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Pricewatch

Your consumer queries answered. Have you a problem, a gripe or a tip-off? Contact us on 01-6758000 or mail pricewatch@irishtimes.com or via twitter @conor_pope

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Readers’ complaints: ‘My experience with Eir showed a multitude of incompetence’

Pricewatch: Has customer care at the telecommunications company improved?

Gráinne Mullins from Grá Chocolates

9:53 Pricewatch: Trying to do business the sustainable way

Companies cutting out plastic, sourcing local supplies and using natural ingredients

One reader says she used to enjoy going to shopping malls and garden centres but now really has ‘no wish to be stuck in a crowded place any more. Photograph: Angus Mordant/ Bloomberg

Will the pandemic change our shopping habits for ever?

Are we more discerning consumers than before or simply waiting for the chance to splurge?

One reader says she used to enjoy going to shopping malls and garden centres but now really has ‘no wish to be stuck in a crowded place any more. Photograph: Angus Mordant/ Bloomberg

Pricewatch: Twenty things our kids don’t recognise or even know existed

Buttons on TVs, ashtrays, phone boxes, milk bottles, VCRs, typewriters... the list goes on

‘Not noticing a standing order for a relatively small amount of money leaving your account once every six months is not something to beat yourself up about.’ File photograph: iStock

Pricewatch: Have you been paying a standing order you had no idea about?

Reader has been charged by company that no longer exists since 1983

‘He had sent a lease but it had no mention of cats and I didn’t sign it as we changed the rental price. I needed to wait for him to send an updated lease. Then he sent it and I saw the ‘no cats’ clause,’ reader Suzanne writes. Photograph: iStock

Holding deposits: ‘It seems landlords in Ireland can rip people off with impunity’

Pricewatch: Reader loses €1,200 after rental deal falls through over ‘no cats’ lease clause

‘He had sent a lease but it had no mention of cats and I didn’t sign it as we changed the rental price. I needed to wait for him to send an updated lease. Then he sent it and I saw the ‘no cats’ clause,’ reader Suzanne writes. Photograph: iStock

Pricewatch: The long-haul quest for a Ryanair refund

Airline says woman booked through ‘unauthorised agent’ but refund now on way

According to the Guaranteed Irish survey, 78 per cent of consumers here say the main reason they buy Irish food products is a desire to support local businesses. Photograph: iStock

Conscience consumerism one of few silver linings to Covid pandemic

Pricewatch: Pandemic has seen people look for locally-produced items, survey shows

Sometimes a product doesn’t match your expectations as a consumer - it’s good to know what to do about that. Photograph: iStock

Who you gonna call? Your bumper guide to consumer rights

Pricewatch: It’s important to know what you’re entitled to – and what you may not be

Sometimes a product doesn’t match your expectations as a consumer - it’s good to know what to do about that. Photograph: iStock

Pricewatch: Sell your furniture back to Ikea

Sustainability is key to buyers and sellers and Swedish giant wants to cut landfill

Eir retail in Grafton Street: Readers had problems with closing contracts and with signing up for service. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

Communication issues: Pricewatch readers’ complaints about Eir

People continue having trouble contacting the telecoms company and having issues resolved

Ireland’s favourites brands.

Brennans Bread, Avonmore and Tayto: Ireland's top 100 brands

Dettol moves up the list of favourite brands as hygiene becomes a national pastime

Ireland’s favourites brands.

Supermarkets give helping hand to new brands and food producers

Special programmes get products like Ballymaloe Relish and Porterhouse craft beers onto the shelves

Here to stay: working from home. Photograph: Getty

WFH, shopping local, posh takeaways: which Covid changes are here to stay?

Will queuing patiently, being nicer and improving the garden outlive the pandemic?

