Rip Off Britain

[eddie]

nothing eddie, you just wont give me a discount for taking my waste home. I thought it would be encouraged, before this thread and a more recent one i thought i was paying for the land i sited on with a bit of EHU. now i understand you campsite owners have to charge because of waste emptying, for years ive taken it home with me when i could of been dumping at the elsan point with the others and enjoying the shxt thats talked about. Now I feel ripped off, now i want to go back to every site ive been over the past 7 years and claim at least 50p back

Well that is still less than a 40 foot RV can carry

I'll tell you what I will do, I will give you a FREE NIGHT on our campsite so at £13.00 that is at least 26 50p pieces back in your pocket! Just email me at eddie@vanbitz.com with your contact details and we will send you a shiny voucher

Now back to topic? Ah yes I remember Ahem: "I think that this is ripp off Britain"

Come on, to be a bit serious, some things in the UK can be over priced, but so can things anywhere else in the world. How can hotels in India justify charging the same as their namesakes in New York or London, when the cost of living is pennies by comparison.

Comparison is the universal leveller, That 820s Hymer is £100,000 Ahhh Ripp off as this Auto Sleeper costs only £40,000 Different possibly, hard to understand? maybe Ripp off? I don't see it that way.

Look around for a like comparison an if the general price trend is similar than that is the going rate, but you must use a similar product or service

Eddie

 

[david price]

What is the point of having a motorhome and staying on a site for ten days,you might as well get a caravan or tent or even bed&breackfast.I thought the idea of a motorhome was to tour other places,have i got it wrong.

For me it is freedom of choice.If i choose to stay on one site then that is my choice but when i want to tour then i can do.
The point of my first post is that i was already paying an higher rate at their site because they have a pool,so to then charge extra for the use of the pool to me is a ripoff.
I was at a site in wem last weekend,£18 for a night,hardstanding and ehu.I spent over £60 on food and drink on the site that night and did not begrudge one penny because i felt there prices where fair.
dave

 

[russ]

I'm confused,when we go away we take food and drink with us.If like us you like to have a meal out i don't think that £60 for a meal is excessive with drinks.Misunderstood,I spent over £60 on food and drink on the site that night.

 

[Bulletguy]

well are you not lucky that you live in a country where you have the freedom to order these goods at such a knock down price?It might be a rip off, but only if your allowable to be ripped off, by your post you obviously are not.

Each item was purchased using the internet to search.
Not everyone has access to a computer or internet and not everyone is pc literate. And i doubt very much that Public libraries would extend to the use of online shopping either.

I notice you chose to ignore the obvious.

The excessive differential in pricing of an item supplied less than 40 miles from my home town (as much as £175) but purchased from a country thousands of miles away. That amount can not be justified simply by stating 'how lucky i am to have the freedom to order at such a knock down price'.

 

[Douglas]

For those how do not believe the the UK is a ripoff the how do you account fo the fact that nearly every thing you buy in the UK is more expencive than its counterpart in Europe. Even UK prodicts are cheaper outside the UK.

It does not have to be the traders who are doing the ripping off the Govenment are the worst for giving value for money. Is that not a ripoff?

Doug.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[eddie]

Close the door on your way out then Doug, Bye!

To those that are still here we do have a have decent legal system, police force, and free at source National Health service, these things cost money, and I love it when people can't wait to get back to ripoff Britain when they are ill or need an operation

Many people know the cost of everything and the value of nothing IMO

It may not be perfect, but I can assure you that I have been ripped of all over the world, and I still think that Britain is one of the (if not the) best country in the world to live in.

Bulletguy has his head screwed on, make comparisons buy wisely and make the best of any purchase, use dot mix up cheap with quality or low cost and poor service

Eddie

 

[haganap]

Each item was purchased using the internet to search.
Not everyone has access to a computer or internet and not everyone is pc literate. And i doubt very much that Public libraries would extend to the use of online shopping either.

I notice you chose to ignore the obvious.

