This might amuse members and act as a cautionary tale.

Just before Christmas I damaged the door on my Accord so it was in for repair and I was loaned a Ford Ka (dreadful car compared to my wife's Fabia). The low fuel warning light came on, it was dark and wet so I panicked slightly and drove into the first garage I came across. I vaguely remembered it as a BP garage. It was only when I was filling the tank that I noticed the BP logo on the pump had been painted out and that the pump display showed 99.9p a litre for unleaded! Went to pay at an extremely scruffy cash desk and queried the price. Told in no uncertain terms by a large man guarded by an equally large alsatian "that's our price mate; if you don't pay we'll grab your so and so car". I paid and left in a hurry. The next garage down the road had unleaded at 85p!

Where abouts was it ? sounds very much like Marlborough ..only it's an ex esso station, 10p a litre dearer than everywhere else and thats for cash ....cheque or card is dearer still

Where abouts was it ? sounds very much like Marlborough ..only it's an ex esso station, 10p a litre dearer than everywhere else and thats for cash ....cheque or card is dearer still

Wirral, Merseyside. I also realised (eventually!) that the prices weren't displayed as usual on a large sign.

Which ex BP garage is that?

Trying to think off all the BP garages on Wirral.

Which ex BP garage is that?

Trying to think off all the BP garages on Wirral.

Am I allowed to say?

Am I allowed to say?

I don't see why not.

Is it in Wallasey?

OK. Neston; Five Ways. Used to sell 4x4's.

Not been past that way for a while.

yay so wirral safe good to hear . neston is classed as cheshire think i know the one you mean as i always go past it on way back from marshaling as use the a roads going home through neston don't like the look of it myself to be honest

There is one around Abingdon that has diesel for 1.05 a liter. Clearly displayed and not a dodgy garage as such, but that's nearing 20p a liter more expensive than say Esso/Tesco here :eek:

yay so wirral safe good to hear . neston is classed as cheshire think i know the one you mean as i always go past it on way back from marshaling as use the a roads going home through neston don't like the look of it myself to be honest

You're right; Neston is in the County of Cheshire but actually in the Wirral Peninsula most of which is in the Metropolitan County of Merseyside hence the frequent confusion. (Not that it really matters!)

A visit to trading standards would soon sort that out, they had a big clamp down on the proper display signing of petrol recently when it topped £1 litre.

My missus handles one of the largest signage contracts for petrol stations in the country. The gantry must be correct. It is illegal to to sell petrol at a price other than the price displayed on the gantry. The company she works for have to do emergency callouts to these signs if they play up and cant be kept accurate.

My missus handles one of the largest signage contracts for petrol stations in the country. The gantry must be correct. It is illegal to to sell petrol at a price other than the price displayed on the gantry. The company she works for have to do emergency callouts to these signs if they play up and cant be kept accurate.

This petrol station doesn't display the petrol prices. Is it a legal requirement that they do so?

Not sure tbh, I know if they do they have to be correct, but not sure if they have to.

I nearly filled up at the petrol station in Neston the other week!! I was in a rush, so I went home on emtpy . . . turns out it was a good job too!

I'm never going near Neston again . . . it's got nowt to do with that petrol station, Neston just has an one-way system that doesn't like me.

I'll make sure I avoid that one! Makes me wonder where he gets his fuel from really...

Steve

I don't see why, legally, there needs to be a large sign outside a petrol station. Telling you the price on the pump, which you should read before you start filling, should be adequate.

Certainly our local petrol station, which sells genuine 4*, doesn't show the outrageous price on the large signs - but does show the prices there for regular unleaded and diesel.

I nearly filled up at the petrol station in Neston the other week!! I was in a rush' date=' so I went home on empty . . . turns out it was a good job too!

I'm never going near Neston again . . . it's got nowt to do with that petrol station, Neston just has an one-way system that doesn't like me.[/quote']

The Neston one way system is rather special. I think it's cunningly designed to make you go into a Somerfield store!

You don't have to have a big sign up saying your prices on a forecourt. But most display at least some prices so you know what you are paying.