Who pays the petrol in a courtesy car?

Ace321

Who pays the petrol in a curtsey car? My local garage gives me a curtsey car every time my car is having work done, but the petrol needle is always on or touching the red. To start with I ignored this and managed to get home on the 8 mile journey. However, I decided to be sensible and fill up the car with petrol on the journey home. I got a receipt from the petrol station and thought I could claim back on the petrol. But when I returned later to the garage with the car, they said I had to pay for the petrol, even though it was almost empty when they gave me the car. So I didn't get my money back. I had put 10 litres in the car. This means the next person that uses the curtsey car will be using petrol that I paid for, for free and won't need to fill up. And there I was thinking I had done the garage a favour by filling up the car for them! Is it normal that customers have to fill up the curtsey car with petrol when (almost) empty to start with, when leaving the forecourt, and does every single customer who uses a curtsey car need to do this? What then happens to the surplus petrol? It doesn't feel right that I should have to pay if it means other customers are using the petrol I paid for for free, when they use the car?

njkmr

It's a bug bear of mine this.
they usually say bring it back with same amount of fuel in it as there is when you take it, so top of back up when returning it.
It's a gamble really as many a time I have used a courtesy car with almost no fuel in, drove home say 5 miles and then drove it back and not topped it up.
I'm sure they leave it like this so you don't drive around in the car all day at their expense.
You have little chance of them saying" oh thanks for fuelling here's the money back " I'm afraid.
But good luck.

Ayr_Rage

It is normally the customer that is responsible for any fuel used unless otherwise advised by the garage.

Give it back with the gauge in the same place as when you received it.

The only time I was told there was no need to refuel the car was when my Porsche was in for a warranty repair.

amanda1024

I think I would complain at the point of picking the car up - point out it's on the red and ask if they'll top it up. If they refuse, do your best to estimate how much you'll use and only buy that much (or the minimum purchase amount at the petrol station, if that's higher). Generally it's like for like - so you shouldn't expect free petrol, but don't return the car with more petrol than it started with either.

DullGreyGuy

Bring it back with no less than you got it with... any more than you got it with is your own loss. 

Traditionally it used to be full to full but its less painful for garages to have to chase people for returning it with too little fuel so empty to empty is more common.

bluelad1927

No garage in the whole of garage world is going to reimburse you for filling a tank. There may well be T&Cs to say  you have to return with same amount as received and they charge you but nothing else

Stubod

..normally just return it as you found it....not sure why a garage would want to pay for any fuel you use??

Nearlyold

I just guestimate how many miles I'm going to drive it for and how much fuel that'll use and stick that amount in. If turns out I'm down or up a couple of pound or so I'm not bothered.

la531983

Surely this is no different to how it works with a hire car. Return it at the same point it was when you got it.

Ace321

la531983 said:

Surely this is no different to how it works with a hire car. Return it at the same point it was when you got it.

It is not always an exact science with petrol. There is petrol remaining in the courtesy car more than I actually used, having filled up from empty. My point is, the next customer who uses the car will be getting this petrol for free and won't need to fill up. 

sammyjammy

Ace321 said:

la531983 said:

Surely this is no different to how it works with a hire car. Return it at the same point it was when you got it.

It is not always an exact science with petrol. There is petrol remaining in the courtesy car more than I actually used, having filled up from empty. My point is, the next customer who uses the car will be getting this petrol for free and won't need to fill up. 

I doubt it, they probably use it/empty it so the next customer gets it empty too, if they don't they'll have to return it with the same amount in it.  As has been said, no different to a hire car.