Rip-off Motorway Services?

[ringway]

Motorway services 'rip-off' drivers

Drivers are being ripped off by "greedy" motorway service retailers, according to a survey by What Car? magazine.

Motorists pay far more for such items as petrol, food and drink than they would at high street outlets, the survey showed.



What Car? said it found a WH Smith motorway services outlet that was charging consumers a 91% motorway mark-up over its high street outlets on a 750ml bottle of water.

It added that Marks & Spencer also charged "inflated prices" in its motorway shops, including a 25% increase on a bottle of water, 16% on a sandwich and 15% on a large sausage roll.
Also, Burger King charged 12% more on the motorway than it did in its high street restaurants.


The survey showed that fuel was also more expensive at motorway services, with drivers having to pay an average motorway levy of 5.2% for unleaded fuel and 3.4% for diesel.
Consumers filling their fuel tank at motorway services will pay on average £77 more per year than they would if they filled up off the motorway.

What Car? editor-in-chief Steve Fowler said: "It is unforgivable for retailers to take advantage of motorists in such a brazen manner.
"With fuel prices at an all-time high, the 5.2% average motorway fuel mark-up is hard for consumers to fund, and a 91% mark-up on a bottle of water is utterly unacceptable.
"We suggest that all motorway users plan their journeys carefully and try to avoid using such greedy retailers as much as possible."

 

[Cabe]

Always do if I can. Although I take care not to go too far "off piste" to avoid motorway services. 20 mile detours aren't cost effective.

 

[ringway]

I avoid motorway services if I can. I Usually have enough fuel for any journey.

However, at 9.00pm on the return journey from Sandown last week I had to stop at Oxford Services. Expensive fuel and food (awful).

I should think that staffing costs are higher though, having further to travel, so maybe paid more than average?

 

[Cabe]

Eastern European labour is cheap

 

[rf065]

Rent for the site is higher than the high street, but still a rip off whichever way you look at it.

Russ

 

[MOCAŠ]

However, at 9.00pm on the return journey from Sandown last week I had to stop at Oxford Services. Expensive fuel and food (awful).

Stopped there myself last week on my way back to London as my reserve light had just come on and I was in no mood for a detour. £1.42 per litre...

For those determined to find cheaper alternatives, there were a couple of books around some years ago called Just Off and Off the Motorway, listing fuel stations, restaurants and accommodation within striking distance of motorway junctions. Can't find current editions of these titles, but there is a website that claims to serve the same purpose: Just off the motorway directory of food, accommodation and services

 

[Cabe]

I wish someone would come along with a car that goes "Crikey, I only have 50 miles of fuel left, I better go lookup the 10 nearest petrol stations and get the prices"

Then go "Hey, you, with the Wallet! Yes YOU! Take me here and feed me!"

 

[MOCAŠ]

I wish someone would come along with a car that goes "Crikey, I only have 50 miles of fuel left, I better go lookup the 10 nearest petrol stations and get the prices"

Then go "Hey, you, with the Wallet! Yes YOU! Take me here and feed me!"

I take it you haven't got COMAND Online, then?

(Admittedly it doesn't do that last bit...)

 

[abecketts]

Stopped there myself last week on my way back to London as my reserve light had just come on and I was in no mood for a detour. £1.42 per litre...

For those determined to find cheaper alternatives, there were a couple of books around some years ago called Just Off and Off the Motorway, listing fuel stations, restaurants and accommodation within striking distance of motorway junctions. Can't find current editions of these titles, but there is a website that claims to serve the same purpose: Just off the motorway directory of food, accommodation and services

If you come off at the Oxford A34 turning and head to Bicester there is a tesco's that will be less of a rip off. I've always avoided motorway services where possible as they are way over priced and remembered the nearest available normal (if you can call it that) garage.

 

[davidjpowell]

I take it you haven't got COMAND Online, then?

(Admittedly it doesn't do that last bit...)

It used to have Petrol Stations as POI I think. The only time I used it, it took me to a closed down one.

Got to say I resent the prices, but if I am on a journey realistically I am not going to go off piste to find a shop or fuel in an area that I do not know.

 

[MOCAŠ]

It used to have Petrol Stations as POI I think. The only time I used it, it took me to a closed down one.

It all depends on how current the mapping data is, but the long-overdue online version should be able to receive augmented information in realtime.

