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Rip off clare

homer simpson

hi all, this isn't to start a slagging match here but want native clare peoples views on this.

Myself and my girlfriend decided we were going to head down the clare coast to take in the burren ect and head into enis for the night then come up the road this morning. i called into ballyvaughan tourist office as we were ahead of timein an effort to find something to do for a few hours, were told to go to the aillwee cave, took her advice and went there. We were in the Q to get in with a few cars behind us when we were greated by an arragent woman asking for €34 to get in if i could have reversed i back again i would have its an absolute disgrace the price that is charged, to go in and see a very dissapointing cave with nothing exciting in it being given by a tour guide who was vey hard to listen to cos of her americian accent. we then went into the bird of pray exhibit to find 5 of the same type of bird and a few owls and a raven in cages! price is not justified at all it wouldn't even be worth €10 each never mind €17 each.

Then im sure you dont need to be told that the cliffs of moher are a rip off, come up to sleive league the highest sea cliffs in europe free of charge!

Its a lovely county in places but the prices of things are way to expensive i cant help but feel that a tourist comming away from clare would be thinking jes it was expensive. i cant help but feel that with the prices its just pushing tourists away not bringing them in.

Dean , Donegal.

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Stuxnet

agreed, its complete rip off, native clare man myself, and have done these trips in the last year,
thats why the country is the way it is, pure greed, squeeze as much as you can from the man,

greed greed greed

Run_to_da_hills

Use to go the Cliffs of Moher regularly until they jacked up fees, haven't bothered returning since, real looses is the coffee shop and restaurant.

ktc1

Yup, did a quick reverse during the summer, when we were quoted €17 each + €10 each for the two kids for a grand total of €54 !! Their website talks about a family ticket "from" €39, but this wasn't mentioned to us at all. Went to Fanore beach for free instead.

Makes the basic Cliffs of Moher car deal of €8 look good by comparison

finbarrk

Ah What are ye ranting about the Cliffs of Moher for? It's only €8 for a car. That could be less than €2 each. FFS if ye consider that expensive ye shouldn't step outside the door.

homer simpson

finbarrk wrote: »

Ah What are ye ranting about the Cliffs of Moher for? It's only €8 for a car. That could be less than €2 each. FFS if ye consider that expensive ye shouldn't step outside the door.

Its expensive when you compair it to prices to access other cliffs is it not? and its 8 for the car park, then you have to pay to get into the visitor centre and then if you want the tour, i can't see how you can defend the prices... must check to see haw much it is into the grand canyon.....

For a 7 day pass its $12 per person or its $25 for a vechicle pass for 7 days! and the cliffs of moher are mickey mouse compaired to grand canyon

Dr Kamikazi

Some nice cliffs in Kilkee, granted not as big as Moher, but free parking and a nice cafe. ALso, I quite like Kilkee in general.
Check out the steamengine in Moyasta, that's quite a blast and the guy who runs it has a thousand and one stories to tell.
Quilty is nice, but you'll have to bring a packed lunch, but no hassle, lovely white beach and quiet.
White Strand is good too and nice walks along some interesting shoreline.
Most of the really nice stuff is off the beaten track, the "main attractions" really are mostly overcrowded, overpriced and it's rules, rules, rules.
At the cliffs you can't even approach the edge anymore, there's a guy WITH A WHISTLE, whisteling at you. Pure Father Ted!
If anyone wants to jump he won't be stopped by a whistle, endresult is that the one thing I liked doing, which was going right to the edge and looking down is now ruined for me.
And don't mind that bleeding heart health and safety sh*t, I'm on a day off and if I want to do something, I'll do it.
Oh, Loop Head at the lighthouse, lovely and spectacular view.
And no bleedin' whistles!

zenmonk

The cliffs at €8 for parking is a rip off - pure and simple, Clare co. co. are crooks. We park beside Considines bar on the hill and walk across the fields to the Cliffs.
€2 - €3 is plenty.

