how much should they pay me ????

[picbits]

We're taxed quite heavily over here. Something like 70% of our petrol cost is tax by the government then they have the cheek to slap 15% more on top of that at the till as VAT.

Fuel Tax - PetrolPrices.com

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

It seems as though your cost of living is higher than here, and yet your pay is so low. That does not seem fair.

Yes, cost of living is far higher here (and wages are much lower) - and picbits didn't even mention house prices, which are MUCH higher than in the USA.

 

[picbits]

And I also didn't mention the fantastic TV License fee which is around £145 a year ($207) which you have to pay to the BBC even if you don't actually watch TV ?

If you have a TV, VCR or capture card capable of receiving any TV broadcast in your property then you have to pay this fee. It all goes to the BBC despite the fact that they only have a fraction of the number of channels available here in the UK.

House prices - well theres another story. I live in a fairly average town with fairly reasonable prices for houses and the cheapest house you can buy in an area which isn't too bad is around £100k for a 2 bedroom terrace house (around $140k)

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

If you have a TV, VCR or capture card capable of receiving any TV broadcast in your property then you have to pay this fee.

Not actually true, if you don't watch any broadcasts, and can prove it - then you don't need to pay the TV licence. But it's up to you to prove it, as by law all TV sales are reported to the licencing authorities - so if you buy a TV from a store, it's reported.

 

[confounded]

I once was working for a company through an agency and then the company wanted to hire me.
The company had to pay a large fee to the agency in order to hire me, apparantly it was in my contract with the agency.
The agency was charging about £11 for my £5.50 per hour.

 

[gabeNC]

We're taxed quite heavily over here. https://www.petrolprices.com/fuel-tax.html

Something about a Royal family figurehead? I've always wondered how long until your guys go "French" and get the guillotines out. They really don't do anything do they? No clout in Parliament?

I could be way off base and ignorant... just curious.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Something about a Royal family figurehead? I've always wondered how long until your guys go "French" and get the guillotines out. They really don't do anything do they? No clout in Parliament?

I could be way off base and ignorant... just curious.

No, it's about the way the government spends tax money - the Royal Family gets relatively little from taxation - their funding is mainly from their large land and property owning.

 

[ericgibbs]

Its also the way our Govt and adminstration 'milk' the system.

Recent case of 'alleged' dodgyness, it a Peer who has claimed £100,000.00 for two empty rooms in London as a second home.!!

This is within 10 miles of his registered home.

They are all on the take, they are not breaking any rules, because they write the rules.

Its our version on Democracy and Open Govt.

If you ever have the bad luck to shake hands with a politician, count your fingers afterwards.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

They are all on the take, they are not breaking any rules, because they write the rules.

I take exception to that - I don't believe my MP is 'on the take' - but he's the only one I wouldn't believe it of.

I've never voted for him, and he's decidely 'different', but I suspect he's the most effective, and most honest, MP.

 

[HiTech]

....on the form it asks what pay i expect and i have no idea what to put. obviously i would like as much as possible but i don't want to put a silly figure down, some that they can say well we can give you just a little less than that or: well we were thinking of.... but if you want... you can have it.

I'm just reading this and my reply may be too late but FWIW, you NEVER fill in that blank on an application. By intentionally leaving it blank, it provides room for negotiation. If anything, during your interview or meeting, you would answer that question by saying something like:
I would hope to be paid similar to the industry's standard or I'm hopeful that my experience and qualifications would allow me to receive the maximum amount the position pays.

 

[HiTech]

And I also didn't mention the fantastic TV License fee which is around £145 a year ($207) which you have to pay to the BBC even if you don't actually watch TV ?

If you have a TV, VCR or capture card capable of receiving any TV broadcast in your property then you have to pay this fee. It all goes to the BBC despite the fact that they only have a fraction of the number of channels available here in the UK.

House prices - well theres another story. I live in a fairly average town with fairly reasonable prices for houses and the cheapest house you can buy in an area which isn't too bad is around £100k for a 2 bedroom terrace house (around $140k)

Sheesh! How does that kind of crap become accepted into law? I would think even Parliament members would try to avoid that silly, tea-party kind of nonsense? Then again you chaps allowed the gov. to disarm you and send all those firearms to the smelter! Doesn't the squeaky wheel get greased in the UK? You folks need to ban together and squeal LOUD!

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Sheesh! How does that kind of crap become accepted into law? I would think even Parliament members would try to avoid that silly, tea-party kind of nonsense?

The licence fee funds the BBC - as simple as that - no adverts, and totally funded by a licence fee.

