Tesco...petrol profiteering ?????

scrooze247

"Every little helps" - somebody - but not always the consumer.I have pasted below the text of my email sent today to Tesco Customer Services with a copy to Trading Standards,and will let you all know when I have received a reply.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I live in Chepstow Monmouthshire and travel frequently to Newport Gwent,some 18 miles away.For months now I have noticed that Tesco Express in East Newport consistently sells Unleaded Petrol at around 4-5p per litre cheaper than the Tesco store in Chepstow.To me this is clearly the same petrol almost certainly delivered from the same depot albeit to different retail locations within 18 miles of each other.

I also receive each week an analytical email report of petrol price movements in the area in which I live,and notice that of the three garages selling petrol in this area Tesco is always 1p per litre cheaper no matter what the price movement is.

Combining the two facts above I begin to suspect that both price fixing and possible profiteering are occurring within your company in S.E.Wales.

Yesterday I enquired of the sales assistant in the Chepstow Petrol Station "why is the price always cheaper in Newport" ? Her reply was interesting. "The price is always cheaper in Newport because it is a different region and has more competition - it's all about profit really".

It's a great slogan "every little helps";in this case I wonder exactly who is helping who !

Your reply will be awaited with interest.

Yours Sincerely,

vikingaero

Tesco always price their petrol at 1p or so below other retailers in that area. They used to claim to price match other retailers within x miles but quietly dropped this. I used to tell them that my local Shell garage was cheaper than them but they said that I was measuring the distance as the crow flies. The only way I could measure the distance (2.1 miles) was using the car so it was well under their limit.

At the end of the day you have a choice where you fill up.

will-he-payitoff

Supermarkets have very little profit on petrol, they only sell it to get you to buy your shopping there

MX5huggy

I have always said "every little helps" us make massive profits. Not that I have a problem with successfull british companies.

robt_2

These companies trying to make a profit hey - whatever next!

Hintza

If I was selling petrol and could get an extra 4p-5p per litre I would.

If you don't like the way they trade why not buy it from an alternate retailer.

How about:-

Waitrose at Portishead 107.9p or Shell Cribbs Causeway 108.9p

whilst in Newport the price is 109.9p at all retailers.

http://www.petrolprices.com/

I hgave to drive 12 miles to get the best deal and i just ensure I fill up when passing saves me 7p per litre.

As an edit:- Why would you contact trading standards? Just thank your lucky stars you don't live in Kirkwall where the price is as high as 124.9p!!!

Bob63

Same all over the country. Tesco petrol in the village of Paulton is more expensive than Tesco in Bristol or Weston-super-Mare, both of which are only 20 miles or so away. Free market economics - love it or hate it.

dzug1

vikingaero wrote: »

Tesco always price their petrol at 1p or so below other retailers in that area.

Not round here. They are invariably 2p or even 3p dearer than the cheapest station less than a mile away - and the same price as the other 'majors' in the area.

And just because the Chepstow outlet is charging more doesn't mean it's making more profit than the Newport one. If the latter sells more it can make more money from a lower price.

Inactive

Simple cure, don't buy Tesco Petrol...sorted..

TiTheRev

Especially when it has no additives and fries your lambda/cat

anewman

It's the same everywhere. Go to remoter places of Wales and you'll pay even more. Petrol near Cardiff bay will probably always be the cheapest - and the richest people live there. No doubt the reason there is competition. Cheap petrol = customers buy groceries from you instead.