The 'Rip Off Britain' thread

[Howardh]

At least Sky and Netflix provide some continuing value in the form of an ever changing programme library. "Software as a Service" is much more irritating, especially when the supplier decides that's the only way they want you to buy the product (either by making the cost of a perpetual licence too expensive, or withdrawing it entirely).

The BMW heated seats things was mindblowingly insane though. You're already paying for the fuel to carry the extra hardware around but you can't ever use it without paying even more...?

I bought a Pure radio, which amongst other things like DAB, offered internet radio; and it was very good too, had internet radio stations playing in the kitchen etc. Then, without much announcement - they switched the internet function off! For a set that cost £150-ish, I got offered £30 towards a replacement.

Didn't even know they could switch services off; felt really let down and the set is now no different from any other radio. However I do now stream music from my PC wirelessly to speakers which I can have anywhere I like.

 

[jon81uk]

Tesco don’t hold stock of fresh products in their warehouses. None of the big supermarkets do.

And the Clubcard promos are all pre-planned and scheduled because they need to amend their supplier forecasts up (promo products) and down (impacted products)

and the special offers are often paid for by the manufacturer anyway, or they lower the cost price. Its not always Tesco making a smaller margin when things are on promotion, sometimes its the manufactuer.

 

[SuspectUsual]

and the special offers are often paid for by the manufacturer anyway, or they lower the cost price. Its not always Tesco making a smaller margin when things are on promotion, sometimes its the manufactuer.

I’d say that based on a decade in food retail supply chain 99.9% of promotions have at least some supplier support

Often they are split into up front and retrospective with the retro based on sales.

 

[contrex]

Indeed - one of the things that always amuses me about the “data” that these schemes harvest (or the way it is used) is how “dumb” it is - taking no account of logic. What’s the point (no pun intended) of offering a saving / discount on something like chilli powder / flakes one week on the strength that I bought some the week before? With something like that, buying some one week is a good indicator that you won’t be in the market for any the next.

I buy a bottle of whisky from Ocado roughly every month, and a couple of bottles of wine, and I tend to switch brands to take advantage of offers, with the result that when I do my weekly shop and I go to the checkout, I get a 'Have you forgotten?' screen with, and among other things, six different red wines, five or six different whiskies. Plus last Christmas's sherry and port. I have a momentary thought that they are calling me a boozer.

 

[Forty29]

I brought a 4 pack of Mars bars, they've become thinner than ever, reminded me of how a Twix finger used to look years ago. Also Toffee crisp has less crispy bits meaning less caramel so very anemic, Aldi version much better.

 

[styles]

I brought a 4 pack of Mars bars, they've become thinner than ever, reminded me of how a Twix finger used to look years ago. Also Toffee crisp has less crispy bits meaning less caramel so very anemic, Aldi version much better.

You brought them, but did you also buy them?

 

[172007]

I brought a 4 pack of Mars bars, they've become thinner than ever, reminded me of how a Twix finger used to look years ago. Also Toffee crisp has less crispy bits meaning less caramel so very anemic, Aldi version much better.

Not rip of Britain though is it. Same size in Euopean Union and probablt cointless other nations.

 

[TravelDream]

Not rip of Britain though is it. Same size in Euopean Union and probablt cointless other nations.

This is the issue with the idea of 'rip-off Britain'.
So many of the price rises have been just as high or even higher in comparable countries.

One place I know very well is Poland. Price rises there 2019 vs. 2026 are dramatically worse than price rises here IMO. I never understood when I first visited Poland just under 20 years ago how people afforded things like clothes and electronics. Salaries were a fraction of the UK, but prices of good clothes and computers were higher than the UK. Of course that difference has collapsed over the years as Poland's economy has boomed and the UK's... well... hasn't.

The US, which I know less well but have a reasonable idea, have been even worse. Some crazy rises in that time.

But people live isolated lives and don't realise Britain is actually good value for many things compared to comparable countries.

 

[Bald Rick]

This is the issue with the idea of 'rip-off Britain'.
So many of the price rises have been just as high or even higher in comparable countries.

One place I know very well is Poland. Price rises there 2019 vs. 2026 are dramatically worse than price rises here IMO. I never understood when I first visited Poland just under 20 years ago how people afforded things like clothes and electronics. Salaries were a fraction of the UK, but prices of good clothes and computers were higher than the UK. Of course that difference has collapsed over the years as Poland's economy has boomed and the UK's... well... hasn't.

