Shell Petrol/ Diesel pricing - a cautionary tale

Phossy

It may be my own stupidity, but I can't shake the feeling I've been subtly manipulated too. 

I just filled up with Diesel at a local Shell garage that is under new ownership - I know that as it advertises it with the bold tag 'Under New management - Lower fuel prices'. It advertises 144.9 p/ litre for Diesel (and 142.9 for Petrol) so I thought I'd have some of that. When I went to pay it turns out to be 175.9 p/ litre as I'd filled up with 'V-Power'. The cashier took me out pointed to the big sign that said 142.9 and 144.9 and then took me to the pump and said, but the V-Power is 175.9 / p/ litre. The price isn't advertised anywhere. The pump has 3-nozzles, 2 are yellow and one is black/ brown. I used the black/ brown one (V-Power Diesel).  The cashier showed me that the two yellow ones were actually Unleaded Petrol and Diesel (bog standard diesel) and the prices for these were as advertised. I am feeling equal parts stupid and conned. 

HillStreetBlues

Didn't the price display on the pump?

jimjames

Phossy said:

The cashier showed me that the two yellow ones were actually Unleaded Petrol and Diesel (bog standard diesel) and the prices for these were as advertised. I am feeling equal parts stupid and conned. 

How long have you been driving? Super unleaded and diesel have been available for many years at a premium price to standard fuels. The pump should clearly show the price when you pick up the nozzle.

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Most petrol stations do this, they only post the prices of the alcohol contaminated e10 and the cheap diesel, makes it a bit of a lottery when you want the decent stuff.

Bigwheels1111

I’ve been driving for over 35 year, done close to 1.5 million miles.
Hgv 1 and mini cabbing.
I went into a Tesco fuel station a few years ago, started to fill up with diesel or so I thought.
The I noticed it said benzene on the pump. They had changed all the colours on the pipes.
I was lucky the diesel rover I was driving was bullet proof, I filled it with diesel and carried on.
The old diesel’s were so good you could run them on pure vegetable oil, the good old days. ( not that I ever did ).
Mistakes happen, your lucky it only hurt your pocket not the engine.

Goudy

There is nothing to stop them just advertising one or two product prices.
They don't advertise the price of 20 Bensons on the bill board, but they will also sell them.

You need to be careful what nozzle you pick up and make sure the price per litre on the pump's screen is correct.

I few years ago I pulled into a petrol station down in Thanet early one morning and I filled up without taking a lot of notice.
It turned out the pump was programmed incorrectly and the decimal point was in the wrong place.
Only when the pump clicked off did I notice I was paying £97.8 a litre!
Luckily the poor lad on the cash desk saw sense enough to convert the price when I went in to (not) pay.

Phossy

Thanks for the comments folks. I've been driving 30+ years. Yes, price does show when you lift the pump - if you are looking. I  was on autopilot (30 years plus of doing this). Other than my personal failings, the main point really was about colours not differentiating the different products.

Phossy

..and on a positive note, my car's engine does seem to like it, so it may be getting a periodic treat from now on.

TimSynths

Super is always more expensive, but when you pull the nozzle it does display the price, never happened to me in 32 years of driving both petrol and diesel cars but I will remain vigilante- good job I only fill up 3 times a year now too!

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TimSynths said:

Super is always more expensive, but when you pull the nozzle it does display the price, never happened to me in 32 years of driving both petrol and diesel cars but I will remain vigilante- good job I only fill up 3 times a year now too!

If it is petrol you are leaving sitting that long, you want to make sure you are getting alcohol free (Esso super is supposed to be alcohol free) if you leave E10 sitting that long you will be in for expensive bills.

The motorbike repairers are full of 'bikes that have been left sitting all Winter with e10 in the tank, and now won't run properly.

eschaton

If ever, it has been years since PFS’s advertised premium fuel prices on the totem. 

If you are going to fill with premium fuel occasionally, then I’d recommend using Tesco Momentum instead as the price difference on average is only 7p from E10.