The Great Cigarette Rip Off!

Cobra

Cobra

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As I noted in a thread some months ago, my favourite brand, Pall mall green, had reduced the contents of a pack to N-n-n-n-Nineteen,
and very shortly after that to 18. The price remained the same, but none the less it was still a 10% price increase by stealth.

These are one of a few brands that have the click on flavour booster.
I had been thinking the the flavour had been becoming more mild over the months,
It's now apparent that there are tiny un noticeable holes in the filter.
Silk cut ( and others no doubt) did this years ago with the advent of the "mild" cigarette,
so you were drawing in as much air as smoke, but these holes were visible to the naked eye,
rather like tiny pin pricks around the top of the filter.

I initially thought that the filter was broken or split so I wrapped a Rizzla ( others are available :D )
around the filter and low and behold, I can again taste the menthol in the cigarette!

The next one out the packet was the same, so either I have a faulty pack, or this is now common practice,
I'm inclined to think that its the latter.
I shall be cutting Rizzla's into strips and wrapping them around the filters in future!
 
You'll then be having to buy Rizla paper on the side to carry on using that "hack" - more expenditure on your part.

On a somewhat related issue, even though I'm covering a different kind of produce but I've noticed how a normal sized box of washing powder costing £1.99 has been slowly shrinking in size but still charging the same. It had got to a point where I started buying the larger "family sized" packet which obviously costs more at about £4.99 but saves me having to keep buying lots of little boxes . . . but that, too, is now shrinking in size and soon will be the same as a normal sized packet but still costing the same at £4.99.

This same "stealth" method is also applying to chocolate, cordial juice, etc.
 
I just roll my own with menthol filters,job done.
 
Cartus said:
In addition to your 'Rizla hack', the options are:

1. Give up
2. Change to roll ups
3. Change to 'Capstan Full Strength'.
4. Give up.

:)
Click to expand...
FTFY
 
Get some of those manly french fags in gaulois or summat I almost lost a lung trying one when I was about 18
 
Ian D J said:
You'll then be having to buy Rizla paper on the side to carry on using that "hack" - more expenditure on your part.
Click to expand...
I know :( I might just have to do a Lynton and email the CEO of the BAT group

fracster said:
I just roll my own with menthol filters,job done.
Click to expand...
I really never could get the hang of it TBH,
But I know you can buy Menthol tips menthol paper and menthol tobacco.
Its something that I may have to consider

Cartus said:
In addition to your 'Rizla hack', the options are:

1. Give up
2. Change to roll ups
3. Change to 'Player's Navy Cut'.
4. Give up.

:)
Click to expand...
What else you got? :D


Mr Bump said:
Get some of those manly french fags in gaulois or summat I almost lost a lung trying one when I was about 18
Click to expand...
Did you ever get around to trying the black Russians ? ;)
 
I used to smoke Pipe Tobacco, but it's getting too expensive so I packed it in. A few years ago I was spending about £4 odd for 25g it's now £5.25 per 25g. I got it from a specialist tobacconist shop, and I did enjoy using it. But as I say the cost put me off, plus it was not doing my mouth any good!
 
Dave1 said:
What about a menthol flavor ecig?
Click to expand...
I do have one and I do use, usually when I'm sat at a PC for lont stints, but can't get on with it all the time.
Menthol, pear drops and a few others.
 
@Cobra you make me laugh with your thread posts, i will add you to my list of folk to have beer with :-)
 
Can't even buy my favourite brand in the UK. Camel filter - the original ones - seem to have been banned because of the tar/nicotine level or something. They cost about R38, which is less than £2/20, in South Africa :D

I used to like Balkan Sobranie and Sullivan Powell too, but they disappeared years ago.
 
Mr Bump said:
@Cobra you make me laugh with your thread posts, i will add you to my list of folk to have beer with :)
Click to expand...
I'll look forward to it :thumbs:

And if I can bring a little happiness into peoples lives then I'm happy too :)
 
Fags cheap in Africa


AFRICA

Africa is a really cheap continent for smokers.
In countries like Zimbabwe and Senegal you almost smoke for free.
The big exception is Seychelles. It’s all about isolated islands and tuff custom services again.

http://cigarettesprices.strikingly.com/

you need to holiday in Ukraine 1 Euro a pack
 
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Yes cigarettes are a rip off, but that's capitalism for you!

