Rip off Britain myth

[codprawn]

The bloody media are at it again - I just don't know HWY they are trying to perpetrate this myth all the time!!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4700445.stm

Basically the Beeb are reporting on the article that appeared in PCPro mag entiltled

"Rip Off Britain Exposed".

"Buying the goods from US websites rather than UK high-street stores could mean a saving of more than £1,000."

This just sums it up - maybe if they had bought from BRITISH websites instead of normal shops it would have been a bit closer to the truth!!!

Obviously web sites are usually MUCH cheaper than normal high street shops - so why didn't they choose the cheapest sites they could in the UK???

EBUYER is so cheap it is amazing!!!

[Simon B]

Quite agree Codders, thats where I'll be getting my next PC from, however, there does appear to be a grim monotony to apparent overpricing of goods here.

As long as the differential is high enough to make a difference people will vote with their feet and eschew "good service" in the face of a bargian. Then theres eBay ofcourse, which I believe the taxman is now quite interested in!

[codprawn]

Not that many goods ARE overpriced here though - obviously the $ is very weak at the moment but people tend to forget that it is only stuff actually MADE in the USA that is a bargain.

Many states in the USA have sales tax a bit like our VAT.

The ONLY things in this country that are a rip off are anything the government has touched - like fuel - tobacco and booze!!!

[eupa]

The whole beauty of the www is that we have the chance to shop around and find the best bargins whether it be in the US/UK ect ect.

It should in theory - all things being equal - be the big " equalizer" of consummer pricing. Invarably, this is not so, as a lot of local barriers are placed to stop people profiting from lower prices in the states.

e.g - " cannot be exported" and unfortunately when buying using credit cards
the exporter will see that the the billing address is not the same as the shipping address.

There are numereous ways around this , and also the way in which VAT/ DUTY can be calculated quite legally while still profiting from the price differentails. My company imports a lot of stuff from the States and as a rule of thumb ,for every 100$ of purchase value we get to about +10% landed in Belgium even with a VAT of 21%.. I will not devulge how you do it .... but just check out a few sites......

As regards rip off Briton - I am always annoyed at having to pay over 2 quid for a cup of coffee which is one teaspoon of nescafe dissolved in hot water.OK Belgium is not utopia - but we get real coffee for under a quid a cup. By the way Nescafe is over 50% Na2(CO3)2

Jonathan

[eupa]

Not that many goods ARE overpriced here though


Come off it codders - houses arn't over priced in the UK???- and dont say that is "special" - ohhh yes I forgot your estate in wales with the the two astons?? Housing accounts for nearly 40% of ' working class ' peoples budgets.

Any news of your rib yet?? Delivery Day must be getting near??

jonathan

[eupa]

Many states in the USA have sales tax a bit like our VAT.

FYI export sale - NO STATE TAXES ARE APPLICABLE

Jonathan

[eupa]

The ONLY things in this country that are a rip off are anything the government has touched - like fuel - tobacco and booze

You dont need tobacco or booze to live. One eats the lungs the other the liver, and incidently euro 95 is cheaper in the Uk than France/Belgium
Diesel is another story. Mr. Blair is a marveleous person.. Look what happened to poor old Chirac

jonathan

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by eupa

Not that many goods ARE overpriced here though


Come off it codders - houses arn't over priced in the UK???- and dont say that is "special" - ohhh yes I forgot your estate in wales with the the two astons?? Housing accounts for nearly 40% of ' working class ' peoples budgets.

Any news of your rib yet?? Delivery Day must be getting near??

jonathan

Well unless you have "special methods" it would be hard to import a house from the USA - and even harder to import the land to build it on!!! Obviously ANY country which has a low population density is going to be cheaper for housing - thought that was OBVIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[eupa]

Obviously ANY country which has a low population density is going to be cheaper for housing

Believe it or not Codders , Belgium has a higher density of population /sq. km than the UK.

Jonathan

[eupa]

it would be hard to import a house from the USA

If I remember correctly somebody in the Uk did . They imported a New England post house in its entirety , and guess what --- it was cheaper.

Jonathan