Rip-off Britain
Filed under: Opinion, October 2009
The expression 'rip-off Britain' was first created in the late 1990s but the concept is still relevant today as we Brits continue to pay over the odds for all sorts of products such as clothes, fuel, food, electronics, medicine and more.
Top Rip-off Britain searches:
- Fuel duty
- Rip-off Britain
- Food price compare
- Paying too much
- Organic food prices
- Stealth tax
- Premium call rate
- Low petrol prices
- Price of groceries
- Grocery discounts
In America they get the same products as us, the same labels, which are often manufactured in the same places, for considerably less than we pay. Here are 5 such products you can get cheaper in the States:
- The Apple Macbook - American citizens can purchase a brand new Apple Macbook (13" screen, 2GB RAM, 160GB hard drive) for $999 which is currently about £630. Whereas us poor mugs in Blighty have to fork out £749 for the exact same machine. At least the delivery is free.
- Petrol - In some States in America you can buy a gallon of petrol (or gas as they call it) for around $2.57 which is about £1.60. Currently the average price of a litre (yes, that's about a third of the amount) of petrol in the UK is £1.05.
- Cars - Want to buy a gas guzzler to fill up with all that expensive petrol? Maybe a cute little Toyota Yaris. It's a Japanese car, but in the States it'll set you back around $11,185, which is about £7,800. The same car in the UK can cost between £9,905 and £14,935. Of course, you can take advantage of the scrappage scheme to save £2,000 but you need an old banger you've had for 10 years for the deal.
- Levi's jeans - A pair of men's 501 Original Levi's jeans cost around $59.50 in America which is roughly £37 and for a similar pair from the UK website the cheapest option is £59.95. If you're a fan of Levi's it might work out cheaper to go on a shopping holiday to the USA and bring back some pairs for your friends and family.
- Pizza - If you're in America (specifically New York for this experiment) and you're hungry you can order a large thin crust pepperoni pizza to collect from good old Pizza Hut for $16.99, which is about £10.70. The same pizza from a UK Pizza Hut costs £12.99. Maybe you should go to McDonald's instead where an American Big Mac costs $3.57 (£2.25) and a UK one is just £2.29 and be thankful you don't live in Norway where a humble Big Mac costs a whopping 40 Kroner - £4.48.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
Dictate said 7:39PM on 10-23-2009
If you think that its rip-off Britain, take a look at the price of basic necessities in Ireland! It might just make you feel fortunate!
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linz said 6:22PM on 10-24-2009
The Goverment have been ripping britain off for too many years,and they allow anybody into the country, and then most of them are allowed to sign on and get everything that they want. The goverment should open there eyes and just let experience people in to help the country. Don't they know that the country is already in trouble. Then we have the goverment taking money when they want, don't they get afford money and if it was just some joe bloggs doing want they did they would be in prison now' What punishment did they get. They are as bad they ripped of britain as well. What a lovely place we live in, its about time someone looked at this.
tutanhaken said 7:23AM on 10-24-2009
You voted this government in ... you allowed all the immigrants to enter our country and get free benefits....Thats if you got off your ass in the first place and voted.......Join the B.N.P. get them all out ...have you seen the statistics of what this countries population will be within the next 20 years? 65% more god dam immigrants,thank god I wont be around to see it...Good luck to you hahahahahahahah.....keep paying your taxes unless you are like most of the British ...either a single parent...on the dole......or just bone idle.... from a very bitter ENGLISMAN yes English .......not a god dam immigrant on benefits
John S said 9:04PM on 10-23-2009
I am currently on holiday in the Sates and it is true many items are cheaper. But Car Insurance, Health Insurance, beer and wine are dearer so just get on with it, enjoy the differences!!
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Tricia said 3:51AM on 10-24-2009
I agree, having family out there I know that the cost of car insurance is much higher than ours, and don't get me going about health insurance costs. It's not all roses living in the US.
jon said 10:51PM on 10-23-2009
well i think dek is right, every1 seems to be moving to this country, taking out jobs etc. and the goverment wonder why there are so many uninployed people. me and my family struggle to make things meet, where for example, a polish person i know is on the doll over here. he doesn't work but yet he still has more money than my parents do, evan though both my parents work. everything just seems to be handed to the lazy now days and the people who are really struggerling get nothing to help them. and people wonder why i want to join the army, to get out of poverty and to get a career where i can earn some decent money, and by decent money i mean abit above minimum wage... they can say say they raise our wages but in the end, they tax majority of it so whats the point raising it. like you said, this country is going down the pan, very fast
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Brian said 4:08AM on 10-24-2009
Nice one Jon,iv just retired,because i have my own house and a pension i carnt claim anythingI just get loads of tax forms to fill in.People on the dole get this that and everything else free.Whats the point of saving for the futour,have nothing and live of the state,what a wrotten place we all live in.
