Bottled water @ service stations.

Thefunkygibbons

would someone care to explain why a sports top on a bottle costs so much

I doubt it costs even an extra penny to make

tomstickland

I never use mway services unless I have to ie: with other people etc. Tha last time I was at one I was hungry. Sandwiches were almost £3. So I just went hungry rather than pay that silly price.

anewman

You'll also notice that now all service station cash machines, every single one, charges at least £1.50 to withdraw money. Use the free machines before you travel.

Broke_Student

Thefunkygibbons wrote:

would someone care to explain why a sports top on a bottle costs so much

I doubt it costs even an extra penny to make

They cost so much more as charging a higher price generates more profit for the company as long as the normal bottle are also sold. Even if they cost a penny more, the company has no reason to sell it for a penny more.

Imagine sports top bottles and regular ones on a shelf next to each other, with the sports top costing 25p more. People not willing to pay extra will still buy the regular bottle. Now more than one in 25 people will go for the sports top (as they are rich or just like the idea) so the company makes more money than if it sells each sports top bottle at 1p more and everyone buys it.

tomstickland

Normal bottles are far better anyway IMO. Remove lid, drink water. Put lid back on. Difficult eh!

I've found that every town has a good supermarket now, you can eat at Tesco cafe for abour £2.50 for a big feed.

I enjoy exploring off the motorway. Service stations are there for times of desperation.

Skiduck

about 15 years ago, we stopped off at a service station on the M42 I think, looked at getting a cooked breckfast and noted the prices first - they were charging 90p for a tomato as I say that was 15 years ago, they have got better but still a complete rip off.

jellycat40

They are useful, give you a break, you can use the loo for free, you can stop for 2 hours for free and you pay a premium for the products you buy.

However, you always have a choice, just use the free stuff and take your own extras or go the whole bundle like I do - have a costa (or similar) and a bite to eat, use the loo and park for free.

I never use the rip off cash machines though!!!!!!

Louise

Astaroth

The problem has become a vicious circle for them though. Whilst the prices are still stupidly high I dont think that relatively speaking they are as much as they were 15 years ago. Their problem is that they have the reputation for their previous profiteering and so many people now just use the "free" services (which cost the company that own the services significant costs to provide) and not buying goods which means that the stores have to inflate their prices for the few that do buy to ensure they make their profit.

anewman

Astaroth wrote:

which means that the stores have to inflate their prices for the few that do buy to ensure they make their profit.

In turn leading to fewer people buying and potentially reduced profit.

Astaroth

Hence why I said it was a vicious circle.

Of cause the other options would be for them to either charge for parking/ use of toilets etc but I would imagine that there may be some requirements for them to provide these sorts of services free of charge as part of the planning permission etc