Petrol Stations and Multi-buy confectionary purchases

[Clariman]

I confess that I have a bad habit of personal refuelling as well as car refuelling when I stop at a petrol station on a long journey. I'm not proud, but suspect that I am far from alone.

Over recent years I have come to the conclusion that some petrol stations are deliberately misleading customers. Often they have a sign saying something like "2 items for £1.50" which is strategically placed next to items, giving the impression the adjacent items are part of the offer. However, when I get home and check the receipt, I have bought 2 full price items e.g. at £1.35 each. OK so I can see there is small print on the offer sign but I don't have my glasses on in the garage so just keep my fingers crossed.

Does anyone else have similar suspicions?

C

[AsleepInYorkshire]

I confess that I have a bad habit of personal refuelling as well as car refuelling when I stop at a petrol station on a long journey. I'm not proud, but suspect that I am far from alone.

Over recent years I have come to the conclusion that some petrol stations are deliberately misleading customers. Often they have a sign saying something like "2 items for £1.50" which is strategically placed next to items, giving the impression the adjacent items are part of the offer. However, when I get home and check the receipt, I have bought 2 full price items e.g. at £1.35 each. OK so I can see there is small print on the offer sign but I don't have my glasses on in the garage so just keep my fingers crossed.

Does anyone else have similar suspicions?
C

Suspicions you ask

You should live in my head for an hour, you'd soon be happy with your own rather mild suspicions

It is illegal to mislead anyone regarding the price of a product be the act knowingly or not. Pop onto to Trust Pilot and leave them a small thought.

I am proud to say that where retailers and their practices are concerned I can make Victor Meldrew look mild.

AiY(D)

[swill453]

I confess that I have a bad habit of personal refuelling as well as car refuelling when I stop at a petrol station on a long journey. I'm not proud, but suspect that I am far from alone.

Over recent years I have come to the conclusion that some petrol stations are deliberately misleading customers. Often they have a sign saying something like "2 items for £1.50" which is strategically placed next to items, giving the impression the adjacent items are part of the offer. However, when I get home and check the receipt, I have bought 2 full price items e.g. at £1.35 each. OK so I can see there is small print on the offer sign but I don't have my glasses on in the garage so just keep my fingers crossed.

Does anyone else have similar suspicions?

Tsk tsk, not reading the label, and not checking the receipt till you get home? Just as well you didn't post this on LBYM

Scott.

[pje16]

I never buy from them, they are overpriced

[Mike4]

A few years ago I bought some diesel then feeling starving hungry, I returned to the shop and grabbed two bags of ordinary Walkers crisps, and took them to the till. £3.98 please, the nice lady said.

Not having enough loose change in my hand I reached for my card then had a "hang on a sec!" event. Two bags of crisps, £3.98, that can't be right I said to the nice lady. Yes she said, they are £1.99 each.

I elected not to buy them but thinking about it later, most people buying £50 or £100 of fuel at the same time would not notice. Makes me wonder how many bags of crisps and other over-priced sundries I have bought with fuel previously.

[Nimrod103]

One of my frequent complaints is the 'meal deal' for sandwich/snack/drink available at many stores, airports and motorway services. I seem to have an uncanny ability to pick three items, one of which is actually not in the 'deal' even though it looks from its position on the shelf as if it should be. So now I always carefully check the amount of money requested, and I'm prepared for an argument.

[doolally]

I am proud to say that where retailers and their practices are concerned I can make Victor Meldrew look mild.

AiY(D)

I don't believe it!
doolally

[didds]

One of my frequent complaints is the 'meal deal' for sandwich/snack/drink available at many stores, airports and motorway services. I.

wheras I have found if one only wants eg a sandwich and a drink, they then get charged at the full rate which ends up more expensive than the del. So one if "forced" into buying a bag of crisps that one doesn't want to get the cheaper price - which then sometimes gets thrown in the bin at some time as its not actually wanted!


didds

[UncleEbenezer]

One of my frequent complaints is the 'meal deal' for sandwich/snack/drink available at many stores, airports and motorway services. I seem to have an uncanny ability to pick three items, one of which is actually not in the 'deal' even though it looks from its position on the shelf as if it should be. So now I always carefully check the amount of money requested, and I'm prepared for an argument.

The decent meal deals now come labelled: you can check for "meal deal main" or "meal deal snack" on an item.

Latest meal deal I recollect was Morrisons, where they had run out of the kind of interesting salads I usually get for main, and the best option was a pair of wraps. I noticed they were labelled a "premium" main, bumping the total up from £3.50 to £4.00. I wonder if variable pricing will catch on? Still, the alternative available nearby would've been the Coop, which recently removed all the interesting stuff from its meal deal taking it from one of the best available meal deals to one to avoid.

[bungeejumper]

Two bags of crisps, £3.98, that can't be right I said to the nice lady. Yes she said, they are £1.99 each.

I elected not to buy them but thinking about it later, most people buying £50 or £100 of fuel at the same time would not notice. Makes me wonder how many bags of crisps and other over-priced sundries I have bought with fuel previously.

It's what the retail trade charmingly calls a distress purchase. You're on their (moderately remote) premises, you're feeling the hunger pangs (or maybe you need to keep the kids on the back seat happy?), and you haven't got the time to go somewhere else in search of a better price.

Or you're at the garage on your way to a party, and you won't mind paying £8.50 for a rubbishy £4.50 bottle of vino collapso because you probably won't be drinking it. So it's open season on your wallet. A nice little earner, but surely it's hardly unique?

My dentist will sell me a new toothbrush or a bottle of mouthwash for twelve quid. My garage would bill me thirty quid for a windscreen wiper blade if I let it. And my local solicitor will rubber-stamp a form for a hundred or so.

BJ