Why Are We Forever Being Ripped Off In This Country?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2716409/Flat-pack-British-customers-charged-four-times-Ikea-products.html

[Gromit]

// This included a Knalla bag which will cost you £5 here but only £1.61 - a fraction of the price - in the US, while a Skruvsta swivel chair will set you back // £100 here but is far cheaper at £59 in American stores.
A Brimnes double bed frame is £105 in British stores, but only £76 in the US, a saving. //

UK prices include VAT. The US does not have a national tax rate, these are set locally and differ from State to State, so all prices quoted in the US are before tax.

[Zeuhl]

Consumer goods have always been cheaper in the USA

And some Ikea products are also cheaper in Sweden. No sh17 Sherlock! LOL

The Daily Wail is a treat isn't it? :-)

[Old_Geezer]

Up to four times ?!?
I guess if you are daft enough to buy from Ikea then you must be asking to be fleeced, I'd guess.

[hc4361]

Ikea in the UK is a lot cheaper than Ikea in the Canary Islands.

[stuey]

The larger the potential market (population), the lower the price.

[hc4361]

Does anyone know how the US consumer laws compare to the UK's?

The Distance Selling Regs in the UK can be a real financial burden to retailers, for example.

[sp1814]

The reason why product often carry a higher price tag in the UK is down to simple market forces.

If the market supports a television on sale in the UK for £750, and the manufacture can turn a profit, it will sell for £750, even if it retails for £450 in Thailand.

A much better example is the Big Mac. Whilst MacDonalds is a global concern, the price of a Big Mac varies from country to country. The price is based on what the consumer is willing to pay, and the relative disposable income of the consumer.

It's not solely based on the cost of raw materials, transportation costs, advertising, storage and retail.

However, those costs are also a factor in pricing...just not the only ones.

Therefore, it's not fair to compare prices across borders.

[Jeza]

We are ripped off because we allow it to happen. Don't pay it, they will lower their price or ship out.

[sp1814]

By the way the following is much cheaper in the UK, compared to the continent (this is from the MSN website):

1. Culture - art galleries and museums...while a number of museums in Europe charge an admission fee, it's free to stroll around the majority of Britain's museums and art galleries.

In the 1980s, entry fees were introduced to many museums, which resulted in visitor numbers falling steeply, but admissions promptly doubled after free entry to our major galleries and museums came back in late 2001.

2. Supermarket shopping - we're cheaper than France, Italy and Germany.

3. Bank accounts - our current accounts are free...which is unheard of in the US.

4. We earn more...a survey in 2009 found that Brits earned more than £35,000 per household, a whopping £10,000 above the European average.

Also, I've just thought - the price of broadband in the UK is much lower than in the US. This may be because we have a deregulated industry with so many different providers after our money. Not the case in the US.