The US, which I know less well but have a reasonable idea, have been even worse. Some crazy rises in that time.

But people live isolated lives and don't realise Britain is actually good value for many things compared to comparable countries.

Price ‘rises‘ in some countries - notably the US - are in part related to exchange rate fluctuations.

 

[Brightonboy]

I know when they did the original trial of the Tesco Clubcard one of the Tesco bosses remarked that the company doing it knew more about their customers in six months than he did with his years of experience, supposedly the data is very valuable, even just to make sure each store is selling the right things for the clientele it gets.

One of my relatives was involved in the analysis of the data some years ago and told me then that Tesco had learnt a lot and changed some of their practices as a result. Remember the very cheap Tesco 'Value' bread? It was Clubcard data that exposed the extent to which the daily sales of that bread nationally were skewed towards bulk sales first thing in the morning, with much less going out in 1s and 2s during the day - the surmise was that sandwich shops and cafes were buying it in volume and, in some cases, emptying the shelves for the rest of the day. Tesco modified their behaviour to put less of the value bread out early in the day and save some for 'normal' customers later in the day.

 

[SuspectUsual]

It was Clubcard data that exposed the extent to which the daily sales of that bread nationally were skewed towards bulk sales first thing in the morning, with much less going out in 1s and 2s during the day - the surmise was that sandwich shops and cafes were buying it in volume and, in some cases, emptying the shelves for the rest of the day. Tesco modified their behaviour to put less of the value bread out early in the day and save some for 'normal' customers later in the day.

That’s basic data that comes from the till system.

Clubcard data would help turn the “surmise” to a “know” about who was making the bulk purchases

 

[brad465]

This is the first example that comes to mind for me whenever "rip-off Britain" comes up:

Airport drop-off fees up by a third - here are the priciest

The cost of parking closest to the terminal just for a few minutes has hit £10 at two of the UK's busiest airports.

www.bbc.co.uk

Drop-off fees at the UK's major airports have risen by a third on average since last summer, new analysis has found.
The RAC looked at the cost of pulling up at the closest point to terminals at the 20 busiest airports - 16 had put up their fees since last year.
Two London airports, Gatwick and Stansted, topped the price table at £10.
Trade body Airports UK said free drop-offs were available and fees were part of airports' business models and climate change objectives.
London Gatwick's is the highest "farewell fee", charging £10 for 10 minutes on the forecourt outside either of its terminals. At Stansted, £10 buys a more generous 15 minutes, at "Express Set Down" outside departures.
London City Airport, which only started making people pay this year, is the most expensive on a per-minute basis. Its £8 charge for five minutes works out at £1.60 per minute.
In contrast, none of the top 10 airports in the EU charge for drop-offs, according to RAC research.

On the wider issue, I think "Rip Off Britain" is partly a result of British tolerance: several companies have realised that they can get away with charging extortionate fees for products and services, including services they don't charge for at all in other parts of the world, and at worst people will moan but carry on as normal. Perhaps they would think differently if a critical mass of protestors barricaded an airport entry slip road, or camped outside Westminster until MPs legislated to deal with such incidences.

 

[themeone]

A mention has to go to Gail's, or Gail's Bakery to give it its full name. It's basically just another coffee shop, although more expensive, and sells a few (even more expensive) loaves of sourdough etc. It's springing up in every upmarket suburb and market town and somehow seems to have become the place to be seen for trendy work-from-homes and young mums with time and money on their hands.

It's a true triumph of marketing over substance as their offering is really quite poor - in terms of decor they've gone for "canteen chic" which is basically white formica topped tables and hard chairs, and the food and drink seems pretty standard stuff.

 

[Bald Rick]

A mention has to go to Gail's, or Gail's Bakery to give it its full name. It's basically just another coffee shop, although more expensive, and sells a few (even more expensive) loaves of sourdough etc. It's springing up in every upmarket suburb and market town and somehow seems to have become the place to be seen for trendy work-from-homes and young mums with time and money on their hands.

It's a true triumph of marketing over substance as their offering is really quite poor - in terms of decor they've gone for "canteen chic" which is basically white formica topped tables and hard chairs, and the food and drink seems pretty standard stuff.

