Businesses must display the correct prices on products in euro. However, if the price displayed is not honoured by the business and you are asked to pay a higher price when you go to pay, you do not have an automatic right to buy the item at the displayed price. As long as the business tells you before you pay that the higher price applies, you have the option to either buy it at the higher price or decide not to.
Certain goods are required to have a unit price displayed as well as a total selling price. The unit price is the final selling price for goods in the following measurements:
- one kilogram
- one litre
- one metre
Unit pricing allows you to compare the cost of similar products that are sold in different sized packs. Comparing prices this way can help you save money as you can see which one is the best value – regardless of the brand or the size of the pack.
When running price promotions or ‘special offers’, it’s against the law for shops to give a false or misleading previous price.
When selling goods at a sale price, businesses must display the ‘prior price’. This should be the lowest price the goods were on sale for in the 30 days prior to the sale. For example, if a laptop is advertised as ‘was €700, now €500’, then it must not have been available for less than €700 in the 30 days before the sale started.
Dynamic pricing is when businesses adjust the price of products or services in response to supply and demand. If lots of people want to buy, and there isn’t enough to go around, prices can go up. If you’re buying when others aren’t, you might get a bargain.
Dynamic pricing is used in a variety of industries, such as airlines, hotels, restaurants and energy companies. It is not currently defined under Irish or EU consumer protection legislation and, in most cases, it is not prohibited.
A deposit is charged on certain plastic bottles, aluminium and steel cans. This deposit is not part of the price and is displayed separately. Your receipt will clearly list this deposit on a separate line. The deposit return scheme is operated by Re-Turn.
The amount of the deposit is also not included when calculating a unit price.
In general, there are no price controls in Ireland. This means that, in most cases, there is no minimum or maximum price for goods or services. This is to allow for competition among businesses.
A shop is not breaking the law by charging more than their competitors. If you feel that you are not getting good value, then you should shop around for a better price.
Prices must be displayed in euro but it is not against the law for shops to also display prices in other currencies such as sterling. A shop doesn’t have to accept payment in another currency where multiple currencies are displayed.
If a price is displayed in another currency, it doesn’t have to be a direct conversion of the euro price. Other currency prices displayed are usually the price you would pay if you bought the item in another country.