Henri 185 said 1:15PM on 10-24-2009
Well done Jon,for your positive thinking,Join the army and get yourself out of poverty,wish all teenagers would take a leaf out of your book,you have pride and a direction in life, as for the lazy dole scrounging immigrants, let them make the most of it,because it wont last forever, keep up the positive thinking.
TP said 11:24PM on 10-23-2009
Its so true that Britain has become a country where you work you work your socks off and the people who do nothing reap all the benefits. What's more they are blatant with it and quite prepared to rub it in your face. This country is most definitely a rip-off and if everybody just sits back and say "get on with it", we will continually be shafted. The stiff upper lip needs to be scrapped for a more aggressive stance against our so-called government who fill their pockets with our hard earned money. Things are way cheaper in the US, the exact same things we buy here. In some cases there's as much as a 50% mark-up, how can that be fair? Why do we hard working brits get to pay more than double the price? Its all B.S.
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terry said 5:28AM on 10-24-2009
WHAT I CAN'T UNDERSTAND IS HOW THEY CAN PRODUCE THINGS OVER HERE PAY TO EXPORT THEM AND STILL SELL IT CHEAPER OVER THER.
Dr Rob said 11:53PM on 10-23-2009
I agree with Dek
Great Britten is no longer!
It’s the United kingdom by the way no longer mean Scotland, England, Northern Ireland an Wales it mean united to any of the third world countries, as a testimonial to this you need to learn to speak Russian in Scotland, west African in London or Indian, Ukrainian or Polish Aberdeen, etc, etc, yes we are an mongrel nation, we have been turned into a third world country by our English government directly or indirectly by allowing invasion of parasites that are simply sucking our great county dry, time to change our countries polices (I am no racist so don’t through this card on the table) we need change so the British people can start to see their country returned to what was a great nation with pride. One policy I feel should be implemented: All foreigners No Job No UK. Once these burdens on the UK’s resource have been removed then we could see the prices return to acceptable level and proud to be British restored to its meaningful level.
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mick said 9:59AM on 10-24-2009
WELL SAID MATE
Scotand Brit said 9:16AM on 10-24-2009
TrueBrit is spot on!
How can you "through" a card on the table?
nic said 6:57AM on 10-24-2009
This is aimed at TrueBrit's comment . . .
If you are going to criticise someone else's spelling, you should really check your own first. I am assuming you meant grammar?
mick said 7:55AM on 10-24-2009
Exactly right, it seems that over the yrs all the "do-gooders" have managed to work there way in to power and they have changed policies for the greater good!!?? yeah right this country is sinking fast the hard working highly educated british people are leaving the country as fast as they can going to work in aus or NZ etc. I used to work in a Place that bought cars off people while i was studying and we used to survey them almost all of them were selling up and there reason for getting rid and leaving they where sick of the invasion of our country and they wanted to get out before it got any worse!! we fought against fashisim in the war and also invasion we where saved because of the english channel! now where being invaded not by force but due to politics!
Everything in this country is over priced houses are still at a stupid price where no one whos starting out can afford! fuel, taxes, can go on all day!
we need to look after our own, there is no such thing as multi culturism it doesnt and will nver work, we are british and have our own culture!
mick said 7:54AM on 10-24-2009
Exactly right, it seems that over the yrs all the "do-gooders" have managed to work there way in to power and they have changed policies for the greater good!!?? yeah right this country is sinking fast the hard working highly educated british people are leaving the country as fast as they can going to work in aus or NZ etc. I used to work in a Place that bought cars off people while i was studying and we used to survey them almost all of them were selling up and there reason for getting rid and leaving they where sick of the invasion of our country and they wanted to get out before it got any worse!! we fought against fashisim in the war and also invasion we where saved because of the english channel! now where being invaded not by force but due to politics!
Everything in this country is over priced houses are still at a stupid price where no one whos starting out can afford! fuel, taxes, can go on all day!
we need to look after our own, there is no such thing as multi culturism it doesnt and will nver work, we are british and have our own culture!
ian said 9:32AM on 10-24-2009
someone said to me the other day great britain what is so great i said its great we have all the other countrys rif raf so they dont have to pay them off there welfare state why are the british such mugs its because you have a 1 eyed politition who cant count
Dr Rob said 12:03AM on 10-24-2009
PS.
Who asked for a multi cultural nation!
Not the British I am sure of that!!!!
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Dean said 5:37AM on 10-24-2009
Dr Rob,
you are right there l didn't vote for this country to be turned into a multicultrural island either. l and 4 other members of my household voted BNP in the last two elections and l am proud to say l am a member of the BNP and so are my wife and childred, my childrens friends all vote BNP because the don't like what this country has become. Why don't they put it to a vote in this country and they will soon see who wants these multicultural freeloaders, my guess about 10%
This country will never change until we get a party like the BNP in power to replace the spineless other three major (jokes of) partys.
John said 12:39AM on 10-24-2009
When Britain was an Empire it was ruled by an Emperor,
then when Britain became a Kingdom it was ruled by a King,
now Britain is just a Country and it is run by Gordon Brown!!!!
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