Quote:
Originally Posted by Lexicon
The reason things cost so much more over here is simply down to the greed of the companies and the stupidity of the public willing to pay the ludicrous prices they charge.
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Well, besides VAT and lengthier warranties, I think there are a few other factors that drive up prices in Europe and the UK before you have to resort to corporate greed to explain the difference. Almost everything over here -- groceries, a pint of beer at a local pub, a night at the cinema, a sandwich from the local deli -- costs much more (sometimes double!) than in the United States, even after accounting for VAT. This can't all be a result of greedy corporations and stupid consumers.
I think the cost of doing business just tends to be higher here: higher wages for store and warehouse employees, higher fuel taxes for the delivery trucks, higher corporate taxes, higher rents, and yes, higher VAT. All of these higher costs must be passed on to the consumer. Also, regulation here tends to limit the ability of larger discount retailers (such as Walmart, etc.) to drive down prices to the detriment of smaller 'mom and pop' stores (which may well be a laudable goal, but it must be admitted that it inflates prices for end consumers).
Even after accounting for all of that, of course, there is certainly still a small price difference that remains. And yes, this can be readily explained by corporations charging whatever the market will bear, with European and UK consumers, long used to paying high prices for everything else (groceries, cinema tickets, fuel), being happy to oblige them.