to be hacked off at yet another example of rip-off Britain

[clam]

Can someone please explain why Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Body serum retails over here at £25, yet in the USA, you can get it in Target for 25 dollars? (approx £12.75). WHY, WHY, WHY?? It's manufactured over here, fgs. I am SO FED UP with this. Why do we put up with this and just pay up every time?

Store space costs less in US
Staff wages cost less in US
It is probably made in Far East and sent direct!

I know Clam, but you have to heat/light/maintain that massive house, and put 'gas' in that giant SUV. Believe me, I've lived that 'dream' and am far happier and better off back in my 1970s house in London with an old Ford Focus!!!

Isn't P&P made in Germany?

WRT to crap service - an example.

I was in a small gift shop recently. There were three customers in the shop (almost full then!). The woman working there was on the phone chatting to a friend, saying how wonderful the customer service is in Australia from where she had just returned after a holiday. In Australia they really take an interest in their customers, talk to them, find out what they want, blah, blah....

The irony....

I agree, SueW. We can train our burger bar staff to wish us a nice day all we like, but it still comes over as 'Why don't you p* off?'

Lulu

Your post has confused me:

US weekly wage is lower than UK when you exchange the currency, but they pay less tax on their earnings.
There's less than 2% difference between the comparable cost of the same thing against wages.

You then say that the cost of living once you remove the housing factor is similar or more expensive.
So why is the same cream half the price then?

And I still can't get the fact that Boots give a flying fart that Americans have to pay for healthcare, but their taxes are lower. Techinically our taxes (inc NI) should be lower if there was no NHS...unless of course it means that they won't pay more for the product...

The cost of living is similar or more expensive because once you factor in all the things that you must have (not fripperies like face cream :0 ) the proportion of your weekly wage you will have spent is about the same. The amount of money you have left in your bank account for discretionary spending as a proportion of earnings is more or less the same.

I agree that Boots don't give a stuff about healthcare or tax or anything else. I was just trying to counter the point that we are in 'rip off Britain' because prices appear lower in the US & Canada when you convert them into sterling.

oh clam - reading back through this you mentioned about rip of holidays - just do what I did - walk into holiday place - tell them what you are looking for get them to write hotels down and flights. Tell TA you are thinking about it and then call the hotel direct. Halfed my cost of hols in hawaii and New York.

With Internet there is no reason to pay full price for that!