The excessive differential in pricing of an item supplied less than 40 miles from my home town (as much as £175) but purchased from a country thousands of miles away. That amount can not be justified simply by stating 'how lucky i am to have the freedom to order at such a knock down price'.

No firstly i am just making the comparison to living here to some quango dictatorship. but to answer your question, why is it so cheap abroad is what you should be asking? probably because people won't pay the ammount the company requests for it.

All this is getting away from the original posters question about holidays here to the cost of doing so abroad. But there seems to be such an insesitive attack on what we actually can and do provide in our own country.
With the EU we can live practicaly anywhere in europe, yet many posting on this thread seem to opt to stay here in the UK, so it obviously can not be that bad can it? Also look whoms complaining about it? people that can afford a motorhome as a hobby and an alternative lifestyle, can visit other countries freely, before health care or anything is mentioned.
Sorry it must be because I spend the majority of my working day visiting people that literally can just about put food on a table for themselves.
I am lucky, very lucky.
but in the sense of being to political which I dont think was the orignal posters initention, and in eddievanbitz words, I think I will drop out of this thread now.

 

[dikyenfo]

For anybody who has never used one please buy the FFCC guide in England or any supermarket in France and check out the blue labelled ones and you will find many and far less than a tenner a night some even with pool. The lakeside at Mimizan in the Landes 4 euros with showers and loos. or the municipal at Mimizan for 10 Eurines. There are many others particularly at the Med that are not in any book but I always find a few when I am there.

 

[sinbad1]

Apart from all the other rip off's

The goverments bible

Tax his land, tax his wage,
Tax his bed in which he lays.
Tax his tractor, tax his mule,
Teach him taxes is the rule.

Tax his cow, tax his goat,
Tax his pants, tax his coat.
Tax his ties, tax his shirts,
Tax his work, tax his dirt.

Tax his chew, tax his smoke,
Teach him taxes are no joke.
Tax his car, tax his grass,
Tax the roads he must pass.

Tax his food, tax his drink,
Tax him if he tries to think.
Tax his sodas, tax his beers,
If he cries, tax his tears.

Tax his bills, tax his gas,
Tax his notes, tax his cash.
Tax him good and let him know
That after taxes, he has no dough.

If he hollers, tax him more,
Tax him until he's good and sore.
Tax his coffin, tax his grave,
Tax the sod in which he lays.

Put these words upon his tomb,
"Taxes drove me to my doom!"
And when he's gone, we won't relax,
We'll still be after the inheritance tax.

 

[lady jann]

Apart from all the other rip off's

The goverments bible

Tax his land, tax his wage,
Tax his bed in which he lays.
Tax his tractor, tax his mule,
Teach him taxes is the rule.

Tax his cow, tax his goat,
Tax his pants, tax his coat.
Tax his ties, tax his shirts,
Tax his work, tax his dirt.

Tax his chew, tax his smoke,
Teach him taxes are no joke.
Tax his car, tax his grass,
Tax the roads he must pass.

Tax his food, tax his drink,
Tax him if he tries to think.
Tax his sodas, tax his beers,
If he cries, tax his tears.

Tax his bills, tax his gas,
Tax his notes, tax his cash.
Tax him good and let him know
That after taxes, he has no dough.

If he hollers, tax him more,
Tax him until he's good and sore.
Tax his coffin, tax his grave,
Tax the sod in which he lays.

Put these words upon his tomb,
"Taxes drove me to my doom!"
And when he's gone, we won't relax,
We'll still be after the inheritance tax.

hi this , one of the main reasons why a lot of the u. k. prices are a lot higher than the rest of the world !!:Sad: it has got to change !!oh:

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[david price]

I'm confused,when we go away we take food and drink with us.If like us you like to have a meal out i don't think that £60 for a meal is excessive with drinks.Misunderstood,I spent over £60 on food and drink on the site that night.

