Handling fees - rip off Britain

Bob_the_Saver

callum9999 wrote: »

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.).

THE SAME STUFF, they then sell it to Europe
They catch us up,
They overtake us.

Look what has happened to Jaguar/Land Rover, bought by the Indians, MADE BY THE BRITISH (at the moment) and the company
has made in 1 year bigger profits than in all their entire histories put together. Thatcher's era talked about making the UK a knowledge based economy (ie. Johnny foreigner is not as clever as we are)
Not correct they are brighter and harder working in many cases (speaking as an ex-teacher)
The internet is changing things but if Joe public knew what retailers bought much of the stuff they buy in the shops for they would riot.
Massive mark-ups, and I mean massive are not uncommon on
non-headline items.
It all means nothing really because it's much too late.

zenmaster

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)

And what's the minimum wage, working age, H & S observance and workers' rights in any of these countries?

I'll tell you - it's zilch. I bet your UK earned income was subject to all of the above.

It is slave labour, illegal in this country, but it's outsourced so that's OK. Are you not ripping them off?

Forget the bankers and the tax avoiders. They are just the headline grabbers.

The real problem in this country is that we are overwhelmed by those who expect EVERYTHING for NOTHING. If they have to pay for anything it's a rip off. If they have to do something and they don't get paid? Yep - it's a rip off.

photome

BINNY wrote: »

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???

But they did do something, they processed the tickets and presumably sent them out so quite a few man hours. Yes I think the charges are to high, but you cant expect them to work for nothing

budgetflyer

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.

Surely traders in many parts of the world have tried to rip you off Mr Wang?
Any time I have been in Asia, most traders start at 3 times what they will expect you to pay.
They would rip off a naive tourist without 1 second of guilt.

Then theres Cuba. They even have a special tourist currency just so they can rip us off more.

Mr_Wang

budgetflyer wrote: »

Surely traders in many parts of the world have tried to rip you off Mr Wang?
Any time I have been in Asia, most traders start at 3 times what they will expect you to pay.
They would rip off a naive tourist without 1 second of guilt.

Then theres Cuba. They even have a special tourist currency just so they can rip us off more.

Absolutely, but I hold a lot less contempt for some skinny Asian guy desperate to feed his family.

In that case it's desperation.

In the case of the UK it's greed.

Mr_Wang

callum9999 wrote: »

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).

Last month I paid 37% tax and NI.

Filled up my car to go shopping and paid another 70% in tax. Got to Asda and paid 20% in tax.
On the way home fancied a beer and paid 11 times more in tax than a friend in Germany.

I pay about £2000 per year in council tax, and £180 in Road tax.

Decide I wanna escape it all and hit up Myrtle beach and I'm hit with £92 just for the sake of it, plus all the other taxes associated with air fares these days.

The point is it is an absolute scam, and my example is not unique - It effects everyone in this country.

But it's ok, I can feel comfort that my taxes are going to lazy $%^"$% that cant be arsed to work, or to help us fight wars we were coerced into, extra £200,000 for the queen because £35Million per year just isn't enough, to help prop up other EU countries, MP's expenses and dodgy bankers that act with absolute immunity.

You need to take your glasses of Callum, were not just getting scammed in this country, we are getting done from behind, sideways, and without lube.

dickydonkin

budgetflyer wrote: »

Surely traders in many parts of the world have tried to rip you off Mr Wang?
Any time I have been in Asia, most traders start at 3 times what they will expect you to pay.
They would rip off a naive tourist without 1 second of guilt.

Then theres Cuba. They even have a special tourist currency just so they can rip us off more.

What is annoying is where attractions in other countries charge more for visitors than their own people - a common thing in parts of Asia.

It's not often I agree with Mr Wang, but his post above is spot on.

Mr_Wang

dickydonkin wrote: »

What is annoying is where attractions in other countries charge more for visitors than their own people - a common thing in parts of Asia.

It's not often I agree with Mr Wang, but his post above is spot on.

A quick example is the Taj Mahal - 750 INR for tourists, 20 INR for locals. Thats about 40 times more. This i'm not too bothered about.

The worst by far though is Sri Lanka for this practice.

This is entrance for Horton s Plain - Confirmed by myself last year:

Local Adult – 60
Local child - Free

Foreign Adult – 1700.85
Foreign Child – 907.12
VAT – 429.01

So a local with 2 kids pays 60 LKR (28 pence)

Me with 2 kids paid 3943 LKR (£19)

That's a mark up of 9400%

or 140 times more.

That is a scam.

Incapuppy

Mr_Wang wrote: »

That's a mark up of 9400%

or 140 times more.

That is a scam.

I would suggest that you earn more than 140 times more than the average local in these kind of places. What's your problem with that?

Also you are not bothered about 40 times more in India yet 140 times more in Sri Lanka pees you off?

Go and watch Mamma Mia again and calm down!

Mr_Wang

Incapuppy wrote: »

I would suggest that you earn more than 140 times more than the average local in these kind of places. What's your problem with that?

Also you are not bothered about 40 times more in India yet 140 times more in Sri Lanka pees you off?

Go and watch Mamma Mia again and calm down!

No i'm not bothered about India because the Taj Mahal takes some restoring and it's a part of history for the locals.

I am bothered about Horton's plain because it is a piece of land, that has no historical relevance.

Anyway....Mind your business!