And yet people queue out the door at them.

I don’t go there myself, but evidently the people who choose to use Gail’s when there are countless other coffee / pastry shops around don’t think it’s a rip off.

 

[simonw]

A mention has to go to Gail's, or Gail's Bakery to give it its full name. It's basically just another coffee shop, although more expensive, and sells a few (even more expensive) loaves of sourdough etc. It's springing up in every upmarket suburb and market town and somehow seems to have become the place to be seen for trendy work-from-homes and young mums with time and money on their hands.

It's a true triumph of marketing over substance as their offering is really quite poor - in terms of decor they've gone for "canteen chic" which is basically white formica topped tables and hard chairs, and the food and drink seems pretty standard stuff.

I'm not sure how this falls into the rip off category. If you don't like their offering/prices there will be other shops/cafes you can go to. No one is forced to use a Gail's

 

[AlterEgo]

A mention has to go to Gail's, or Gail's Bakery to give it its full name. It's basically just another coffee shop, although more expensive, and sells a few (even more expensive) loaves of sourdough etc. It's springing up in every upmarket suburb and market town and somehow seems to have become the place to be seen for trendy work-from-homes and young mums with time and money on their hands.

It's a true triumph of marketing over substance as their offering is really quite poor - in terms of decor they've gone for "canteen chic" which is basically white formica topped tables and hard chairs, and the food and drink seems pretty standard stuff.

GAIL's is very good. The one by Euston is a great addition to the area and they're very popular because people like them. As @bald_rick points out, there is plenty of competition, so I can hardly see how they're a rip off if they remain very popular.

 

[The exile]

I'm not sure how this falls into the rip off category. If you don't like their offering/prices there will be other shops/cafes you can go to. No one is forced to use a Gail's

Indeed - but it shows how easy it is to rip people off.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Jul 2026 ==

GAIL's is very good. The one by Euston is a great addition to the area and they're very popular because people like them. As @bald_rick points out, there is plenty of competition, so I can hardly see how they're a rip off if they remain very popular.

That’s ripping people off taken to perfection - get people into a state if mind where they will voluntarily queue to be ripped off!
Emperors New Clothes….

 

[Harpo]

In further support of Gails…

I like the food offering and a level of service that means I can quickly grab a second coffee, I lose the will to live waiting to get just one in Costa. It’s a couple of quid more (for 2) but if that’s the price of quality food and service, that’s fine.

PS - Never seen any marketing, word of mouth got me there.

 

[Snow1964]

I brought a 4 pack of Mars bars, they've become thinner than ever, reminded me of how a Twix finger used to look years ago. Also Toffee crisp has less crispy bits meaning less caramel so very anemic, Aldi version much better.

Trebor mint 4 packs, have 4 shorter packs than the single pack

Put them side by side in supermarket confectionery aisle and it is obvious, but they are usually put on separate shelves, and 4 pack has extra bit of packaging at end to try and hide it.

Various other confectionery is now like this too, the 4pack is nearer a triple by contents weight

 

[Rab Smith]

That’s basic data that comes from the till system.

Clubcard data would help turn the “surmise” to a “know” about who was making the bulk purchases

We all know the Clubcard is a huge data mine used to predict everything from footfall flow to purchases that is a marker to predict pricing structures but the two tier pricing for users and non users is in my opinion, suspect or even unlawful. I really wonder if it was brought to court by a class action that Tesco would have a job justifying charging two separate prices for one item.
Or has using the term 'Club' basically gave them carte blanche to charge what they want?

 

[CharlieSpotted]

We all know the Clubcard is a huge data mine used to predict everything from footfall flow to purchases that is a marker to predict pricing structures but the two tier pricing for users and non users is in my opinion, suspect or even unlawful. I really wonder if it was brought to court by a class action that Tesco would have a job justifying charging two separate prices for one item.
Or has using the term 'Club' basically gave them carte blanche to charge what they want?

Worth noting that Sainsburys do exactly the same thing, with a cheaper 'Nectar price' on many items for Nectar card holders, and even a 'My Necar price' on a handful of items personalised to your shopping history. Everyone knows it's a nonsense - the 'Nectar price' / 'Clubcard price' is the 'proper' price, with the higher price being a penalty for not holding the card - but I fail to see on what grounds a regulator / government would intervene in it. It's their business, they can run it how they like, and as customers you can either opt in and get the lower prices... or not... or go somewhere else. The choice remains yours.