Once cybercriminals start to drip-feed stolen HSE data online, fraud attempts will follow

An avalanche of cyber fraud is coming our way – here’s how to keep safe

Mobile phone contracts extract high price for lack of vigilance

Many customers are charged for handsets they own after minimum contract periods

Jameson may seem as Irish as any Whiskey and it is still distilled here – in Cork as it happens – but the company has not been in Irish hands for a very long time. Photograph: Aidan Crawley/Bloomberg

Biscuits, Sudocrem and whiskey: The Irish brands with international reach

Beloved products have lost either all, or most, of their connections with the auld sod

Bank of Ireland College Green branch. Photograph: Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty

Lessons learned: Why students should read the small print on bank accounts

Pricewatch: Your questions answered

Bank of Ireland College Green branch. Photograph: Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty

13:39 Want to live longer, be happier and save the planet? Get on your bike

Pricewatch: If you need us to spell out the benefits of the bicycle, here’s our cycling A-Z

Joan Ellison and Caroline Gardner of We Make Good at their shop on Fade Street, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill.

Social enterprise a valuable addition at the heart of community

Pricewatch: Rethink Ireland to run a Future is Social campaign in bid to build awareness

Slated.ie sells tableware art pieces made from old roofing slate

‘Pure gold in these tough times’: The good side of consumers’ stories

Pricewatch: We asked readers to share their positive customer service experiences

Slated.ie sells tableware art pieces made from old roofing slate

Customer experience in Ireland: The best and worst companies

‘Too many companies don’t understand their customers and don’t care about them’

Wear your mask. Photo: iStock

The worst phrases of the pandemic: From ‘meaningful’ to ‘maskne’

Remember the world before ‘non-essential retail’ and ‘pivot’ came into everyday usage?

An Easter egg: a long time ago people had no choice but to set aside their eggs before Easter, and then eat them on the big day

Chocs away – who needs to be egged on at Easter?

A suitable time for an alphabetical look at chocolate

An Easter egg: a long time ago people had no choice but to set aside their eggs before Easter, and then eat them on the big day

Aer Lingus vouchers fail to take off for pandemic-hit consumers

Pricewatch: Airlines need not give cash refunds if consumers initially agree to vouchers

Niamh Tully of Tully Nurseries with her children Caoimhe and Harvey. Bord Bia research shows that consumer spend on gardening reached its highest-ever level at €1.2 billion in 2020. Photograph: Chris Bellew/Fennell

2020 was the year we all went wild in our gardens

Pricewatch: Since Covid hit, we have splashed out more on our gardens than ever before

A monthly rail ticket for a Dublin commuter covering trains and the Luas costs €180, so a person spared that financial burden for the last 12 months has saved themselves €2,160. Photograph: Crispin Rodwell

Pandemic savings: How some people have saved thousands by working from home

Pricewatch: Many saving on commuting, food and coffee costs, but utilities are up

A monthly rail ticket for a Dublin commuter covering trains and the Luas costs €180, so a person spared that financial burden for the last 12 months has saved themselves €2,160. Photograph: Crispin Rodwell

Irish people buying more immunity boosting foods than ever before

Pricewatch: Report finds people care more about where food comes from and how it gets to their table

Reader had ‘a very bizarre information request’ from the Revolut chat function

Revolut user in a spin after being asked if he was related to Eamon Ryan

Pricewatch: Reader told his account would be restricted if he did not answer question

New evidence has shown a huge desire among Irish consumers to shop local. File photograph: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The Irish-focused platforms offering an alternative to Amazon

Pricewatch: Indigenous online sites aim to help Irish consumers to shop local

New evidence has shown a huge desire among Irish consumers to shop local. File photograph: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The ethical shopper: Buy local, read labels, think before you shop

From clothes to food, taking the time to inform yourself can make a difference

After a week digging around in the Royal Mail website Tim O’Brien found a number for a customer service and rang for help. Photograph: iStock

Missing white-knuckle stress? Try the postal service

Pricewatch: Getting a letter from England to Ireland can take a stressfully long time

