The seven biggest World Cup rip-offs!

Whatever you're planning to do to celebrate the World Cup, make sure you don't fall for these massive rip-offs...

The 2010 World Cup is fast approaching. With only a few days left, footy fans around the globe will be making major preparations to either watch it from their TV screens at home, down the pub, or maybe even in person in South Africa itself.

But if you’re gearing up ready for the action, make sure you watch out for these World Cup rip-offs!

Credit deals

If you’re planning to buy a brand new wide-screen television to celebrate the occasion, don’t convince yourself it’s okay to buy one you can’t really afford. Many retailers are offering tempting ‘buy now, pay later’ deals which might look good at the outset, but will ensure you end up paying out far more in the long run.

To give you an example, at Brighthouse, you can currently pick up a Philips Flat 47 inch LCD TV for £1,406.58. But if you choose to go for the credit option and spread your weekly payments of £12.98 over three years, you’ll be hit with an APR of 29.9% and end up forking out a total of £2,024.88! That’s an extra £618.30.

Meanwhile, if you were to buy a TV from Comet for £900 and chose to pay through its payment plan, you’d pay out 48 monthly payments of £26.05 (APR 24.9%), and end up paying a total of £1,340.16 – or an extra £440.16.

So although these payment plans might initially sound like an easier way to purchase your fancy television, overall, you’ll end up paying out a lot more.

If you do need to borrow money to buy a television, a far better option is to use a 0% new purchases credit card, such as the Sainsbury’s Finance MasterCard for Nectar Card Holders or the Tesco Bank Clubcard Credit Card, which both offer 0% on purchases for 12 months. That way you won’t have to worry about paying any interest on your debt for a year – just make sure you pay off your balance in full before the interest-free deal runs out.

Extended warranties

Similarly, don’t get tempted by extended warranties. Many retailers will try to flog you an extended warranty when you go to buy your television. But this can be incredibly expensive and work out to be very bad value for money.

In fact, quite often extended warranties can cost over half the price of the product itself. What’s more, although the extended warranty will cover you if your television breaks down, it won’t insure you for accidental damage such as dropping it or scratching it.

It’s worth bearing in mind that many manufacturers provide a one year guarantee for free anyway, and you may already be covered under your home insurance policy – so that’s well worth checking out. What’s more, if you’ve bought the television with a credit card, you will also be covered by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

If you do want to buy an extended warranty for a new product, you’ll probably find that a ‘stand-alone’ deal offers much better value than one sold at the same time as the original item. For example, a stand-alone provider like Warranty Direct can cover three items for £10 a month, and using promotional code RAOX108 will get you a 10% discount.

Pub entry fees

Pubs generally jump at any chance to start charging entry fees, so don’t be surprised if you’re asked to hand over your cash before you set foot in your local boozer.

At £5 a time, that can soon add up... so look for a pub that doesn't charge entry! Or stay at home and host a world cup party for your mates - it's bound to be cheaper for everyone.

England kit

Footy kit is always expensive, but if you’re planning to buy the latest England World Cup shirts for your kids, be prepared to be ripped-off big time!

The adult version of the England football shirt costs £49.99, which, in my opinion, is completely crazy. But the child-size version takes the word ‘rip-off’ to the extreme and is only £10 less at £39.99! If you’ve got two kids, that’s nearly £80 you’ll be forking out – and that’s before buying yourself a shirt.

Don't just put up and shut up, shop around for the best price. Asda were offering the cheapest official England shirts, but at £25 apiece, they sold quickly and appear to have sold out online – but check your local store. Sports direct.com are selling the shirts for £35 and JJB have them for £39.99. Alternatively, Tesco’s world cup fashion clothing range starts at £6 and features men’s T-shirts and women’s vest tops and dresses. High street stores, New Look and Peacocks are also selling women’s world-cup-wear at low prices, starting from £5.

Fake tickets

If you’re planning to jet off to see the footy live from South Africa and you haven’t yet bought your tickets, watch out for fakes!

Many tickets are being resold online on classified advertisement and auction sites, such as Gumtree and eBay, at sky high prices. But if you choose to buy tickets from these sites, they will be invalid and you won’t be allowed into the stadiums.

FIFA has strict ticket reselling rules that mean tickets can only be resold through the organisation’s own website, Ticket Transfer Platform.

To ensure you buy your tickets safely, your best bet is to purchase them through the FIFA website. However, FIFA has also approved a number of tour operators across the globe to sell tickets, and you can see the list of those operators here.

Package holidays

In many cases, the price of flights to South Africa and the cost of accommodation have also been bumped up in aid of the occasion. So if you’re planning to spend a few days out there, you’re likely to end up paying through the nose.

In fact, research from Virgin Money has revealed that England fans will spend up to £319 million – or £6,399 each - if the team goes all the way to the World Cup Final on 11 July! According to the research, the average cost of a flight to South Africa comes in at £1,139 for England fans, while tickets for all games on the way to the final add up to £1,094. On top of that, fans will have to fork out for accommodation, food and drink, and of course, the England shirt.

Package holidays, in particular, are over-priced, with companies such as Thomas Cook and Thomson charging inflated prices for fans to travel out to South Africa and enjoy the experience in person.

Related how-to guide

Have a cheap holiday

Find out how to cut the cost of your flights, get discounts, tip correctly, spend wisely, get cashback and most importantly, cut the cost of your holiday.

See the guide

So if you are planning to head off to South Africa, make sure you shop around fully before booking your flights and accommodation to check you really are getting the best deal possible. It’s also worth reading How to pay for your summer holiday.

ATM fraud abroad

Once you’ve successfully got yourself to South Africa, you also need to be aware of ATM fraud, as many fraudsters target tourists. According to the Identity Fraud Communications Awareness Group, there are four main scams to be aware of:

• Someone offers to help you with an ATM transaction and even offers to try the number for you. They are likely to be fraudsters who will switch cards or clone it and use your PIN.
• People dressed in the bank’s colours will tell you to swipe your card with them, as the ATM isn’t working. They will then clone your card and ask you to try it on the machine or ask for your PIN.
• Small cameras at ATMs designed to record your PIN. Check the ATM for loose wires, leaflet holders or loose fittings.
• Your card gets stuck and a passer-by offers to try the PIN for you. They offer to stand guard while you report it to the bank. The fraudster takes the card and uses the PIN.

Although you may think you’re savvy enough not to fall for these scams, you should still keep your wits about you. Make sure you don’t hand over your PIN to anyone, and always shield the keypad when you’re entering your PIN at the ATM.

You should also always check the card you get back from the ATM after the transaction is definitely yours, and only use ATMs in well-lit areas. Finally, be wary of any offers of help while you’re at the ATM, however genuine they seem.

So however you plan to enjoy the World Cup this year, make sure you keep an eye out for these rip-offs and don’t get sucked in!

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