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
Pricewatch: If you need us to spell out the benefits of the bicycle, here’s our cycling A-Z
‘Too many companies don’t understand their customers and don’t care about them’
The worst phrases of the pandemic: From ‘meaningful’ to ‘maskne’
Remember the world before ‘non-essential retail’ and ‘pivot’ came into everyday usage?
Pricewatch: Airlines need not give cash refunds if consumers initially agree to vouchers
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
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
Pricewatch: Report finds people care more about where food comes from and how it gets to their table
From clothes to food, taking the time to inform yourself can make a difference
Missing white-knuckle stress? Try the postal service
Pricewatch: Getting a letter from England to Ireland can take a stressfully long time
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
Top thing Irish people have missed is time spent with friends, research finds
Cyber Monday: Beware of bogus deals and preying scammers
Pricewatch: Consumers need their wits about them amid relentless coverage of ‘bargains’
Twenty-two ways supermarkets trick you into spending more money
Supermarkets bombard customers with all manner of psychological devices and tricks
Currys’ response to a fridge-freezer problem has provided cold comfort to this elderly couple
Pricewatch: People who change energy providers can make annual savings of €400
How to be a better consumer: 20 commandments
Keep your wits about you as a shopper – that way you get the best value
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
Pricewatch: More complaints than ever as some travel operators let themselves down
Twenty ways Covid-19 has changed our daily lives
Pricewatch: Will consumers return to normal or will some new habits endure?
Shopping locally: what difference does it make?
The lockdown has encouraged Irish consumers to buy locally-sourced goods
If you haven’t had a holiday at home in decades, here’s how to get the most out of it
Bread and male grooming products among things consumers decided they can do without
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
Pricewatch: Problems with banks prove perennial amid pandemic
One reader ‘mugged’ by an ATM, another is told to visit branch for ‘golden years’ account
Avoca: it’s all about the food now
The multimillion euro retail chain has had to reinvent itself since the Covid-19 lockdown
How coronavirus is changing our relationship with food and cooking
Pricewatch: ‘Shielding’, ‘stocking-in’ and ‘comfort cooking’ are among the new trends
We asked readers for small companies that now do home delivery. Here’s a selection
Pricewatch: Hundreds of people could lose thousands of euro as their travel plans lie in tatters
Coronavirus confinement: Thirteen tips to make self-isolating easier
Pricewatch: Help cope with confinement by adding to your interests and activities
Crude oil prices have plummeted. Why not prices at the pump?
Pricewatch: There are several reasons for the apparent rip-off but the main one is tax
Ireland is gradually becoming cashless. Is the convenience worth the loss of privacy?
Libraries: Remarkable places we should cherish
Less than 20% of Irish people describe themselves as regular users
Almost half of Ireland’s workers have no private pension, according to a recent study
Pricewatch: Reader shares her experience of conflicting phone calls with Laya Healthcare
Navigating the health insurance maze and finding the best deal
The health insurance market is packed with hundreds of plans from three key players
Pricewatch: Posh frock horror in Wexford, BA’s no-show policy proves costly for reader
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