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Welcome to Scotsnet - discuss all aspects of life in Scotland, including relocating, schools and local areas.

Original poster

Covid tests after travelling - why so expensive?

29 replies

workwoes123 · 07/08/2021 08:01

Is this right? That the costs of day 2 / 8 COVID tests in England has steadily fallen to as low as £50 but in Scotland it’s still a flat £170? Why is this?

OP posts:
forfucksakenett · 07/08/2021 09:27

Probably as a deterrent but it's outrageous! Hopefully it changes soon. Folk will just fly in and out of England. I certainly would.

ElephantOfRisk · 07/08/2021 11:22

Agree a deterrent and also maybe trying to recoup the money pished up the wall on quarantine hotels or maybe just a shittily negotiated contract.

purpleboy · 07/08/2021 11:34

Sorry for my ignorance, can you just buy the English ones, some of them are swab at home tests?

ElephantOfRisk · 07/08/2021 11:50

I would think you'd have to log the results and it wouldn't be the proper code and therefore inadmissible? Not that I know for sure and it sounds bonkers.

ChaToilLeam · 07/08/2021 12:12

Rita monopoly in Scotland. I wonder why. Company must have friends in high places.

Original poster
workwoes123 · 09/08/2021 20:26

I just don’t understand why people in Scotland (and the U.K.) aren’t protesting against these outrageous costs: in France, it has been free for tests until recently and even now it costs €49 for a PCR and €29 for an antigen test, results available in 15 minutes.

OP posts:
latissimusdorsi · 09/08/2021 21:04

I think people aren't protesting because there's actually not that many Scots trying to travel overseas at moment
It's just all so uncertain
Even those that have booked trips have had flights cancelled

rookiemere · 09/08/2021 21:55

It's ridiculous that no one is even questioning the monopoly on this, considering in England there's parliamentary scrutiny about the test charges in the free market that exists there.

Cukku · 09/08/2021 22:08

It's a major faff sending the tests in, too, if your testing day is at the weekend. We had to drive for an hour and then home again.

Callisto1 · 10/08/2021 09:53

I flew into England late June and none of the cheap day 2 & 8 day tests were actually available. Ended up paying £150 I think from Boots after spending an hour on the English gov website following links to approved tests which were either out of stock or wrongly advertised.

It's all a bit of a con!!
www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jul/31/cheapest-covid-test-kits-for-travellers-on-uk-government-site-unavailable?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

lastcall · 10/08/2021 10:05

A lot of wealthyTories who own these companies and apps are making a killing with a wink and a nod from their MP friends in high places.

IS0D0RA · 10/08/2021 18:05

@lastcall

A lot of wealthyTories who own these companies and apps are making a killing with a wink and a nod from their MP friends in high places.
This.
rookiemere · 10/08/2021 18:25

Yes but this is Scottish tests we're talking about. We haven't even got the benefit of a selection of providers or costs, but apparently so uninteresting that people would rather talk about the English ones.

latissimusdorsi · 10/08/2021 18:27

@lastcall

A lot of wealthyTories who own these companies and apps are making a killing with a wink and a nod from their MP friends in high places.
I'd be very surprised if they managed to get the contract in Scotland from an SNP Gov under these circumstancesConfused
Scottishskifun · 10/08/2021 18:29

@lastcall

A lot of wealthyTories who own these companies and apps are making a killing with a wink and a nod from their MP friends in high places.
🙄 Via the only approved SG lab site of one company........ Nope purely a SG thing they could allow multiple others but they refuse!

We are flying in and out of England for this very reason!

Skyechasemarshalontheway · 10/08/2021 19:46

I used the Scottish day 2 and 8 tests in march had to be bought from scotgovs website i flew to london first then Glasgow so didn't need to hotel quarantine, there were no direct flights in anyway from my location. It was £220 then and they sent the nhs home pcr tests. It didn't even come from a private company. Others i flew with spent half that in england.

sweethomepa · 10/08/2021 19:58

Fairly sure NS was asked about this last week and the answer was something along the lines of ensuring reliability of tests and results, so only one supplier

riverrunning · 10/08/2021 20:00

Yes being a monopoly that's a well known way to ensure quality and reliability as well as fair prices.

Scottishskifun · 10/08/2021 20:02

I'm just hoping the CMA review will also highlight that the practice in Scotland is against competition rules and have to change!
It's definitely going to be the death of the travel industry up here otherwise!

TeenTraumaTrials · 10/08/2021 22:05

A colleague of mine came back from Spain to a Scottish airport last week and used a different supplier. She said it's checked by UK Border force who only care that you have a valid reference number. There's no check after to log the result.

StormcloakNord · 10/08/2021 22:09

I thought it was only a day 2 test needed and they're around £80?

Scottishskifun · 11/08/2021 21:14

@StormcloakNord

I thought it was only a day 2 test needed and they're around £80?
For Scotland it's one approved supplier who charges £170.....
Dishwashered · 11/08/2021 21:54

I'm not sure about this. We're in Scotland and have had 2 people visiting from abroad. They've used different companies.

rookiemere · 11/08/2021 22:03

It shows here the testing requirements www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-international-travel-quarantine/pages/red-amber-and-green-list-countries/ confirming that you are required to use the specific test linked to costing £88 for Day 2 or £170 if Day 2 and Day 8 needed.

Scottishskifun · 14/08/2021 11:26

Good news they have reduced it to £68 for a day 2 test bad news still only one supplier option!