ADVENTURES IN DUBAI:
YOUR FAVOURITE NUMBER ONE BLOG
BRITISH DESIGNER LIVING IN DUBAI TELLS (NEARLY) ALL

Friday, March 03, 2006

Rip Me Off, Why Don't You?

In yet another sign of the murderous inflation that is killing Dubai, your favourite number one blogster has just returned from doing a little shopping at his local Choithram's. The Keefieboy was appalled to find that the price of one particular item he wanted to buy (Jus-Rol Shortcrust pastry) has increased from Dhs 7.95 to Dhs 9.95. He knows this because underneath the new price sticker there was an old one, at the old price.

Oh, you say 'it's only 2 dirhams, surely you can afford that?' Well, yes I can, and no it isn't. That two dirhams represents a rise of about 17%. I questioned the duty manager about this and he said the supplier has increased the price. Yeah right, retroactively on old stock? This kind of thing is seriously illegal in the West: old stock must be sold at old prices.

I didn't buy the item (no doubt I will buy it at a Spinney's for about 10.95 or a Union Co-op for 6.50, or maybe I'll just make my own sodding pastry), but it really is well past time that we got some proper consumer protection in this country.

Oh, see this as well.