NI Rip Offs

The_Hurricane

motorguy wrote: »

No, i SAID that there were international grade tourist attractions such as the Giants Causeway and the Titanic Exhibition - they are there for the benefit of locals and for tourists.

Bowling is for the local community and i never said otherwise. I'm not sure why you're not grasping that £4.25 a game is probably about right and that these are businesses not charities?


Is £8.50 really as a rip off? How much do you pay for a cinema ticket?



I despair.

Because the length of the game will vary depending on the amount of people playing, and you're paying for the hire of the lane.

I would say three games for say, 4 people is probably an hour and a half or two hours craic for £12.75 each. Realistically, its an evening out for not much more than a tenner.

Doesnt seem expensive to me?

£4.25 is not the norm, £3.50 would be closer to it and many bowling alleys such as Glengormley do offers of say £20 for a group bowling for one hour.

The_Hurricane

motorguy wrote: »

Can anyone justify how either of these two scenarios is a rip off?

(a) a night out ten pin bowling with three friends and a bit of craic for £12.75 each

(b) a day at Northern Irelands top attraction, access to the visitors centre, interactive exhibition, a walk down and round the causeway itself, and back up over the clifftop walk, perhaps with a picnic with you for £8.50 each?

And can anyone tell me how this doesnt compare to

(a) going to see a movie for £8 a ticket
(b) going to a night club - probably £50-100 each.

(a) a night out ten pin bowling with three friends and a bit of craic for £12.75 each

Excessive, £15 for the three would be closer to the mark.

(b) a day at Northern Irelands top attraction, access to the visitors centre, interactive exhibition, a walk down and round the causeway itself, and back up over the clifftop walk, perhaps with a picnic with you for £8.50 each?

A family of five could point out the flaws to this and besides why should people have to pay to view the provinces natural beauty?

And can anyone tell me how this doesnt compare to

(a) going to see a movie for £8 a ticket -

I know places where they are £5, £8 is indeed a rip off.

(b) going to a night club - probably £50-100 each

Night out lasts longer and you can be more prudent you don't have to buy vast amounts of drink, yes £100 is too much to pay for a night out but then many places do drink's offers of £1 for a shot so this reduces prices too.

saverbuyer

motorguy wrote: »

So you taking a provence wide statistic, for all attractions, and applying that to the likes of the Titanic Centre, Giants Causeway, etc?

No, I'm not. There were only 550k leisure and tourism visits by foreign visitors last year. I doubt everyone visited the two attractions above. I'm sure a well place FOI request could get the info. The Titanic had 650k visitors; I actually attended 5 separate events there last year. Didn’t visit the exhibit, I still get counted.

Worth pointing out that our foriegn visitor numbers are actually down by about 10% since 2004.

Obviously more people think the place isn't value for meney.

And £8.50 for a day out at the Giants Causeway isnt value for money? :eek:

You'd pay as much for a cinema ticket!!!!

Not really considering we paid for a visitor centre and donated a car park providing 150k a year in revenue.

I didn't pay for Odeon to build their cinema, I dit however pay for the Titanic centre and the Causeway visitor centre. I don't receive the profits.

motorguy

The_Hurricane wrote: »

£4.25 is not the norm, £3.50 would be closer to it and many bowling alleys such as Glengormley do offers of say £20 for a group bowling for one hour.

You can grasp that one has city centre costs, the other is a tin hut in Glengormley? But no matter...

... you really should have checked your prices...

Glengormley is £3.70 per game, £22 an hour.

Dundonald, £3.60 per game off peak, £4.20 peak.

Odyssey, £3.25 per game off peak, £4.25 peak, £12 for a family pass

So off peak the Odyssey is the CHEAPEST, and peak times just 5p dearer than Dundonald and only 55p per game more for its city centre location, AND they do family tickets! :rotfl:

Wheres your rip off now?

motorguy

The_Hurricane wrote: »

Excessive, £15 for the three would be closer to the mark.

Still doesnt sound like a fortune for a night out?

The_Hurricane wrote: »

A family of five could point out the flaws to this

A family can get a family ticket = 2 adults, 2 children for £21. Add on another child for £4.25 and thats £25.25.

That brings the price down to just £5.00 each for a day out!

Bargain!

:money:

The_Hurricane wrote: »

why should people have to pay to view the provinces natural beauty?

Because it needs to promoted, maintained, manned, insured, facilities provided and i've no doubt it probably has to offset some of the loss making sites.

The_Hurricane wrote: »

Night out lasts longer and you can be more prudent you don't have to buy vast amounts of drink, yes £100 is too much to pay for a night out but then many places do drink's offers of £1 for a shot so this reduces prices too.

Still a lot dearer than a great day out at one of irelands natural beauty spots?

:money:

motorguy

saverbuyer wrote: »

No, I'm not. There were only 550k leisure and tourism visits by foreign visitors last year. I doubt everyone visited the two attractions above. I'm sure a well place FOI request could get the info. The Titanic had 650k visitors; I actually attended 5 separate events there last year. Didn’t visit the exhibit, I still get counted.

Worth pointing out that our foriegn visitor numbers are actually down by about 10% since 2004.

Obviously more people think the place isn't value for meney.

I think your assertion is not directly related to your reason. We are in a recession so its hardly surprising tourism is down

saverbuyer wrote: »

Not really considering we paid for a visitor centre and donated a car park providing 150k a year in revenue.

I didn't pay for Odeon to build their cinema, I dit however pay for the Titanic centre and the Causeway visitor centre. I don't receive the profits.

So you cant see that the Giants Causeway needs promoted, maintained, insured, manned and facilities provided and that these cost money?

:eek:

AND no one is asking you to pay for that maintenance - only when you turn up!

SO given chances are we average going once every 10 years, that £8.25 sounds like a bit of a bargain to me!

mezza101

the real rip offs in norn iron are our rates, lecky, gas etc..........

motorguy

'nuff said on the subject for me now.

Not seeing any 'rip off' so far.

One thing i would say is for people to look at things in context, rather than immediately going off on one when you havent taken all the info into account.

:beer:

saverbuyer

motorguy wrote: »

I think your assertion is not directly related to your reason. We are in a recession so its hardly surprising tourism is down

[/QUOTE]

The majority of visitors to both the attraction you listed are local. That's a fact.

So you can’t see that the Giants Causeway needs promoted, maintained, insured, manned and facilities provided and that these cost money?

Did I say that?

I said having paid to build the centre, donated the land, provide the car park with rates payers losing over 150k a year revenue, I don't think it's too much to ask it's value for money.

Like I said in other threads, some countries have a system whereby tourists pay more to access local attractions. Locals pay less.

You’re in business Paul, wouldn’t you like us all to pay for a fancy new showroom, all the mod cons, then you can charge us double when we come looking at cars and give the guy from Mississippi the same banger for half price.

AND no one is asking you to pay for that maintenance - only when you turn up!

SO given chances are we average going once every 10 years, that £8.25 sounds like a bit of a bargain to me!

But I paid for the thing, now you want to restrict my usage?

What about poor people who can't afford to pay £8.25 each? They've paid their fair share. Should they not be allowed to visit?

The_Hurricane

mezza101 wrote: »

the real rip offs in norn iron are our rates, lecky, gas etc..........

That's a good point, in relation to rates this is what our politicians are supposed to be doing. We keeping getting threatened with water charges but we're already paying them and then some via our rates.