PriceWatch: Unless you have very deep pockets you might want to take care where you buy Deep River Rock: huge differences in the price of this brand of bottled water have been highlighted by a Galway-based reader, Grace de Búrca.
She writes to complain that she was charged €1.90 for a 500 millilitre bottle of Deep River Rock at UGC Cinemas on Parnell Street in Dublin.
"I would love to know what the manufacturer's recommended price of the water is, as I have seen it on display in other supermarkets for less than €1 and can't understand how the cinema could be charging so much."
UGC is not even the most expensive location in Dublin for this brand of bottled water. Cruises Cafes on the Liffey Boardwalk, for example, charges €2 - about 30 cent a mouthful.
And, according to reports, the price for 500 millilitres of Deep River Rock in the Republic can go as high as €2.75.
When PriceWatch contacts Coca-Cola Bottlers Ireland, the company responsible for producing Deep River Rock bottled water, to find out its recommended retail price, a spokeswoman says the company suggests between 75 and 95 cent, depending on the circumstances of the retailer.
It is, however, "at their own discretion what they charge. We can't actually impose these prices", she says.
A spokeswoman for UGC Cinemas defends its price, describing it as "competitive" compared with other cinemas in the State.
"If you are in a premium environment you can expect to pay more," she says. She denies that, with water prices like these, cinemas such as UGC are taking advantage of their captive audience.
"If people want to bring in their own drinks then they're more than welcome to."
What's more...
Feeling ripped off
Another PriceWatch reader, this one from Dublin, recently bought a carton of Ribena apple-juice drink for her two-year-old daughter in a café at Nutgrove Shopping Centre, in Rathfarnham, at a cost of €1.85. "I queried the price with both the cashier and the manager
but was assured this was correct," she says. She bought three cartons of the same drink in a nearby Tesco Ireland supermarket moments later for €1.49. "The carton from the café was branded 'Great Value Pack', so it also came from a similar three-pack set. I know what I'll do next time I want to have a cup of coffee with my two-year-old."
If you notice a significant price increase or discrepancy, let us know by e-mailing pricewatch@irish-times.ie
