In Ireland while there are no controls on prices, there is legislation the way prices of products and services are displayed to consumers. These laws consist of the EC (Requirements to Indicate Product Prices) Regulations 2002 and Orders made under the Prices Act 1958 to 1972 and the Consumer Protection Act 2007 (pdf). The legislation ensures that consumers have enough information to make price comparisons between different products and services.
Rules
Retail outlets
The purpose of the EC (Requirements to Indicate Product Prices) Regulations 2002 is to enable consumer to see the price of the product before buying and to make price comparisons. The price of products on sale in shops and supermarkets may be attached to the items themselves. Alternatively they may be displayed on a label on the edge of the shelf. Generally, shelf labels are used to display prices in supermarkets since barcodes have becomes more popular. Under the EC (Requirements to Indicate Product Prices) Regulations 2002, retailers must show the correct selling price in euro including taxes. Unit prices for products sold by weight volume or measure must also be clearly displayed. More detailed information on pricing of goods and services is available here. The Regulations provide for certain exemptions from unit pricing such as items which are equal or less than 50 ml or 50 grams. The Regulations also extend to online shopping. Services are not covered by the Product Pricing Regulations.
The Prices and Charges (Tax-Inclusive Statements) Order, 1973 requires that all prices marked on goods or prices displayed or quoted at the retail level and all charges for services displayed or quoted should be tax-inclusive (e.g. VAT) except where it is intended solely for a business customer.
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