Fuel price changed while I was in the forecourt queue

WestWicklow1 · 15-04-2011 03:29PM #1

I pulled into a petrol station (Discount Fuels, Jobstown, Tallaght. Just off the N81) today to fill up with diesel at the advertised price of €1.43 per litre. Stuck the nozzle in and started to fill, nothing unusual, watching the amount whizz up. Glanced at the price per litre on the pump and noticed it was €1.45. Stopped the pump and looked up at the advertised price on the big sign and it had changed to €1.45 per litre.

I couldn't believe my eyes. I was absolutely sure it was €1.43 when I joined the queue. Brought the amount up to €50.00 and stopped.

I asked in the shop if the price had gone up in the last few minutes and was told "yes". I wasn't the only one complaining but wasn't sure of my rights. Could I have insisted on paying €1.43 per litre?

Plazaman · 15-04-2011 03:32PM

Strange to be sure. Usually stations change the prices first thing in the morning or last thing at night but when people are filling up? Never heard the likes of it. Doubt you'd get much recourse from them, but complain anyway and take your business elsewhere.

biko · 15-04-2011 03:34PM

I wouldn't think so. There is most likely a caveat written somewhere that the garage can change price any time without prior notice and as long as the price hike is "reasonable" I wouldn't think you can do anything.

Paddysnapper · 15-04-2011 03:38PM

The same thing happened to me a few years ago whilst buying fuel in a filling station in Tuam Co. Galway....My protestations fell on deaf ears sad to say:mad:

15-04-2011 04:03PM

if you were filling up and the price said 1.43 then thats the price you have to pay

if you were queing up and the price change from 1.43 to 1.45 then you have to pay 1.45 as you havent a contract with them, you a intention to buy etc

sadly to say the contract begins when your putting petrol or diesel into your car not when you join the que, as you can leave it at any time you want

jimmycrackcorm · 15-04-2011 04:45PM

I used to develop software that interfaced with the Pumps controllers for setting pricing and other control functions. The prices can only change when the pump is on-hook so what you saw on the pump was the price you pay - it cannot be changed mid-fuelling.

Incidentally the same software controls the roadside electronic signs simultaneously although most stations still have manually adjusted plastic signs.
Manual signs would have a discrepancy as they would have to be changed in time in respect of the change of pump prices - i.e. if the prices were going up you'd have to change the sign first before altering the pump prices up.

The software would adjust both the pumps pricing and the signs pricing at the same time. Normally the pricing would be changed when things were quiet but One customer requested that price changes occur when the quantity of old priced fuel delivered was used up - of course where it benefited the retailer ( new higher price announced but the tank is still full with cheaper delivered fuel ) then the changes were automatic.

seamus · 15-04-2011 05:10PM

In contract terms, it would be seen that the price displayed on the pump is the offer, and the act of pumping the petrol into your car would be the acceptance. So there's no contract until you start pumping.

Given the inherent difficulty of putting the petrol back, the petrol station would not be entitled to charge you more than the price that was on the pump at the time that you started pumping.

However, from your description I suspect that although it was €1.43 when you joined the queue, it probably changed before you started filling up. And presumably since the price per litre is displayed on the pump, then it would be taken that you accepted the higher price before you started pumping, and therefore would not be entitled to pay the lower price.

Not the first time I've heard of it. I've heard other stories of staff coming out, asking people to remove the pump from the car, before zeroing the pump and the price jumps up. The customer then has to complete filling their vehicle at the higher price and pay for the total amount of lower price + higher price petrol bought. Or pay for what they've bought and leave.

Ethically dodgy, but probably not a legal problem.

Our man in Havana · 15-04-2011 05:30PM

What happens in Tesco and other 24 hour places, there is a 15 minute period each day (usually late at night when it is quiet) where they do not sell fuel. It is during this time that the price is changed.

L1011 · 15-04-2011 11:27PM

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

although most stations still have manually adjusted plastic signs.

The station in question is a Petrogas outlet that I'm nearly certain has an electronic sign (the rest all do); so from what you've said the price would have had to change between him last seeing the sign and reaching the pump.

Solnskaya · 15-04-2011 11:33PM

How did that make you feel?

but43r · 15-04-2011 11:51PM

€0.69 of a difference in total and you go and rant about it on boards? Unreal...

bazzachazza · 15-04-2011 11:52PM

I'm not surprised one little bit with petrol stations and any tactics that you will hear them using. Its funny how the price of fuel can go up within days of any major world event that may affect the price. But when said event is over and the price of a barrel comes down they claim it can take weeks for them to see the affects at the pump. So that's days for it to go up and weeks for it to come down. Now they will claim it can take weeks for them to get through whats left in their tanks as some stations are not high turn over versus ones that get deliveries every few days. Yet they ALL go up in unison irrespective of turnover.

