Tesco fuel price policy - refund double the difference

wallet_2

carray wrote:

Watch out for the price promise as my local tesco's won't honour it. I have been speaking to head office about it!!

just found out that local tesco disel 97.9 whereas shell within 3 miles is 94.7.
tesco insist that must buy diesel from shell, then take receipt to tesco customer services where they will give me diff = 3.2p/litre and then give me double that = 6.4p/litre. so i then get it from shell effectively for 97.9-9.6=88.3p litre.

tesco wont allow you to buy it from them at this price !!

so they are giving their business away to shell and subsidizing it !!!!

MarkyMarkD

That's giving you triple the difference, not double. Are they particularly stupid at your Tesco?

welche2

at burton on trent the shell garage is normaly 1pence cheaper and its across the road from the tesco garage/supermarket. going to tell them about their fuel policy thanks.

balloonist

Dear Sir or Madam
Tesco Customer Service
PO Box 73
Baird Avenue
Dryburgh Industrial Estate
Dundee
DD1 9NF
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am very concerned with the attitude of the garage staff at your branch in St Peters, Worcester. Having passed Sainsburys in Blackpole, Worcester today, I noticed the price of Diesel to be 97.9p per litre. I decided to fill up at your Tesco filling station feeling the price would be the same. I found your price to be 98.9p per litre and on paying, I informed the assistant of the price difference. She retorted that they price match within a 3 mile radius and the Sainsburys was out of this area. I replied that I thought it was within 3 miles of the area but apparently I was incorrect. However, she did note that they price matched the Morrisons store in Malvern. I even commented that the Tesco in Warndon, Worcester was not 3 miles from either the Sainsburys or the Tescos St Peters, but was also told that this would not be acceptable.
Now to the facts: Within a 3 mile radius from Tescos St Peters is Sainsburys Blackpole. My reference source is the Ordinance Survey map number 150. Morrisons in Malvern is just less than 6 miles away.
I went home to grab an OS map and returned to the customer service desk to correct this policy. I was told yet again that Tesco says Sainsburys in greater than a 3 mile radius away. I therefore proved this in store to be incorrect using said map and ruler. The garage manager was in storing but unavailable to attend to my concerns. I was refunded the 27p and continued to explain that it is not about the money but the principle. The 27p went into the charity box.
I actually had to go past Morrisons in Malvern this evening and found that there Diesel price was also 97.9p per litre. I returned via Tescos St Peters to find that my complaint hadn't been acknowledged and they are still selling at 98.9p per litre.
So what could be improved from the store? Firstly, don't treat the customer like an idiot and ensure you are bang on with your facts before you start. Secondly, follow your polices in full. Stop ripping off the customer. How many people have paid an extra 1p per litre at this garage today after the complaint? More profit for you and less for our local community. Thirdly, let me see the manager who is responsible for this complaint. Your customer services assistances are competent at their jobs, but my concern is that I have continually paid over the odds for fuel because this manager is incompetent in price match policies. And finally, when informed that the prices are too high, reduce them as is your policy.
Needless to say I have no confidence in the running of this garage and the lack of personal service I received. I seek reassurance that my concern is addressed and proper policies are implemented at store level. You will acknowledge that this Sainsburys is within the 3 mile radius and hence included in a price match.
After all, "Every little helps" - it certainly feels that way for the shareholders, not the customers!!


Reply:

Thank you for your email.

I was concerned to learn that you feel we have not lived up to our fuel price guarantee and I apologise for the inconvenience caused.

Our policy is to match the cheapest price in any given area, and therefore we carry out regular surveys with our competitors. This is undertaken within a three-mile radius of any store, and within one driven mile of the M25.

It can happen that our competitors change their prices between our surveys. As soon as we are made aware of this, we verify the details and carry out the price amendment.

Should you source a cheaper fuel in your local area, we are happy to refund double the difference and will reduce our price to match just as soon as our next survey is carried out. In such a case, we will require your Tesco receipt in order to process your refund.

I trust this information has reassured you of our commitment to our customers.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at customer.service@tesco.co.uk quoting XXXXXX.

We would like to ask you a few questions about the recent e-mail communication you or someone in your household has had with a representative from Tesco. If you would like to participate in this survey please complete the attached.

Your views are extremely important to us.

Regards

carray

Reply:

Thank you for your email.

I was concerned to learn that you feel we have not lived up to our fuel price guarantee and I apologise for the inconvenience caused.

