When was the last time you were outraged at a stupid charge?

laugh · 13-08-2014 08:30PM

Our apartment block has a central boiler, they are attempting to bill us twice the going rate for a kwh and 3 times the Bord Gais standing charge.

aqn29swlgbmiu4 · 13-08-2014 09:50PM

--LOS-- wrote: »

Paying about half a grand for the privilege of viewing/booking somewhere to live. But apparently that's normal here to be charged a fee for viewing if you take a place. Deposit and rent up front doesn't even come in to that, it's just a fee for the sake of taking your money.

Paying to view a place? Thats astounding

Oops69 · 13-08-2014 09:51PM

gabsdot40 wrote: »

After spending almost 500 euro for a hotel stay they charged 3 euro extra for the kids to go on the go karts in the hotel playground

And ....why not ?otherwise the other guests especially those with no children have to subsidise you again for having children , they already subside children through taxes etc , why should they have to do it with their after tax money as well , on their holidays too.

The Cool · 13-08-2014 10:45PM

The Bialann in NUIG, which is the main canteen, is pretty pricey (things like, €1.75 for a bottle of water, which is €1 in the student union shop across the corridor from it) and some students started bringing in their own teabags and cupasoup sachets, and just getting a cup of hot water. So the management started charging for the cup, about 30 cent IIRC.
I understand the cups cost maybe 10c, but that, for a student canteen is ridiculous.

Collie D · 14-08-2014 07:03AM

Surprised nobody has mentioned TicketBastard yet.

Bought four tickets to two gigs couple of weeks ago and was stung for just under €25. Ads on radio always say something like "Tickets from €30 including service charge" but service charge is added on after the thirty euro.

At least they don't call it a transaction fee any more. Used to annoy me that fee would be charged per ticket even though only making one transaction.

I do appreciate tickets.ie who don't charge commission for GAA events. They'll recoup that by getting my business again but unfortunately they don't appear to have selling rights for the O2

AlanS181824 · 14-08-2014 07:08AM

I was at a restaurant today, alright place, tends to be a bit on the pricey side.

After we finished eating I needed to go to the toilet to wash my hands, asked one of the employees where the toilet was and she said "Oh, I'll have to open it for you."

Got in there and it was the groggiest toilet ever, had like a mesh ceiling covered in dust, I washed my hands anyway and when I came out of there the woman who let me into it said "That'll be €0.50 please!"

Never again will I pay to use a dingey old toilet.

Rip off!

AlanS181824 · 14-08-2014 07:23AM

GrayFox208 wrote: »

Every bank charges you for using the visa debit cards.

Not me! :pac:
Students don't get any fees

GrayFox208 wrote: »

The air doesn't just get pulled from around you, there's tanks of compressed air that have to be bought.

Yes that's true but you're still paying for AIR! That stuff you're breathing in right now, for free!
I'll pay for it in a bag of Tayto but not to fill up a tyre!

GrayFox208 wrote: »

Well who else is going to pay to keep the carpark maintiained?

Even Aut Evan (private hospital) in Kilkenny charges a bloody fortune for the parking and as for St Luke's...

Recondite49 · 14-08-2014 07:40AM

Placed an order on Amazon UK for a number of items totalling around £150.

Managed to avoid usual exorbitant postage fees thanks to Parcel Motel.

Amazon gave me the option to charge my card in Euro, which I accepted.

Realised after paying that around 8 Euro went on their foreign exchange fees (seems to be roughly 4%).

Probably they would say this is a charge levied by the bank but the company is incorporated here in Ireland so I would expect them to have a Euro account.

I am wondering if in future it might be better to order from one of Amazon's European sites but am not sure the same items are available.

Captain Flaps · 14-08-2014 09:14AM

Recondite49 wrote: »

Placed an order on Amazon UK for a number of items totalling around £150.

Managed to avoid usual exorbitant postage fees thanks to Parcel Motel.

Amazon gave me the option to charge my card in Euro, which I accepted.

Realised after paying that around 8 Euro went on their foreign exchange fees (seems to be roughly 4%).

Probably they would say this is a charge levied by the bank but the company is incorporated here in Ireland so I would expect them to have a Euro account.

I am wondering if in future it might be better to order from one of Amazon's European sites but am not sure the same items are available.

Just choose the option to pay in sterling and let the bank sort out the exchange, it's *usually* cheaper by quite a bit in my experience.

Maximus Alexander · 14-08-2014 09:28AM

Captain Flaps wrote: »

Just choose the option to pay in sterling and let the bank sort out the exchange, it's *usually* cheaper by quite a bit in my experience.

Or pay by Paypal.

cloud493 · 14-08-2014 10:00AM

I paid nearly 8 quid to use the bathroom once in Temple Bar

rainbow kirby · 14-08-2014 10:07AM

All the extra costs and charges associated with renting an apartment in London - if I remember correctly £180 per tenant in "administration" charges for us, in addition to referencing fees and a 6 week deposit. Ugh.