 

[AlterEgo]

We all know the Clubcard is a huge data mine used to predict everything from footfall flow to purchases that is a marker to predict pricing structures but the two tier pricing for users and non users is in my opinion, suspect or even unlawful. I really wonder if it was brought to court by a class action that Tesco would have a job justifying charging two separate prices for one item.

Probably on the same grounds anyone else can get a discount anywhere else for holding a membership card.

 

[Bald Rick]

Trebor mint 4 packs, have 4 shorter packs than the single pack

Put them side by side in supermarket confectionery aisle and it is obvious, but they are usually put on separate shelves, and 4 pack has extra bit of packaging at end to try and hide it.

Various other confectionery is now like this too, the 4pack is nearer a triple by contents weight

But, usually, less than half the price of 4 individual packs. So quite the opposite of a rip off.

Probably on the same grounds anyone else can get a discount anywhere else for holding a membership card.

Or, say, a railcard.

 

[simonw]

Indeed - but it shows how easy it is to rip people off.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Jul 2026 ==


That’s ripping people off taken to perfection - get people into a state if mind where they will voluntarily queue to be ripped off!
Emperors New Clothes….

I don't see it as being ripped off. I use them when I want to and not when I dont. I went into one earlier this week and there was nothing that took my fancy so I went elsewhere.

 

[jon81uk]

Worth noting that Sainsburys do exactly the same thing, with a cheaper 'Nectar price' on many items for Nectar card holders, and even a 'My Necar price' on a handful of items personalised to your shopping history. Everyone knows it's a nonsense - the 'Nectar price' / 'Clubcard price' is the 'proper' price, with the higher price being a penalty for not holding the card - but I fail to see on what grounds a regulator / government would intervene in it. It's their business, they can run it how they like, and as customers you can either opt in and get the lower prices... or not... or go somewhere else. The choice remains yours.

The Nectar/Clubcard prices are not the "proper" price, they are the special offer prices. Seven year or so ago, the offer prices were still there, its just you didn't need a loyalty card to get the special offers.
Many items have been on a cycle of full price for a few months then offer price for a few months for probably 20-30 years or more, the only difference is the offer prices are locked to card holders.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

The Nectar/Clubcard prices are not the "proper" price, they are the special offer prices. Seven year or so ago, the offer prices were still there, its just you didn't need a loyalty card to get the special offers.
Many items have been on a cycle of full price for a few months then offer price for a few months for probably 20-30 years or more, the only difference is the offer prices are locked to card holders.

Can I interest you in some magic beans, Jon? I can offer you a very good price if you have a Beanscard.

 

[Harpo]

The Nectar/Clubcard prices are not the "proper" price, they are the special offer prices.

Really? I give you a tin of Lynx as an example. £3 a tin last year, which magically became £6 with new fragrances but, ooo what a bargain, £3 with a loyalty card.

Smoke and mirrors.

 

[Broucek]

Don't understand the hate for Gail's: it's dearer than alternatives like Costa or Greggs but with superior sandwiches, cakes and bread

To me, rip off implies standard quality and high price

 

[speedy1]

- House prices and rent
- Energy prices
- Dental work (when forced to go private as is common now)
- Having to pay full council tax when unemployed (when you have some savings)
- Airport drop off charges
- 40% tax on private dental insurance if you earn over £50k

When it comes to food and household, there is almost always a cheaper alternative if you put a bit of effort in.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Jul 2026 ==

On the wider issue, I think "Rip Off Britain" is partly a result of British tolerance: several companies have realised that they can get away with charging extortionate fees for products and services, including services they don't charge for at all in other parts of the world, and at worst people will moan but carry on as normal.

Totally agree here. And so many people will just pay whatever is charged, constantly validating their pricing strategy of "what can we get away with "

 

[AlterEgo]

Don't understand the hate for Gail's: it's dearer than alternatives like Costa or Greggs but with superior sandwiches, cakes and bread

To me, rip off implies standard quality and high price

Or that a service is almost compulsory to buy and therefore there is an element of price gouging.

Importantly, GAIL's is never the only cafe/bakery in an area, unlike some of the bigger chains who have a near monopoly in many towns. The most one can say about GAIL's is "it's expensive".