are we being ripped off by the shop or manufacture?

[Funky Dunky]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1488716519' post='3251206']
Having owned a shop in the past, the rates was a very considerable overhead. It's like the Council is another member of staff - only that one doesn't do much. They don't even take much rubbish away. You have to take out a contract with a private company to get that done.
[/quote]

This is a very good point which we all too easily overlook, actually. We need to remember that the poor old retailer is at the mercy of numerous folks - in fairness, I've been in shops where they have opted to put up signs apologising to their customers for price increases, but sometimes if they don't put up prices, they go out of business.

We often point the finger at the supply chain, but Council rates can be crippling.

[chris_b]

[quote name='bassjim' timestamp='1488642073' post='3250717']
I do get a feeling I'm being taken for a ride here.....
[/quote]

No one's being ripped off.

For whatever reason, if you don't shop around then the price you pay is what you've decided to pay. Your decision.

You can't blame the shop if you discover the same thing cheaper. Do more homework or don't buy in a rush.

[Leonard Smalls]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1488716519' post='3251206']
Having owned a shop in the past, the rates was a very considerable overhead. It's like the Council is another member of staff - only that one doesn't do much. They don't even take much rubbish away. You have to take out a contract with a private company to get that done.
[/quote]

Aye! We pay £9k in business rates plus £8k to a private contractor to take our rubbish away.
Still haven't worked out what we get for the rates: the new business help dept were deeply unhelpful, the road to our shop is maintained by Highways, there's no streetlights.

[Grangur]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1488717637' post='3251214']
No one's being ripped off.

For whatever reason, if you don't shop around then the price you pay is what you've decided to pay. Your decision.

You can't blame the shop if you discover the same thing cheaper. Do more homework or don't buy in a rush.
[/quote]
True. If we all bought all our strings from the high-street shops their prices could be lower. The fact is the shop owners know we all buy from Amazon, Stringsdirect and the others. So they know that the time we go to the high-street it's a "distress purchase". And as we clearly don't have the luxury of the choice of waiting for the postman, he can charge a price at which he will make a small profit.

Yes, I do mean a small profit. It's not a rip-off. The fact is StringsDirect and Amazon will buy at massively discounted prices. They also get other benefits from the suppliers too that the high-street retailers don't get. I know this as I've also worked as a supplier of products to Dixons, Amazon, etc.

[project_c]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1488716351' post='3251204']
How much, as a proportion of overall overheads, is business rates..? 50% rise sounds a lot (and indeed it is...!), but what impact does that have on the 'bottom line'..? It could well be negligible. Just curious.
[/quote]

Here's a couple of articles to put it in context, [url="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/feb/17/business-rates-rise-biggest-issue-small-firms-london"]one from the Guardian[/url], and [url="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2896038/local-shops-fear-financial-ruin-as-business-rates-are-set-to-rise-in-some-towns-by-177/"]one from the Sun[/url] (for the sake of parity). It's actually looking like a lot more than 50%, over 100% in some cases. Many small businesses are going to go under.

Edited March 5, 2017 by project_c

[Dad3353]

Not to defend the system, but it would seem that, in depressed areas, where there are empty High Streets, the business rates will fall, as their properties have less rent-able value. There is also a threshold (no idea where it's set...) so that small firms do not pay, or have a rebate.
What better system could be suggested..? Abolition (so loss of gouv. revenue...)..? A hike in corporation tax to compensate..? These rate changes happen every five years, so there's no surprise, really. This one is more severe as it was delayed a couple of years ago, it would appear; was that a wise idea, in retrospect..?
I'd certainly suggest that these monies are being used to pay for things like Trident missiles and submarines. There's an economy that would enable lower rates, I'm sure. T'aint easy, is it..?

[Grangur]

[quote name='project_c' timestamp='1488723634' post='3251278']
Here's a couple of articles to put it in context, [url="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/feb/17/business-rates-rise-biggest-issue-small-firms-london"]one from the Guardian[/url], and [url="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2896038/local-shops-fear-financial-ruin-as-business-rates-are-set-to-rise-in-some-towns-by-177/"]one from the Sun[/url] (for the sake of parity). It's actually looking like a lot more than 50%, over 100% in some cases. Many small businesses are going to go under.


[/quote]

Yes, but look at the improvement in the carbon footprint with no cars driving in the town centre!
The car parks are no longer stuffed to over-flowing and they won't have the cost of building a new one.

Oh, the future is so bright!

[Leonard Smalls]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1488724791' post='3251291']
I'd certainly suggest that these monies are being used to pay for things like Trident missiles and submarines. There's an economy that would enable lower rates, I'm sure. T'aint easy, is it..?
[/quote]

I saw a post recently on Facethingy which suggested that the £100bn or so used to pay for Trident should in fact go to Children In Need, then the BBC could do a fundraisathon for Trident In Need!

