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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Big day, wedding budget – splashing the cash on marriage

Pricewatch: Irish couples spend an average of €25,000 on their royal occasion

Ditch the chocolate fountain: Kristen Wiig had the right idea in ‘Bridemaids’.

Top tips to get hitched on the cheap

Slash the invitation list, go on a booze cruise, pay less for the dress . . . but don’t skimp on the Tayto sandwiches at midnight

The Sky customers had 90 days to activate the “claim” emails. Photograph: David Jones/PA Wire

Two Sky customers ask: where's our free telly?

Readers were unaware of ‘claim’ emails that needed to be activated to get televisions

AA accepts that the customer’s no-claims bonus cert should have been accepted without question. Photograph: Cyril Byrne

Car insurance quote retracted for confusing reasons

‘I genuinely feel that the AA are being unnecessarily difficult,’ reader complains

“Since my daughter was born in 2005 with cleft lip and palate, we would have had a very active policy, with ongoing treatments and surgeries.” Photograph: iStock

Health insurance mix-up shows the importance of keeping records

One woman who cancelled her cover over the phone found that she was still being billed

Vicki ordered a dishwasher from Littlewoods but it was badly damaged when delivered. Photograph: iStock

Pricewatch: Reader left frustrated over damaged dishwasher from Littlewoods

Vicki asked for a replacement as soon as possible but was told this was not possible

A family had a frustrating experience with Ryanair earlier this month. Photograph: Eric Luke

Family forced to cancel holiday blame Ryanair for directing them to wrong queue

Pricewatch: Family say they were told to buy new tickets after making complaint

Things which help demonstrate a borrower’s desirability to a bank include savings and paying rent. Photograph: iStock

House rules: how to get your first mortgage

Buying a house has never been more difficult but there are ways to endear yourself to your bank and find your dream home

Jayna McCloskey (9) and Max Barrett (9) at the launch of Safefood’s report, which shows that families with children spent on average €1,037 last year on highly processed food such as crisps, chocolate and sweets.

Irish families turn junk food into staples of shopping basket

Pricewatch: Average Irish family spends a fifth of its food budget on ‘treats’

The Bank of Ireland: dozens and dozens of the bank’s customers are complaining of the lag between transactions happening and their balances updating. Photograph: Frantzesco Kangaris/Bloomberg

Bank of Ireland app fails to show balance in real time

Your consumer queries answered: ‘I discovered I was €455.87 overdrawn’

“All those who don’t bother packing their travel insurance are making a mistake. The mere sight of the medical bills that can be incurred as a result of an overseas illness would be enough to give you a heart attack.” File photograph: iStockPhoto

Travel insurance: You really, really don’t want to leave without it

Pricewatch: Mere sight of medical bills due to overseas illness might give you a heart attack

Watch out for the O and I in your passport number or you may be denied entry to the US. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien

One passport digit leads to an invalid US visa

Pricewatch reader shares his tale of woe as a public warning service

Mairéad Ní Chuaig: “The farms tend to be off the beaten track and you get to live with lovely people. It is a way for people with no money to travel the world.”

Want to travel the world on a budget? Wwoof it

TG4’s Mairéad Ní Chuaig has been to many far-flung, exotic places, all for the price of a flight

Is there any regulation on selling mobile phones to children and, more especially, mobile phones that cost the same as my first car? Photograph: Bryan O’Brien / The Irish Times

Ask for a receipt; no legal obligation on shop to give you one

Pricewatch reader appalled by shop selling €600 phone to 12-year-old daughter

“The shop assistant showed me a device she said showed the efficacy of polarising layers over nonpolarising ones”

Should have gone to physics class? Specsavers may be blinding you with bad science

A physics lecturer questions an in-store demonstration the company uses

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Are DIY skills becoming a thing of the past?

We lost our DIY skills in the boom when we we got notions and hired people to do things for us

Oaty goodness: granolas are put to the test

Crunch time: granolas put to the test

Pricewatch: we check out the best in berry granolas

Stena, we think you’re sound

‘Stena took my stressful situation, crumpled it up like a piece of paper and tossed it in the bin’

Empty shelves in a supermarket during Storm Emma. Photograph: Reuters / Clodagh Kilcoyne

Empty shelves point to fragility in our food supply

Pricewatch checks out supermarkets’ response to the Beast from the East

“Everything broke down 30 minutes after the technician left, and continued to do so at intervals,” one former Eir customer said.

Going spare at Eir: Pricewatch mailbag fills up with complaints

Former customers describe frustrating experiences with telecoms provider

“My phone rings, I answer it and a recorded female voice says: ‘Please dial the number you are calling.’ It is now wrecking my head and I dread the phone ringing.”

Just when you thought Eir customer service couldn’t get any worse . . .

