UK Consumers Paying More for Gadgets… Even Excluding Tax

Thinking of buying a PlayStation 4 or an Xbox One this year? If you happen to be living in the UK, there’s a good chance that you’re going to get ripped off.  It’s almost certain that you’ll end up paying upwards of £57 more than you would if you bought the console in the United States, and that’s before you add tax.

It’s not just consoles either, but almost everything. From Apple Macbooks to Samsung TVs, it seems like manufacturers are piling on the price when it comes to UK residents, and there’s no clear explanation as to why (outside of the obvious: we’re paying for them anyway).

Released by Which!, the study has concluded that Brits are being treated badly by manufacturers. A PS4 and Xbox One – which both cost around £291 without the 20% VAT mark-up – will be available in the States for only £234. While there are reasons why there could be some difference – import taxes, “protection against exchange rate fluctuation” and EU testing standards – there’s no reason for such a huge jump, meaning a lot of electronic manufacturers are making a load of money ON TOP of the money they’re already making per unit worldwide.

As you get to more expensive items, the gap increases, leaving consumers with products like the Samsung UE65H8000, which is a massive £402 more expensive here than it is abroad.