Rail station outlets face clampdown on rip-off prices

[jon0844]

Some places still accept them, if anyone still has one.

 

[[.n]]

Sadly it doesn't exist now I don't think but there used to be something called a bite card.

You got if I remember right 10% off however I don't remember many places accepting it.

they still exist for existing card holders https://www.bitecard.co.uk
it gave 20% off when it started from my memory

Aren’t there two McDonalds at London Victoria? One upstairs in Victoria Place shopping centre, as you say, but I thought I remembered seeing another on the concourse round by the south eastern gateline?

Also one at Waterloo

 

[crablab]

I had one in the early 2010s which I used at Upper Crust. I don't remember if it was just SSP outlets?

 

[jon0844]

I think it is just SSP, as they ran/run the scheme.

 

[ricoblade]

Now the “Coffee Room” on platforms 6/8 at Sheffield has closed, no sign of what’s happening next.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I had one in the early 2010s which I used at Upper Crust. I don't remember if it was just SSP outlets?

Bite cards still work at SSP outlets, including Upper Crust, the Pasty Shop and Pumpkin, for a 10% discount.
Pumpkin also do a coffee card which is buy 10 get one free.
For comparison, the Costa Club coffee scheme is now also 1 for 10, down from 1 for 8 from last week.
Costa also charge 50p extra for a medium coffee at stations, compared to normal outlets.
My tactic is to accumulate free drinks at normal Costa outlets and then claim free ones, which can be large, at stations.
But generally all loyalty schemes, where they still exist, are reducing their benefits.

 

[SteveM70]

My tactic is to accumulate free drinks at normal Costa outlets and then claim free ones, which can be large, at stations.

I quite often have an espresso at Starbucks if I’m out and about first thing. My partner likes the frappuccino with a caramel syrup type nonsense. Guess which one I use my accumulated free drinks vouchers for?

 

[Bluejays]

Had my cheapest pint in London at the SSP run pub in Marylebone a couple of weeks ago. £4.50 a pint, can't remember if it was Amstel or Heineken but I was very pleasantly surprised at the price.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Had my cheapest pint in London at the SSP run pub in Marylebone a couple of weeks ago. £4.50 a pint, can't remember if it was Amstel or Heineken but I was very pleasantly surprised at the price.

Surely 'Spoons would beat that?

 

[Bluejays]

Surely 'Spoons would beat that?

Been a while since I've been in a London spoons. Certainly the 2 biggest surprises I've had were the Victoria and Albert at Marylebone and lords cricket ground. Was expecting around the £7 mark at each and ended up paying around £4.50. Although lords was last year, so may well have gone up since.

 

[Wolfie]

Surely 'Spoons would beat that?

Central London Spoons are now far from cheap. After the latest price increases £4.73/pint for real ale in the station pubs.

 

[185143]

Central London Spoons are now far from cheap. After the latest price increases £4.73/pint for real ale in the station pubs.

£6.44 for a pint of Corona at St. Pancras 'Spoons now

 

[greyman42]

Central London Spoons are now far from cheap. After the latest price increases £4.73/pint for real ale in the station pubs.

£4.54 for a pint of Doombar in the Sir John Oldcastle at Farringdon.

 

[Cowley]

I think we’re in danger of drifting away from station outlet prices here…

 

[Tezza1978]

Had my cheapest pint in London at the SSP run pub in Marylebone a couple of weeks ago. £4.50 a pint, can't remember if it was Amstel or Heineken but I was very pleasantly surprised at the price.

That pub at Marylebone is indeed surprisingly cheap - was there about 4 or 5 months ago.
Keeping on the topic of station outlet prices:

