O'Neills rip-off

[donelli]

Anyone else notice the rip off oneills charges its custmosers in the ROI?

On average they charge southern customers 25% extra for the same products. For example, county jerseys are eur60 while the same jersey is sold for stg40 in the north. They are using the 1.5 exchange rate even though it is approx. 1.2 for the last 2 years. stg40 is about eur 47.50 at present.

When on their website, they recognise the location of your IP address and wont allow you to buy in in preferred currency, therby charging 25% more..

so much for the goodwill towards choosing Irish companies to supply our gear when they blatantly abuse the situation by ripping off gaels....

[tonesfirstandlast]

Do you think £40 is reasonable for a replica jersey?

Total Rip off! Make a bout 400% profit on them!

[Leo]

What is it with GAA clubs & counties that they allow O'Meills to dominate the market and to brand their gear with the massive overuse of the O'NEILL name plastered all over the  tops, etc?
The same goes for footballs that always seem to be used in photocalls with O'NEILLS branding more prominent than anything to do with GAA - no other sport would allow this hijackimhg - is someone within the association benefiting from this??

Time for clubs etc. to exercise mor control and not be led by the nose by this cynical marketing ploy - after alll, most of this stuff is made for buttons sin far east and has nothing to do with Ireland or irishness other than the agressive protection of a virtual monoploly.

[DuffleKing]

A monopoly situation exists now through neglect in gaelic games. Gaelic gear and azzuri are the latest companies to have a go at breaking it but the reality is that neither had the financial clout to compete with O'Neills. There are countless anecdotes of O'Neills offering county teams colossal (in comparitive terms) gear deals which will sustain them for a considerable length of time to turn their back on other kit suppliers. turn the clock back six months and O'Neill's have usually treated these same counties with the same distain and neglect that they normally reserve for clubs. The reality is that such are the margins and quntities on O'Neills gear that they can afford to take a loss and wait out these small competitors. I'd like to see what terms O'Neills offer Fermanagh or Donegal next time out.

Gaelic Games is crying out for a puma or addidas to come into the market but there simply isn't the revenue at the minute. It wouldn't be a massive carrot but removing the ridiculous home produced rule for playing gear would be a great step in the right direction. Opening up the replica strips market would at least make the muliti nationals take a hard look at what they could do in this country.

Most clubs and anything other than top tier counties will give you tales of neglect and ignorance from O'Neills, not to mention the comparitively extortionate pricing. Most clubs i know of buy training / leisure gear from other suppliers and do their own branding at half the price.

[Maguire01]

So you think Adidas or Puma would charge less than £40 for a replica top?

The competition for O'Neills to date has been dire. Gaelic Gear was woeful.

[snoopdog]

not only are O'Neills expensive but their gear is crap. What material are their jerseys made off, id say straw would be more comfortable to wear. And their footballs are a rip of i think 50 euro for a f**king football.
Time to fcuk them and let nike umbro and adidas into the equation, whether they are expensive or not at least you would get quality
Any company that made that minging Down yellow jersey for the All Ireland final deserves to be shut down.

[andoireabu]

could be wrong but is there not a rule that a game has to be played with an o'neills ball? in one of our games a team tried using a different one and the ref had it changed to an o'neills.

Man Utd jersey in JJB £50
New Zealand rugby top in JJB £50 (SA top is £60)
American Football top £55 in JJB

O'neills tops are cheaper than the three above

[Gabriel_Hurl]

could be wrong but is there not a rule that a game has to be played with an o'neills ball?

yeah - think you are wrong there

[Gabriel_Hurl]

not to mention their range of "international" jerseys now - that have 2 stripes instead of 3

[Canalman]

In fairness the O'Neiil's adult football is by far the best around. Would imagine that you can count on the one hand the amount of adult club games played countrywise with a non O'Neills football.

Seems more of a variety at underage level.

[WeeDonns]

could be wrong but is there not a rule that a game has to be played with an o'neills ball?

It has to be played with an official ball. I think so far, only O'Neills, Gaelic Gear & McKeever have been recognised as official balls by croke park (McKeever ones seem grand, gaelic gear ones were crap in every way)

See here for a much bigger list of official sliotar makers http://www.gaa.ie/tickets-and-merchandise/approved-suppliers/

not only are O'Neills expensive but their gear is crap

I'd disagree with you there. I think their jerseys are pretty good quality.
O'Neills size 5 footballs are only £20 in the shop in belfast, although they're £38 online.


I like the idea of giving business to a local firm, employing plenty of local people, But can anyone here tell us how much of their stuff is being made here in Ireland, and how much is being made abroad?

[Donnellys Hollow]

I like the idea of giving business to a local firm, employing plenty of local people, But can anyone here tell us how much of their stuff is being made here in Ireland, and how much is being made abroad?

They have the jerseys manufactured outside Ireland and bring them in as white material.  In Strabane, they 'paint' or subliminate the pattern on the material hence they are still white on the inside.

They should be knocking a few €s off the price of a Kildare shirt so if that's the case!

[Minder]

I like the idea of giving business to a local firm, employing plenty of local people, But can anyone here tell us how much of their stuff is being made here in Ireland, and how much is being made abroad?

They have the jerseys manufactured outside Ireland and bring them in as white material.  In Strabane, they 'paint' or subliminate the pattern on the material hence they are still white on the inside.

Where do they bus the people into Strabane from to do that?

[CompulsoryTillager]

not to mention their range of "international" jerseys now - that have 2 stripes instead of 3

Clumsy naming on O'Neills' part, the "international" refers only to being able to sell them abroad, as to have three stripes on them would infringe on adidas's trademark

[qwerty]

Looks to me like they stitch them together in Strabane...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0gVoSLIv84