Petrol Station - Changing fuel prices...

GinG · 21 Feb 2009 at 11:15

Yesterday I needed to fill up my car, so 7.15 in the morning I go and fill up at 90.9p. Go to work and drive past the garage at 5pm and see the price as 88.9p!!

Now, surley they will know that the prices are due to go down, so why dont they do it in the morning? I guess its so they make more profit? Its not like I could have gone back in and ask for a refund to buy it again at a cheaper price!

Please could someone enlighten me on why they cant just have it at the lower price 1st think in the morning when they open up?!

JRS · 21 Feb 2009 at 11:18

GinG said:
Please could someone enlighten me on why they cant just have it at the lower price 1st think in the morning when they open up?!

Um....because they're a business rather than a charity?

Tom|Nbk · 21 Feb 2009 at 11:21

GinG said:
Its not like I could have gone back in and ask for a refund to buy it again at a cheaper price!

Just as well. How ebaressing could that turn out

( |-| |2 ][ $ · 21 Feb 2009 at 11:22

They have to change the prices sometime, why should it be the morning and not when they recieve the go ahead from the manager.

If they get the go ahead to drop prices at 11am should they wait till the next day to drop them or do it straight away?

mjt · 21 Feb 2009 at 11:23

i found this annoying too
and then i realised that the difference was actually **** all.

if you filled up with say, 60 litres, then you lost out on £1.20, which isn't exactly a lot of money now is it?

GinG · 21 Feb 2009 at 11:24

Yeah but by 2p?! I can normally stomach 1p as this seems to be the norm here, but 2p. They are paid to do the job, why cant they be like any other 'shop' and have all the price changes done before they are open to the public?

NathanE · 21 Feb 2009 at 11:25

Tom|Nbk said:
Just as well. How ebaressing could that turn out

GinG · 21 Feb 2009 at 11:25

I think its more the point of it, £1.20 isnt a great amount, but still better in my pocket than the business!

GinG · 21 Feb 2009 at 11:26

Tom|Nbk said:
Just as well. How ebaressing could that turn out

Yeah, well I have seen someone try it and was so funny. Then got annoying as they were holding up the line for about 15 - 20 asking to speak to the area manager / owner of shell blah blah.

IAmATeaf · 21 Feb 2009 at 11:40

You get the same everywhere including the web, I can recall seeing posts here about placing an order and then prices have gone down, just luck of the drawer I'm afraid.

Also if prices had gone up a short time after you filled up would you have been inclined to pop in and hand over the extra monies?

paradigm · 21 Feb 2009 at 12:13

GinG said:
Yeah but by 2p?! I can normally stomach 1p as this seems to be the norm here, but 2p. They are paid to do the job, why cant they be like any other 'shop' and have all the price changes done before they are open to the public?

Hard to change the price before opening if they are 24hours.

Noob.

caLz0 · 21 Feb 2009 at 12:16

G J · 21 Feb 2009 at 12:39

As far as i know there's no set time for fuel price changes, its pretty random.

We recieve a call from fuel logistics that a fuel price decrease/increase will go into effect imediately, we then have to corner off the garage and close for about 10-20mins while they do they're thing on their end.

At times its happens during the busy period causing a loss for the garage when the fuel price changes, even when the fuel price is going down.

The tills are restarted and the fuel price changes on the pumps, we check the pumps to see they fully displaing the new price, we also change the price on the gantry sign and then we re-open.

I understand customer may get abit peeved about this but as far as i know fuel price is all handled by fuel logistics, its personally happened to me countless amount of times, i've fueled up and the price has gone down the next day :mad:

This is how it works in the garage i work in, other garages may be different

rypt · 21 Feb 2009 at 12:56

It takes you 20 minutes to type a new price into a computer system?

GinG · 21 Feb 2009 at 13:02

paradigm said:
Hard to change the price before opening if they are 24hours.

Noob.

I live in a market town, they dont open 24hrs.

noob :cool:

Memphis · 21 Feb 2009 at 13:03

rypt said:
It takes you 20 minutes to type a new price into a computer system?

So you actually are as ignorant as you are arrogant?

Tute · 21 Feb 2009 at 13:06

rypt said:
It takes you 20 minutes to type a new price into a computer system?

It's really not as simple as that.

Forecourt needs to be shut to action a price change.

Jonners · 21 Feb 2009 at 13:08

I find when prices were at an all time low for the time, I was getting less fuel for my money, but now I seem to get more for a higher price :confused:

rypt · 21 Feb 2009 at 13:13

Tute said:
It's really not as simple as that.

Forecourt needs to be shut to action a price change.

That still does not take 20 minutes, go out, cordon off entrance, let people already there finish filling up, enter new price.
While from start to finish of that may take 20 minutes, the actual time that people are unable to fill up is however long it takes to enter stuff into computer.

Tute · 21 Feb 2009 at 13:34

rypt said:
That still does not take 20 minutes, go out, cordon off entrance, let people already there finish filling up, enter new price.
While from start to finish of that may take 20 minutes, the actual time that people are unable to fill up is however long it takes to enter stuff into computer.

That's the part that takes the time. Not only do they have to finish filling up (and you'd be amazing how slow some people are at it), they have to pay as well.

Where I used to work, 20 minutes was possible IF everything went smoothly.