MSA petrol prices, taking the piss?

[gordonbennet]

I passed Toddington this morning on the way down to Dunstable and couldn't help notice that petrol was priced at 126.9, kin'ell has it gone up that much since i filled last week?

 

Came off at jct 11 and turned right for Dunstable, half a mile Tesco at 111.9, half a mile further and Sainsbury's at 110.9.

 

We all know that MSA's take the piss out of their captive audience, and i can understand the driver of a company vehicle not bothering to find elsewhere, but i see otherwise normalish looking people in non company type cars willingly bending over to be arse raped dry at those pumps.

 

WHY?

 

I do spend some money at MSA's, i'll have a Greggs breakfast deal bacon and sausage roll and a large latte for £3, had one thismorning on the way back as it happens, and now and again i'll have a latte from McDonalds, cos both those operators don't take the piss...but as for the rest especially Costapacket and Starbollocks i wouldn't give them my custom if i had Beckhams money.

 

[Richard]

Not even a motorway http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/angus-the-mearns/it-s-blatant-profiteering-stracathro-service-station-criticised-for-fuel-price-1.788511

[Pillock]

Greggs do take the piss as that same deal with the same bap and coffee is £2 on the high street, or £2.60 at a non-motorway services (such as the A50 in Uttoxeter). McDonalds are the only ones that don't inflate their prices.

 

But yeah, And even as a company car driver, with a fuel card, I don't fill up on the motorway as I pay pro-rata for my personal fuel (normally about 10% of my total spend) so even that tiny amount makes me angry.

 

Whenever questioned about the massive cost of petrol, pasties, dairy milk or lucozade they always say it's because of the logistical issues getting it there (O RLY? THERE'S A FUCKING MOTORWAY OUTSIDE THE DOOR) or they pay higher wages to their staff to compensate for having to work out in the sticks, 24/7. Not that you'd know after talking to the slack-jawed droids most of them seem to employ.

[CHRIS1980]

Captive audience prints to mind. As long as I remember,you get bumraped when it comes to motorway services. It's the norm. I always make sure I've filled up the car and myself before I hit the motorway.

[PiperCub]

Quote:

Whenever questioned about the massive cost of petrol, pasties, dairy milk or lucozade they always say it's because of the logistical issues getting it there (O RLY? THERE'S A FUCKING MOTORWAY OUTSIDE THE DOOR) or they pay higher wages to their staff to compensate for having to work out in the sticks, 24/7. Not that you'd know after talking to the slack-jawed droids most of them seem to employ.

 

I first heard this exact fantastical excuse concerning delivery & access issues about twenty years ago while doing a bit of HGV driving - I find it unbelievable that they are still trotting this crap out.

[tooSavvy]

Thread deviance - anyone needed to buy a bottle of Lucozade in a hospital lately? Tesco 98p Hozzie £1.98

 

Must be cos theres no motorway outside....

 

 

TS

[Pillock]

Because Lucozade is the best thing to help with fluid loss through having the shits, so another captive audience.

 

As for the services, i can't think of an easier delivery route than hopping on the M1 at Staples Corner and just stopping at every services until you run out of boxes of giant teddies, Wispa Golds and Mountain Dew to deliver. Struggle into a city centre with your truck? Fuck that, 200 miles of road with the delivery points on it. Petrol is surely even easier, not even got to find the back door - just squirt it down the hole on the forecourt. Am I alone in thinking this is about as logistically difficult as having a shit in the morning? "Oooh, I need to take a rest break soon, never mind I'm AT A FUCKING SERVICES".

 

Also, why do services now sell so much shit like 4ft teddy bears, garden furniture, radio controlled helicopters etc?

[Lankytim]

Isn't the rent on these MSAs astronomical? I think that's why everything takes the piss there..

[gordonbennet]

Isn't the rent on these MSAs astronomical? I think that's why everything takes the piss there..

Yes, i was told that Greggs had to charge the higher price at MSA's or they wouldn't have got in, but where i heard that i can't remember.

Even more impressive that McD's prices are same as elsewhere.

[gm]

Isn't the rent on these MSAs astronomical? I think that's why everything takes the piss there..

I would imagine so, it's one of the reasons that food and drinks are so pricey in airports ( although a captive market is bound to play a part)

[dugong]

Motorway Service Areas?

[gordonbennet]

Yep, thems the places.

 

As a slight aside rant, why do people stop in the narrowest section taking up as much room as possible waiting for their mrs/mates to come out of the bogs, as bad as the supermarket drones...my mrs (a woman of short fuse) always mutters 'imagine it behind a steering wheel'.

