The little rip-offs we all hate!

Every day and in every way, companies pick our pockets. Here are 10 ways they can fleece us.

We Brits have become so used to being swindled that we often refer to our country as 'Rip-off Britain'. 

Indeed, it seems that whether we leave the house or stay at home, everyday swindles, swizzes and scams are waiting to pick our pockets. Here are 10 of my pet hates: 

1. Ticket booking fees 

Last week, I took my children to see Johnny English Reborn -- and very funny rubber-faced Rowan Atkinson was, too. 

However, what annoyed me about our film trip was the extortionate booking fee that the cinema charges. One adult and two child tickets came to £23, but the cinema also levies a 'systems & service surcharge' of 75p per ticket. This £2.25 adds 9.8% to the ticketing cost, which is a massive rip-off. Thus, I paid on the door, instead of booking in advance. 

There is absolutely no justification for charging a fee for each ticket, instead of per card transaction. I urge some crusading MP to introduce a bill to limit these levies to, say, no more than 2.5% of the purchase price. 

2. Cinema food and drink 

Guy Hands, boss of Odeon (the UK's biggest cinema chain), once remarked that he was 'in the popcorn-selling business, not the film industry'. 

Guy's right. At my local cinema, a small tub of popcorn (about the volume of a pint glass) costs £2.50. On our previous visit, it was £2, so the price has gone up by 25%. As a result of these sky-high prices for food and drink, I've become an expert smuggler of snacks and drink cans into cinemas. 

3. Bottled water 

Bottled water must have been invented by the Devil's own marketing department. 

It's massively overpriced (say, £2 for a one-litre bottle of 'premium' water), makes health claims that don't stack up, and contributes enormously to landfill, pollution and global warming. Honestly, which idiot thought importing mineral water from Fiji was a good idea? Please stick to filtered or tap water. 

Joke: Ever noticed that Evian is naïve in reverse? 

4. Vending machines 

Vending machines are proof positive that 'convenience costs'. The mark-ups charged by operators are enormous -- usually, at least 100% over the supermarket price. For example, a 50g bag of crisps costing 50p in supermarkets will cost a round pound from vending machines. 

5. Motorway service stations 

I refuse to be ripped off by motorway service stations. I may buy a newspaper and use the loo, but I won't pay their inflated prices for food and drink, especially meals. Even branded fast-food outlets such as Burger King and McDonald's impose steep price mark-ups for these captive audiences. I prefer to fill up my stomach and fuel tank before leaving, or take a packed lunch.

6. Petrol and diesel 

According to the AA, the UK has the eighth-highest petrol price in Europe and the second-highest diesel price (behind Norway). This is largely due to very high UK taxes, which explains why fuel costs more than twice as much here as it does in the USA (62p a litre for unleaded petrol). 

What's more, despite the oil price falling back from its 2011 peak of $127 a barrel, fuel prices have barely budged. This is partly due to a weaker pound, because oil is priced in US dollars. As a result, drivers struggle to pay 140p for a litre of diesel and 136p/litre for petrol. To save on fuel, visit the PetrolPrices website. 

7. Domestic gas and electricity 

With temperatures predicted to fall as low as -20°C, the UK is facing another long, hard winter. Alas, all of the 'Big Six' energy providers announced steep price hikes recently. 

As a result, the cost of gas will rise by 19% on average, with electricity costing 16% more. On Tuesday, Energy Secretary Chris Huhne MP urged us all to switch gas and electricity suppliers. 

8. Credit cards 

While the Bank of England's base rate has been stuck at 0.5% a year since March 2009, the interest rates charged by credit cards have been rising. Today, a typical credit card will charge over 19% APR on purchases, which is almost 1.5% a month. 

Why pay interest on your outstanding debts on credit and store cards, when you can enjoy interest-free credit for up to 22 months with 0% balance transfers? 

9. Overdrafts 

Despite years of legal wrangling with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), banks and building societies remain free to charge hugely unfair fees on unauthorised overdrafts. Millions of us have been charged up to £40 a time for going into the red without permission, which is a national disgrace. Until the OFT wins, the answer is to shift your current account -- overdraft and all -- to a Best Buy bank account. 

10. Car care 

Until October 2003, car manufacturers could force customers to have their vehicles serviced at branded garages. This anti-competitive behaviour kept the cost of servicing, repairs and maintenance artificially high. 

However, for the past eight years, we Brits have been free to shop around and choose the garages we want to maintain, service and repair our cars. Indeed, my wife refuses to visit Renault garages for her Megane, as she's found that Renault charges about 80% to 100% more than our local independent garage. As the Tesco ads say, "Why pay more?" 

What are your most-hated rip-offs? Please tell us in the comments box below! 

More: Find cracking credit cards | Avoid these bad balance transfers | Why you should fear the MMR