Although I stopped about 8 years ago my son smokes like a chimney. I'm still utterly disgusted that smokers are treated almost as lepers now, it's perfectly legal to buy them, in fact they can't sell you enough of them, but the absolute hypocrisy shown when anyone wants to actually smoke them is staggering. And the sneaky ways of jacking the price up should come as no surprise.

The reality is that yes, you are better off (not just financially) not smoking them at all but if you want to smoke then you should be allowed to without being made to feel like you're doing something wrong. After all the government are making an absolute fortune in taxes from you.
 
fracster said:
I just roll my own with menthol filters,job done.
Click to expand...

I always said that if I ever got to the stage where I had to smoke rollies I'd pack up, thankfullly I quit before that happened
 
bindex said:
Yes cigarettes are a rip off, but that's capitalism for you!

Although I stopped about 8 years ago my son smokes like a chimney. I'm still utterly disgusted that smokers are treated almost as lepers now, it's perfectly legal to buy them, in fact they can't sell you enough of them, but the absolute hypocrisy shown when anyone wants to actually smoke them is staggering. And the sneaky ways of jacking the price up should come as no surprise.

The reality is that yes, you are better off (not just financially) not smoking them at all but if you want to smoke then you should be allowed to without being made to feel like you're doing something wrong. After all the government are making an absolute fortune in taxes from you.
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more (y)
I stopped about the same time, I have friends that smoke, their choice and I refuse to become a self righteous ex-smoker, anyone that
knows me will tell you I'm not.
 
bindex said:
I'm still utterly disgusted that smokers are treated almost as lepers now, it's perfectly legal to buy them, in fact they can't sell you enough of them, but the absolute hypocrisy shown when anyone wants to actually smoke them is staggering.
Click to expand...

There was something on the news t'other day.
A council (can't remember which one, but possibly Nottingham?) are debating banning any employee from smoking while `on duty` & even from smoking not only at break/lunch times, but travelling to & from work!!!! (if wearing any kind of council uniform/logo)

The world's gone mad I tell thee!!!!!!!!!! :wacky:
 
OldCarlos said:
There was something on the news t'other day.
A council (can't remember which one, but possibly Nottingham?) are debating banning any employee from smoking while `on duty` & even from smoking not only at break/lunch times, but travelling to & from work!!!! (if wearing any kind of council uniform/logo)

The world's gone mad I tell thee!!!!!!!!!! :wacky:
Click to expand...

I seem to recall some health authorities did this quite some time ago for all hospital site staff.
 
As someone who worked in the tobacco industry most of my working life I can tell you that the UK manufacturers are under great pressure from the UK government to reduce the tar, nicotine and other ingredients from tobacco products and have done so for many years and this has normally been done very gradually.

You may also notice that when purchase what you think is the same brand in other European counties it tastes different, it does, because the blending is different for the reasons above.

The Mild/Light version of a brand is exactly the same except for "Micro Holes" in the filter so you suck in more air to dilute the smoke.

The same thing is happening in the food industry where the manufacturers are under pressure to reduce fat, sugar & salt levels from all products and that's why nothing tastes the same anymore.

Remember H.M. Government knows what is best for you.
 
I gave up 50 years ago
and I am still addicted.
but no chance that I will start again.

Think what I saved at an ounce a day for 50 years..........
 
I gave up six years ago ,a pension and fags don't equate
 
Neil B said:
HTH :p
Click to expand...
Well I guess it helps you or you wouldn't have quit :thumbs:

OldCarlos said:
There was something on the news t'other day.
A council (can't remember which one, but possibly Nottingham?) are debating banning any employee from smoking while `on duty` & even from smoking not only at break/lunch times, but travelling to & from work!!!! (if wearing any kind of council uniform/logo)
I heard that too and thought WTF!
The world's gone mad I tell thee!!!!!!!!!! :wacky:
Click to expand...
There will be a lot of people changing in and out of uniform at random times of the day :D

Paul W. H said:
Remember H.M. Government knows what is best for you.
Click to expand...
I love this nanny state!
 
