The U.K press have coined a phrase recently-"Rip-off Britain"
Heres a couple of examples why;
Coke and the water scandal
Posted by: aroney on Wednesday, March 03, 2004 - 11:10 AM GMT
I'm sure we all knew how dodgy coke were but I don't think anyone ever thought they would bottle tap water at a cost of 0.03p and then sell it on at 95p. I am referring to the bottled water called Dasani. Coke are actually making a markup of up to 3,166% per 500ml bottle. Coke claim that the markup is because of the filtering and mineral addition that occurs. However, the water companies supplying Coke with the water claim it is already fit for human consumption because it has gone through 9 filtering and screening processes.
It looks like Coke are just trying to exploit more people and at a time when people, particularly young children, are being encouraged to choose healthier drinks over the fizzy ones the company is traditionally associated with.
For more information on this issue visit the following links:
ABC Online Australia
Newsday.com
Glasgow Daily Record
Independent
and also.....
Why UK petrol prices remain high
By Bill Wilson
BBC News business reporter
A large slice of the UK petrol price goes to the Treasury
Soaring profits at Anglo-Dutch energy giant Royal Dutch Shell and other oil firms have led to calls from motorists for station forecourt petrol prices to be cut.
Shell's figures come as motorists face prices of about 90p a litre at pumps.
Some groups, such as the Fuel Lobby - which last year unsuccessfully tried to make the government reduce tax on fuel - said the profits were excessive.
"The British motorist is being hammered by, if not excessive taxation, then excessive profiteering," it said.
Spokesman Andrew Spence said fuel users were "getting hit on all sides".
'No rip-off'
However, most of Shell's profits comes from finding and extracting oil, and then selling it on to the markets - where the price is very high at present due to a number of factors, including demand, political instability and acts of nature.
Very little profit comes from forecourt sales of fuel - which in the UK attracts among the highest taxes in Europe.
Oil companies cannot set the world oil price, which is set on the world markets
Nick Vandervell, of the UK Petroleum Industry Association (UKPIA), said: "Before tax, fuel prices in the UK are among the cheapest in Europe."
Shell makes record UK profits
In the UK fuel duty is set at 47.1p for every litre of unleaded petrol and diesel while VAT is a further 17.5%.
Of the 90p a litre that the motorist pays, therefore, the Treasury receives 60.5p or 67%, and it costs the garage 23.2p to buy the petrol. That leaves a margin of just 6.3p, or 7% of the litre price, for the forecourt, which also has to meet the cost of running the petrol station. According to the AA, if a garage makes as much as a 2p profit out of a litre of petrol, "that is a lot".
[SIZE=+1]How Rip-Off Britain started
In 1986 I campaigned British Telecom to itemise their telephone bills. It was absurd that a phone bill only showed the 'final amount to pay', leaving the consumer no idea whether phone calls were accurately recorded or not and, more importantly, leaving no recourse for challenge or complaint! It was akin to going to the petrol station and filling up the car with no visible pump meter present! After arriving back from Canada (where phone bills had been itemised for years), this was my first rude awakening to 'Rip-Off Britain'.
The 'Rip-Off Britain' campaign got into full swing in 1998 when I launched my website in an effort to get justice for the British public. I have since appeared on BBC2 Newsnight, Sky News, numerous national and local radio stations and talk shows, have written various articles, and have even 'duped' the scammers at their own game! I continue to vigorously campaign for the British consumer in one the most expensive, '
cutthroat' and consumer exploited countries in the World.
The phrase "Rip-Off Britain" was originally coined during 1997 because of the vast difference in
car prices in the UK as compared with the rest of Europe. 'Rip-Off' is now part of our everyday language - especially when we realise or discover to our horror, anger and dismay we've been duped, scammed, 'taken for a ride', or have been plain diddled out of our hard earned money by shoddy goods, poor service, unscrupulous or sharp business practices, exorbitant charges, etc.
My aim is to ensure that 'Rip-Off Britain' remains ingrained in our mind-set, by reminding people to be more vigilant in their purchases and everyday dealings. However, if you do unfortunately get 'ripped-off', you're going to discover that by using my
proven methods & tactics of complaint, you'll achieve a satisfactory outcome and a result in
your favour in the majority of cases.
Our understanding the British 'rip-off' culture has vastly improved over the past decade or so. But despite our efforts and the many media campaigns on TV & Radio; the 'so-called' voluntary business codes of conduct that is supposed to be the 'magic bullet' to protect us all, and successive Government intervention by often weak and ineffective legislation, there are STILL significant areas within our economy and throughout society where British consumers are continually being Ripped-Off !
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