BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

I just sent this via a feedback form to BP. Thought I might share it here for discussion.

---

I have fed my GT Falcon a diet of Ultimate 98 since new, some 82,000km of motoring on it. But I must say the huge price disparity between base unleaded and Ultimate is now very galling.

Last night I paid more than 22 cents over the 91 price at a BP branded service station near Chirnside. That's just bull**** price gouging.

The original price difference between base unleaded and Ultimate when it started was around 5 per cent, last night I paid almost 20 per cent more for a tank of Ultimate than 91. That is more than $15 a tank premium to run Ultimate 98.

Surely you guys are now just taking the ****..?

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

Those Piranhas are expensive to feed, you know!

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

Same deal in nz , when it first came out over here it was 14c more per litre now it seams to be 20 to 22c more ...and over here they run specials and only display the 91 price you roll up to get 98 and find they've charged you full retail ...bast...s!,!,

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

In Darwin it is 19 cents per litre more expensive than premium

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

Why should there be any connection between the price of one product to the price of another product? BP are setting the price of their products on the basis of what people are prepared to pay, and in your case last night, they got it right.

Why does a $2 coin cost twice as much as a $1 coin when its got less of the same metals in it? I bet you dont give away your $2 coins for a dollar.

Why does the same house in Sydney cost three times more than than the same house in Albury? I bet next time you sell your house, you wont sell it based on prices out bush.

Why do people pay $3 for a vegetable at Woolies, when they can grow in their own backyard for 50 cents.

Why should any business carry out their activity, different to the way you carry out your life.

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

I run E10 95 octane and it works well with my 10.5:1 compression engine but it likes the Shell 95 better and running 98 does not make any difference over the 95 and the 91 octane is crap the E10 91 is a bit better then that.

Caltex 91 is the worst I have come across, it's totally gutless down low when taking off as is any 91 octane but woollies, 7 eleven, Caltex I will not touch at all now.

She will spin the wheels all to easy on 95 octane taking off and she picks up a lot more power kicking in from 3500rpm but with 91 octane it only kicks in from 4000rpm.

Hell in 2000's there was only 4 cents more for 95 octane over the 91.

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

I filled up at Shell on Monday night paid $1.40.9c for 98 and while I was filling up I looked the digital board and they were advertising 91 for $1.17.9 - 23 cents dearer.

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

I just filled up the BMW with BP 98, regular ULP was $1.03, 95 was $1.11, 98 was $1.18

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

Yeah, a little one man garage, who comes out to fill your car, just like the old days, about 12 or 14 km from where I live is consistently 7 or 8 cents a liter cheaper for BP 98 than the big hwy side BP servos on the way into town.

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

Please share BP's reply!

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

I filled up the GT last night on Cooper st, regular unleaded was $104.9. 98 was $123.9

yet a couple of days earlier at another BP only a few kms away (High st) regular was $1.049 and 98 was only $1.189 makes no sense at all to have 5 cpl difference between 2 service stations in the same suburb with the same base price on regular unleaded (Epping vic).

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

The trouble with stating that BP is price gouging is well.... Off the mark. What is the import cost? The terminal gate price? The cartage cost? Is the servo independently owned, but BP branded? And good luck finding BP trading in Australia. Broken up into two seperate arms and two seperate companies now. (In the Eastern states) Anyway..... You can get 98 from many different branded sites. Up to you to shop around. I personally have paid over $1.60 for 98 at the height of the price cycle. Now paying $1.21. If your just filling up your car, how can a few bucks a tank seriously effect you? If your running a transport company, well then you would buy wholesale not from a retail outlet. Horses for courses.

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

Usually use Costco 98 but wanted to see if ultimate new formula cleans better as advertised and have to say after 2 full talks on our Forester it does. 20c a litre more than Costco 98 hard to cop but it's obviously very good fuel. After this third tank will go back to Costco.

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

I have no problem paying $1.23 per litre for 98, as you stated it was up well over $1.60 per litre when at it worst a while back and was still driving the car daily. I believe the theory that if you cant afford to run and maintain a car and also pay the insurance etc you shouldnt buy it and then complain about its running costs. $3 - 5 difference in filling up makes no difference to me at all. I use almost 2 tanks per week, and enjoy every bit of it.

I was questioning the fact that there is a 5c per litre difference from a 'BP' branded service station in the same suburb only 3 kms or so apart from each other, the points you raise are quite valid about terminal gate prices and cartage cost. One may have purchased at the lower end of the cycle for 98 and the other at a slightly higher price.

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

When I bought my first V8 I had plenty of people telling me I was mad for buying a fuel guzzling V8, my reply was "I know that, when I bought it I lost the right to complain about poor fuel economy"

If youre going to make the choice to buy a premium level car that needs the premium fuel, you made the choice to accept the higher fuel costs.