Gremlin said:
I always said that if I ever got to the stage where I had to smoke rollies I'd pack up, thankfullly I quit before that happened
Click to expand...
I smoked Rollies from the age of 14, when i started work i used to treat myself to 200 park drives over the Xmas holiday, did this for 20 years until i fell asleep drunk as a skunk, i sort of woke up looking at a beautiful lightshow but just lay there looking at it as i got more "pyschodelic" it wasnt until i felt a sering pain in my right arm that i realised that the bed and curtains were on fire, jumped up and over the wife and ran out balls naked into the street having left the wifey and kids (4 and 1) upstairs, she was only seconds behind as i re entered the house, i tried to get upstairs to rescue the kids xmas pressies but there was a wall of thick black acrid smoke halfway up the staircase which was caused my melting polystyrene coving in our bedroom, very lucky escape
 
Gary Coyle said:
i tried to get upstairs to rescue the kids xmas pressies but there was a wall of thick black acrid smoke halfway up the staircase which was caused my melting polystyrene coving in our bedroom, very lucky escape
Click to expand...

Holy crap! that really was a close one!
 
Cobra said:
Holy crap! that really was a close one!
Click to expand...
Didnt stop me smoking though, didnt stop me smoking in the house either, neither did a blocked artery 2 years previously, nor did the death of my mother from lung cancer 10 years later, no real idea why i did stop but 8 years clean now
 
It's all these people moving over to e-fags that means the tobacco ciggy price has to go up. Blame them!
 
Gary Coyle said:
no real idea why i did stop but 8 years clean now
Click to expand...
:thumbs:
I suppose that's the best way to stop.
The more you force yourself the harder it is ;)
 
ianp5a said:
It's all these people moving over to e-fags that means the tobacco ciggy price has to go up. Blame them!
Click to expand...
Oh give'em time, they'll soon find away to tax that too ;)
Although there was talk of an out right ban, not sure where "we" are with that though.
 
No. They'll wait until everyone is addicted to the vapours first, and 'then' ban it.
 
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ianp5a said:
It's all these people moving over to e-fags that means the tobacco ciggy price has to go up. Blame them!
Click to expand...

Thing is, as less people smoke, they live longer & are a drain on resources......oh & the Govt loses revenue.
Folk don't go out to the pubs like they used to, to socialise. Social cohesion/society changes..... & govt loses revenue.
Lost revenue has to be found somewhere or there is a shortfall & massive cuts will have to be implemented for everyone. .............. Oh, hang on a minute :D
 
OldCarlos said:
Thing is, as less people smoke, they live longer & are a drain on resources......oh & the Govt loses revenue.
Folk don't go out to the pubs like they used to, to socialise. Social cohesion/society changes..... & govt loses revenue.
Lost revenue has to be found somewhere or there is a shortfall & massive cuts will have to be implemented for everyone. .............. Oh, hang on a minute :D
Click to expand...

In all seriousness, I don't get the 'anti' smoking lobby or understand the government in trying to get people to stop. Now I don't like it and the ban in pubs was the best thing ever. However, if people want to smoke at home or outdoors then thats up to them, they know the risks. If everyone gave up smoking many people would live 10-20 years longer, which means more welfare payments, more drain on NHS resource and lack of tax!

There has been a similar argument with less fags in a pack with chocolate (smaller size). Again, I don't get they outcry on this. Most things go up in price... A tin of soup is more now than 3 years ago, so all they have done rather than increase the price, is to reduce the content levels.
 
cambsno said:
There has been a similar argument with less fags in a pack
Click to expand...
But with two less in a pack, every 10 packs you have to by another "extra" one to get the same amount.
So its still a 10% price hike which ever way you look at it.
 
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