Major Scam at Shell Garage Birmingham

Marktheshark

Request a VAT receipt, refusal to provide one is an offence

robatwork

JReacher1 wrote: »

Really?

who are these people who have trouble with basic maths. If it was £1 a litre most people could work out that £16.68 is the cost of 16.68 litres.

I don't see how many people would think an extra 3.9p per litre would increase the cost of the petrol by over £3!

You aren't dealing with the people that I do day-to-day then.

Here's a test for you to do. Ask a random person on the street what the approximate answer is for 16.68 x £1.039. Many wouldn't even bother trying to work it out because they are afraid of numbers and maths.

shaun_from_Africa

Marktheshark wrote: »

Request a VAT receipt, refusal to provide one is an offence

It's only an offence if the person requesting the VAT receipt is VAT registered themselves.
If they are not then the trader is under no obligation to issue the receipt. (but how the VAT status of the buyer is proved when they ask for the receipt is a different matter).

JReacher1

robatwork wrote: »

You aren't dealing with the people that I do day-to-day then.

Here's a test for you to do. Ask a random person on the street what the approximate answer is for 16.68 x £1.039. Many wouldn't even bother trying to work it out because they are afraid of numbers and maths.

I think most random people would refuse to answer because they don't like the fact they've been approached in the street and asked a maths question!

shaun_from_Africa

JReacher1 wrote: »

I think most random people would refuse to answer because they don't like the fact they've been approached in the street and asked a maths question!

But surely that helps to back up exactly what robatwork was saying.
Why would asking a maths question make people refuse to answer unless they don't have the slightest idea of a reasonable answer?


If you ask a random person something like "What is the largest country in Africa" or "how many miles is it from the earth to the moon", I wouldn't be surprised if they at least have a stab at the answer.


I did a mental calculation of the sum mentioned (16.68 x £1.039) and I was only 11p off, but I use figures on pretty much a daily basis when at work. This isn't the case for a lot of people, and mathematical skills are something that you lose if you don't use them very often.

JReacher1

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

But surely that helps to back up exactly what robatwork was saying.
Why would asking a maths question make people refuse to answer unless they don't have the slightest idea of a reasonable answer?


If you ask a random person something like "What is the largest country in Africa" or "how many miles is it from the earth to the moon", I wouldn't be surprised if they at least have a stab at the answer.


I did a mental calculation of the sum mentioned (16.68 x £1.039) and I was only 11p off, but I use figures on pretty much a daily basis when at work. This isn't the case for a lot of people, and mathematical skills are something that you lose if you don't use them very often.

I find most people don't like to be approached in the street and asked questions. The concern is people worry "why is this guy stopping me to ask a strange question?"

They will think it is a scam or some sort of distraction while a crime takes place.

Also the point isn't so much that I would expect an exact right answer. I just believe that most people would realise that £20 is definitely too high.

peachyprice

robatwork wrote: »

Most people have some number blindness. Combined with the dual factors of embarrassment about challenging the till, and being in a hurry, I could well expect an awful lot of people to multiply 16.68 by 103.9p and get to nearly £20.

I really don't think they would. Most people given that sum would take £1 x 16 and round it up to the next full £1 for the odds and sods, and they wouldn't be far wrong, at least not as wrong as your assumption that they would round it up to £20.