pudding and a hash brown is going to be 7 items basically everywhere.

callaway92

I will say fair play for going back in and questioning it. Too many people would walk away and say nothing which is frustrating.

That is definitely a rip-off due to it being what would probably be considered a standard breakfast roll.

Did you specifically ask them for an ‘extra’ sausage and ‘extra’ bacon and ‘extra’ pudding? Or did you ask for two of each? Or did you just ask for ‘sausage, bacon, pudding and hash brown’

veryangryman

callaway92 wrote: »

I will say fair play for going back in and questioning it. Too many people would walk away and say nothing which is frustrating.

That is definitely a rip-off due to it being what would probably be considered a standard breakfast roll.

Did you specifically ask them for an ‘extra’ sausage and ‘extra’ bacon and ‘extra’ pudding? Or did you ask for two of each? Or did you just ask for ‘sausage, bacon, pudding and hash brown’

Didn't use the word "extra". Not the plural of any item either. White roll with the 4 ingredients mentioned. The unit cost is indeed ridiculous. Outskirts of Mullingar. I'm pretty confident i'd struggle to find the same roll anywhere near that expensive in the country.

callaway92

veryangryman wrote: »

Didn't use the word "extra". Not the plural of any item either. White roll with the 4 ingredients mentioned. The unit cost is indeed ridiculous. Outskirts of Mullingar. I'm pretty confident i'd struggle to find the same roll anywhere near that expensive in the country.

Ya that’s really bad practice so by the shop.

‘Roll with Bacon, Sausage, Pudding and Hash Brown’ is a pretty clear request and they shafted you with that then.

Agreed too on the unit cost thing - Rip-off to the core and it really does bug me seeing people try to defend it.

Ideally, you’d go the extra step when in the shop and say you didn’t ask for two of each when you went back in.

For now though, A) I’m glad that you named the shop which will hopefully prevent others from going there or else getting caught, and I really hope you don’t give them any more business. Voting with your feet is so important and something I stand for big time.

c.p.w.g.w

If memory serves me, from my time working in a spar "deli" the markup on the hot counter is crazy high, all the food(including the rolls) came in frozen from cuisine de france

callaway92

c.p.w.g.w wrote: »

If memory serves me, from my time working in a spar "deli" the markup on the hot counter is crazy high, all the food(including the rolls) came in frozen from cuisine de france

There’s mark-up though and being scummy (which they were here)

rubadub

"Ya that’s really bad practice so by the shop."

I would have thought it illegal or at least a grey area. If I asked for a cod & chips and was dished up 3 cods and 5 portions of chips it is no different, to a judge anyway. But I would have noticed the high price right away, so I wonder why this was not, was it in amongst lots of other purchases? It was not a ludicrously high price anyway.

I am wondering if the OP would do anything differently in future? Any "in hindsight I should have..." recommendations to help others not be scammed like this.

This forum is sadly lacking a sticky thread of "how to avoid ripoffs", such as simple things like "in a bar actually ask what the price of pint will be in advance!!" some would sound sound like almost sarcastic Viz top tips, but places are taking the piss out of people as they know fine well it is "not the done thing", and people feel obliged to pay up as they might see the item, be it pint or sandwich, go to waste if they do not cough up the money for their bespoke request.

veryangryman

In terms of what i'd do differently in future... not much.

Meh I guess it's all relative. I don't check prices in most places for small purchases as I expect markup at petrol stations - I get they have margins that need sorting. But I do say that rp-offs should be called out. I hasten to add, to management and in writing. No point doing it while they're busy and/or you seem irate rather than thoughtful.

Archeron

My local deli in Meath do this. What I've had was a sambo with just two bacon in it, and I was charged for breakfast roll with seven items. When I asked her why she said that was the standard charge for any thing with hot food in it. I gave it back and haven't been there since as ripping people off badly is their standard practice.

fitzparker

A text message for the only recently changed over Centra in Courtown was doing the rounds advising staff

"As there was coffee wastage last week charge customers for a large no matter what size they take and only refund if they question it, just say you hit the wrong button"

Not great for a place only open a couple of months