Is this a Rip Off: dress marked stg£65 but €165 was asked for?

My wife was in Kildare village last night shopping and saw a dress she liked, it was marked at £65.00 sterling. When she went to pay the shop assistant said the price in Euro was €165.00, my wife had calculated this dress should cost no more than €100 Euro based upon the rate of exchange. This was almost a €70 Euro mark up based upon the rate of 1.5. My wife said this was a rip off. The shop assistant said that shipping costs etc had to be taken into account however my wife persisted and refused to pay this price and was offered a 10% discount which she refused. The shop assistant then called the shop owner who refused to sell the dress for anything less than the €165.00 Euro price. My wife offered to pay in sterling as this was the marked price and actually had a friend with her who had the 65 sterling in cash however the shop assistant refused. After some haggling the shop assistant gave a 20% discount on the Euro price. When packing up the dress the shop assistant went to cut off the sterling price tag, my wife told her to leave it on as the dress had been paid for and the tag showing the sterling price was part of the dress as she bought it, in the end after some arguing the tag was left on. From a consumer point of view is this a rip off, can the shop be fined for misleading prices or not displaying the correct prices, or charging what is over the current rate of exchange.

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

Was there a Euro price tag of €165.00 on the dress when it was on display.

If the Euro price of €165 was not indicated on the price tag, then there is clear evidence of a ripoff and you should contact www.odca.ie to complain and assert your statutory rights.

If the Euro price of €165 was not indicated on the price tag, it could be argued that there is no ripoff as such,( although you would wonder what the hell is going on if a STG£65 item is marked up to €165). Again a call to the ODCA would be in order.

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

The GBP price is irrelevant. The same applies in M&S, Debenhams etc. The € price does not have to be the GBP price at the ruling exchange rate.

Zara and H&M etc. charges different prices in Ireland from Spain.

As always, a price is an 'invitation to treat'.

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

If there was a Euro price on it , then not a rip off.....


Was there ?

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

CCOVICH said:

The GBP price is irrelevant. The same applies in M&S, Debenhams etc. The € price does not have to be the GBP price at the ruling exchange rate.

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Yes but the respective Euro & Sterling price tags in Penneys, M&S, Debenhams etc rarely reflect anything more than a minor rounding difference on the currency conversion. The above case is a different kettle of fish altogether.

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

should bear in mind also different VAT rates which does drive up costs in Ireland, and carraige costs. Having said that, €70 is a bit much

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

If it was a chain store, then I guess you can complain to their head office.

I seem to recall a complaint about Claire's in the Irish Times Pricewatch section some time ago, but I'm not sure of the outcome.

Maybe a letter to Conor Pope is in order?

I don't think there is any case for an official complaint (i.e. to a statutory/State body).

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

Dinging said:

My wife was in Kildare village last night shopping and saw a dress she liked, it was marked at £65.00 sterling. When she went to pay the shop assistant said the price in Euro was €165.00, my wife had calculated this dress should cost no more than €100 Euro based upon the rate of exchange. This was almost a €70 Euro mark up based upon the rate of 1.5. My wife said this was a rip off. The shop assistant said that shipping costs etc had to be taken into account however my wife persisted and refused to pay this price and was offered a 10% discount which she refused. The shop assistant then called the shop owner who refused to sell the dress for anything less than the €165.00 Euro price. My wife offered to pay in sterling as this was the marked price and actually had a friend with her who had the 65 sterling in cash however the shop assistant refused. After some haggling the shop assistant gave a 20% discount on the Euro price. When packing up the dress the shop assistant went to cut off the sterling price tag, my wife told her to leave it on as the dress had been paid for and the tag showing the sterling price was part of the dress as she bought it, in the end after some arguing the tag was left on. From a consumer point of view is this a rip off, can the shop be fined for misleading prices or not displaying the correct prices, or charging what is over the current rate of exchange.

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As far as I know the shop is obliged to display the full price, inclusive of all taxes etc, in Euro. A Stirling can be shown but only if a Euro price is also shown. Again, and I am open to correction, but I think they are required to sell at the displayed price.

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

Just toconfirm there was no Euro price tag on the dress only the £65.00 sterling price tag.

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

CCOVICH said:

I don't think there is any case for an official complaint (i.e. to a statutory/State body).

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Even if the Euro price was not displayed on the product?

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

I picked up a top in Mango once that had a price of €28. When I went to pay I was asked for €41. When I queried it I was told €28 was the portuguese price and that the Irish price was €41. Sure enough every other top had a price sticker over the €28 saying €41, had obviously fallen off the top I picked up. Sales assistant agreed that the discrepancy was outrageous. Said that they were told there were different prices because of different economic factors which is fair enough, but that she herself couldn't understand why some goods were 10% dearer and some 40% dearer. Surely the percentage should be the same. Needless to say I didn't buy it.

