The London Times hammers duty free shopping prices.

The Times of London this week issued a report which slams the perceived bargains offered by duty-free shops Many publications syndicated the article with the words "beware of duty free".

In fairness to the dutyfree industry it is difficult to make proper comparisons as there are so many different factors involved. Firstly, every traveller is departing from a different place so local prices in one city, may be different to another. Then currency exchange rate fluctuations can also make a big difference. The British Pound has risen considerably against the Euro in recent months and this can distort prices by a significant amount.

The report criticised the price of Ray-Ban sunglasses in Dubai, but this is the busiest transit airport in the world, catering for passengers from multiple destinations. Dubai is expensive for luxury goods, so the prices in their airport may be competitive to the local market. How many British people fly to Dubai to buy sunglasses?

Alcohol prices were also quoted, but all liquors sold for travellers flying between one EU Country and another are actually tax-paid as duty free sales do not exist in the European Community. Do such reports properly identify these differentials?

AOL Travel identified a key point which is how travellers can research and compare products and prices, before they fly, stating: "The problem is that in the airport it is that much harder to do a price comparison. You can't compare a variety of shops, so shoppers often buy into the idea that they are getting a bargain without checking the claims. However, the advent of smart phones means comparing prices is perfectly possible, and vital if you are to avoid an airport rip off".

This dutyfree world wide price comparison facility is now available through our sister site dutyfreeonarrival so check before you fly to ensure you get the best deal on your travels.