ACCC: Service stations misled motorists about petrol type

[AWD Chaser]

http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.../itemId/985114

Service stations misled motorists about petrol type



Prime Fuel Distributors Pty Ltd has admitted to misleading motorists about the types of petrol available at its Speedway Mt Pritchard and Speedway Meadows (NSW) service stations.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission alleged that between May and October 2010 Prime sold the same petrol as both unleaded and E10 unleaded 95 at the two service stations.
"Price board signage and different coloured labelling on bowsers gave the impression that two different petrol products were available when in fact both products had the same octane rating and ethanol content of around 10 per cent," ACCC commissioner Mr Joe Dimasi said.
The ACCC considered that by selling the same petrol as two different products at different price points, Prime was likely to have breached the Trade Practices Act 1974*.
Prime has paid two infringement notices totalling $13,200. One infringement notice for each service station which engaged in the alleged conduct.
The ACCC has also accepted court-enforceable undertakings from the directors of Prime to:

• not engage in the promotion and sale of different fuels at any service station owned or operated by the company when those different fuels are in fact the same fuel
• implement a trade practices compliance program, and
• publish a corrective notice in newspapers as well as at both service stations.

Following the ACCC's investigation, Prime took immediate corrective action at both service stations, by withdrawing one of its unleaded products from sale and correcting promotional signage and labelling on petrol bowsers to reflect this change.
As the onsite day-to-day manager of both service stations Mr Jamil El-Khoury has provided a separate court-enforceable undertaking to the ACCC.
Mr El-Khoury has undertaken not to engage in, or be directly or indirectly knowingly concerned in, or party to, the promotion and sale of different fuels at any service station, when in fact those different fuels promoted and sold to customers are the same fuel.
Mr Dimasi said service stations should take extreme care in their labelling and promotion of fuel products.
"The practice of promoting and selling the same petrol as different products is patently misleading and deceptive."
"Consumers are particularly price sensitive with respect to fuel, and rely on the accuracy of representations about available petrol products when choosing which petrol to purchase for their cars," Mr Dimasi said.
Copies of the undertakings will be available from the ACCC website, under Public Registers, http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml?itemId=6029.

hmmm...

[Revolver]

Jeez that's a breach of trade practices act!

Beautiful caption (well picture) too!

[Yellow_Festiva]

Hmmmmmm

Well, how many people would have been able to work out they were getting ripped off at the bowser??

E10 is meant to have 'up to' 94 RON. Premium has 95...

Suppose you fill up on top of an existing half or 1/4 of premium... the mix will hardly be noticed by the driver (if at all).

Wonder how many others have done this??

[Jim Goose]

Well most wont be able to tell the difference, but Ethanol smells different and every time i used it on old EL it ran a bit rough for some reason.

[nstg8a]

back home a servo owner got done for it after it closed down about 5 years ago, seems it only had 3 underground tanks, one for diesel and and two to somehow hold 91/95 and premium.
one of the neighbors (who was involved in a long running feud with the servo) stood there and filmed them lifting out the tanks then filed a civil case in court.

when it went to court the neighbour supeoena'd (is that the right word?) the fuel supplier and under questioning by lawyers stated that 95 was never delivered in the 2-3 years that he was in charge.

[mik]

they should close these priks down not make them put correct signage up.