Over-priced Ice Creams!

[Holiday Planner]

I remember being horrified as a teenager at having to pay 50p for a can of coke from a stall outside Windsor Castle in 1976. It doesn't sound much now, but at the time it was 4 or 5 times more than you would expect. I am now very wary in tourist hot-spots.

[Mo2013]

Rather than castigating the people who bought over-priced ice cream, I am angry with those unscrupulous traders who take no responsibility for ripping people off, rather they believe that if the customer is gullible enough to pay the price, then they deserve all they get. No, the sellers are thieves who will get away with whatever they can. I hope that no-one buys anything from that venue ever again.

[Dark Knight]

Caveat Emptor

[Mo2013]

Caveat Emptor notwithstanding, those traders are still cheats and rip-off merchants.

[Dark Knight]

in your opinion

[Quizzical Bob]

You no like, you no buy.

Semplicissimi

[Mo2013]

Such people are unscrupulous people who take no responsibility for their actions, just put the onus on trusting customers. They don't care one jot about anyone. I hope the cafe goes out of business.

[Dark Knight]

QB
aww but that would not give middle England something to whinge about. and the opportunity to slander people by calling them liars and thieves

[Manoverboard]

The naughty ice cream seller may be an opportunist but NOT a cheat if the prices were displayed ... ?

[Mo2013]

The naughty ice cream seller may be an opportunist but NOT a cheat if the prices were displayed ... ?

Well, the people concerned will know the full story - as usual we are talking about something we don't know all the facts for - it had occurred to me that they were eating a dessert rather than a cone, and any dessert in an italian restaurant will cost several pounds. I just don't like the practice of ripping off trusting tourists. We once agreed a price with a taxi driver in Morocco to take us into town, when we got back to the ship he'd doubled it, we were sure what we'd agreed but he stood his ground, we paid up because we erred on the side of caution. Like I say, people will get away with whatever they can - doesn't make it right though, this attitude of 'well if you were daft enough to pay it ......

[paultheeagle]

Mo

Acccording to one report I read the bar owner said that the prices were displayed..The bar is in a busy tourist area, the prices are bound to be high in such an area, just like they are in this country...I don't understand how the bar owner is a thief, ripping people off...They weren't forced to have an ice cream.....

If they didn't see the prices then why didn't they ask.

I hope they enjoyed their ice cream....I wonder if they left a tip?

[Mo2013]

In that case PTE, then they ate, and paid for, a dessert, rather than an 'ice-cream'. We sat at a waterfront cafe at the entrance to St Mark's Square in Venice, OH had a beer, me a white wine, but we knew how much they were from the menu. They were still expensive for what they were, and extortionate prices are a rip-off, even if you are prepared to pay them.

[Boris+]

Hi PtE,

I think I'm with you on this one. Firstly nobody forced these numpties to buy the blasted ice cream. I understand that the prices were displayed, but even if they weren't - wouldn't it be wise to ask?

If I don't see a price in a situation such as this, then I become suspicious, and I ask. I not only ask for prices in jewellers and garages when the prices are not visible, and I also very often ask for discount (which I usually get).

I do not think that the vendors were over-charging - as we don't know whether this was a 'made in a factory' ice cream or home made ice cream (the costings would be vastly different). Then another contributing financial factor is the overheads of the premises. If these particular premises are in a 'prime location' then it would be highly likely that overheads would be higher, and these costs will be reflected in the prices charged for products and/or services.

So, until the full facts (if these are ever actually needed) are known I think it's best to say that these are relatively inexperienced travellers who are making fools of themselves. Well travelled people would possibly not make the same error - and well heeled people wouldn't make a fuss in the first place.

The most important thing here is that the people who bought the ice-creams now actually learn from their experience.

Em

[paultheeagle]

http://news.sky.com/story/1087559/briti ... cream-bill

[Mo2013]

So ! they were just cones ! The tv had the four of them sat at a table eating enormous ice cream sundaes ! OK, you want a drink or something to eat and you pay the prices charged, but they are still extortionate. I'm not sure many people would put the cones back on the counter and walk off ...... We were all first time travellers at one point and how nice for those who are so savvy and on the ball but I am sure these four people will learn from this experience; if the story made the local media, then even the locals must have been shocked I suspect. Some people would pay anything because they are on holiday and would not want to be embarrassed by leaving without buying anything. We were ripped off by an unscrupulous taxi driver but we'd done all the right things.

[Manoverboard]

One Hell of a cone though as each one of them, I think it said, had a kilo of ice cream in it.

ps ... Oink, Oink.

[Mo2013]

Good grief ! That's a LOT of ice cream .....

[Kendhni]

No different to any other tourist area ... where there are those that are confused by the currency there will always be someone willing to rip them off.

[qbman1]

It takes some doing to be that confused by a price tag in euros though !!

[Quizzical Bob]

Bit of a non-story, really. 'Mugs get muggered'

[Mo2013]

No different to any other tourist area ... where there are those that are confused by the currency there will always be someone willing to rip them off.

For 'willing' read 'unscrupulous'.

[Serendipity]

If the price was on display then how is it a rip off?
My friend and I had 2 coffees in a hotel in central London 2 weeks ago and it cost us £16, we knew this before we ordered.
Afternoon tea in the Ritz used to be £40 a couple of years back, it is expensive but you always had to book.

[Mo2013]

If the price was on display then how is it a rip off?
My friend and I had 2 coffees in a hotel in central London 2 weeks ago and it cost us £16, we knew this before we ordered.
Afternoon tea in the Ritz used to be £40 a couple of years back, it is expensive but you always had to book.

It doesn't matter if you read the price or not, a 'rip-off' is defined as 'a product or service that is overpriced or of poor quality'. It is also defined as 'an act of exploitation'.

£8 for a cup of coffee ? Outrageous !

[Boris+]

What part of price construction do you not understand Mo?

It is really simple, and anyone can understand it - it goes like this:

Overheads, materials, variable costs, profit all these contribute to price.

If a back street premises is a lower cost than premises in a prime location then you can rightly expect the product price to be lower in the back street place.

Look at hairdressing (it's quite a good example) - go to a back street or side street hairdressers in a small town and although the service provided is the same as that provided in one in a main street in a thriving town centre (or city) and you can pay 3 or 4 times the price of the back street place in the one in a main street. What causes this? It is simple - overheads, materials, variable costs etc ..... and these mount up substantially prior to adding the profit element.

QED - there is nothing outrageous about it. It is simply business. What is outrageous (I think - and I know you won't like it) is that a bunch of silly people prat about wanting to be seen to be modern or with-it or comfortably-off, they don't like the price they have been charged for a product which nobody forced them to buy. They did so willingly, neglecting it seems to check the price - and then they not only bleat about it, they publicise the situation!

Ok, on the face of it the product seems a bit pricey - but nobody forced them. Oh, and the other thing - has anyone considered the cost of buying/renting the premises, paying the staff to work in this prime location, maintenance of premises, potential local authority permissions, uniforms - and all so that the diddums tourists don't have to go out of their way to get refreshment.

Serves them right.

Em

[HK phooey]

Mo understands that £54 for 4 icecream cones is a rip off and so does the local Italian councillor that was passing and saw them question the bill. He said "This is not the first time tourists have been caught out like this and it sadly won't be the last. 'There needs to be a clamp down on places like this that charge extortionate prices to unsuspecting tourists. It does nothing for the image of the city and will probably put people off coming here which in the long run will affect the tourist industry. Stories such as this just don't do the city any favours. We get this with cafes and bars all the time and taxis, as well as guides and there needs to be tough action against these people."