Not only did Martin Luther gift the world Protestantism, he also gave it the Christmas tree

Why we celebrate Christmas on the 25th, eat mince pies and put up trees

Pricewatch’s 12 fun facts of Christmas explores the origins of our modern traditions

Not only did Martin Luther gift the world Protestantism, he also gave it the Christmas tree

Shielding, comfort cooking, stocking up... How consumers cope with Covid

Top thing Irish people have missed is time spent with friends, research finds

Of those participating in this season’s sales events, 72 per cent are holding off purchases until the event. Photograph: Getty Images/iStock

Cyber Monday: Beware of bogus deals and preying scammers

Pricewatch: Consumers need their wits about them amid relentless coverage of ‘bargains’

Supermarkets are happy to spend a lot of money working out the best ways to get us to spend ours. Photograph: iStock

14:15 Twenty-two ways supermarkets trick you into spending more money

Supermarkets bombard customers with all manner of psychological devices and tricks

Supermarkets are happy to spend a lot of money working out the best ways to get us to spend ours. Photograph: iStock

Pricewatch: Readers’ queries answered

Currys’ response to a fridge-freezer problem has provided cold comfort to this elderly couple

EY report found ‘no significant change in those planning to keep cutting or to stay frugal’. Photograph: iStock

Covid-19: Why Ireland is seeing the rise and rise of the cautious consumer

Pricewatch: Three reports into sentiment and spending track a gloomy outlook

Readers’ queries

This week features Visa Debit cards, package holidays and prices for parking

EY report found ‘no significant change in those planning to keep cutting or to stay frugal’. Photograph: iStock

13:32 Consumers pay high price for not pulling the plug on energy suppliers

Pricewatch: People who change energy providers can make annual savings of €400

Wear a mask while shopping indoors and while on public transport. Photograph: istock

How to be a better consumer: 20 commandments

Keep your wits about you as a shopper – that way you get the best value

Eir customers are generally placed on a queue of about 30 minutes and often after this time the call is disconnected. Photograph: Alan Betson

Back with our old friends at eir – and nothing seems to have changed

Pricewatch: Overcharging and disconnecting as the price of bacon goes through the roof

Eir customers are generally placed on a queue of about 30 minutes and often after this time the call is disconnected. Photograph: Alan Betson

‘This is simply disgusting’: Holidaymakers struggle amid mixed messages

Pricewatch: More complaints than ever as some travel operators let themselves down

Shoppers return to Dublin city centre. Photograph: Tom Honan

14:53 Twenty ways Covid-19 has changed our daily lives

Pricewatch: Will consumers return to normal or will some new habits endure?

The local multiplier effect means that every €100 spent in the local economy is actually worth €500. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

Shopping locally: what difference does it make?

The lockdown has encouraged Irish consumers to buy locally-sourced goods

The local multiplier effect means that every €100 spent in the local economy is actually worth €500. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

12:39 Holidays at home: Embrace our weather, eat chipper chips and buy wetsuits

If you haven’t had a holiday at home in decades, here’s how to get the most out of it

People are confused about their rights and worried about losing money and angered at companies who – they say – are deliberately making their lives more difficult. Photograph: Getty Images

Travel refunds up in the air as readers run out of patience

Pricewatch: Deluge of complaints about travel companies as Covid-19 disrupts plans

Conor Pope in Dublin Airport, where passengers are down to under 300 a day. Photograph: Enda O’Dowd/The Irish Times.

How lockdown has helped us to save money - and find new ways to spend it

Pricewatch: Meal kits and takeaway pints have become the new camping holiday

Conor Pope in Dublin Airport, where passengers are down to under 300 a day. Photograph: Enda O’Dowd/The Irish Times.