30p for pretty much any train station toilet. Always a huge queue for the ladies in Wetherspoons in Victoria because it's the only free toilet in the station.

The sheer amount in fees AIB were charging me before I moved. Was totalling something not too far shy of €40 a quarter. Scum.

pickarooney · 14-08-2014 10:18AM

--LOS-- wrote: »

Paying about half a grand for the privilege of viewing/booking somewhere to live. But apparently that's normal here to be charged a fee for viewing if you take a place. Deposit and rent up front doesn't even come in to that, it's just a fee for the sake of taking your money.

Well you could avoid this by going on the housing list and you should have a place of your own with very low rent in only 14 years' time.

Pippy1976 · 14-08-2014 10:19AM

I know the bank charges me for using my card but the coffee shop charging me extra to use my card? It bugs me.

I get what you're saying but your post is defeating the purpose of the thread, to be honest.

GrayFox208 wrote: »

Every bank charges you for using the visa debit cards.

The air doesn't just get pulled from around you, there's tanks of compressed air that have to be bought.

Well who else is going to pay to keep the carpark maintiained?

Frigga_92 · 14-08-2014 10:23AM

The Cool wrote: »

The Bialann in NUIG, which is the main canteen, is pretty pricey (things like, €1.75 for a bottle of water, which is €1 in the student union shop across the corridor from it) and some students started bringing in their own teabags and cupasoup sachets, and just getting a cup of hot water. So the management started charging for the cup, about 30 cent IIRC.
I understand the cups cost maybe 10c, but that, for a student canteen is ridiculous.

When my husband was in WIT, they were charging €1 for a cup of hot water and the price of stuff in the canteen in general was shocking.

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

Or pay by Paypal.

I didn't think you could use paypal for Amazon purchases?

Maximus Alexander · 14-08-2014 11:31AM

26sdrawkcab wrote: »

I didn't think you could use paypal for Amazon purchases?

Oh, can't you? My mistake then - I thought I had used it before.

Edit: Just checked and you're right, I have my Visa Debit attached to my account. Don't know what made me think I had used Paypal for it.

ROCKMAN · 14-08-2014 11:53AM

Paddy Cow wrote: »

Why can't they just calibrate pumps and have options you press such as €10, €20, €30, €40, €50 etc. It would save a lot of aggro. If you didn't want an even amount, you could just fill up as normal and pay whatever the price was.

Now just stop it where would we be if everyone started having good practical ideas.

Maximus Alexander · 14-08-2014 12:13PM

Paddy Cow wrote: »

Why can't they just calibrate pumps and have options you press such as €10, €20, €30, €40, €50 etc. It would save a lot of aggro. If you didn't want an even amount, you could just fill up as normal and pay whatever the price was.

In most places if you go in and pay before you fill up they'll set the pump to cut-off automagically when you reach what you paid for.

Fighting Irish · 14-08-2014 01:31PM

Banjo String wrote: »

When was the last time someone tried to charge you for something you thought would be free?

We were in a large Dublin shopping centre yesterday with the kids. Decided to have smoothies all round as a treat, they are pricey enough, but they're tasty

Anyway, spent the guts of 18 euro on 2 large, and 2 kids smoothies. The youngest (nearly 2) decided she didn't want her smoothie, said she didn't like hers and insisted she wanted mine.

I headed back to the smoothie stand, asked your one there for a small plastic cup so I could pour some of mine info it for the baby.

"50cent" she said. :mad:

I basically told her that I was after handing her a twenty euro note for a few non alcoholic drinks, from which I got very little change.

"That's our policy" she said.

I asked to see the manager, she replied she was the manager.

Told her I'd never be back there.:mad:

Any similar tales?

What else do you want for free off her?

BeardySi · 14-08-2014 01:35PM

Collie D wrote: »

I do appreciate tickets.ie who don't charge commission for GAA events. They'll recoup that by getting my business again but unfortunately they don't appear to have selling rights for the O2

I don't... They make a big deal about not having a booking fee, but their tickets for Connacht home games (all I buy from them) were €2 more expensive than getting one one the gate... At least ticketmaster were honest about charging a booking fee on top of the gate price...

rubadub · 14-08-2014 01:37PM

Fighting Irish wrote: »

What else do you want for free off her?

Straws probably, or perhaps a napkin. Low cost items you reasonable expect to get when paying €18.

Its not like he went up expecting to get cups with no purchase, or to dish out a rival sellers smoothie. And I bet if before he paid if he had said "if I buy all this can I get an extra cup", I bet he would not have been charged 50cent.

Fighting Irish · 14-08-2014 05:57PM

rubadub wrote: »

Straws probably, or perhaps a napkin. Low cost items you reasonable expect to get when paying €18.

Its not like he went up expecting to get cups with no purchase, or to dish out a rival sellers smoothie. And I bet if before he paid if he had said "if I buy all this can I get an extra cup", I bet he would not have been charged 50cent.

