It's not all the retailers fault

Blade

Theres certain goods and services where retailers in Ireland think they can get away with charging rediculous prices on. Coffee and drink are the main ones. 2.40 Euro for one cup of coffee is rediculous considering it costs about 20c to make. My G/F only came back from Italy and she went up to get 2 REAL Italian coffee's and she was asked for 1 Euro, she repeated herself saying she wanted 2 coffees not 1 and the girl at the counter said 'yes I know their 50c each'. However you'll probably find they'll charge 2.40 Euro in Venice or Paris!

Dublin was always more expensive then the rest of the country but even more so now since the celtic tiger and the tourist boom. Dublin City is unreal for Coffee houses which are considered trendy places, note the way McDonalds have moved into Coffees more now as theres been a massive increase in coffee consumption in Ireland over the last few years. Pubs and clubs in Dublin City will charge whatever they can get away with especially when they're packed out the door at the best of times. Look at Viva we were in at the boards beers, at one stage I was waiting nearly 30 mins for a drink, had they served me quickly like in my local I'da drank an extra 2 pints in that time! These places are so packed that they can't move the drink out fast enough so they settle on higher prices and less sales. Don't forget that rents and leases on places like this in the middle of Dublin are astronomical as is their staff wages and insurance costs among other things.

However I'm not defending these particular types of places because I know they've gone way over the top with their prices in touristy areas as they have done in every other major city in Europe. When people complain about the cost of living in Ireland being second worst only to Finland they should NOT be looking at the cost of food and drinks in trendy or tourist areas because if that was the case then Paris and Venice would be way up there much dearer than Dublin, Waterford etc. These types of places can afford to charge as much as possible until their sales go down and their places start emptying out because people just can't afford to go to them any more, however judging by the amount of pubs and clubs in Dublin city and the fact that their always full as an egg I can only see prices rocketing even more and theres nothing anyone here can do about it except stop drinking in such places and stay away from the cities. If you live in the city then tough, such is life, everyones well aware that living in any capital city is going to cost a fortune for food and drink and indeed rent and housing. It's a choice you can make yourself.

However retailers who aren't in tourist areas and who are only charging higher prices now because they have to should not be brought into this debate and accused of being responsible for the high cost of living in this country, please read my other post regarding these retailers and why I feel the government here is to blame for the rediculous cost of living in Ireland:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?postid=574677#post574677

Xterminator

I see your point, and its well put.

But what the consumer is unhappy with is unexplained price hikes.

I went into a newsagents on Westmoreland St. to purchase a Vodaphone top up last week, and they had a printed sheet on display explaining the handling charges, and why the shop was levying them.
I didnt blame the shop one iota for what was Vodaphones change in the system.

But when you walk into a shop/pub/resturant etc and you find the prices have been hiked, then the consumer will get the hump.
If the retailer/service provider has good reason to implement €x increase, then they could do a better job explaining it.

I accept the cost of doing business has risen, but i dont accept blatent profiteering. The example of the cost of a making a cup of coffee vs the cost of purchasing one is a prime example of an instance where retailers are profiteering.

X

DannyD

I noticed in Galway that they are throwing €0.40 onto Vodaphone cards.In Cork there are signs at the newsagents that they are NOT charging any extra.After all a €10.00 phone card is a €10.00 phone cards.If I wanted a €10.40 phone card I would ask for one.

Repli

Danny they're doing that everywhere not just Galway ;P

Blade

Well guys the phone card situation isn't related in any way with the Euro, it's a dispute between Vodaphone and their distributors which would have happened anyway even if the Euro never came in. But while your on the subject, I see this levy as a type of protest from the distributors to try and force Voda to remove the levy and give them a fair percentage. It should work and eventually go back to the face value whatever way the issue is resolved.

Meh

Also, if you're with Vodafone and Bank of Ireland, you can avoid the 40¢ fee by topping up your phone at a Bank of Ireland ATM.