Motorway prices

[High Dyke]

I realise that motorway service stations are overpriced, and that the BBC likes to find ways of funding itself, but i think this is a tad overdoing it.
Found it at my local service area the other day. Needless to say i didn't buy the CD. It's actually the BBC 6 Music Live CD.

 

[transmanche]

Haha! You should Tweet that to @BBC6Music !

 

[Qwerty133]

A thouseth of that price is still overpriced.

 

[LE Greys]

That day will come!

 

[83G/84D]

Perhaps someone can tell us why fuel at Motorway services is so much more expensive than elsewhere?

 

[transmanche]

Perhaps someone can tell us why fuel at Motorway services is so much more expensive than elsewhere?

The same reason that *everything* is much more expensive than elsewhere... simple economics.

A combination of higher running costs and a captive market. The higher running costs includes staffing, the lease, costs of construction (including paying for the slip roads, etc) and the obligation to operate 24/7, provide free parking and provide free toilets.

 

[Aldaniti]

Perhaps someone can tell us why fuel at Motorway services is so much more expensive than elsewhere?

Greed - and a reliance on mugs who are unable or unwilling to plan ahead.

 

[jon0844]

There are high costs, yes, but there's also a regular flow of customers (even at night in many locations) many of which want to eat and drink (not just use the toilets) and even do some basic shopping like getting bread/milk on way home from holiday or food for that night on the way home from work (thus M&S is a nice addition).

I do believe all the businesses involved could still make a good profit by charging less and simply use poor excuses. Of course, you can see why they do it when they can!

 

[Spaceflower]

A lack of competition.

 

[richw]

Personally I dont see a understand your lack of competition comment, especially for car users, many motorists look their routes online before. I look my routes up and estimate where I will need to stop/ fill up with diesel etc before hand, and find alternatives close to the motorway.

I Recently drove Cornwall to Heathrow, within 1/4 mile of motorway there is a supermarket at all of the following locations:
Exeter M5 J30 Morrisons
Cullompton M5 J27 Tesco
Taunton M5 J25 Sainsburys, and Asda
Avonmouth (Bristol) M5 J17 Asda and Morrisons
Swindon M4 J16 Asda
Reading M4 J12 Sainsburys

I refilled at Taunton Sainsburys where diesel was 8p a litre cheaper than at Taunton Deane services.
The only benefit of a service station is the convenience, and if more people realised how close the supermarkets are to the motorway, I'd imagine they'd use the supermarkets vs. Service station any day!

 

[jon0844]

Having a one year old baby, motorway services are now very much more convenient! At the last Moto services, I was pleasantly surprised how good the baby changing facilities were, and plenty of seating and high chairs in the open seating areas.

But ordinarily going off at an exit means only a short drive to somewhere cheaper for food and fuel. I would never fill up the car with petrol from a services unless extremely desperate!

The competition bit is more down to a lack of competition on each site, while having another operator further up the road doesn't spark a price war because they all agree to keep prices high and don't have any incentive to start a war that sees prices slashed. Why would they?

 

[IanD]

Greed - and a reliance on mugs who are unable or unwilling to plan ahead.

And those who are not paying for fuel out of their own pocket so don't give a toss how much it costs.

At least McDonalds charge high steeet prices at service stations - they're the only food outlet I'll consider using.

 

[Spaceflower]

And those who are not paying for fuel out of their own pocket so don't give a toss how much it costs.

At least McDonalds charge high steeet prices at service stations - they're the only food outlet I'll consider using.

Good ole Maccy D's.

 

[jon0844]

And those who are not paying for fuel out of their own pocket so don't give a toss how much it costs.

At least McDonalds charge high steeet prices at service stations - they're the only food outlet I'll consider using.

It's good to see they've returned to some stations after having all but disappeared, partly because they refused to increase prices in the past and were replaced with the likes of KFC and Burger King, the latter which has no qualms about charging ridiculous prices at service stations, railway stations, airports etc.

I accept you're paying for the convenience, but do find that an additional insult is that they now charge £1.99 for using a cash machine.

It's odd that the site owners haven't worked out that giving cash out for free can actually be beneficial, by giving away notes that would otherwise be banked (and charged for by the banks/companies handling the cash). £1.99 is also the highest fee I've seen anywhere. Many TOCs such as FCC have worked this out.

 

[richw]

And those who are not paying for fuel out of their own pocket so don't give a toss how much it costs.

At least McDonalds charge high steeet prices at service stations - they're the only food outlet I'll consider using.

cheaper on the motorway than some places as well. McDs have 3 price tiers, Which the franchisee can use any of the 3 tiers, company owned stores are all tier 2. Franchisees can choose their tier. Tier 1 is Tier 2 minus 10p, and Tier 3 is tier 2 plus 10p. The motorway services are mainly company owned (not franchise) so all tier 2. Many franchisees opt for tier 3.

I accept you're paying for the convenience, but do find that an additional insult is that they now charge £1.99 for using a cash machine.

It's odd that the site owners haven't worked out that giving cash out for free can actually be beneficial, by giving away notes that would otherwise be banked (and charged for by the banks/companies handling the cash). £1.99 is also the highest fee I've seen anywhere. Many TOCs such as FCC have worked this out.

When I worked for a company using Loomis for cash collection, Loomis charged I believe 1.5% for collection. This is why some companys try to encourage you to take "cash back"

 

[jon0844]

It makes sense, so I am surprised so many places are increasing the ATM charges. It can't be working as over the Easter weekend we ended up in four service stations - and I never saw anyone using a cash machine once.

That has to be unheard of! In days gone by at Welcome Break (and this is 10 years ago) there would be queues. Now there are machines all over and nobody using them, presumably using their cards instead to pay for things and making their own little protest (and good on them for doing so).

At a small newsagents or similar, I'd pay a convenience fee that I consider fair.. like 50p. Anything over £1, and certainly £2, is an insult - especially if I only want to take out £10.

 

[richw]

As of 6th April it became illegal for a company to make a profit from card transactions. I'm wondering if this will affect these bandit ATMs as well?

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/cards/2013/04/credit-and-debit-card-fee-clampdown-begins

 

[transmanche]

As of 6th April it became illegal for a company to make a profit from card transactions. I'm wondering if this will affect these bandit ATMs as well?

No, it won't.