Shocking prices..named and shamed ;-)

[bfitzgerald]

I said before in a few other threads, you would have to be slightly insane to purchase any camera equipment in Ireland, whilst the UK often gets sighted for bad prices, Eire, is in a league of it's own.

I will point out the current VAT rate in Eire is 21.5 % recently up from 21%, it's the Irish governments strategy to drive the economy even further into the ground, but that's another topic

UK VAT is 15% at present, and will be back up end of year to it's previous 17.5%, you can make adjustments on prices allowing for VAT.
Currently the Euro is 0.94 to £1, or near there, of course retailers do not just drop prices instantly, with currency fluctuations. But still..you can decide for yourself if the prices are fair..or not.

Argos is a well known and large UK/Eire retailer. It is true, bar the odd thing here and there, that they have never been good on prices..however, have a look at the following, and see if you can spot Dick Turpin lurking in the boardroom

How does a nice lithium sony battery sound for your camera...

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/part ... 161358.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A mere €99!

The 75-300mm D is a budget lens, but it's not so budget here..

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/part ... 161396.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Only €329.99

A budget A200, with a not so budget price

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/part ... 161407.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Only €449.99..its selling for £245 last time I looked on amazon uk




These are worse case scenarios, just a glimpse around some shops shows that you can get better prices, but they are still terrible in comparison to other places. however not great it is, in the UK, be certain..that things are a lot more crazy over here! Course, you don't have to pay these daft prices, but still, it's rather astonishing that with the well known value of the euro increasing, a major retailer can think people are dumb enough to fall for this..

[David Kilpatrick]

I'm glad now that I forgot to collect €300 we ordered from the bank before going to Mallorca in November - it's now worth 20% more than it was when I exchanged it.

I am trying to work out why I left all my other funds in the bank...

I've got friends who tell me that despite the euro/pound thing, life is really just as bad in France (for example). One of my friends is now desperate to sell a house there, because the government and local gov have increased the taxes and rates (maybe to second home owners?) so much it is no longer economical to keep it. And he says the price has fallen just the same as it has in the UK.

When I was in Ireland in 2005, house prices were booming. They were building huge American-style new houses, not British style (we have a few of these in Scotland too). Prices were €700,000 to over a million or so and that was in Cork, popular but presumably cheaper than closer to Dublin - however, I think Apple is based there and inflates the local pricing. Everything seemed expensive (it would seem even more so now) but very secure and safe, all built on a thriving economy and a respectable rate of births and young immigration.

I didn't buy anything photographic, it was all too expensive then let alone now. Still, you can buy from Britain, and get stuff cheaper for the moment.

David

[Dusty]

Governments always seek to increase spending, ergo taxes. And many of the idiots in the voting population are wondering why they have less to spend for all their hard work, while at the same time voting in politicians who promise them more "free" programs. The people fail to realize that government can give you nothing except by taking it from you first. Run that thru the bureaucracies and siphon off a bit more for pork barrel projects, and you'll get back about 17 cents on the dollar! What a bargain!

Of course, they keep telling you that they're stealing it from the "rich", who are mean and nasty and don't care about you (as if politicians do!). I may be poor, but I'm not stupid. Every time I hear these class warfare arguments I ask a simple question: "Have you ever gotten a good paying job from a poor person?" Take all the money from the "rich" and give it to the government, and soon ONLY they will be able to give you a good paying job. Which means you will be under their control, as there will be no alternate places to get a good paying job. I have enough friends from behind the Iron and Bamboo Curtains to know what that will be like!

Dusty

[bossel]

I've got friends who tell me that despite the euro/pound thing, life is really just as bad in France (for example). One of my friends is now desperate to sell a house there, because the government and local gov have increased the taxes and rates (maybe to second home owners?) so much it is no longer economical to keep it. And he says the price has fallen just the same as it has in the UK.

House prices in France have risen to ridiculous levels in the last 10 years. And the expectations of those who want to sell now will not be met. If you live in the countryside, prices are falling, in Paris and Côte-d'Azur the rise has stopped.
WhenI was looking to buy 7 or 8 years ago, you could buy a studio (1 shared bed/living room) for 50K Euro and a 2 pièces (1 bedroom 1 saloon) for < 100K. Today it's hard to find a studio <100K and a reasonable 2 pièces <200K. Forget about houses unless you got 2 high salaries (we don't ).

[bfitzgerald]

I just thought is was pretty shocking that a company could charge €99 for a battery!

In their last catalogue it was..€79 I think..

Euro goes up, makes product cheaper (they are clearly supplied from the UK), and they jack the price up...scary to say the least. I just feel sorry for folks who do buy one, not knowing..a: You can get alternative 3rd party ones for peanuts..b: Even official sony ones are far cheaper elsewhere

[Vidgamer]

Dusty, it won't be long now before They take you away and put you in a reeducation camp so that you'll finally understand why you're wrong about big gov't. Pretty soon, you'll learn to love Big Brother!

That's wild about the Euro pricing...

About big American houses, well, we keep making 'em bigger. I bought one much bigger than my last, and I don't know why.

[Dusty]

Dusty, it won't be long now before They take you away and put you in a reeducation camp so that you'll finally understand why you're wrong about big gov't. Pretty soon, you'll learn to love Big Brother!

They may try to take away my rights to free speech, but as I and many friends are fond of saying, the First is a promise, the Second is a guarantee!

That's wild about the Euro pricing...

About big American houses, well, we keep making 'em bigger. I bought one much bigger than my last, and I don't know why.

I bought one that's big enough for a growing family, but that I can afford. I got a HUD repo several years ago, spend some elbow grease and $$ getting it in shape, (still working on some aspects of that) and would have quite a bit of equity in it now if it were not for the collapsing housing market. At least I'm still above water!

Dusty