Reader Ann Slaven thought cancelling her account would be easy – she was wrong

Breathe Right: translucent and almost possible not see in the dimness of a darkened bedroom

Pricewatch: Solutions to snoring

We check out four methods for quieter slumber and compare quality and price

When it comes to taking money off those who don’t really have it, the finger of blame can be pointed at companies big and small. Photograph: iStock

How companies ensure the poor get poorer

Pricewatch: It’s a strange paradox, but the richer you are, the less you have to pay for life’s essentials. Those who can least afford basic goods and services are penalised the most

Kenny’s Bookshop in Galway was online long before Jeff Bezos set up Amazon

Clicks and mortar: The Irish retailers who are doing the business online

Pricewatch: rather than watch their sales disappear into cyberspace, many Irish retailers are setting up shop on the web – and are competing with the online-only discounters

“A great favourite for starters”: Maura Bourke says she was always able to get avocados in the late 1970s

Maybe it wasn’t so far from avocados we were reared

Pricewatch: Some of you begged to differ with our 1980s nostalgia-fest

Frustrated: returning emigrants are being treated like 17-year-old boy racers.

Car insurance costs put returning emigrants off the road

Pricewatch: Insurance companies are making drivers pay for their time abroad

Pricewatch: How much is too much for a decent Jaffa Cake?

Getting the balance right between chocolate, orange goo, and sponge can be tricky

A vintage video game. The gaming world has travelled some distance since the 1980s

Nostalgic for the 1980s? Think again - here are the things we didn't have back then

Pricewatch: When Houghton put the ball in the English net avocados were not part of our world

“My phone rings, I answer it and a recorded female voice says: ‘Please dial the number you are calling.’ It is now wrecking my head and I dread the phone ringing.”

Problems with Eir dominating reader complaints at the moment

Pricewatch: Phone and broadband supplier tops the list for most complaints to us

Sticks, floss and harps: the best value in dental hygiene

Dental floss harps? What class of madness are these?

Pricewatch opens wide for the best value in tooth floss, sticks and brushes

According to internet conspiracy theorists, the giants of the tech world are using the microphones on our smartphones to listen in to our conversations and then deploy mysterious algorithms to work out what we want. Photograph: iStock

Targeted ads: Is social media spying on us?

Pricewatch: Conspiracy theories abound but the truth is probably more prosaic

PTSB: if it believed a man was alive for the last 25 years, why did it never send a debit card in his name during this time? Photograph: Bryan O’Brien

The case of the bank and the death certificate that keeps disappearing

Reader query: Conor Pope assists readers with their consumer problems and praises Lidl

Reader appalled by Ikea’s ‘lack of empathy and shambolic customer service’

On hold for 52 minutes pursuing missing Ikea sofa bed

A bad experience with Littlewoods and an elusive call from the ‘specialist’ team

Debbie Murphy’s problems started when she ordered two grey headboards

Aneta at the till in Lidl used her card to pay for my shopping

Pricewatch reader tells of excellent customer service in Lidl

The real measure of companies is not how perfect they are but how they handle customers’ problems.

The Pricewatch guide to keeping customers happy

Some top tips to help businesses stay off our pages

Conor Pope's guide on how to save hundreds on your health insurance

Pricewatch: Overpaying, finding the right plans, and the fear of switching insurers...

Among your new year cost-conscious resolutions, be sure to include contacting Pricewatch with your consumer woes.

17 tips to avoid wasting cash when you are feeling the January pinch

Pricewatch: Pay day is a long way off so it's time to make you a more savvy spender

Find the best Christmas crackers, stuffing, cranberry sauce and pies

Sort the crackers from the turkeys with this review of seasonal supermarket trimmings

No one is going to thank you for giving them a voucher with ridiculously restrictive terms and conditions for Christmas. Photograph: iStock

Gift vouchers: the gift that keeps on taking away

Pricewatch: We are being fleeced by unregulated, restrictive vouchers – when will it end?

Gift idea: Designist on Dame St in Dublin, or online at shop.designist.ie, have Edison or antique filament light bulbs set in concrete blocks for €46.50

Kris Kindle: Conor Pope's top ideas for under €50

Where to shop to raise your Secret Santa game and presents that are best avoided

Unlike other visas, such as Canadian or Australian visas, an applicant cannot apply directly to the American embassy as they must apply through a designated agency.

J-1 agencies’ hidden fees and strict rules lead to student frustration

Bureaucracy exacerbated by inability to source own flights and lack of transparency

Don’t let Cyber Monday be a retailers’ fun day. Photograph: iStock

Just another Cyber Monday: shop smart and beware of scams

Do your research and don’t get carried away. Many ‘bargains’ are not what they appear

Our reader booked the elements of the trip separately so requested the cancellation confirmation from Aer Lingus for the outward journey and the accommodation provider, Sixt car hire and Ryanair (for the homeward journey). There was no problem with any provider but Ryanair. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Reader’s husband broke his neck, but Ryanair ordeal really hurt

All our very patient reader asked for was a cancellation confirmation for their insurance

Is it cheaper to cross the Border to stock up for Christmas?