 

[Charles Morgan]

The service station is a 'retail opportunity' with the most grudging recognition that the motorist has needs. Hence the 200 meter sprint past all the zombies, old and/or obese, before the loos (which always seem to have a 90 degree entrance passage of astonishing smallness). Only if I have a really long journey and the idea of a detour, however small, is unattractive, will I fill up with petrol there. They are everything I hate about contemporary Britain.

Mind you, I am not greatly taken by those in Belgium or Germany either.

 

[moonloops]

Rip-off Motorway Services?

They have only just realised this?

They are surprised at this???

If people were not prepared to pay a premium for convenience their prices would tumble..

 

[S207]

I wish someone would come along with a car that goes "Crikey, I only have 50 miles of fuel left, I better go lookup the 10 nearest petrol stations and get the prices"

Then go "Hey, you, with the Wallet! Yes YOU! Take me here and feed me!"

Free UK fuel prices. 11,045 petrol stations covered - PetrolPrices.com - iphone app searches for closest stations and gives prices.

 

[Scott_F]

You can find many of the same franchises with the same inflated prices inside UK airports. I resent the way that they take away your water or soft drink and then sell exactly the same type back to you at twice the price you paid elsewhere an hour earlier.

 

[corned]

Are they holding you at gunpoint to make a purchase?

Are there any purchases made at a services which cannot be prevented by a little forward planning/thinking?

(BTW, the answer to both is 'no'.)

The market charges what the market can stand. People are basically idiots and therefore will grumble to the ends of the earth, but still get their wallet out. If no one was daft enough to buy anything from these places then the prices would soon change. It's only the same as F1 ticket prices. If you're daft enough to stump up...

 

[stevieb15]

Are they holding you at gunpoint to make a purchase?

Are there any purchases made at a services which cannot be prevented by a little forward planning/thinking?

(BTW, the answer to both is 'no'.)

The market charges what the market can stand. People are basically idiots and therefore will grumble to the ends of the earth, but still get their wallet out. If no one was daft enough to buy anything from these places then the prices would soon change. It's only the same as F1 ticket prices. If you're daft enough to stump up...

There are differences in so far as, no one needs to go to a F1 meeting but most of us need to travel and motorways are not only the easiest and fastest routes but also the safest and equally the government doesn't sell licences to F1 operators to provide a service.
I'm against most forms of government involvement but when it effectively sells the rights to operate motorway services it should also set parameters for charging and which services are provided.
Given we already pay to use the roads we shouldn't need any forward planning to avoid being ripped off during the course of essential provisioning during a journey.
One might argue that given the volumes motorway services generate it is reasonable to expect them to be cheaper than non motorway sources

 

[tagnut]

There are differences in so far as, no one needs to go to a F1 meeting but most of us need to travel and motorways are not only the easiest and fastest routes but also the safest and equally the government doesn't sell licences to F1 operators to provide a service.
I'm against most forms of government involvement but when it effectively sells the rights to operate motorway services it should also set parameters for charging and which services are provided.
Given we already pay to use the roads we shouldn't need any forward planning to avoid being ripped off during the course of essential provisioning during a journey.
One might argue that given the volumes motorway services generate it is reasonable to expect them to be cheaper than non motorway sources

All good points but although it's not a diverse market there is some competition when it comes to motorway services providers. On that basis I'd expect at least a little competition on prices so would be interested to know if the operating costs of such units are significantly higher than elsewhere and driving the retail costs up.

As has already been said if enough people will wear the cost these places will have no problem charging it.

 

[Merco]

Rent for the site is higher than the high street, but still a rip off whichever way you look at it.

Russ

Is this right!? I guess it's possible that the rent is higher because they are offering you a captive market and the chance to skin the punters but the High Street has more exposure. I'm just astonished this is only being noticed now - you only have to have a set of eyes to see that petrol and everything else is more expensive on the road...

 

[flango]

It really is simple if you don't like it don't go there, no journey ever starts or finishes on a motorway and before entering it or leaving it you inevitably pass food outlets or garages so buy your food and fill up there, it is really that simple. Don't bitch about over inflated prices just get your forward planning sorted they would soon go out of business.

The only chance the get to take the p*ss out of me is when I stop for one, no doubt they'll be charging for that soon as well