Rip off Britain?

[asterix]

I bought some loudspeaker drive units a few years ago. They were made in Denmark. It was cheaper to buy them in California, pay all the shipping charges, duty and VAT rather than buy them from a dealer in the UK. Nuts.

Since it cannot be possible for Danish manufacturing to be significantly cheaper than in the UK (can it?) it begs the question why we can't make our own stuff. Then we could buy it w/o long distance carriage AND provide a local with a job.

Cut out the half dozen or so middlemen creaming it off for doing FA.

 

[asterix]

[QUOTE 2105535, member: 259"]I go to the US at least every year and almost all of the non-esential but enjoyable stuff I usually buy - clothes, records, phones, computers, books, bikes bits - is about 30-40% cheaper than in Europe,

The UK is usually a bit cheaper than France, Belgium and Italy and a bit more exensive than Germany,

(I must say, though this is very non-scientific and personal, and the pound is stronger against the euro than it has been for years)[/quote]

Certainly true for decent power tools - eye-wateringly expensive in France although strangely motor oil has flipped and is now much cheaper in France when it used to be much pricier.

 

[al78]

It is a rip off, until you fall ill and get treated for free, or get pulled by a copper and don't have to bribe him to be on your way again.

As expensive as it can be, in terms of what is provided to society in return is still unparalleled.

We're talking about consumer goods provided by private industry, not public services provided by the government. If people were complaining about the levels of tax then you would have a point

 

[asterix]

Careful or we'll end up in CAD

 

[Globalti]

Nevertheless it still worries me that very few consumer goods are now manufactured in the UK and we have forgotten how to make most stuff. If all international trade stopped tomorrow I could live without the cars, gadgets and clothes but I don't think British industry could fill the gap in the supply of manufacturing equipment and raw materials - almost 100% of the raw materials my employer uses come from overseas, mostly China and Europe..

 

[swee'pea99]

Interesting to see that The Economist's 'Big Mac Index' - an attempt to establish the difference between actual exchange rates and what they 'should be' - currently has the UK as cheaper than the US...at least as far as Big Macs go, and puts us in company with the likes of Indonesia, Mexico and Malaysia rather than New Zealand, Canada and Denmark. Presumably the Mcbeancounters view the UK's McBuyer demographic as third world in terms of its actual disposable income.

 

[postman]

We had a superb holiday in Orlando this summer and my girls bought top quality branded goods like Vans,Doc Martens,Holister another one,at a fraction of the cost over here.We were all very happy.

 

[Arch]

We're talking about consumer goods provided by private industry, not public services provided by the government. If people were complaining about the levels of tax then you would have a point

But isn't it the tax like VAT that makes the difference between our price and the US price? So it IS the tax people are complaining about...

Personally, I find it hard to get upset over a price difference in such a luxury thing as the latest Ipod anyway. We can all live without Ipods. (and yes, I know I'm typing this on a laptop, a luxury for many. In my defence, it's a relatively cheap laptop...)

 

[Night Train]

Nevertheless it still worries me that very few consumer goods are now manufactured in the UK and we have forgotten how to make most stuff. If all international trade stopped tomorrow I could live without the cars, gadgets and clothes but I don't think British industry could fill the gap in the supply of manufacturing equipment and raw materials - almost 100% of the raw materials my employer uses come from overseas, mostly China and Europe..

This is why I make stuff, and I make it out of the detritus of modern life, ie stuff that would otherwise get thrown away or sent abroad for reprocessing.
A friend I have says that I am one of the most useful people to know as when the 'modern world goes belly up' I will be on of those people who will just carry on and make the stuff that is no longer available to buy.

The stuff like Ipods, smart phones and plasma screens we can do without.

 

[Arch]

This is why I make stuff, and I make it out of the detritus of modern life, ie stuff that would otherwise get thrown away or sent abroad for reprocessing.
A friend I have says that I am one of the most useful people to know as when the 'modern world goes belly up' I will be on of those people who will just carry on and make the stuff that is no longer available to buy.

The stuff like Ipods, smart phones and plasma screens we can do without.

It always amuses me that that friend is in IT....

It would be interesting to know... Actually, that's a whole other thread...

 

[al78]

But isn't it the tax like VAT that makes the difference between our price and the US price? So it IS the tax people are complaining about...

In some cases maybe, it is likely there are cases where exploitation is rife though.

I seem to remember one case involving air travel where flying from Heathrow to somewhere in the US (New York I think) was more expensive than flying to the same place from Amsterdam via Heathrow connecting with the same flight.

 

[ASC1951]

In some cases maybe, it is likely there are cases where exploitation is rife though.

I seem to remember one case involving air travel where flying from Heathrow to somewhere in the US (New York I think) was more expensive than flying to the same place from Amsterdam via Heathrow connecting with the same flight.

That's not necessarily exploitation. For instance, KLM or Schiphol might need to subsidise the Heathrow flight to attract Dutch passengers going to the US. RyanAir have flown me to Sardinia for 19p - yes, pence - each way, which doesn't mean that anyone charging me £20 for the same journey is ripping me off.

 

[al78]

That's not necessarily exploitation. For instance, KLM or Schiphol might need to subsidise the Heathrow flight to attract Dutch passengers going to the US. RyanAir have flown me to Sardinia for 19p - yes, pence - each way, which doesn't mean that anyone charging me £20 for the same journey is ripping me off.

You could be right, although was the 17p a special offer, and doesn't include all the other extras which lump the cost up significantly?

I did find the flight example here:

"A club-class British Airways ticket to Los Angeles would cost a British passenger £4,988, yet a Swiss traveller could fly to the same city via London for £1,722."

In my opinion, that is getting into taking the p**s territory.