Rip Off Britain

[toby99]

We, through work, had to stay in the Hilton Hotel last week and it cost us �15.00 for the privilege of parking in their car park after the extortionate room fees they charge already. We then filled up with petrol to go home at �1.10 a litre. On the way home we visited our sick mother in hospital and paid a further �3.00 to park, and we were not there very long. She had a TV monitor over her bed, rather than the ward TV, and this cost �6.00 per DAY talk about taking advantage. These poor patients rely on the TV to get them through the day.

Is anyone else fed up with constantly being at the receiving end of rip-off Britain and everyone, everywhere being on the take!

[SRH]

* Petrol - more than 50% is duty!

* Paying more for soft drinks than beer in pubs

* Wagon Wheels and Mini Milks getting smaller (and no jokes on the lolly stick any more - I'm most upset!)

* Companies using 0870 numbers to rake in more cash. Use www.saynoto0870.com to find a national rate number instead or look on the back of your bill to find the number for overseas customers - it will be cheaper.

* Car insurance company quoting me �100 quid higher than last year (never had a claim and have a 17-year blemish-free licence), getting a quote �120 cheaper from same company online - and �200 quid cheaper from another company for a better deal (so switched from Direct Line to Shelias Wheels)

* Prescriptions costing �6.85 in England... and free in Wales

* Council Tax Single Person discount only being a discount of 25% - hmmmm, I've got a quarter less person living in my household?! Should be 50% discount!

* Council tax bands being based on what a property 'probably' would have been worth in 1991. I live in a brand new flat and pay more than people in more expensive, big houses - appeal to council dropped it one band, but it should have been two.

* Mortgage lender insisting I needed life assurance despite me not having any dependents and family I can live with if I lose my property through illness etc. A more easily scared person would have shelled out for this extra, unecessary expense. I stood firm and told them to b@gger off!

Phew, rant over with! Feel much better now (but still feel ripped off!)

[naomi24]

Which Hilton Hotel did you stay in? Let me know, and I'll avoid it. I stay in Hilton Hotels often, but have never had to pay to park my car.

I have to agree with you about charges at hospitals for car parking and TV - they are extortionate. However, at our local hospital, parking concessions are given to people who have to undergo lengthy tests, and are obliged to stay at the hospital all day. Concessions are also given to visitors who regularly stay all day with patients who are in hospital for a lengthy period of time - but that is not offered - it has to be requested.

[SRH]

The Hilton in Manchester doesn't have a car park - you have to use the NCP across the road. They build a massive five star hotel (now the tallest building in the city) with great fanfare and charge over the top prices (I've stayed there and it's nice, but not that nice)... and don't provide parking.

And as for hospitals, it's hammering people when they're at their most vulnerable. It would be better to have a scheme where you get your parking ticket stamped if you are using the hospital (to deter non-hospital users from taking up parking spaces). We pay our National Insurance stamp to fund the NHS - parking fees are just another tax.

[naomi24]

Yes, good idea - but I doubt it'll ever come to fruition. Parking is a lucrative business. By the way, thanks for the tip. I'll avoid the Manchester Hilton. (Incidentally, Hilton Hotels are rarely as nice as they're reputed to be. In general, they've turned into something akin to a Travelodge. The only difference is they charge a lot more and have a restaurant and bar within the hotel itself - whereas a Travelodge usually has something like a Beefeater situated a few yards outside the reception area).

[wildwood]

Believe me.... it is not only in Britain were you get ripped off. Car parking across the North sea is legal robbery.

As for car parking at the hospital, it really is a kick in the guts. It is not as if you park there for your pleasure, whether you are a patient or visitor.

[toby99]

It was the Hilton in Birmingham and I agree, avoid it - you may be lucky and get a decent room, but if you don't then your room will be very poor and tired as is the service!

[Quinlad]

I promise I'm not being devil's advocate here but...

The NHS has a finite amount of money.

Tell me honestly, how would you feel if your hospital couldn't afford to treat you, or clean the ward, or build a new wing because someone's mum was demanding a free telly in her room?

Are you actually being serious?

As for the Hilton, you'd be surprised how few hotel guests travel there by car. Do you think it makes good business sense to have all guests pay for the car park, thereby increasing the room rate in a competitive market? Or just those that use it?

[4GS]

Yep, it cost us �7 to get our car out of the Hilton in Birmingham at Christmas, sorry, I should say near Birmingham, I could understand if it was near the city center, but this was on the outskirts, and get this, it cost us �21 for a Gin +_ Tonic and a small glass of wine, I even went to the bloody bar for it, we didn't use room service, no wonder they said they would put it on our bill, if the bar person had asked me that amount of money for two teeny tiny drinks I would have inserted the cash where the sun don't shine!!!!!
Rant over

[toby99]

4GS - Same hotel, just outside Birmingham -�5.40 for a small bottle of water!!!