It's why the UK has tended to lead the world in broadcast entertainment, with a TV service before WWII - the BBC are still known as one of the best broadcasters in the world.

Many other countries fund national broadcasters via a licence fee as well, the UK is by no means the most expensive - and most others have advertising on them.

Really though it's a situation that's impossible to change - if the licence fee was dropped tomorrow, and advertising allowed on the BBC - where's the money going to come from?, there's not a spare 100's of millions of pounds sat waiting to fund more advertising.

 

[OutToLunch]

the BBC are still known as one of the best broadcasters in the world.

I've seen that show where this guy in a suit that doesn't look like it fits him gives two teams a bit of cash and they run around a flea market for a few hours and then sell the crap they bought there at an auction to see which team gets the most back. World class stuff, there.

Our shows ain't much better, but at least we don't have to pay for it if we don't want to. The sad part of it is that I do pay to have a satellite feed - and I still have to put up with commercials!

 

[killivolt]

I've seen that show where this guy in a suit that doesn't look like it fits him gives two teams a bit of cash and they run around a flea market for a few hours and then sell the crap they bought there at an auction to see which team gets the most back. World class stuff, there.

Our shows ain't much better, but at least we don't have to pay for it if we don't want to. The sad part of it is that I do pay to have a satellite feed - and I still have to put up with commercials!

Not necessarily if you get a digital recorder ? What I want to see is a program that will separate the commercials rather than manually doing it. Then put them in a category. I enjoy some commercials one commercial I enjoy is the Castrol Dip stick.

YouTube - Castrol EDGE - Think With Your Dipstick

I'm with Hitech time for a tea party. Start drinking coffee.

On the other hand one of you should write a book how to live a British lifestyle in America turn those pounds into bucks.


kv

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Our shows ain't much better, but at least we don't have to pay for it if we don't want to. The sad part of it is that I do pay to have a satellite feed - and I still have to put up with commercials!

Well you DO pay for it, even if you don't watch it - a percentage of almost everything you buy goes towards funding TV channels, you will be paying considerably more than our licence fee per year for your TV (including ones you don't and even can't, watch).

The BBC licence fee while sounding a LOT, is actually only a small percentage of what UK viewers pay for the advertising funded ITV channels per year.

I seem to recall reading years back, that McDonalds spend the highest percentage of their sales on advertising?.

 

[Thunderchild]

well the form went in blank, all I got out of the manager was "it will be more than your on now" I said "I jolly well hope so" it was a bit of an understatement considering I'm on the lowest now anyway....

 

[OutToLunch]

Well you DO pay for it, even if you don't watch it - a percentage of almost everything you buy goes towards funding TV channels, you will be paying considerably more than our licence fee per year for your TV (including ones you don't and even can't, watch).

True, but if i wanted to I'd buy the generic brand of froot loops instead of kellogg's. And I do, more than not - generics that is - not the froot loops. There are some generics that just don't perform or taste the same as the heavily advertised products. Overall, though, generics are pretty close - especially OTC drugs.

Anyway, I'd suspect that you still see adverts in magazines, newspapers and billboards - unless you pay use taxes on those as well.

I've never done a comparison - it would be interesting to know if the same product in England costs less than in the US due to the lack of advertising in the price.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

True, but if i wanted to I'd buy the generic brand of froot loops instead of kellogg's. And I do, more than not - generics that is - not the froot loops. There are some generics that just don't perform or taste the same as the heavily advertised products. Overall, though, generics are pretty close - especially OTC drugs.

My daughter (and her friend/band member Charlie) won't even eat chocolate cornflake buns unless they are made with proper Kellogs cornflakes, now THAT'S taking the p*ss

Anyway, I'd suspect that you still see adverts in magazines, newspapers and billboards - unless you pay use taxes on those as well.

I don't buy any newspapers or magazines, and billboards are pretty sparse round here

I've never done a comparison - it would be interesting to know if the same product in England costs less than in the US due to the lack of advertising in the price.

Goods in England generally cost more than in the USA - even English goods do - I don't think it's anything to do with advertising costs though.

 

[Sceadwian]

The thing about generic drugs is by law they have to have the active ingredients on the label, it's not like corn flakes where they may have some secret recipe with slightly different ratio's of things. If the drug amounts listed on the side of the bottle are the same then they drugs are the same it's that simple. My wife prefers Advil over generic Ibuprofen for some strange reason, thinks it works better, placebo effect => I'll take the generics any day.

 

[OutToLunch]

Just noticed your from Rochester. I lived there for seven years while going to RIT (and, no I'm not slow - took seven years for two degrees). Couldn't take the short summers anymore and moved south!

just thought I'd take the thread off course just a little more...