More bang for (foodie) buck in Tesco and M&S up North, but smaller price gap for toys

The tracker mortgage scandal has been described as one of the greatest financial swindles in the history of the State. Photograph: iStock

Customer satisfaction: where to turn when things go wrong

From financial services to broadband to air travel, there are several public bodies charged with protecting the consumer. But what do they all really do and can they really help?

Home-heating costs have seen the biggest jump, according to the AA’s cost-of-living survey.

Feeling the pinch? Conor Pope explains why you have no money

When costs of mortgage, food, utilities, motoring, education and health insurance are added up, a family of four faces significant expenditure, according to new figures

Twenty years ago – if you were lucky – you had a landline and if you didn’t you had to rely on a pay phone. There used to be queues at telephone boxes. Photograph: Aidan Crawley

Tweet mysteries of life: How quaint 1997 seems

Pricewatch: Things we take completely for granted today would have been unimaginable to consumers 20 years ago

Value for Money: Shaving gel

Is Gillette really the best a man can get, or is there a lovelier lather elsewhere?

Banks are horrible to people who are guilty of the most minor transgressions. Spend just a few bob more than you have and you will be hit with ridiculous charges.

Need proof the banks have it in for us? Here are 10 examples

From the tracker mortgage scandal to closed branches and ATMs loaded with €50 notes

The six months of winter will cost us an average €570 more on gas and electricity than the six months of summer.

Pricewatch: Winter is coming – at a hefty price

How the season’s cold, dark nights can make your wallet a whole lot lighter

“If you are just a retailer now you are going to have to be a tech company tomorrow.” Photograph: iStock

What on earth is experiential shopping and should we care?

Traditional retailers are turning to ‘experiential shopping’ to compete

Guinness is sold in more than 150 countries, with 10 million glasses downed every day. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Reuters

Which Irish brands do we love the most?

The search continues for Irish brands Irish people could not imagine the world without

Ryanair aircraft on the tarmac of Charleroi Airport in Belgium. Photograph: Stephanie Lecocq/EPA

Swears, savings and scratch cards: The good, bad and ugly of Ryanair

We recount some of the remarkable tales generated by Michael O’Leary’s high-flying baby

Consumer News

Victorian Dublin market regeneration to go ahead

Market will not be ‘generic’ but sprinkled with ‘magic dust’, says council executive

Decathlon to open in Ballymun after €4.35m deal approved

Dublin City Council to sell site beside Ikea outlet to French sports retail giant

Full tolling of M50 ‘needed to prevent motorway failure’

Transport Infrastructure Ireland wants to introduce ’multi-point’ electronic tolling

Ryanair to cut free passenger check-in window by half

Airline says changes introduced to give paying customers more time to select seats

Ikea recalls gas hob model over carbon monoxide emissions

Wrong gas injector installed in some models leaving CO emissions above EU limits

What’s the top B&B in Ireland? Gallows View unveiled as winner

Daniel and Majella O’Donnell host awards ceremony at which Clare B&B scoops prize

People warned of staring at their phones while walking

Councillor says careless smartphone-users creating serious safety risks for others

IFA calls for independent retail regulator to protect producers

Farmers’ organisation president meets EU agriculture commissioner Phil Hogan in Brussels

Survey finds 47% difference in cost of own-brand food items

Analysts forecast price war as supermarkets battle for customers in improving economy

Temple Bar music venue denies ‘super pub’ plans

Button Factory owners accuse Dublin council firm of behaving like ‘rogue planning objector’

Dublin pub to donate Good Friday takings to charity as ban is lifted

The scrapping of the restriction was set in motion by a court ruling eight years ago

‘Latte levy’ could reduce disposable coffee cups by 250,000 a day

The Government has proposed a new 15-cent levy on most disposable coffee cups to incentivise the use of reusable cups

Bank of Ireland apologises over money ‘missing’ from accounts

‘Disappeared’ cash is result of a technical processing issue, says bank spokesman

Complaints upheld against Lidl for not identifying competition winners

ASAI agreed with concerns raised over competition valued at more than €5,000 per winner

Storm Emma bread panic ‘could lead to sliced pan renaissance’

Breadmakers express hope that recent concern over loaves will start a long-term trend

Train drivers set to back all-out strike ahead of Labour Court hearing

Unions in dispute with Iarnród Éireann over mentoring of new drivers

Ryanair adds nine new routes to winter schedule

Company ups frequency of several flights despite uncertainty created by Brexit

The economy may be booming, but Irish shops are dying

The more we spend online, the harder it is for shops like Waltons to survive, writes Conor Pope

Ten further Dublin bus-route diversions on College Green

Move to take effect from Monday, March 5th, in attempt to facilitate longer Luas trams

If you booked a Ryanair flight in the UK, you may have paid over the odds

Airline is under fire over its currency conversion option when booking flights

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