While we're on the subject of fuel stations. Anyone actually seen one of these infamous stickers on the pump that states when it was last checked for accuracy ? I have seen a sticker but without any dates filled in.

It seems to be another sector of this country that has very little oversight and regulation to it. The only concern shown to this industry is from customs to make sure they are not selling laundered diesel. Yet no one seems to regulate whether they are selling a litre or .95 of a litre to you.

At the question in hand. Unfortunetly you have no come back. As previously stated. Your contract begins when you lift the nozzle and start pumping. Thats why the price is displayed on the pump. Would you have argued if the price was lower when you went to pay ?

Mar4ix · 16-04-2011 12:19AM

I know, that tesco petrol station before price change, they close forecourt, keep cars away, then they change prices .. on pumps.... pumps must be restarted, to affect counter on pump ... literally they set new prices on computer, and then reset whole system, after that staff had to check is prices changed, then they change price on big sign, when it was done, after that they let people in. Dont know how other petrol stations.

Sheeps · 16-04-2011 01:02AM

Jesus, you'd have been able to buy a mars bar and a can of coke with the difference.

RandomAccess · 16-04-2011 01:10AM

but43r wrote: »

€0.69 of a difference in total and you go and rant about it on boards? Unreal...

Ranting about ranting is not allowed :pac:

ShadowHearth · 16-04-2011 10:04AM

RandomAccess wrote: »

Ranting about ranting is not allowed :pac:

But his rant atleast makes sence.

I don't even look at the prices amymore, and if one place sales it for 1.49, and the anther One for 1.47, there is no way I will be arsed to drive up there...

Del2005 · 16-04-2011 10:58AM

bazzachazza wrote: »

I'm not surprised one little bit with petrol stations and any tactics that you will hear them using. Its funny how the price of fuel can go up within days of any major world event that may affect the price. But when said event is over and the price of a barrel comes down they claim it can take weeks for them to see the affects at the pump. So that's days for it to go up and weeks for it to come down. Now they will claim it can take weeks for them to get through whats left in their tanks as some stations are not high turn over versus ones that get deliveries every few days. Yet they ALL go up in unison irrespective of turnover.

They are private businesses and can do as they please. It's up to the customer to buy the fuel or not.

bazzachazza wrote: »

While we're on the subject of fuel stations. Anyone actually seen one of these infamous stickers on the pump that states when it was last checked for accuracy ? I have seen a sticker but without any dates filled in.

It seems to be another sector of this country that has very little oversight and regulation to it. The only concern shown to this industry is from customs to make sure they are not selling laundered diesel. Yet no one seems to regulate whether they are selling a litre or .95 of a litre to you.

I've seen it in most stations, the problem is that they write in ink and it gets bleached off which isn't the petrol stations fault, and I also saw the man with loads of cans testing a couple of times.

Cringer · 16-04-2011 01:54PM

I've noticed on three seperate occasions the addition of 0.01c to my fuel total upon hanging up the nozzle.

Stopping at 50.00€ last night I got to the counter and it was 50.01€.

The odd thing here is when the nozzle was put back it was 50.00€

Is there some rounding gonig on within the dispensing system? I can only assume that if I went over the 50.00 but not 50.01 I get rounded up?

As I said I have seen this at different stations for different amounts but the cent gets added on at the end.

Not cribbing over the cent here but curious to know if there is rounding up happening due to the delivery of less than a cent worth of fuel.

Berty · 16-04-2011 01:57PM

Cringer wrote: »

I've noticed on three seperate occasions the addition of 0.01c to my fuel total upon hanging up the nozzle.

Not cribbing over the cent here but curious to know if there is rounding up happening due to the delivery of less than a cent worth of fuel.

I noticed the same thing the other day. I fill my car around twice a week and always round to the nearly 50c. I hung the nozzle back up, looked up for the pump number, back down at the screen and into the shop. 1c was added to it.

If they added 1c to every car they would make sweet fvck all each day anyway but it was a little odd to see.

Our man in Havana · 16-04-2011 02:25PM

It all adds up. Do it enough times and you will have a fair amount.

Berty · 16-04-2011 03:30PM

Once or twice a week for a year.

Lets say it could potentially cost me :eek: 98c or so :eek: per annum.

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

Most people don't pay the 1c when they pay by cash anyway so the petrol stations are hardly milking it in.

There used be a company, RPS maybe, who used to audit our pumps/service them as well and if the customer wanted to see those reports then they could see them.

Nothing to hide.

Probably just a freak incident.

-Corkie- · 16-04-2011 03:50PM

OP have a look under your sofa for loose change and you will make up the money you lost..;)

Fuel price changed while I was in the forecourt queue

Comments