Our policy is to match the cheapest price in any given area, and therefore we carry out regular surveys with our competitors. This is undertaken within a three-mile radius of any store, and within one driven mile of the M25.

It can happen that our competitors change their prices between our surveys. As soon as we are made aware of this, we verify the details and carry out the price amendment.

Should you source a cheaper fuel in your local area, we are happy to refund double the difference and will reduce our price to match just as soon as our next survey is carried out. In such a case, we will require your Tesco receipt in order to process your refund.

I trust this information has reassured you of our commitment to our customers.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at customer.service@tesco.co.uk quoting XXXXXX.

We would like to ask you a few questions about the recent e-mail communication you or someone in your household has had with a representative from Tesco. If you would like to participate in this survey please complete the attached.

Your views are extremely important to us.

Regards[/QUOTE]

---

This is exactly the same reply i had in writing from them after complaining about my local store not honouring the policy! Cheeky

santana-mx3

ceeebeee wrote:

tesco insist that must buy diesel from shell, then take receipt to tesco customer services where they will give me diff = 3.2p/litre and then give me double that = 6.4p/litre. so i then get it from shell effectively for 97.9-9.6=88.3p litre.

This is strange because it is the opposite of what I was told by Tesco. What they told you is much more practical because you have proof of the lower price when you get to Tesco.

What they told me is that you have to buy it at Tesco, then if you find that somewhere else within 3 miles had it cheaper, go back to CS with your recceipt and complain. That seemed like too much hassle.

Others seem to have been told they had to buy the fuel at Tesco. When I complained by email, I got the same standard reply which others (eg carray) have posted and which does refer to buying the fuel from Tesco (otherwise you would not have a Tesco receipt).

carray wrote:

.....Should you source a cheaper fuel in your local area, we are happy to refund double the difference and will reduce our price to match just as soon as our next survey is carried out. In such a case, we will require your Tesco receipt in order to process your refund.......

balloonist

Thanks Carray, thought I'd push them a little further:

First reply:
Have read your response and it provides me with no reassurance that the policy is implemented or will be adhered to in store. That was the nature of my complaint. The refund I received from store was 27p i.e. the difference and not DOUBLE THE DIFFERENCE. Yet again a deviation from your policy!!
Reassurance is what I am seeking and you have not satisfied me.

Is the Sainsburys now included in this store's price match?
Has a "red Light" been triggered at store level and action taken with regard this matter?

Your email is therefore unsatisfactory


Tesco Reply (did you get this one??):

Thank you for your reply.

Further to your enquiry, I am sorry you where unhappy with my reply as no further annoyance was indented.

As advised in the email, we will reduce our price to match just as soon as our next survey is carried out. I did not advise that this would happen straight away, but a copy of your email was sent to the store manager who will in turn address the matter with the staff concerns so they are fully aware of the price policy.

Due to the store not refunding the correct about I am more the happy to forward a Tesco Gift Voucher to cover the cost of the correct refund or I can add the points to your a clubcard account.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at customer.service@tesco.co.uk quoting TESXXXXXX

My lastest offering:

No the main reason that I was disgrumpled with your initial reply was that it contained very little effort. I know for a fact that you just sent me a standard generic letter from your database. This is insulting to the extreme and demonstrates more about how Tesco deals with complaints with customers.

What ever happened to the personal service and commitment to customer satisfaction? Truly shameful!!!

carray

Good for you balloonist!

smartie1976

and also she has failed to address your point regarding whether your sainsbury's is indeed in the three mile radius. Complete incompetence!

balloonist

I am sorry you feel I did not give your complaint any effort as I would assure you this is not the case.

The information in the original correspondence is to advise of how we operate and delay with our pricing policy. This also gives the customer the information if the policy has not been followed to by the store.

I would like to assure you that I have recorded your views and will pass them on, together with any others we may receive to the relevant Head Office.

Thank you for bringing your further comments to our attention and I can only offer my apologies that you have been unhappy with the service I have provided.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at customer.service@tesco.co.uk quoting TESxxxxxxxx

My reply:

But I already knew the information that you sent originally as I had told you that in your original email so why send me that response. Does Lynne Ormsby exist or is this just another automated response. Please prove to me you are human as this latest edition merely seems like another automated response!!


Wouldn't it be good if we had a forum to compare automated repsonses from companies. Then we would not need to complain. Just pick the answer that best suits and send it ourselves!!!!