Signal Box (Euston) - bit lacking in atmosphere/expensive for premium lagers
Burger King (Euston) - absolute rip off prices compared to normal BKs. Only happy to pay as claim back on expenses!
M&S Euston - have noticed this is more expensive than the one at Woolwich station - -is that not an SSP one? Possibly as classed as "outer" London?
Doric Arch - also a Fullers pub, same prices for lager but a better real ale selection plus they give you a discount if you are a CAMRA member . Can normally get a seat too unlike the expensive-but-ideal-for-football option of the Royal George over the road
Parcel Yard - a really nice pub but seemingly even more expensive than their Euston pubs for soft drinks and beer. Paid something stupid like £3.80 for a Diet Coke recently while parking myself there after work meetings to catch up on emails
Euston Tap - cracking pub, great selection, prices not as bad but clearly not SSP
The pubs at Manc Piccadilly - just don't bother, expensive, no atmosphere - walk down to the Piccadilly Tap instead
The North Western (Liverpool Lime Street) excellent Spoons, clearly not SSP, prices reasonable and great selection (despite having my bag nicked in there years ago - long story) - good luck getting a seat there at busy times !
WH Smith's (everywhere, but particularly London) - other than the sandwich meal deal and newspapers/magazines AVOID for everything else. Rip off.

 

[Bletchleyite]

M&S Euston - have noticed this is more expensive than the one at Woolwich station - -is that not an SSP one?

I've been in that one (by the Lizzie station?) and I very much doubt it's SSP. It seems to be a "full" food hall, not a little station one.

 

[Amlag]

The refreshments at Tiverton Parkway stn are very good quality and value, with for example a tea at just £1.

In comparison I recently paid £5.75p for a large cup of tea and large rock cake to eat in the buffet at
Okehampton stn.

 

[Deafdoggie]

Just to play devil's advocate and give an operators point of view. Station rents are often considerably more than normal commerical rent. Often they ALSO want a % of turnover on top. Plus you are often open longer hours to cover the extended peaks of a travel hub. All this comes at an expense. Throw in days when the railway isn't operating and the usual footfall doesn't happen so takings are down. It's a wonder the prices are as cheap as they are!!
It certainly used to be the case that McDonald's would only let franchisees charge their normal prices i.e. the price of a big mac was the same in every McDonald's hence why so few at stations. Whether they have since changed this policy I don't know.
Of course you get into the vicious circle of people buying less because its dearer, so you have to charge more to make up the shortfall...then you're charging more and selling less!
All things considered it's no wonder there are so few companies in station properties.

 

[jon81uk]

It certainly used to be the case that McDonald's would only let franchisees charge their normal prices i.e. the price of a big mac was the same in every McDonald's hence why so few at stations. Whether they have since changed this policy I don't know.

I don't think there is a different based on who has franchised the McDonalds, but there is now a difference between McDs prices inside and outside of London. I think it doesn't matter if its in a station or not, they just charge the London price. Of course they do also pay staff more within London.

 

[jon0844]

It used to be that there was an allowance to vary pricing by +/- 10 or 20p and indeed that appears to the be case, whereby one of the franchises operating in Hatfield, WGC and Stevenage is actually more expensive than the one at King's Cross - but not on every item. Promotions seem to be the same, so I expect they can pick and choose. Breakfast options are certainly more expensive than London.

Off topic: the bigger scam now is that if you choose to order food for delivery, not only do you pay £3.99 and a bag fee etc, but items can then be 50p per item more expensive, maybe more!

 

[Blindtraveler]

I had been wondering this about McDonald's, I don't eat their plastic food myself and the only things I ever purchase from there with any regularity are t and coffee and soft drinks but I had guests the other day and they said they would pay for takeaway and they chose McDonald's for themselves and I was quite surprised at the basket total on just eat,

 

[jon0844]

Since Covid prices for fast food has gone way up, but for deliveries it has rocketed. Train stations are by no means cheap, but everything else has gone up with the result that the price premium has likely reduced.

 

[Malaxa]

Just imagine if you couldn't board a train without emptying any liquid you have with you and be forced to buy any drinks at extortionate prices on the platform/on board beyond the gate.....

 

[Deafdoggie]

Just Eat charge around 30% commission-as do Deliveroo, Uber Eats, etc-so everywhere generally passes this on to the consumer. After all, the consumer doesn't have to order it! Love them or loathe them though, just eat et al are good at what they do. Somedays we do as much through them as "in person" so they are vital to business

 

[Dai Corner]

Just Eat charge around 30% commission-as do Deliveroo, Uber Eats, etc-so everywhere generally passes this on to the consumer. After all, the consumer doesn't have to order it! Love them or loathe them though, just eat et al are good at what they do. Somedays we do as much through them as "in person" so they are vital to business

A couple of years ago the chippy about two miles away I used employed their own driver and charged £1 for delivery. Now it's more like £4 through Deliveroo, Just Eat etc.

