For years, those who have lived or worked abroad, or those who have taken a regular holiday in continental Europe, Asia or North America, have long known the ridiculously high prices charged to British consumers in the U.K. for simple everyday goods and services.

For those who regularly surf the Net comparing prices, it's easy - and very revealing to see that we in Great Britain, in the vast majority of cases are most certainly being Ripped-Off!

That's not to say that every merchant in the UK is charging 'over the top' prices for their goods and services, but for those key items we use most often such as listed on the right column, we are being Ripped-Off - there is little doubt.

Many years ago the word Rip-Off would have rarely been used to describe high prices, shoddy goods or poor services. Most probably coined in the southern USA to describe a scam, (meaning, overcharging and exploitation), both the Public, the Press and the U.K Government Treasury Department now repeatedly use the word with such regularity that it's now part of our everyday language.

After six years on the Net we continue to reveal how British consumers AND overseas tourists, have been and are STILL being Ripped-Off, and how you can recognise, and hopefully avoid being Ripped-Off! yourself.

With YOUR help our aim is to constantly expose the multitude of Rip-Off's & injustices perpetrated against the British Public such as rip-off High Street prices charged by greedy companies, over zealous authorities, and by a system of direct and indirect (stealth) taxation that 'steals' the first 151 days a year of our hard earned money.

Unlike a 'certain' magazine, we don't compare different makes of washing machines or hair-dryers. What we do however is to try and uncover the truth about 'Rip-Off Britain", and closely examine the reasons why we aren't getting a fair deal, and why it's been like that for the past 50 years or more.

As an independent consumer advocate we take the "gloves-off" by promoting 'consumer power through free speech' that was originally established by Ralph Nader in the 60's & 70's who changed consumer attitudes in North America during the preceding decades.

• Why we pay far more for goods and services in the U.K. than in the USA, or many other countries in the rest of Europe.
• Why many overseas Companies secretly call the U.K. 'Treasure Island' & 'The Gold Coast'.
• Our public Forum often provides tips on where and how to buy goods and services so won't get Ripped-Off.
• (It's not very British) but, how to complain about poor goods and services, and get immediate satisfaction.