Bo-Jangles

Here's an interesting read with some food for thought and very good comments, that echo what a lot of forum members have commented on in the past about prices of stuff in NZ.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10659094

Pointer

I am sure the same rings true if you were to go to St Andrews this week while the open is on.

Try the highlands of Scotland as well, assuming you can afford to put fuel in your tank!! its never cheap up there.

Stormer999

Recently come back from Western Europe tour.....guess what......exactly the same.....huge rip off

londonescapee

The types of places he is frequenting sound like they would be expensive no matter where in the world you go. Whenever we have been back to NZ and eaten out we've not paid prices like that. Plenty of places to stay which are cheap too, we've been to some excellent B&Bs throughout the country that were only around $100 a night. I don't recall paying prices for wine along Auckland's waterfront? Although I am sure there are places that charge that amount I just never go into them because I don't think they'd let me in

I dispute that about cities in western Europe being cheaper - in Venice you'd be paying around 80 Euro for a very average meal (like pasta and some bread average, no dessert) and glass of wine each for 2. Water taxis to the airport are 55 Euros when the bus is about 5 euros And a gondola ride, one of the main tourist attractions is around 100 euro each for an hour and you don't even get that on your own you're sharing that with 10 other people - not very good if you want to make a romantic proposal or something like that

Wilester

Im still in the UK

I feel ripped off every time i;

Do the Weekly shop
Fill up at the petrol pump
Buy a Drink in a Bar
Look at my payslip Tax and NI
Look at my water bill
Look at my Gas bill
Look at my Electric bill
Look at my Poll tax bill
Look at my Telephone bill
Look at my Car Tax and Insurance
When i have to pay for each item on a prescription
When i go to the Dentisit

Or is it just me

londonescapee

Not just you us too - £180 to tax the car for six months! And it isn't a gas guzzler just an older car but guess what we couldn't afford a newer car

Gas bill 1 quarter in our last house = £450! With a supposedly cheaper supplier. I actually screamed when I saw the bill

Drink in Brighton pub - normally around £4 each drink now although there are some gems of places if you know where to look which might be £2.50 a pint. That ain't cheap.

£700 a MONTH for both of us to travel to work (although I will miss public transport here). The trade off is a much, much nicer place to live for the same money as a hovel in London, still paying for a travelcard on top. But we are paying heavily for improved quality of life atm.

But I do have a very good NHS dentist

Bo-Jangles

Thinking some more about this, because everyone in the UK really does think they are so hard done by. I went to the pet store 'Animates' today to buy a Cat Door/(Flap). It cost me NZ $284. I just had a look online at one UK equivalent type of pet supermarket (come superstore) and the very same 'Staywell' item is GBP 54.99

I bought the cheapest safety buckle type of cat collar they had, it was $18.99 a similar one in a UK store is GBP 3.34

A six pack of Frontline flea treatment NZ$75 - UK price GBP 22.20

That's what you call being ripped-off on a daily basis and not a single tourist activity in sight.

Londonescapee and Wilester, I can assure you that you'll feel no better looking at your NZ payslips, telephone, power or dentist bills.

londonescapee

I am sure we won't but equally won't be paying the equivalent GDP of a small nation to get to work every day I don't think we are hard done by here but you have to agree that some things just are not cheap in the UK - I am not saying it is neccessarily any better in NZ either for some things but Rip Off Britain has been an established fact for quite some time now.

Besides for us we are moving because husband is Kiwi and wants to go home. So somehow we will make it work for him and for me and economise. Lucky for us I have a very good job lined up and once he starts working we should be quite comfortably off if we are sensible with money. Bring on the vegetable patch and chicken coop

But Frontline here for a pack of 6 for a 6.5kg dog will set us back £45! It's gone up hugely in price over the last few years.

Wilester

Right thats sorted - The Cat stays here

londonescapee

Right must go do some packing enough of procrasinating on the forum

Genesis

NZ has a crap attitude towards service (excepting the hospitality trade) and really crap driving but I don't think its a rip off country..no more than anywhere else.

Bo-Jangles

Sorry, should have been more specific, mine was for a cat and it was today's price UK 22 pounds. I don't know how much the dog stuff is, but a quick look see and it costs $54.96 here for a pack of three.

londonescapee

Yes have heard that about service and yet to experience it as I've only gone as a tourist before and found customer care top notch

Just with regards to the thread itself, it is good to hear that you don't think it is a rip off country - I've never had the impresssion it was but it is nice to have that confirmed by someone else

On customer care standards here, and indeed on value for money/Rip offness (in keeping with the thread itself), I will share with you a letter that we received from Lambeth Council very recently for some work they did removing 2 cold water storage tanks that somehow cost £18,000! The work was done whilst we were living in the flat, and then after 3 years they finally billed us, having told us TWICE on the phone we would be able to pay for it in instalments (our contribution was £1,850 as leaseholders). We now rent the flat out.

Thank you for your letter dated 25/06/10 regarding your request to pay the above invoice by monthly instalment payments.

Unfortunately, I am writing to inform you that we are unable to accept your offer of payment by this method. The reason for this decision is that the Council's policy is to accept payment agreements to leaseholders residing in the leasehold property. In your case our records show that you do not reside in the property.

As a result of this you will be expected to make payment in full to avoid legal action being taken against you. If you are unable to make payment in full, we would advise that you seek independent legal advice. In order to assist you I have enclosed a Debt Counselling Services leaflet for your information.

If we can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours sincerely etc

By the way there was no Debt Counselling Services leaflet enclosed

So to a) threaten us with legal action straight off is just obscene given that we had been told it would be ok and b) all they had to say was sorry you were misinformed you'll have to pay the full amount because of blah blah hope this is ok please ring us to arrange payment - we would have been fine with that!

Morale of this rather long-winded story? There are ways and means to communicate with people and the UK local authorities have a LONG way to go

londonescapee

Owning an animal anywhere just ain't cheap is it ours has a bit of an issue with her health as well so here's to some rather hefty vets bills in NZ but she's worth it Must look into pet insurance because it's saved us around £4,000 worth of vets fees here but not sure she will be able to be insured for her pre existing conditions

mickey_d

Apart from taxation, electricity, telephone, internet, Sky, fruit & veg (from supermarkets), lamb, dairy products, electrical goods, dentists......CIDER