Contaminated Diesel - big repair bill!!

asbokid

Ms_Brush wrote: »

How do you get a sample back to a lab - do you have to take it there? Thought it would be a dangerous thing to send off in the post - I didnt think you could post anything chemical and maybe explosive??

Ask your local university and someone in its chemistry or chemical engineering department.

The other couriers should carry the sample..

Many of us are interested in what happens so keep us posted!

Ms_Brush

Next update:

Local paper have been doing some investigating and want to publish this story, will be speaking to the journalist tomorrow. No news from Tesco's yet, but they have 2 days left... then I will start proceedings from the small claims court (my consumer rights will be unaffected by speaking to the press - I did ask that question!)

mchale

http://www.theoillab.co.uk/

google is a wonderful thing

westv

Isn't this the problem that only seemed to affect French cars? There's a moral there surely!

Ms_Brush

Maybe - sensitive sensors apparently, but the £500 bill could have been £2k without them.....

Ms_Brush

Okay - here is an update on this saga!

After several weeks and 2 categoric denials of liability from Tesco's, I'm finally getting somewhere...

Trading Standards contacted me this week to let me know the status of their enquiries into the issue. Seemingly, there is an intermitent problem with the diesel that Tesco (and other supermarkets) use. This stuff is bio-diesel, which sometimes gets a 'bloom' on it - it was described as being similar to the green stuff that grows on a pond... anyway, it is a known problem, which they have to deal with by breaking the 'growth' down, filtering the fuel in the storage tanks, cleaning the tanks out with a solvent of some sort, then re-filling the storage tank with the cleaned fuel. Apparently, this had been going on when I filled up my car, and the diesel pump had been re-opened for no more than 10 minutes before I filled up my car. They had been closed for 2 days prior to this, and then closed again for 10 days afterward to sort out some 'residual problems'... so, trading standards working theory is that either the unfilered fuel, the solvent or the tank cleaning chemicals were still in the fuel lines, and this ended up in my car. I have been advised to give Tesco the opportunity to re-consider their response to my complaint, then take them to the small claims court. Trading Standards can only enforce criminal acts, so can only act as a witness in a civil case; good news is, as it is civil, you only have to show that there is a balance of probability. This means that Tesco's argument is less likely to stack up against mine.

I dont have any money back at this stage, but will be posting another letter to them in the morning, as advised by Trading Standards... will let you know what happens.

Inactive

Glad you seem to be getting somewhere at last on this, I have avoided Tesco fuel ever since the last time their fuel caused havoc with customers vehicles.

Good luck.

aqueoushumour01

looks like Tesco's 5p a litre off offers are perhaps best avoided - is it only diesel or does this issue affect petrol too? Glad you're getting somehere OP

Fruity1

Ms_Brush wrote: »

Okay - here is an update on this saga!

After several weeks and 2 categoric denials of liability from Tesco's, I'm finally getting somewhere...

Trading Standards contacted me this week to let me know the status of their enquiries into the issue. Seemingly, there is an intermitent problem with the diesel that Tesco (and other supermarkets) use. This stuff is bio-diesel, which sometimes gets a 'bloom' on it - it was described as being similar to the green stuff that grows on a pond... anyway, it is a known problem, which they have to deal with by breaking the 'growth' down, filtering the fuel in the storage tanks, cleaning the tanks out with a solvent of some sort, then re-filling the storage tank with the cleaned fuel. Apparently, this had been going on when I filled up my car, and the diesel pump had been re-opened for no more than 10 minutes before I filled up my car. They had been closed for 2 days prior to this, and then closed again for 10 days afterward to sort out some 'residual problems'... so, trading standards working theory is that either the unfilered fuel, the solvent or the tank cleaning chemicals were still in the fuel lines, and this ended up in my car. I have been advised to give Tesco the opportunity to re-consider their response to my complaint, then take them to the small claims court. Trading Standards can only enforce criminal acts, so can only act as a witness in a civil case; good news is, as it is civil, you only have to show that there is a balance of probability. This means that Tesco's argument is less likely to stack up against mine.

I dont have any money back at this stage, but will be posting another letter to them in the morning, as advised by Trading Standards... will let you know what happens.

One of the south bank Humber refinarys if not both are currently trying to get their bio diesel mix correct because of the problems you've noted above. There was a problem a little while back but I believe it was Sainsburys that were not affected. Morrisons won't currently accept bio diesel until they've got it correct.

Ms_Brush

Another update:

Tesco have offered me £575 as a 'goodwill gesture' in full and final settlement of my claim, but despite all the evidence to the contrary, are still "of the opinion that this is not as a direct result of any malfunction or action on our part"......

Er, except that they were cleaning out a contaminated fuel tank just before my car broke down, directly caused by contaminated fuel that could not have come from any where else - quite how it isnt their fault is slightly beyond my comprehension! I am a girl though.

It covers my costs (just), which is what actually matters. I will be accepting the offer and just pointing out that they have lost a customer to Sainsburys and BP....

Thanks everyone for your interest and support.

Just to recap - dont buy diesel at Tesco, and if you do, keep the receipts and if you get a problem, pursue them rigourously!