Display prices for paper bags or pay the penalty, consumer watchdog warns retailers 

Warning follows number of complaints received to CCPC helpline

Aoibhín de Búrca of the CCPC.

Ireland's consumer watchdog the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has written to retailers warning them they must display prices for paper bags after complaints were made to its helpline. 

Under consumer law, retailers must clearly display prices for items being sold, on or near the product. The CCPC says it has written to several businesses that they are in breach of their obligations and could face prosecution.

“Retailers must comply with consumer law, and consumers have a right to know the price of any product they purchase, including shopping bags. They should not be put on the spot at the till to pay it or notice it afterwards on their receipts,” said Aoibhín de Búrca, Director of Communications and Consumer Information for the CCPC. “The contacts we’ve received through our helpline highlight potentially concerning practices around price displays, so we are writing to traders to remind them of their legal obligations.” 

The CCPC says if further breaches of the law are detected, it may take further action, ranging from the issuing of fixed payment notices and compliance notices up to prosecution in the courts.

The letters were sent to individual traders on Thursday, October 22. "A failure to indicate the price of paper bags near or at the till register is a contravention of the 2002 Regulations," the letter warns. "It is the obligation of a trader to ensure compliance with consumer protection legislation. The CCPC requests that you review your in-store signage to ensure that the charge for paper bags, is clearly displayed to consumers before they make a purchase. It is also worth noting that if you charge multiple prices dependant on the bag selected, then all prices should be clearly displayed...

"Where breaches of consumer protection legislation are detected, the CCPC may take appropriate action in accordance with our powers under the legislation. The CCPC reserves its position regarding any potential future enforcement action."