Xbox, MacBook and PlayStation Cost 'Hundreds of Pounds' More in UK Than US

Consumers in the UK are paying hundreds of pounds more for gadgets than their US counterparts, a watchdog has revealed.

Consumer campaigner Which? found that British buyers are paying significantly more than the price shoppers in the States would pay for the same item.

It said that a Samsung TV costs £402 more in the UK than it did in the US, whilst Apple's Macbook Pro 13" laptop was sold for £194 more in the UK.

Both the latest generations of consoles in the form of the Xbox One and the PlayStation 360 are £57 more on these shores.

And the high prices faced by UK consumers don't stop at hardware.

US buyers were £114 better off when buying a yearlong subscription to Adobe Creative cloud, while Microsoft Office Professional software will set UK consumers back £89 more.

"UK consumers are getting a raw deal by paying up to hundreds of pounds more for the same tech products on sale in the US," said Which? executive director Richard Lloyd.

"Manufacturers should play fair and explain why consumers are paying more for buying in the UK."

Which? has said that it is reporting these findings to the relevant authorities in a bid to level the playing field.

It also says that it is urging the government to "raise the current threshold for import duty on goods bought online to the same threshold as that placed on goods brought back from abroad, so shoppers can take advantage of cheaper goods on sale in the US."