Cheap Flights legislation

Roland Perry wrote
 >Martin WY remarked

  >>I had not seen this release on the 10th August, has anyone else read
  >>it so far, and I wonder how far they will get with Ryanscare-Eireflip?
<font color=green>  >> <a rel="nofollow" style='text-decoration: none;' href="http://www.lacors.gov.uk/pages/trade/GetBriefing.asp?ArtID=545</font" target="_blank">http://www.lacors.gov.uk/pages/trade/GetBriefing.asp?ArtID=545</font</a>>

 >Not so much legislation, as guidance on how to apply existing
 >legislation. Without guidance like this, individual Trading Standards
 >practitioners might be loathe to stick their necks out alone.
 >We won't know how effective it is, until applied to complaints received
 >from now onwards.

I am old enough to remember the introduction of VAT to the UK.
The idea then was that prices at retail level should include the
tax, so that customers would be aware of what they had to pay.

I am glad to see things now heading back in that direction.
 >> Stay informed about: Cheap Flights legislation 

  > >I had not seen this release on the 10th August,
  > >has anyone else read it so far, and I wonder how far they will get
  > >with Ryanscare-Eireflip?
  > >
  > >http://www.lacors.gov.uk/pages/trade/GetBriefing.asp?ArtID=545
 >
 > Not so much legislation, as guidance on how to apply existing
 > legislation. Without guidance like this, individual Trading Standards
 > practitioners might be loathe to stick their necks out alone.
 >
 > We won't know how effective it is, until applied to complaints received
 > from now onwards.

Apparently it doesn't affect Ryanair as they aren't UK-registered.
Trading Standards want it to apply to all airlines flying to and from the
UK, but so far there's been no luck.

Hilary
 >> Stay informed about: Cheap Flights legislation 

In message
, at
11:09:00 on Sat, 14 Aug 2004, Hilary
remarked:
   >> >I had not seen this release on the 10th August,
   >> >has anyone else read it so far, and I wonder how far they will get
   >> >with Ryanscare-Eireflip?
   >> >
   >> >http://www.lacors.gov.uk/pages/trade/GetBriefing.asp?ArtID=545
  >>
  >> Not so much legislation, as guidance on how to apply existing
  >> legislation. Without guidance like this, individual Trading Standards
  >> practitioners might be loathe to stick their necks out alone.
  >>
  >> We won't know how effective it is, until applied to complaints received
  >> from now onwards.
 >
 >Apparently it doesn't affect Ryanair as they aren't UK-registered.
 >Trading Standards want it to apply to all airlines flying to and from the
 >UK, but so far there's been no luck.

There are two ways to approach this.

One is to complain to the relevant authorities in Dublin (I presume they
have something akin to Trading Standards there).

The other is to invoke the concept that they are advertising their
service to people who live in the UK, and are therefore required to do
so legally [1]. A long time ago, Virgin Atlantic were successfully
prosecuted by the New York consumer protection authorities for allegedly
misleading pricing information on their website, which was available to
people in the USA.

If the UK's TS people are having difficulty with the second approach,
perhaps they need a shove in the right direction.

[1] They could get out of that by asking what country you live in, a bit
like BA does, and then telling UK residents not to use the website.
Might reduce their turnover a little though...
--
Roland Perry
 >> Stay informed about: Cheap Flights legislation 

 >I am old enough to remember the introduction of VAT to the UK.
 >The idea then was that prices at retail level should include the
 >tax, so that customers would be aware of what they had to pay.
 >
 >I am glad to see things now heading back in that direction.
Gosh, you and me both!
 >> Stay informed about: Cheap Flights legislation 

 >Apparently it doesn't affect Ryanair as they aren't UK-registered.
 >Trading Standards want it to apply to all airlines flying to and from the
 >UK, but so far there's been no luck.
 >
 >Hilary
 >
But... if this is a requirement of our dear EU parliament, then surely
it will apply to Eireoflop within the EU - as well as others that do
not quote the full price of a flight including ALL repeat ALL
charges in connection with the flight they are enquiring about.
 >> Stay informed about: Cheap Flights legislation 

In message , at 17:21:39 on
Sat, 14 Aug 2004, Martin WY remarked:
 >But... if this is a requirement of our dear EU parliament, then surely
 >it will apply to Eireoflop within the EU

Perhaps so, but it would be the Dublin 'Trading Standards' people who
should be enforcing it, not those in the UK.
--
Roland Perry
 >> Stay informed about: Cheap Flights legislation 

On Sat, 14 Aug 2004 17:26:37 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote:



  >>But... if this is a requirement of our dear EU parliament, then surely
  >>it will apply to Eireoflop within the EU
 >
 >Perhaps so, but it would be the Dublin 'Trading Standards' people who
 >should be enforcing it, not those in the UK.
I think the article did say, (there are two of them on that site)
that our TSD would be imposing it for all flights departing from the
UK.
 >> Stay informed about: Cheap Flights legislation 

"Martin WY" wrote in message

 >
  > >I am old enough to remember the introduction of VAT to the UK.
  > >The idea then was that prices at retail level should include the
  > >tax, so that customers would be aware of what they had to pay.
  > >
  > >I am glad to see things now heading back in that direction.
 > Gosh, you and me both!

Why all the complaining about Ryanair, when:

(i) the full price is clearly quoted before any payment is taken,
(ii) most UK airlines, including British Airways, do the same thing!

No-one is charged an amount they haven't agreed to. Having said that I agree
that the practice is annoying, but it's no more than that.
 >> Stay informed about: Cheap Flights legislation 

On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 20:18:34 +0100, "Michael"
wrote:

 >


  >>
   >> >I am old enough to remember the introduction of VAT to the UK.
   >> >The idea then was that prices at retail level should include the
   >> >tax, so that customers would be aware of what they had to pay.
   >> >
   >> >I am glad to see things now heading back in that direction.
  >> Gosh, you and me both!
 >
 >Why all the complaining about Ryanair, when:
 >
 >(i) the full price is clearly quoted before any payment is taken,
 >(ii) most UK airlines, including British Airways, do the same thing!

If you take time to read it all and understand the legislation, you
will see that it is *illegal* in this country to advertise a product
that is not the total price the person has to pay for it. Just as
many were prosecuted and find thousands for advertising goods at a
price then small words plus vat. when vat was introduced.
 >No-one is charged an amount they haven't agreed to. Having said that I agree
 >that the practice is annoying, but it's no more than that.
 >
 >> Stay informed about: Cheap Flights legislation 

"Martin WY" wrote in message

> On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 20:18:34 +0100, "Michael"
> wrote:
>
> >
>
> If you take time to read it all and understand the legislation, you
> will see that it is *illegal* in this country to advertise a product
> that is not the total price the person has to pay for it. Just as
> many were prosecuted and find thousands for advertising goods at a
> price then small words plus vat. when vat was introduced.
> >No-one is charged an amount they haven't agreed to. Having said that I
agree
> >that the practice is annoying, but it's no more than that.
> >
>

OK, but why criticise Ryanair only when many other airlines follow the same
practice as well?
 >> Stay informed about: Cheap Flights legislation