The Olympic Rip Off Has begun

[bobsbeer]

I am not against free enterprise but I feel I am being ripped off again. The torch relay has just begun, and so has the ripoff and profiteering. The torches are now appearing on E Bay, one even before it's been used. I think it is disgusting. Prices seem to be anywhere between £10,000 to £150,000. They should all be withdrawn and later sold for charity. Not personal profit.

 

[Cononthebarber]

Dunno about "disgusting" I mean what do you expect to happen? People like money...and if there is a demand then people will meet it! I would do exactly the same if I had my hands on one of those...I could do a lot with £150,000! Sweet ass AG setup for starters in shiny stainless steel!!! :

 

[graysalchemy]

One did sell for £150000 and the money is going to charity

 

[bobsbeer]

I don't have a problem with the people selling them. good luck to them if they can get it. The issue should have been anticipated and used them for good, such as raising money for charity, not personal profit.

 

[graysalchemy]

I agree they shouldn't have been given away and they should have all been auctioned for charity.

 

[Cononthebarber]

Perhaps? But the question needs to be asked who paid for them in the first place? Oh yeah...the British tax payer (as usual with these things!), with the country being in such a financial s**tstorm they should be getting sold to pay off some of the country's debt...or better yet why didn't they just make ONE torch and then pass that along throughout the country? I thought that was the whole point anyway? Instead in their vast wisdom they decide to make 8000 individual torches for each runner! What kind of crack pot plan was this anyway?!

 

[Essex_Lad]

Must be a health and safety issue to prevent passing germs so each person has their own one.

Total joke, total waste of money, shame the French didn't win it and saved us a few quid.

 

[andyhawkins]

Just think of all the savings making homebrew v buying. How many kegs would £150,000 equate to? Maybe I could afford it next time it arrives in the UK!

 

[keith1664]

I read about this on the BBC website earlier, apparently if you wanted to keep your Olympic torch after carrying it you had to pay £199 (subsidized from the £400 odd it cost to make them). Now if I've given you 200 quid for something then it's mine to do what I bloody well like with, and if someone wants to part with 150 grand for it for charity then fine!
If you don't want them appearing on ebay then why not just make half a dozen and reuse them? Indeed why not just have the one? No, we have 8000!