Run_to_da_hills

finbarrk wrote: »

Ah What are ye ranting about the Cliffs of Moher for? It's only €8 for a car. That could be less than €2 each. FFS if ye consider that expensive ye shouldn't step outside the door.

Its bloody expensive for locals that used to use the place on a regular basis. Thats E8 per person on their own or E4 a couple. It was bad enough being over charged for coffee and snacks. In surprised that they don't charge extra for dogs.

I was shocked to see traffic wardens ticketing cars at a disused lay by about half a mile up the road. There are plenty of other places in the county that are FOC that would surpass this as a choice on a Sunday.

loctite

Dr Kamikazi wrote: »

Pure Father Ted!

ha ha ... it is too.

It is way over priced... but still Moher (I think!) have still announced that they have made losses of 200K this year. Is it the costs of doing business in Ireland?

Not to try and defend these people but, a lot of these facilties, as you well know in West Clare are seasonal, and IMO they are damned if they do and damned if they don't. What I mean by this is if they try to make money, (by charging higher prices) they upset their customers, If they don't charge enough and make losses, they have to be constantly bailed out by Co.Council grants etc and become a drain on local government coffers and our taxes.

For example; Pools in Kilkee and Lahinch are constantly making losses and are always having to be bailed out. These businesses need to charge high prices to survive. The other side of the coin is to shut them down and add to the live register.

IMO our wages drive prices up. Some people say leccy bill do, but when you have the average wage of cica 130K in Poolbeg and Kilrush, I'm not surprised the ESB rates are so high... Three cheers to the unions!!!

Dr Kamikazi

I liked the cliffs they way they used to be, a lot more accessible and less bullsh1t.
They're trying to make something out of not exactly nothing, but it just reminds you of a fairground attraction, just missing the candy floss salesmen.
A nice touch are the enormous
KEEP OUT PRIVATE PROPERTY NO PUBLIC PATH DANGEROUS KEEP TO THE CAFÉ AREA WHERE YOU CAN GIVE US MONEY LIKE A GOOD LITTLE BOY HOW DARE YOU TRY TO ENJOY ANYTHING FOR FREE
signs.
There should be walkways, not just at the cliffs, but connecting the cliffs, Doolin, Lahinch and the Burren in general.
But of course we don't want smelly unwashed hikers with no money.
We want rich yanks that stay in Dromoland, play golf, eat out, hire cars and generally throw a lot of money around.
It's this "ah jaysus, you wouldn't do noti'in' round here wit' no money" attitude that really goes down well with most European tourists and (letting you in on a secret) the yanks are catching on.
A lot of tourist attractions seem to operate on the "one born every minute" and "sure there's plenty more where he came from" and "give me your money, now f*ck off" principle.
There are plenty of places where you can get your kicks for free

, but you have to know them.
The rest are nothing more than tourist traps, need I even mention Bunratty?

Harpic

Visiting the Cliffs Of Moher is the biggest rip off.The money is used by Clare County council goes to fund their junkets abroad which they are famous for.
Went to see the Twelve Apostles in Australia.They had a big carpark there opposite along with a visitors centre .
All for the cost of $0

celliman

go to kilkee the cliffs there are spectacular nice walkways and a cafe all free

buck65

The reason the Cliffs lost money is beacause they build these big "interpretative centres" with their cafes and restaurants and toilet facilities - fair enough, then they staff them, probably paying too much to staff and with too many employees in off season etc. Then they build a big car park and screw the customer to pay for all the above!
It is all great economics until the customer decides to go elsewhere where they are not screwed and appreciated.
Then they lose money and to pay for the loss the taxpayer comes in and some wise old sage will say ...
Ok we had 100,000 customers last year who paid an average of €8 for parking , €3 for coffee and scone yielding €1.1m in sales. We lost €200,000 so next year we will ...charge €10 for parking and €3.50 for coffee and scone and make a good profit.
:rolleyes:
plus we are losing about 11% a year in foreign tourists