[Dad3353]

[quote name='Leonard Smalls' timestamp='1488725344' post='3251297']
I saw a post recently on Facethingy which suggested that the £100bn or so used to pay for Trident should in fact go to Children In Need, then the BBC could do a fundraisathon for Trident In Need!
[/quote]

+1 ^

Run for president, Lenny; run for president.

[project_c]

Well, the money is probably going to be used in the following ways:

1: as a means to try to strengthen the economy in preparation for the total collapse of the financial state of the country

2: to help 'big business' flourish by eradicating the tiny bit of competition they have left, because that brings in lots of investment, and creates lots of unregulated zero hours contracts, where people with very expensive degrees are allowed to clean toilets for 1p an hour

3: don't know. Maybe to create an army of robots to kick foreigners out and punch people who look a bit Polish.

ps. [url="https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/175433"]Here's a petition[/url] in case anyone is interested in trying to put a stop to this. (I don't think this stands a chance of getting stopped but you never know.)

Edited March 5, 2017 by project_c

[timmo]

[quote name='project_c' timestamp='1488729389' post='3251342']
Well, the money is probably going to be used in the following ways:

1: as a means to try to strengthen the economy in preparation for the total collapse of the financial state of the country


[/quote] As the Bank of England have stated they were wrong about the economy and the state of collapse, you might be wrong too

[project_c]

[quote name='timmo' timestamp='1488729853' post='3251350']
As the Bank of England have stated they were wrong about the economy and the state of collapse, you might be wrong too
[/quote]

I hope so. But what they actually said was that they were wrong about the timing, not about the actual predictions of doom & gloom. Quote from the chief economist of the B.o.E:

“I think, near-term, the data, the evidence we’ve been accumulating since the referendum, has surprised to the upside. [There’s been] greater resilience, in particular among consumers and among the housing market, than we had expected. Has that led us to fundamentally change our view on the fortunes of the economy looking forward over the next several years? Not really.

“This is more a question, I think, of timing than of a fundamental reassessment of the fortunes of the economy. So back in November we published a forecast for inflation which was the highest we’ve ever published. And the forecast for growth in the UK economy, that was the lowest we have ever published.

“We are still expecting this rather difficult balancing act for monetary policy with a slowing, not a huge slowing, but nonetheless a material slowing, during the course of next year as the effects of higher prices in the shops begin to chew away a little at the spending power of consumers and cause them to rein back a little in their spending.”

So that ties in with the rising business rates, but essentially I don't think they know, because they have nothing to compare the current situation to. Let's hope they're wrong.

[Leonard Smalls]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1488725704' post='3251299']
+1 ^

Run for president, Lenny; run for president.
[/quote]

I'm so tactful I could be the Queen!

[timmo]

[quote name='project_c' timestamp='1488732297' post='3251368']


. Let's hope they're wrong.
[/quote] Hopefully. I am staying positive on it.

[Guest gazzatriumph]

Everything bad is down to Brexit ;-) this must be true the BBC says so

[project_c]

[quote name='gazzatriumph' timestamp='1488819603' post='3252061']
Everything bad is down to Brexit ;-) this must be true the BBC says so
[/quote]

Putin, Fox news, Breitbart, Farage and Murdoch would like to thank you for your patriotism and would all like to send you their warmest regards.

[Lw.]

This thread is a prime example of why it should never have gone to a public vote in the first place - people just don't/didn't understand the consequences of what voting to leave actually meant and most people don't really understand how global financing works. I'm not trying to be harsh, I include myself in this too - you'd need several high level qualifications & years of experience to fully understand it and even those people don't really know what's going to happen.

If we're being ripped off by anyone, it's by the government & politicians who are paid to make these kind of decisions for us in the best interests of the country - not promising a referendum that they wrongly thought they could win just to appease their critics within their party in a pathetic attempt to retain their personal position of power for a short period of time at the risk of the whole county's finances & the cost of bass strings!

[Guest gazzatriumph]

[quote name='project_c' timestamp='1488820280' post='3252074']


Putin, Fox news, Breitbart, Farage and Murdoch would like to thank you for your patriotism and would all like to send you their warmest regards.
[/quote]
They are welcome

[Mykesbass]

Just had a perfect example of the difference between a web purchase and a local purchase. I can get an HDMI splitter from Ebay, postage included for under £2.00. If I wanted one tonight I could go to Tesco and pay £15.00. Pretty sure if I went to a TV specialist I'd probably get a better quality one, but I'm confident the Ebay one will be equal to the Tesco one. Those Roto's are looking better value all the time!

[Billy Apple]

Politics/Brexit-be-gone!