I don't know how much of that extra £3 goes to the chippy, the driver and the app operator.

 

[jon0844]

I'm fine with paying for delivery, but why add 50% to the menu items AND then a delivery fee, card fee and bag fee?

It's like Ticketmaster!

People obviously accept it and still order, so all it means is we'll continue to see prices go up and up.

 

[Tracked]

WH Smith's (everywhere, but particularly London) - other than the sandwich meal deal and newspapers/magazines AVOID for everything else. Rip off.

Haven't used them for the sandwich deal - or indeed, anything, although the one in Doncaster's shopping centre is over two levels and a useful shortcut - for a few years. Ever since I did a North West Rover in 2017 and had issues with the Meal Deal at two separate stations - Manchester and Carlisle - on the same day.

Both times with snacks that weren't part of the meal deal but were on shelves with meal deal advertising on them - there were separate food shelves without Meal Deal adverts on them - and on the first occasion right in-between snacks that were.

First occasion in Manchester the shop was deserted so I just went and got something that was (it was crisps, apparently only certain brands were in the deal), it was early so I thought it might've been me.

Second occasion in Carlisle, and by then I can say I was properly awake, thought I'd chosen wisely but apparently not!. There was a bit of a queue, as I had plenty of time between changes I just left the stuff on the counter and went to Greggs in Carlisle centre.

I don't remember there being anything on the packaging or on the prices on the shelves to indicate what was/wasn't in the meal deal, this was 6 years ago so maybe that's changed. If I wanted to give them benefit of the doubt I could say that I was just unlucky both times in picking stuff that wasn't, and maybe other stuff on the shelf had something saying they were in the Meal Deal, but it felt a little bit of a deliberate thing to catch out people in a rush.

 

[PeterC]

I completely agree. Sadly the 'powers that be' appear to be doing everything they can to encourage people not to use railways! You really see the huge cultural difference when you go to countries like Switzerland.

Slightly higher is acceptable, but not to the extent that we see in some cases. Outlets at Swiss stations are often far better value than UK station outlets, despite the unfavourable exchange rates!


I'd refuse to pay; the waiting room is an area open to the public where anyone can consume food. It would be interesting to hear from a legal expert whether this is likely to be lawful or not.

Who do they think they are, GTR?

Sounds like a new version of the Jaffa Cake question. Of course if they did charge the same price we would all be complaining about being charged VAT incorrectly when not eating in.

 

[Deafdoggie]

I'm fine with paying for delivery, but why add 50% to the menu items AND then a delivery fee, card fee and bag fee?

It's like Ticketmaster!

People obviously accept it and still order, so all it means is we'll continue to see prices go up and up.

These are the charges imposed by Just Eat etc. They've got to be paid somehow. Either everyone pays, or just those that use the service pay.
It's like rail subsidy. Either the price of rail tickets pays for the full cost of running the railways, or everyone has to pay to keep the railways going regardless of if they ever travel by train or not. In that case everyone is currently paying but the government want only the travelers to pay. In the Just Eat example that is what already happens.
I think it's a fair balance in the case of Just Eat, those that use it pay the premium for it whilst those that don't don't have to. The only other option is someone somewhere works for free and I certainly don't support that.
Just for completeness, the railway analogy is just that. And like all analogies isn't really comparable. I was just explaining how it works.

 

[jon0844]

How is anyone working for free? You order as normal then pay an additional cost for delivery. That's how it always worked, and still does for a lot of places on Just-Eat, but someone figured people wouldn't notice or care if their drink suddenly cost 50p more to be put in a bag (oh, wait, the bag fee is extra also) and handed to a driver instead of the recipient.

If the delivery doesn't make a profit, increase the cost. All these fees are just a clever way to hide the total price as the companies will advertise their burgers at £1.19 and hope you don't notice the small print saying it will cost £8 when you have it delivered.

I get people will stump up when they're hungry, but we're seemingly willing to get fleeced everywhere these days.