Jim Martin

buck65 wrote: »

The reason the Cliffs lost money is beacause they build these big "interpretative centres" with their cafes and restaurants and toilet facilities - fair enough, then they staff them, probably paying too much to staff and with too many employees in off season etc. Then they build a big car park and screw the customer to pay for all the above!
It is all great economics until the customer decides to go elsewhere where they are not screwed and appreciated.
Then they lose money and to pay for the loss the taxpayer comes in and some wise old sage will say ...
Ok we had 100,000 customers last year who paid an average of €8 for parking , €3 for coffee and scone yielding €1.1m in sales. We lost €200,000 so next year we will ...charge €10 for parking and €3.50 for coffee and scone and make a good profit.
:rolleyes:
plus we are losing about 11% a year in foreign tourists

The local press recently reported that the Cliffs staff were faced with either losing jobs or taking less money so, after days of meetings, the staff agreed to work less hours. The whole country needs to bring down the cost of living in order to make it internationally competitive, this means lower VAT, lower wages, therefore lower prices - until that happens, the downwards spiral will continue. Many people keep saying the country lacks leadership although it continues to bale out the banks which are still paying out obscene amounts of money to their "fat cats"! We desperately need to get out of this vicious circle, at the moment, we just seem to be re-arranging the deckchairs on the deck of the sinking 'Titanic'!

Teadrinker

Seems the staff's three day week,which they will be on till February or so, means an 18% paycut. Like most Clare people I regularly bring visitors and family from abroad to the cliffs about 4 of 5 times a year but this year only had cause to go once. I hated the idea of the new centre, having grown up going there when there was no staff and my brothers and I had the usual great fun hiding on the edge levels and waiting till the parents were hoarse from calling us and reduced to praying hysterically to God, before we came out of hiding. (Odd that they brought us so regularly). But the new centre is impressive, great for overseas visitors and kids and good for something to do there when the weather's bad or clouds are obscuring the view. The cost is significant but, to be honest, I would, in the good old pre recession days, regularly end up wasting more in the Rock Shop in Liscannor on bits of blingy rock nick nacks and coffee. Would be good if there was a loyalty card system for repeat visitors to the cliffs within a yearly period. Would keep the Clare people, who bring loads of their visitors there, sweet.

ollaetta

Totally agree re entrance fees but it's not just in Clare. Visited St. Patrick's Catherdral in Dublin recently and the entry fee was €5.50 a head. When I'm abroad I usually have a gander at catherdrals etc. and have rarely had to pay anything more than a voluntary donation.

At a loose end on the Bank Holiday weekend I went down to the Bunratty Folk Park with the OH. I nearly gagged at being asked for €33 for the two of us! Crazy stuff altogether.

loctite

buck65 wrote: »

The reason the Cliffs lost money is beacause they build these big "interpretative centres" with their cafes and restaurants and toilet facilities - fair enough, then they staff them, probably paying too much to staff and with too many employees in off season etc. Then they build a big car park and screw the customer to pay for all the above!
It is all great economics until the customer decides to go elsewhere where they are not screwed and appreciated.

Perhaps the interpretive centre is overkill but the building of these centres do not solely account for the loss. The costs of these centres would be allocated over the useful economic life of the asset, so would probably not be the major contribution in the loss, plus this figure can be manipulated so as reduce losses.

And enough with the screwing already!! You'd swear there was a porn show on the cliffs.

Incase some of you are unaware parking rates elsewhere in this country aren't cheap either. I went to Limerick last week and payed 9.50 in car parking. I was also in Cork for less than 4 hours and I was charged something similar. Nobody is required to use the visitors centre, or to buy coffee or a scone... and if you feel the prices are too high, bring a flask.

As for the staffing levels, there is something that is becoming increasingly rare in this country and even more so on the west coast of Ireland, employment. So if this centre is having to hike up prices to provide some, well I'd rather see higher prices IMO.