[HH-R]

I'm so tight that I'd rather die of thirst than pay their extortionate drinks prices!

[JohnK]

Subway seem fairly priced in them I've found. Indeed a stopped and bought one when bringing the E23 back from London as I was starving and it cost me around the same as on the high street.

[4wheeledstool]

For many years, the only activity I've performed at motorway services has been pinching one out.

[Luckythirteen]

It's not just MSAs, although they're bad for it.

 

Self same bottle of vaguely acceptable wine, in the Co-op down the road from my flat: £4.99. In the Co-op round from Casa_Thirteen: £5.99.

 

Logistics not to blame, as Dundee is much further away from the depot than home is. This is blamed on low volumes. Conclusion: any excuse to jack the prices where there isn't a big supermarket right next door.

[beko1987]

I only use motorway fuel as a 'fuck' moment, lob £10 or £20 on and fill up cheaper elsewhere

 

The amount of people I see at Oxford services talking about the cost of the fuel while queuing up at KFC and how they've got 400 more miles to go, I always point them towards the 24h asda station 3/4 miles down the road!

[gordonbennet]

I only use motorway fuel as a 'fuck' moment, lob £10 or £20 on and fill up cheaper elsewhere

 

The amount of people I see at Oxford services talking about the cost of the fuel while queuing up at KFC and how they've got 400 more miles to go, I always point them towards the 24h asda station 3/4 miles down the road!

 

^^ this is what gets me most, they're like bloody sheep, they've threepence ha'penny left after the govt of the day has filched their wallets, yet can't piss that small amount back in quick enough with way overpriced fast food and overpriced bloody fuel...and they get to vote, we aint got a chance.

[Luckythirteen]

I only use motorway fuel as a 'fuck' moment, lob £10 or £20 on and fill up cheaper elsewhere

Ditto. But I think there's a fear of the unknown element in that for people too. If you don't know the town beside the MSA, do you risk it? Will the diversion take ages when you just want to get on?

Swallow your pride and pay for convenience!

 

The MSA on the M8 is a case in point. Harthill seems genuinely to be in the middle of nowhere: there are only couple of petrol stations near it, although if you're westbound and sharp eyed, you'll see the one at Whitburn. But you'd have to go to the junction beyond Harthill to get back to it.

 

Having said that, sat-nav will show you where stations are anyway. So maybe I'm talking shite...!

[EssDeeWon]

A litre of petrol on the motorway, a bottle of water at an airport, a pint in the West End, restaurants on 14th Feb,  Just try and avoid at all costs.

[richardmorris]

I try not to use motorway services if I can help it. Mind you, petrol round here is going up by 2p a litre every time I look at the signs. It's back now to 115.9 at both the local bp and esso.

[Lacquer Peel]

 

[beko1987]

Ditto. But I think there's a fear of the unknown element in that for people too. If you don't know the town beside the MSA, do you risk it? Will the diversion take ages when you just want to get on?

Swallow your pride and pay for convenience!

 

The MSA on the M8 is a case in point. Harthill seems genuinely to be in the middle of nowhere: there are only couple of petrol stations near it, although if you're westbound and sharp eyed, you'll see the one at Whitburn. But you'd have to go to the junction beyond Harthill to get back to it.

 

Having said that, sat-nav will show you where stations are anyway. So maybe I'm talking shite...!

True, but 20 seconds on google points me at the nearest supermarket, and if I press a button my phone takes me there.

 

Otherwise yea, overpriced fuel it is, cos there's no choice! (Or carry a few bottles of veg in the boot...)

[Justin Case]

Example for just one motorway. Click on an individual junction to see how you can easily save £££s

 

http://justoffjunction.co.uk/M6.php

[Luckythirteen]

Or maybe we 'put up with it' with a sigh, so we've got something to grumble about...

[gordonbennet]

Thanks for that, have bookmarked the site for future ref.

[Pillock]

Waze has petrol stations and pretty accurate prices too

[Felly Magic]

Work this one out, Tesco half a mile from me, motion lotion 113.9, and on the other side of town at Copdock 111.9...........I'd love to get Tesco's response on that un

[Richard]

Tesco set their prices as high as they can get away with, that's the explanation.

[gordonbennet]

Work this one out, Tesco half a mile from me, motion lotion 113.9, and on the other side of town at Copdock 111.9...........I'd love to get Tesco's response on that un

 

I never set foot across take-over-the-world-Tosco's threshold, but don't they have some form of points or summat that gives a discount on fuel for buying your groceries/phone/banking/insurance/eyesight/grandmother/whatever the fuck else they flog?

 

Maybe it works out the same prices as across the road once you've sold a kidney?