Here in Ireland, as throughout the world, we are all aware of the need to be more cautious with spending what little finances are available to us.As priests, this should be more especially so, as we do actually hold responsibility for ensuring the practical, prudent and indeed responsible spending of parish monies. We are indeed well used to balancing the finances of parishes and also of our own wages, which also requires the same diligence.
Bearing this in mind, we were stunned this week to hear from a priest based in the southeast of Ireland who had decided to get a new set of clerical shirts for himself (out of his own pocket) and perused the internet.
Let me clarify for all of you a small issue this side of the world whereby the United Kingdom (aka Great Britain, England) who have their own currency still known as Sterling (£) whilst very much the remainder of Europe has the Euro (€).
This can lead to a situation which currently exists whereby Ireland trades with UK in Sterling where goods are so much cheaper, and indeed has led to a mass exodus of southern Irish citizens to the North of Ireland to purchase general basics and other items they require.
Now that being explained, let us continue with what came to our attention!!
Our priest colleague went to the website of Hayes & Finch and found tonsured shirts which were priced in sterling for £27.40 and on their Irish version of their site, came in at euro price of €40.47.
Now, when we enquired from them through their Liverpool office, we were left on hold for a few minutes before being told there was no-one available to explain why this discrepancy existed and that it should not be so expensive in euros. We were then told to make contact with the Ireland office where it should be explained to us as there was no-one available to take our call.
We rang the Irish office of Hayes & Finch and were told that the prices would obviously be different as there was two currencies to be considered here which we are only too well aware of, but what we wanted an answer to was even despite the conversion, there was still a major discrepancy in price.
On the day we rang, we had first checked with our banks and the rate we were given for conversion of £27.40 was €31.39 which therefore automatically means an immediate markup of €9.08 for Hayes & Finch.
Each of the 4 banks we had rang on the day advised us that it would be next to near impossible that such a differential in sterling and euro would equate the sterling price with that of the euro as advertised by Hayes & Finch.
As one bank staffer told us, what is going on with Hayes & Finch is nothing less than what other British suppliers are doing in Ireland - effectively hiking the prices and effectively screwing potential and existing customers over because they think the Irish are too fluid with their spending habits to consider the difference between sterling and euro.
We still await a reasonable explanation from Hayes & Finch as to why they are hiking up such a markup as is evident in relation to the shirts alone, but we will be making further enquiries in relation to other goods, not just from Hayes & Finch, but indeed others also.
The conversion of currencies is not a justifiable excuse as it is only an excuse so maybe the truth from Hayes & Finch would be most helpful and we offer them the opportunity to do so, failing which we shall continue to highlight the matter here.
Also, we ask that if there are others out there willing to share their experiences with us in relation to companies such as Hayes & Finch, Sable and others who are nothing short of arrogant and contemptuous in their treatment of their customers, please do let us know.
We will be only too happy to publish such issues with due regard to discretion and anonymity.
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The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce
(Source: FF/PVT)