Lets hope that nobody feels that the services/ products you provide Buck65 are over priced and see that you become surplus to requirements.

buck65

All very well loctite but my point is - lowering the price sometimes brings in increased business! Something half the country seem to be ignorant of.

murraymarmalade

rip of clare contd

templegate hotel 2.65 for a 200ml bottle of coke.good god how is this place still open,once bitten twice shy in my case.:mad:

finbarrk

zenmonk wrote: »

The cliffs at €8 for parking is a rip off - pure and simple, Clare co. co. are crooks. We park beside Considines bar on the hill and walk across the fields to the Cliffs.
€2 - €3 is plenty.

Jesus ye are a great help to the economy. For the sake of the price of 2 pints ye walk across other peoples land presumably without permission.
And I guess Considines Bar don't score out of ye either.

blueshark22

homer_simpson wrote: »

hi all, this isn't to start a slagging match here but want native clare peoples views on this.

Myself and my girlfriend decided we were going to head down the clare coast to take in the burren ect and head into enis for the night then come up the road this morning. i called into ballyvaughan tourist office as we were ahead of timein an effort to find something to do for a few hours, were told to go to the aillwee cave, took her advice and went there. We were in the Q to get in with a few cars behind us when we were greated by an arragent woman asking for €34 to get in if i could have reversed i back again i would have its an absolute disgrace the price that is charged, to go in and see a very dissapointing cave with nothing exciting in it being given by a tour guide who was vey hard to listen to cos of her americian accent. we then went into the bird of pray exhibit to find 5 of the same type of bird and a few owls and a raven in cages! price is not justified at all it wouldn't even be worth €10 each never mind €17 each.

Then im sure you dont need to be told that the cliffs of moher are a rip off, come up to sleive league the highest sea cliffs in europe free of charge!

Its a lovely county in places but the prices of things are way to expensive i cant help but feel that a tourist comming away from clare would be thinking jes it was expensive. i cant help but feel that with the prices its just pushing tourists away not bringing them in.

Dean , Donegal.

Hey Dean
Myself and two pals went to ailwee caves 3/4 years ago purely for something to do on a sunday and we were all students at the time, i honestly can't remember the cost but none of us were put out by it so it mustn't have been too bad then... i also remember having a great time there so .... maybe it's just my own thoughts on it .... id a great time anyway and as for moher .... ya agree the parking charge is probably ridiculous but jes*s the view, i've been all over the world and there is nowhere else id rather look out onto .... my view ... its biased but ... my view

loctite

buck65 wrote: »

All very well loctite but my point is - lowering the price sometimes brings in increased business! Something half the country seem to be ignorant of.

Or may serve to reduce revenues even further, like you stated previously. Tourist figures down 11%, how will dropping prices get them out of a hole?? Also depends on elasticities of demand. If less revenue will flow toward the centre, how is that going to help? You can't blame Irelands prices for dropping tourist figures. Of course it doesn't help, but most of the western world is or has been in recession for the last 2 years, surely this contributes for a drop in numbers too.

I take your point. But it is not that straight forward. I know a certain facility which has dropped its prices by 15% in the last two season and has now a gapping hole in its accounts to fill. And STILL customers complain about high prices.

I still maintain that we have high prices because the cost of labour and services and it is because of these high costs that you and I have money in our pockets, because we the labour force are part of the problem. You may argue that private sector wages are falling and that these price changes should be passed on to the consumer but tax charges will only maintain prices high. Vicious circle

DanGlee

OK, this is coming from a totally naive non-native, who has never been to the cliffs, but, what is there to charge for? Its a cliff face? How much can they hide it that you need to go to a certain special €8 spot to see it? Can't you walk/drive along the road and view it in its almighty splendor from a distance?

It does sound like a total rip

loctite

DanGlee wrote: »

OK, this is coming from a totally naive non-native, who has never been to the cliffs, but, what is there to charge for? Its a cliff face? How much can they hide it that you need to go to a certain special €8 spot to see it? Can't you walk/drive along the road and view it in its almighty splendor from a distance?

