Beware of Chandlers oil

addedvaluebob

Recently I ran out of oil and needed to get some short term supplies. I visited Chandlers Oil in Grantham and ordered 1,000 litres as well as picking up 75 litres using my own cannisters. I have been a customer of chandlers for over 10 years using an average of 4-5,000 litres a year so they have made good profits from me over the time.

For the 1,000 litres I paid approx 40p plus VAT for the 75 litres I was charged 95p per litre

On talking to the member of staff who served me they were clearly very embarrassed by the charging structure but explained there was nothing they could do. I wrote and complained about this clearly rip off tactic and this is the disgraceful answer I got back from their sales manager. My comments in italics


For Chandler to be able to offer this service we have the following costs.
· Cost of storage tank (that's the tank that holds all the oil)
· Cost of fuel pump (the pump is years old and has been paid for a thousand times over by now)
· Cost of person to fill this storage tank (the same person who fills all the tanks by tanker, as it is an oil depot)
· Cost of fuel delivery pump ( this is the same pump mentioned above)
· Cost of maintenance (one fuel pump??)
· Cost of meter calibrations (annual checks??)
· Cost of an employee to deal with these transactions (that is the same employees who sit in the office all day, it was not like they had an attendant on stand by who only attends the pump. I filled the cans myself)

Clearly, Chandlers do not give a stuff about their customers and are happy to take the fullest possible advantage if you run out of oil. I will happily pay more for my oil elsewhere to make sure I do not put another penny in their pockets but wanted to warn other people.

Rolandtheroadie

I've ran out around 4 times, and the companies I called all wanted way over what their 1000 litre delivered rate was.
You're also buying small quantities, which attracts a premium.
When I've ran out previously, I got smaller quantities from the local garage that ran kerosene for heating (they charged what they had paid) and from another kerosene users tank, which I replaced.
The other 2 times, I've lifted the rear of the tank and put a bit of 2x2 under it to get an extra couple of days out it.

matelodave

The trick is to not run out.


Small quantities of anything will cost a lot more than buying in bulk - even toilet rolls cost more if you buy them one at a time.