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

Same deal in Canberra, consistently 20 cents per litre more than 91. The answer to your question is, because they can. It's a business and businesses are out to make money, if people keep paying it they will keep charging it.

At the height of fuel costs i paid $1.86 for 98 once, just copped it sweet as that's part of owning a high performance car

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

I am a tanker driver. The way fuel sales and business is structured. Fuel companies will never be left out to be price gouging. Some people own multiple servos. And they price war between them selves after the fuel has left the terminal. There are company owned and company operated sites. But a lot are privately run. An average of 8cents per litre is what the servo marks up the fuel after paying the cartage. The carter makes around 0.01 per litre on company transfers. And can make up to 13c/lt margin on some deliveries. Off-road fuel to farmers can also be claimed back on tax for instance. There is a lot more than meets the eye. The price gouging winge from uneducated consumers is getting old. They do make electric cars you know. This comment is not aimed at you in particular. I know some retail outlets that have a lot of sites, are able to sell fuel at a loss. Because other sites have good litreage sales. In the end fuel is only to get you to the establishment. Like a draw card. The actual profit is made on all the drinks, food, magazines and other junk purchased.

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

Current the shell expresses near my house are Around 8 cents per litre more than all the other servos (there is 4 of them) and they are the first ones to raise it when an increase is happening. I solved my issue with them by not using them.

Maybe if your not happy with the fuel price go to another Servo.

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

wake up people...Especially those saying "I'm happy paying $120 per litre

Oil is how much per barrel right now? $20 odd
Compared to its peak of over $150 per barrel - and what was the corresponding fuel price?

We are being gouged, Gotta get payback for all that war of terror, now that they've secured all the oil supplies.

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

With my new compression ratio of 10:2:1 I think I will have to run 98, My mate is in the air force and they do testing on our fuels over here. He said the most they have got from 91 was 87 octane from 95 was 91 octane but 98 is always 98 as it is imported from Singapore. Our local BP charges 30 cents a litre more for 98 than 91 at 2.07 per litre so you guys have got it a lot better than we do!! I'm just gutted he cant bring me anymore of the avgas I have been running the coupe on, 117 octane and it smells fantastic!!

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

usually 8-12c disparity between 91 and 98 in my area

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

Yep yep you know it .... I've been a tanker driver for twenty odd years, and sometimes things just don't stack up:conf:raisedeye

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

You beat me to it, Coles Shell Express servo's are the real culprits of Price gouging, imo they lead the market on price manipulation.

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

We pay too much for most things in Australia, so I don't expect fuel to be any different, as much as I wish it was.

I must admit I haven't tested the different fuels on my Falcon, but back when I had a Corolla I definitely got much better mileage from 98. One of these days I'm going to have to start trying the 91 and 95 and see if I get a difference, and if that difference is worth the cost.

I don't see them lowering the price difference any time soon, but I must admit the gap between 95 to 98 is sometimes a lot bigger than the 91 to 95 gap, which doesn't seem right.

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

Yeah that's the performance vehicle tax at play.
It's a PITA that it works out more expensive to add octane booster to 91 also.
Plus from the octane boosters I can find most don't guarantee a big enough jump at the recommended dose....
Also anyone notice that BP says it cleans the dirt out, I mean seriously??
No one ever gets dirt in the fuel or engine.
Soot/Carbon deposits sure, but they won't say that as it may mean something it can't really be proven to do ACCC anyone?

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

Yeah BP is a ripoff in general. I filled the missus WRX up the other night and their unleaded was 10 cents dearer than the Caltex up the road! They are always about 10 cents dearer.

The BP Ultimate was another 18 cents I think. At Caltex, 98 is an extra 15 cents from memory.

I'm seriously considering re-tuning the WRX for Vortex 98 and saving the money. But I think it will take a little while to recoup my tuning costs.....

Having said all of this, I still do believe BP Ultimate is the best fuel there is.

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

the provision of petrol is more like an essential service than a discretionary good

as such there should be more intervention than other goods, for which I agree with some of the free market economists in this thread

its a right pain in the *** having to drive past price gouging servos to get to one with a fair price

I believe BP are pulling the p155 their 98 product; what was the quote I saw on a pump the other day, "busts dirt in 2 tanks" or some such drivel

how very scientific, knob ends

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

No shortage of dirt in Australian fuel. Modern diesels don't handle it well compared to petrol engines.

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

I thought the same until I ran two full tanks through our Forester. 550kms from the second tank, never seen that before and noticeably smoother. Cleaner injectors/valves maybe?

Re: BP Ultimate Price Gouging
 

I have to get my Ultimate 98 in 44 gallon drums originally filled and sealed in Brisbane and trucked to Cairns where the BP depot takes it to another transport company who trucks it to Weipa. Worked out at $3.12 a litre.