Ok russ,plain english.
The original site has lost all that business because of a £2 per person pool charge.
We are going in low season and there are alot of cheap sites.I wanted one with a pool so was prepared to pay more for the pitch,i have camped,carravaned ,motorhomed for over 20 years and never paid extra to use the onsite pool.
We also take food and drink with us but when away we still eat out most nights,if not everynight.Afterall it is our holiday.
I am lucky if i get 7 to 9 weeks away each year.And before you say thats alot for a working man,i know.
I run my own business so when i am at home i generally work 7 days a week and on call 24/7.
The point of the origanal post is that i felt it was a rippoff and so chose to go elsewhere.
There are still plenty of sites in this country that charge a fair rate and make money.
May even try eddie vanbitz at £13 a night when i am down that way:thumb:
Dave

 

[scotjimland]

The original site has lost all that business because of a £2 per person pool charge.
We are going in low season and there are alot of cheap sites.I wanted one with a pool so was prepared to pay more for the pitch,i have camped,carravaned ,motorhomed for over 20 years and never paid extra to use the onsite pool.

Here's another that charges £2 per skull for using the pool, a CC MUC site (or whatever they call them these days)

Wood farm

For a family: High Season Pitch + 2 adults + 2 kids + 1 dog = £37.75 per night

= £528.50 for a two week stay .. and only a 10A EHU !!!

And you still need to pay for the pool .. makes Eddies look dirt cheap ..

 

[thehutchies]

For a family: High Season Pitch + 2 adults + 2 kids + 1 dog = £37.75 per night

And why on earth would you need to pay £2 a night for a dog?
I'm no pet lover, so don't really care either way, but how does a dog use two pounds worth of the facilities?
Does it slope off for a sneaky shower when its owners aren't looking, then trash the swings and see-saw before lifting the lid of the septic tank and dropping 100 gallons of waste (big dog, that!) ?
It's all so petty, everything priced and regulated.

 

[scotjimland]

And why on earth would you need to pay £2 a night for a dog?

Simple really .. because they can ... be it a dog, extra car, pull out awning, boat, trailer, .. they're always dreaming up another new way to milk the punter. .. I'm surprised they don't charge for prams and wheel chairs yet

We were on this site some years ago when we were tuggers, we booked it for a summer holiday never realising the pool was extra, I vowed then not to go back due to the rip off..

One thing is for sure, with an increasing demand and a falling supply, costs will rise year on year.. guaranteed.

 

[olley]

One thing is for sure, with an increasing demand and a falling supply, costs will rise year on year.. guaranteed.

I believe thats the law of "Supply and Demand" just good business, nothing personal.

Olley

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[oldun]

If you go to Tesco and buy a packet of biscuits for £1 do you really believe that that packet actually costs Tesco £1 (including profit) to sell????

No of course not. The price is just a cost plucked out of the air, along with all the others, based on the assumptions that (i) it is comparable with other local competitors and (ii) at the end of the year they will have made a good profit.

Nobody knows what a product actually costs as it is impossible to relate overall salary costs, heating costs, lighting costs, rates etc to ant actual item.

As stated above if they can get £2 a night for a dog then that is to then and many campers a reasonable payment.

At then moment many campsites can fill up most of their places at busy times so the prices must be acceptable to most of us campers no matter how much we complain about them.

 

[sinbad1]

I believe thats the law of "Supply and Demand" just good business, nothing personal.

Olley

Very true ;but this has to be at a reasonable price if its considered a ripoff then demand will fall and supply will eventually end.

At the end of the day we are customers, overcharge and provide poor service at your peril, we will simply go elswhere.

Long live wildcamping

 

[olley]

Very true ;but this has to be at a reasonable price if its considered a ripoff then demand will fall and supply will eventually end.

At the end of the day we are customers, overcharge and provide poor service at your peril, we will simply go elswhere.

Long live wildcamping

Are but what if there's nowhere else to go?? oh:

Olley

 

[scotjimland]

Are but what if there's nowhere else to go?? oh:

Olley

That's why so many now head over the channel.. and why so few French visit the UK ..

If we had the same attitude and facilities as France for the mh, we would do more touring here rather than abroad .. but it won't ever happen.. :Sad:

Notice I never mentioned site costs.. like for like, French commercial sites aren't much cheaper.. it's the vast network of aires and good quality affordable municipal sites that attract us and thousands of other Brits.