So you think it's up to the customer to decide what should be free or not? Is a cup the cutoff point for freebies?
Maybe that shop has huge rents and is only barely getting by

Snake · 14-08-2014 06:10PM

AlanS181824 wrote: »

Yes that's true but you're still paying for AIR! That stuff you're breathing in right now, for free!
I'll pay for it in a bag of Tayto but not to fill up a tyre!

Tell you what, go buy one of the compresser pumps the garage uses it'll cost a fair lot more than a euro.

GrumpyMe · 14-08-2014 06:24PM

25 October 1854 at Balaclava
I'll get my coat

rubadub · 14-08-2014 07:11PM

Fighting Irish wrote: »

So you think it's up to the customer to decide what should be free or not?

No, dunno how you got that impression.

You asked what else he expects for free and I answered what I reckon most people would typically expect to get after spending €18 on a few drinks.

Fighting Irish wrote: »

Is a cup the cutoff point for freebies?

No, I mentioned straws and maybe paper napkins.

If you want to mention other hypothetical products & prices I could similarly give examples of what most people reasonbably expect to get included. Note I say included and not "free". To me to get something for free requires absolutely no money to have changed hands, if you have to hand over money to get something then it's not really free in my mind.

Most people would expect to get "free" salt n vinegar on chips in a chipper, I would not expect ketchup free. Most would expect a "free" slice of lemon and ice in a coke in a bar, and to get the use of the glass for "free".

He spent €18 on 4 drinks, so I think its reasonable to expect a miserable extra cup to be thrown in. Also the child even got a smoothie, its not like he bought 1 single big one and asked for a small cup as a sneaky way to get 2 small size ones.

Fighting Irish wrote: »

Maybe that shop has huge rents and is only barely getting by

All I know is I would have given it out free. If I was selling a 2 large & 2 small smoothies for €18 and not making enough profit that I could not afford to give out a cup costing a few cent -then I would pack in the business.

RoboRat · 15-08-2014 09:20AM

In fairness 2 cent is a bit stupid to charge especially breaking the notes up.. But on the flip side you're being absolutely ridiculous. I go to McDonald's in tallaght square once a day, and I don't assume I should be given free food every Friday . Don't be such a child. Jesus you'd swear they robbed money from you. You're not entitled to get the money off. And the chap who took your payment could've been told not to let people off or he didn't want to be in trouble. Please cop on and grow up. You're obviously not mature enough to drive a motorised vehicle so you might want to throw your license away before causing an accident.

The 'chap' was the manager.

So by me deciding not to go to a garage now means that I am being childish and shouldn't drive... ironic that you are telling me to grow up.

I have never, ever been charged 1c or 2c on the rare occasions that I have gone over by garages that I have just provided passing trade to. This was a garage that I used weekly and I am entitled to chose not to go to them. Businesses need to have some degree of cop on to survive.

Maximus Alexander · 15-08-2014 09:26AM

RoboRat wrote: »

Businesses need to have some degree of cop on to survive.

I have a feeling they won't notice you're gone. Filling stations don't make any money on fuel anyway, that's why they all have shops, cafes, delis and hot food counters now. The fuel is just to get you in the door, so the loss of your €6,000 per annum, or whatever, won't affect their bottom line.

bmwguy · 15-08-2014 12:54PM

Many people in this thread have problems paying for air in tyres in service stations. I would suggest to them that the air compressors cost quite a bit to buy, and to maintain. Its a fair charge in my opinion, you are renting the use of their equipment that cost them money. I'd say they still lose overall on them, and its only a euro anywhere. And this is coming from someone that cannot stand stupid charges, bank and parking charges are my 2 pet hates. If banks worked wisely and efficiently the use of your money for a period of time would be worth a fortune to them.

rubadub · 15-08-2014 01:01PM

bmwguy wrote: »

I would suggest to them that the air compressors cost quite a bit to buy, and to maintain.

I think its a fair price. The most outrageous price of a machine to use is coin counting ones.

Many are taking 9% of your money. I see people in supermarkets dump buckets of coins in. I have seen purposely misleading signs up so some people think there is no commission being taken off them if they go for instore vouchers. I often hear of people having enough money for a holiday after dumping in money. Some are getting €500 back, this means about €550 was thrown in, and 9% (€49.50) was taken off. So you could be paying €50 for about 2minutes use of a machine that probably costs a few grand.

Fancy arcade machines probably cost more and are a fraction of the price to play.

I think some bank has a machine to count coins for free at last, the central bank should have had this long ago.

RoboRat · 15-08-2014 01:51PM

So you could be paying €50 for about 2minutes use of a machine that probably costs a few grand.

You can apply that logic to a lot of things we pay for, ie a toasted cheese and ham sandwich for instance or people who pay to get their shoes shined in the airport.

If people can't be arsed to count their coins and are happy to use them, I don't see the problem. Its a convenience and like most conveniences, you have to pay for them. If they are not up front about their charges, then I see a problem but I have yet to see one that isn't.

I do think it should be a service that is offered to people free of charge in their banks though - if you have an account you should be able to lodge money that way.

When was the last time you were outraged at a stupid charge?

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