There was a debate on another forum over Mothercare pricing good higher in ROI than in the UK. One example given was the Phil and Teds buggy £299 vs €499 = a difference of about €50. But €499 is the standard price in Ireland for that buggy so to be fair, why should one shop have to sell it cheaper just because they have branches in another country. For the sake of their business they should be charging the going rate. Everything is a different price in different countries, it's just a fact. I notice people come home from holidays and marvel at how a can of heineken was only x price in teh local spar but do these people go into spar in dublin and complain that they're being ripped off cos it's 4 times the cost it was in Spain.
A shop will always charge what a customer is willing to pay.

As for paying in Sterling, the Irish shop works through Euro, that's the currency of the country and their bank accounts. There's no reason they should have to accept sterling.

And is it a rup off just because they hadn't a price sticker on it. I know that legally they are supposed to display prices but does that mean that any product whose price is not clearly marked in a shop is a rip off?

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

Purple is correct. This shop is breaking the law which, under the EC (Requirements to Indicate Product Prices) Regulations 2002, retailers must show the correct selling price in euro including taxes. See [broken link removed].

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

Trish2006 said:

For the sake of their business they should be charging the going rate. Everything is a different price in different countries, it's just a fact. I notice people come home from holidays and marvel at how a can of heineken was only x price in teh local spar but do these people go into spar in dublin and complain that they're being ripped off cos it's 4 times the cost it was in Spain.

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Problem is that people in Ireland will not tolerate minimum wage rates being pegged by reference to the corresponding rates in Spain.

Neither will the authorities accept taxes and service charge rates being pegged by reference to the corresponding rates in Spain.

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

Surely having a sterling price ticket on it would lead most people to believe they could roughly calculate the price in Euro.
A difference of the amount stated above would seem to suggest that the sterling price ticket was misleading & should have been removed prior to the item going on display.

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

ubiquitous said:

Even if the Euro price was not displayed on the product?

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I was unclear as to whether or not there was a euro price displayed (until the OP clarified), if there wasn't, then it would seem there are grounds for a complaint.

And maybe this explains why the shop were willing to haggle on the price?

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

Thanks all, I think the next step is to take this to the national consumer agency and see what they have to say.

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

Dinging said:

My wife was in Kildare village last night shopping and saw a dress she liked, it was marked at £65.00 sterling. When she went to pay the shop assistant said the price in Euro was €165.00, my wife had calculated this dress should cost no more than €100 Euro based upon the rate of exchange. This was almost a €70 Euro mark up based upon the rate of 1.5. My wife said this was a rip off. The shop assistant said that shipping costs etc had to be taken into account however my wife persisted and refused to pay this price and was offered a 10% discount which she refused. The shop assistant then called the shop owner who refused to sell the dress for anything less than the €165.00 Euro price. My wife offered to pay in sterling as this was the marked price and actually had a friend with her who had the 65 sterling in cash however the shop assistant refused. After some haggling the shop assistant gave a 20% discount on the Euro price. When packing up the dress the shop assistant went to cut off the sterling price tag, my wife told her to leave it on as the dress had been paid for and the tag showing the sterling price was part of the dress as she bought it, in the end after some arguing the tag was left on. From a consumer point of view is this a rip off, can the shop be fined for misleading prices or not displaying the correct prices, or charging what is over the current rate of exchange.

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Why did she buy the dress if she felt she was being done. Surely she could have just left it down and walked out.

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

As far as I can see the problem is simply that the shop didn't display a euro price which contravenes the law referred to by deMoivre. But I don't know if I'd consider that to constitute a rip off.
Unfortunately it happens all to frequently. I've often been in, e.g. Dunnes stores, where a whole rack of clothing has the tags with the printed sterling price but the irish stickers haven't been put on yet.
I agree that it is misleading to only have the sterling price especially when that is so far from the Irish price. However from years of buying in shops like Debenhams, M&S, etc. I've reached the conclusion that the only way to know the price in this situation is to ask. You just cannot assume that the current exchange rate applies. Even though it's usually close enough there is always that one product you want that's a good bit off (in either direction).

Ubiquitous, I know I used Spain as an example but even compare the price of drink in Dunnes in Newry vs Dunnes in Dublin since this is a debate about Sterling vs Euro. I just find that whatever the reasons, justified or not, Ireland is an expensive country for the consumer.

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

Dinging said:

it was marked at £65.00 sterling. When she went to pay the shop assistant said the price in Euro was €165.00, my wife had calculated this dress should cost no more than €100 Euro based upon the rate of exchange. This was almost a €70 Euro mark up based upon the rate of 1.5. My wife said this was a rip off.

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My first observation is. Is this type of shop legally obliged to display its prices ? Unless the sterling price is valid, there was no price displayed.

The second observation is the wife bought it anyway at an agreed price and an item is worth whatever somebody is prepared to pay for it . If the price was agreed before the sale was closed then thats not a rip off. Who wouldnt ask the real price in euro when faced with a sterling tag ?

Re: Is this a Rip Off?

sign said:

Is this type of shop legally obliged to display its prices ?

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What "type"? It's a common or garden clothes shop as far as I can see. As far as I know they should have displayed (presumably €) all inclusive prices but according to this it seems that the NCA has no power to prosecute retailers for breaches of the pricing rules...