Quinlad, The carpark in the hotel was so full people couldn't even park and there was no other alternative nor is it accessable via public transport - captive market so they obvously thought great opportunity to make extra money out of their guests.

Unfortuately I work within the NHS and can say first hand that they waste so much money already that the revenue lost in putting back a ward TV, rather than chargeable personal sets, would be a drop in the ocean. They need to look closer to home before ripping off the vulnerable in their desperation to claw back monies they have misspent.

When I was younger I was in hospital frequently and was allowed my own TV as well as the ward TV. The wards were immaculate as they were run by conscientious, respected Matrons. The majority of hospitals now, with this newly found revenue, are filthy - So where is this money going? As others have said it is just tax on tax!

[toby99]

Legend- you are opening up a whole new debate and one I could rant on for ages about.

We get appauling service in this country and we just put up with it. However, we went to a restaurant in Stratford recently and noticed that ALL the staff were Polish. It seemed odd, but by the end of the meal it was clear why - it was the best customer service we have ever recieved and it wasn't just one it was the whole team - anyone else experieced this and when was the last time any of you had good service?

[naomi24]

Toby you're absolutely right about our hospitals - they are filthy and there is appalling wastage.

I dined in the West End of London last week. All the staff were Eastern Europeans, and the service was excellent.

Speaking of being ripped off, cinemas are amongst the biggest culprits. A few sweets and a couple of small bottles of water costs around �10.

[Goodsoulette]

Naomi, thats cause they dont make a lot of money on the films. Cinemas revenue rely mostly on you buying sweets and drinks. 40 grand to buy a film can.

As for hospitals, were they really all that much cleaner, or are the standard higher. Medicines progressing, there are more people surviving so it must be a bigger strain on their services. People want the results but dont want to pay the taxes. So thats why your petrol costs so much, and toooo bloody right.

[Quinlad]

Whether or not, it's a drop in the ocean, it's waste of money. Money that could and should be spent on saving lives. Or on, say, a bereavment counsellor. Or another cleaner.

If it is such a drop in the ocean maybe we could round up the money sloshing around and pay someone to give your Mum a pedicure or buy her some sweets everytime she rings a bell?

[toby99]

Quinlad - I was actually enjoying conversing with you and you initially raised some good points, but you are obviously in for an exchange of derogatory remarks rather than a thought provoking debate. The bottom line is the Hospitals saw an opportunity to make money out of the vulnerable (�182 per month is out of many pensioners reach especially when coupled with the parking costs of spouces visiting you) How you can compare a TV for a very sick and old lady to pass the time while infirm to a pedicure is beyond me.

[naomi24]

Goodsoulette, yes, hospitals were cleaner and standards were much higher.

I take your point about cinemas, but it's no wonder people pop into Tescos before the show. Let's hope cinemas don't price themselves out altogether.

[naomi24]

And another thought on Rip Off Britain. Motorway service areas. Terrible food at astronomical prices. If you're not travelling through the night, much better to pull off the motorway and find a local pub to eat in.

[Quinlad]

Sorry, if I made my point rudely, toby. But maybe I'm not making myself clear.

A television (whether for for an old lady or 25 year old man) is - compared to medicine or health professionals - a luxury.

As basic a luxury as it may be, if the NHS pays for patients to have TVs then that's money that it cannot spend on more essential items. You do understand that? Surely it's morally unjustifiable for one patient to sit watching television while another has to receive substandard medical care because there aren't sufficient funds to go round. And I think we all agree that for whatever reason, funds are at a premium.

How would you feel if a sick old woman couldn't receive home help because your local NHS trust had decided to invest in TVs for patients like me? There's no magic crock of gold - and if something hads to give, let's make it luxury items that don't save lives. I don't think that that's unfair.

I agree with naomi on the service station meals. Hideously over-priced. Same with sweets at cinema. No need to worry about the cinemas putting themselves out of business though - if people stop buying them, they'll put the prices down. It's simple economics.

And it's the same the world over. Rather than complaining about 'Rip Off Britain', you'd be better off having a pop at capitalism. Or better still, the British public. When it comes to service station meals or Odeon sweets, people choose to hand over their money because they can't be bothered to go to the cheaper place nearby. Companies only charge high prices because people willingly agree to them. We're our own worst enemy.