Handling fees - rip off Britain

andygb

Back in the old days, I used to get in touch with P & O, SeaFrance, Eurotunnel, book my crossing and pay the advertised charge.
I have been on Direct Ferries site this morning, got all the way through to the end, and was confronted with a handling charge for using ANY of the payment methods available - why?
Booking online used to mean avoiding handling charges, but here it varied - Paypal £2.50, Visa £1.50, others at 2.5% - what is going on?

dzug1

Whats's happening is that Direct Ferries are paid next to no commission fior selling the tickets so want to ensure they keep what little they do receive.

Direct Ferries are rarely any cheaper than booking direct - so maybe continue to do that

BINNY

Can I ask is everyone fed up of the Admin charges the likes of Ticketline charge for processing/handling tickets.
I recently purchased 4 tickets for Paul Weller at Jodrell bank which was cancelled due to bad weather - Well Health & Safety was the reason given!!!! These tickets cost me £166.55 I have received a refund of £145.00 becasue they don't have to refund any of there charges as it wasn't there fault - WELL IT WASN'T MINE either.
Can you tell me are these companies insured for these kinds of issues?
I've done a general calculation it has cost me £21.55 for 4 tickets plus a parking ticket which equates to £5.39 ea if as mentioned 10,000 people go they have just made a figure of £53,900 for nothing!!!!!!!
Am I the only one who thinks these companies should be investiageted???

mcfisco

Booking online used to mean avoiding handling charges, but here it varied - Paypal £2.50, Visa £1.50, others at 2.5% - what is going on?

We've always paid handling charges, It's just the race to the bottom for the headline price means they've separated them out now

They could say that the fare was £67.50 + £2.50 handling charge or it's £70 with no handling charges.
I guess the biggest issue is the way they let you get through the process before the sting

[Deleted User]

Must admit I have tried to buy tickets for concerts/shows and get to the end and see the charges and think I am not paying that (or words to that effect) and walk away, the tickets are way overpriced anyway

Mr_Wang

mcfisco wrote: »

We've always paid handling charges, It's just the race to the bottom for the headline price means they've separated them out now

They could say that the fare was £67.50 + £2.50 handling charge or it's £70 with no handling charges.
I guess the biggest issue is the way they let you get through the process before the sting

Brother in law is an electrician. He was telling me that if you charge someone £60 call out charge, plus £30 for every half hour, with it likely to take 2 hours they will most likely turn the job down.
But if you tell them the job will cost £180 from the outset, they will most likely agree.

Supposedly it's what most tradesmen do these days :cool:

callum9999

andygb wrote: »

Back in the old days, I used to get in touch with P & O, SeaFrance, Eurotunnel, book my crossing and pay the advertised charge.
I have been on Direct Ferries site this morning, got all the way through to the end, and was confronted with a handling charge for using ANY of the payment methods available - why?
Booking online used to mean avoiding handling charges, but here it varied - Paypal £2.50, Visa £1.50, others at 2.5% - what is going on?

Then get in touch with P&O and Eurotunnel then... It's hardly the shock of the century that you may pay more by going to a third party than by booking direct!

And how exactly is this rip off Britain? I really despise that phrase, particularly as pretty much every country in the world charges admin/handling fees on some things...

Mr_Wang

callum9999 wrote: »

And how exactly is this rip off Britain? I really despise that phrase, particularly as pretty much every country in the world charges admin/handling fees on some things...

I think 'rip off Britain' is quite fitting for this country.

The problem is, you are so used to being overcharged and so used to companies doing their absolute best to cream every last penny from you that you have become immune to it.

callum9999

Mr_Wang wrote: »

I think 'rip off Britain' is quite fitting for this country.

The problem is, you are so used to being overcharged and so used to companies doing their absolute best to cream every last penny from you that you have become immune to it.

Overcharged how exactly... These fees are not unique to the UK - they are found all over the world.

The cost of living is higher than a lot of places, but only a complete idiot would directly compare them. If you did then you'd think Australia, for example, was unbelievably ripped off (a country where the price of 1L of milk reaching 70p (almost double what you can get here if you shop around) triggered prolonged (as in weeks) nationwide media coverage because people simply couldn't believe it was that cheap).

Bob_the_Saver

Mr_Wang wrote: »

I think 'rip off Britain' is quite fitting for this country.

The problem is, you are so used to being overcharged and so used to companies doing their absolute best to cream every last penny from you that you have become immune to it.

Yep just read it vertically.

Rip
Off
Britain

If you travel you often see things for a few dong/rupee/yuan or whatever that cost £'s in the UK.
Whilst everyone is moaning and thinking about the Euro the Indians, Malaysians, the Chinese etc are buying Europe. (and good luck to them).
I was in a shopping mall in Indonesia in March, on Sunday it was packed, on Monday it was empty and I mean empty!! I asked why, the answer was simple,
"everyone at work". Not full of chavs and spongers - "everyone at work"

These days I have 6 shopping lists,
1 for India
1 for Malaysia
1 for (depends where I am going)
1 for France (very short list)
1 for Trago Mills (it's a Westcountry thing) but the list is getting smaller rapidly
1 for the rest of UK but only if I have to, (we even buy Garlic in Malaysia)

callum9999

Bob_the_Saver wrote: »

Yep just read it vertically.

Rip
Off
Britain

If you travel you often see things for a few dong/rupee/yuan or whatever that cost £'s in the UK.
Whilst everyone is moaning and thinking about the Euro the Indians, Malaysians, the Chinese etc are buying Europe. (and good luck to them).
I was in a shopping mall in Indonesia in March, on Sunday it was packed, on Monday it was empty and I mean empty!! I asked why, the answer was simple,
"everyone at work". Not full of chavs and spongers - "everyone at work"

These days I have 6 shopping lists,
1 for India
1 for Malaysia
1 for (depends where I am going)
1 for France (very short list)
1 for Trago Mills (it's a Westcountry thing) but the list is getting smaller rapidly
1 for the rest of UK but only if I have to, (we even buy Garlic in Malaysia)

You do realise that if you were spending Malaysian wages in Malaysia, or Indian wages in India, you would be no better off than in the UK - most likely a lot worse off?

I don't know why it still shocks people, but if the inhabitants of a country have low wages, stuff is cheaper (i.e. India/Malaysia etc.). If the inhabitants of a country have high wages, stuff is more expensive (i.e. the UK, Australia etc.).