 

[sinbad1]

Are but what if there's nowhere else to go?? oh:

Olley

There's alway's somewhere to go Olley, campsites are not the be all and and all where's the sense of adventure with you guy's.

If you going to be ripped off you may as well book into butlins for your hols

regards

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[olley]

Hi never been to Butlins but we have stayed at a few Haven campsites on weekend deals, and their pretty good value, and they don't charge extra for the pool.

Olley

 

[takeaflight]

Its very difficult to make comparisons, we are a small country with a large population, land is very expensive, the only really large market for any product is food.

We have come back from the last couple of trips in France without buying anything, even the wine is cheaper in Tescos.

Until about three years ago my wife had a small shop in Stratford-upon-Avon the rent and rates where £40000.00 a year thats without electric, wages, telephone, waste collection, etc, etc, working Severn days aweek she managed to pay her bills but that was about it.

If you take eddies campsite a few acres ( I don't know how big it is), but taking purely a guess, the value would be about the same as a 1000 plus acre ranch in Wyoming USA, and whether there is one camper or a hundred the grass still as to be cut etc, etc. Dogs, we have Charlie the greyhound, love him to bits, comes everywhere with me, probably had a lot to do with buying a m/h in the first place, but I can understand being charged extra, the poo bins have to be provided and emptied and we all know some owners are not fussy about cleaning up, I love my dog but I don't love others.

When I was in business I know some of my customers thought that when they paid me the total amount went into my pocket and I was ripping them off, but ask the same people to work for minimum wage to bring prices down and they would laugh in your face.

Yes there are rip offs Ticket master, Oh and the houses that where built without planning and the government land grab, remind me where was that ?
The police that stop you and then on the spot fine without a receipt, again which country is that ?

On holiday its always easy to see the positives, if you think tax rates are high here, check out the NI in France and their community charge equivalent is very low on a small peasant working mans cottage, but you don't have to go to, to high a property value to start paying charges not unlike ours.

There are a lot of things wrong with the UK, but there are no poor people, there is no one having bull dosers driving through their homes, and if all this doesn't convince you, then have alook at ex pat forums and see how many are desperate to get back to the UK.

Just a few thoughts

 

[takeaflight]

Not sure whether this is allowed, if not mods please delete.

Let's face it... Britain isn't so bad over all : British Expat Discussion Forum

 

[JJ]

Sad news every one...

The supermarket in Ansiao, Portugal is charging over double the price on the tin for Fray Bentos steak and ale pies...

It only means one thing... The (rich compared to the locals) English have arrived in Ansiao!

I am going back to UK for the summer (to work and cheaper Fray Bentos pies...)

 

[dave newell]

Dougcuminsky said "The UK has been a rip for years added to that the corruption is so high that you would have real difficulty in finding a honest organization in the UK."

Personally I am very offended by this crass statement. I am a small business owner and I work damned hard to give a fair and decent service to all my customers. All I can say to Doug is if you really believe all UK businesses are dishonest and corrupt why are you still here?? And please, please, with an attitude like that don't ever bother to darken my workshop doorway!

We have always holidayed in UK up till last year when we toured through Southern Holland, site prices were comparable in general but some were a lot higher, for example Delft Hout we payed 32 Euro per night and there was no swimming pool!

D.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[haganap]

Its very difficult to make comparisons, we are a small country with a large population, land is very expensive, the only really large market for any product is food.

We have come back from the last couple of trips in France without buying anything, even the wine is cheaper in Tescos.

Until about three years ago my wife had a small shop in Stratford-upon-Avon the rent and rates where £40000.00 a year thats without electric, wages, telephone, waste collection, etc, etc, working Severn days aweek she managed to pay her bills but that was about it.

If you take eddies campsite a few acres ( I don't know how big it is), but taking purely a guess, the value would be about the same as a 1000 plus acre ranch in Wyoming USA, and whether there is one camper or a hundred the grass still as to be cut etc, etc. Dogs, we have Charlie the greyhound, love him to bits, comes everywhere with me, probably had a lot to do with buying a m/h in the first place, but I can understand being charged extra, the poo bins have to be provided and emptied and we all know some owners are not fussy about cleaning up, I love my dog but I don't love others.