It does sound like a total rip

you will have to go visit so to find out for yourself!!

buck65

You can't really see it from the roadside though.
It's probably worth it to see it once, it just puts off the repeat business by charging so much.
I live in Ennis and in the past would visit the Cliffs 3/4 times a year. I have been twice in the past few years since the carpark charges went high.

BLITZ_Molloy

loctite wrote: »

And enough with the screwing already!! You'd swear there was a porn show on the cliffs.

Considering the losses the venue is sustaining I don't think we should rule anything out at this stage.

Mr. Presentable

DanGlee wrote: »

OK, this is coming from a totally naive non-native, who has never been to the cliffs, but, what is there to charge for? Its a cliff face? How much can they hide it that you need to go to a certain special €8 spot to see it? Can't you walk/drive along the road and view it in its almighty splendor from a distance?

It does sound like a total rip

The €8.00 is for the parking.

Outrageous nonetheless.

homer simpson

I honestly can't see how or even why people are comming here to defend the price's! Them caves are mostly manmade i've been told since iv been down, and they are bumming away about it being a great natural sight! And the caves they are anice sight yes but honestly its not the most spetacular thing ever seen, i mean the giants causway is better than it in terms of places you have to pay to get into and its a steal at £0!!!! its listed in the top ten free places to visit, which is a slight lie though as you have to pay the C.C. for the car park and to get the bus to the exhibit but id recomend walking as its not that far and its a nice walk, but if you.

And then there are loads of places to visit for free that are more spectacular than the cliffs and caves put together IMO, you have (see first picture) knockalla hill looking down on stoker strand from the side of the road,walking on this beach is brillient, and you then have sleive league (picture two) the highest sea cliffs! and you can walk right across the top ot the cliff just ask bear grills, the lying cheating fool:rolleyes:, below are 2 picutres ive taken at the above locations with a small digital camera so the pics aint great but will give you an idea! My point is how is the prices charges in clare justified? when you can get the above for free???

Precious flower

I know it's ridiculous, they destroyed it with the building they added on to it. It was beautiful just the way it was. They made it look tacky.

Dr Kamikazi

loctite wrote: »

Or may serve to reduce revenues even further, like you stated previously. Tourist figures down 11%, how will dropping prices get them out of a hole?? Also depends on elasticities of demand. If less revenue will flow toward the centre, how is that going to help? You can't blame Irelands prices for dropping tourist figures. Of course it doesn't help, but most of the western world is or has been in recession for the last 2 years, surely this contributes for a drop in numbers too.

I take your point. But it is not that straight forward. I know a certain facility which has dropped its prices by 15% in the last two season and has now a gapping hole in its accounts to fill. And STILL customers complain about high prices.

Maybe their finances would be down even further had they kept their prices or even increased them.
The problem here is the way profits are calculated:

If I sell a bun for 50 cent, I make 20 cent profit.
If I sell a bun for one Euro, I make 70 cent profit.
We'll darn me, if I now charge 5 Euro for this bun, I WILL MAKE 4.70 PROFIT!
Well darn me, that's what I do! Hey, where did all my customers go? Bloody recession, it's all the recession's fault!
Ireland during the boom had lotto syndrome, I'll have that, that, that and that, that, how much is...oh never mind and I'll have that and that...
And the guy could get away with selling scones for a fiver, cause the worker could then say "Me need money" and get a raise, the scones would go up...
THAT is called inflation, Ireland doesn't have high prices and wages, we have simply levelled out at a plateau where it is no longer sensible for the rest of the world to do business with us because everything here is silly money.
If we didn't have the Euro, the Irish Pound would have gone the way of the Italian Lira and your scone would now cost 1245543456543234543 Pound.
And if we don't do something drastic (and I'm talking everyone getting 20-30% less pay) that's the way we'll go.