Pricewatch: Left on the shelf - what we are no longer buying

Bread and male grooming products among things consumers decided they can do without

Grafton Street in Dublin’s city centre.Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill

The changing face of retail during and after Covid-19

What can we expect? Limits on time spent in shops, staggered queues and plexiglass at tills

“The ATM made its whirring sound but no cash came out.” Photograph: iStock

Pricewatch: Problems with banks prove perennial amid pandemic

One reader ‘mugged’ by an ATM, another is told to visit branch for ‘golden years’ account

“The ATM made its whirring sound but no cash came out.” Photograph: iStock

Pricewatch: Life hacks for the lockdown

Top tips from readers to help with household chores

‘More of our customers have been baking from scratch and yeast sales are through the roof,’ says Avoca MD Tara O’Neill of the company’s dramatic surge in sales of baking products. Photograph: Alan Betson

Avoca: it’s all about the food now

The multimillion euro retail chain has had to reinvent itself since the Covid-19 lockdown

‘We have seen people go back to what they grew up on, things like roast dinners,’ says Rory McDonnell of Bord Bia

How coronavirus is changing our relationship with food and cooking

Pricewatch: ‘Shielding’, ‘stocking-in’ and ‘comfort cooking’ are among the new trends

Consumer News

Motorists are willing to move to electric – they just need a little push

Analysis: Government is delivering some certainty, but still faces a few roadblocks

Budget winners and losers: Smokers and drivers hit; tax cut for earners on higher rate

3:12 Budget 2022: Donohoe says the package of measures to ease the cost of living is valued at €520m

Property market is not out of control, Minister for Housing says

Hike in prices ‘not unique to Ireland’ and can be handled by increasing supply – O’Brien

Demand for North’s Covid shopping voucher scheme causes website difficulties

People urged not to rush at once to register for £100 high street scheme for all adults

Cost of foreign holidays set to rise due to pent-up demand

3:47 Prices to increase next spring as tentative recovery in bookings expected

Q&A tainted water: What happened at two treatment plants?

Problems emerged at Ballymore Eustace in Kildare and Creagh in Gorey, Co Wexford

An Post blames Brexit and EU customs for delivery issues following criticism

Customers report lengthy delays or not receiving their parcels

Amazon: Small retailers ‘nervous’ of expanded Irish presence

Dublin warehouse will represents a big change for the company’s Irish consumers

Fáilte Ireland unveils €9m funding for outdoor dining spaces

‘These structures are designed with full understanding of what the Irish climate is’

Renters return to the capital as workplaces set to reopen

Three-fold increase in demand for properties, particularly for overseas tenants

More than 2,100 driving tests abandoned due to bad weather or drivers’ vehicles breaking down

Clifden rates as centre with highest pass rate at 71.4%, Kilkenny ranks lowest with 33.3%

Objections to large housing schemes are inevitable

Locals rarely like change and politicians will always support objections to big housing projects

Charity shops report ‘unprecedented’ spike in sales since reopening

New and younger customers visiting stores for more affordable, sustainable items

Arts industry unfairly targeted by Covid-restrictions, says Mary Coughlan

‘I don’t know why they are targeting the music industry,’ says Galway singer

Wealthy shoppers deterred from Dublin city, says business group

5:13 Council’s pedestrianisation plan puts independent retailers at risk, group claims

Dublin City Council votes to retain local property tax cut of 15%

Reduction remains in place despite Owen Keegan warning of ‘urgent need’ for funds

Fingal and South Dublin councillors vote not to increase local property tax rates

Households could still face higher bills following upcoming revaluation of homes

Passengers warn over faulty Dart announcement systems

4:26 Multiple carriages fitted with information systems which ‘cannot be maintained’

‘I’d love if people ate local produce all the time, not just during a pandemic’

Stradbally’s open-sided Market House is an ideal venue for the town’s weekly farmers market

No indoor summer camps is a ‘significant disappointment’, Taoiseach admits

Nphet advises cancellation of indoor camps and training over Delta variant

Connect with Conor

Follow @Conor_Pope

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