When I was in business I know some of my customers thought that when they paid me the total amount went into my pocket and I was ripping them off, but ask the same people to work for minimum wage to bring prices down and they would laugh in your face.

Yes there are rip offs Ticket master, Oh and the houses that where built without planning and the government land grab, remind me where was that ?
The police that stop you and then on the spot fine without a receipt, again which country is that ?

On holiday its always easy to see the positives, if you think tax rates are high here, check out the NI in France and their community charge equivalent is very low on a small peasant working mans cottage, but you don't have to go to, to high a property value to start paying charges not unlike ours.

There are a lot of things wrong with the UK, but there are no poor people, there is no one having bull dosers driving through their homes, and if all this doesn't convince you, then have alook at ex pat forums and see how many are desperate to get back to the UK.

Just a few thoughts

I wish I could of put my point accross so well.

thank you takeaflight:thumb:

 

[Road Runner]

Our worst business here is the government and it could save miles of cash with their useless administration disasters but its never going to happen so I suppose we have to accept what we have.:Sad:

If I had my way I would winter in Spain not because they do things so well but the weather would be kind to my bones:Blush:

Businesses here are crashing everywhere and this is an alarming thing for all of us as they are the countries backbone and things should be done to stop it and bailing out the banks is not working, what's the answer? I don't know

What can we do NOTHING am I happy NOT REALLY where do I always love to come back to though is my HOME

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Site fees never used to bother me but do now so shop around, what make it worse is my RV and number of sites that can take me or will take me but when i am away life is bliss, coming home on Thursday dog by my side, sun shining :sin: windows open and my V8 burbling away WONDERFUL :coolthumb:

 

[Bulletguy]

Its very difficult to make comparisons, we are a small country with a large population, land is very expensive, the only really large market for any product is food.

Not nearly as small as another really small country i know quite well.

Switzerland.

Population of around 7 million with land extremely expensive, hence the reason a small private house will set you back around £1 million plus. The ratio of rented and private is about 75/25....75% rented, but the rented properties are very very different to what you will find here in the UK. Sizeable rooms all well fitted out....not the rabbit hutches which people get shoe horned into over here. And the rents are not that pricey either.

A 'low income' Swiss earns around 35-45k.

Food is slightly dearer than in the UK but the quality is far superior and regular dining out is commonplace....they can afford it.

Clothes are similar prices and furniture is the same.

If living there, you dont really need to own a car....even if you live out in the 'back o' beyond', because they have a superb public transport system which works damn well irrespective of whatever the weather is (they laugh about us and our silly excuses for trains not running). And its not that expensive.

There are a lot of things wrong with the UK, but there are no poor people, there is no one having bull dosers driving through their homes, and if all this doesn't convince you, then have a look at ex pat forums and see how many are desperate to get back to the UK.

Probably not nearly as many desperate to get out!

 

[Douglas]

Dougcumisky said "The UK has been a rip for years added to that the corruption is so high that you would have real difficulty in finding a honest organization in the UK."

Personally I am very offended by this crass statement. I am a small business owner and I work damned hard to give a fair and decent service to all my customers. All I can say to Doug is if you really believe all UK businesses are dishonest and corrupt why are you still here?? And please, please, with an attitude like that don't ever bother to darken my workshop doorway! D.

Ok, I wont come to your door, its no problem for ME! However, you well may be an honest trader, and if so I appologise, but my comments are taken from a general and personel experiences.

OK, suppose I after visiting half a dozen dishonest one's before you, how do you expect me to think/believe/hope that you may be the one honest one in the bunch.

You surly must recognise the public opinion in the UK! and before you all jump on my back, just stand back for a few minutes and thing about it, are you happy with your lot? would you like to make changes?


Doug

 

[Road Runner]

Probably not nearly as many desperate to get out!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}