Warning Fuel Card Overcharging

Moose100

Hi there,

Has anyone out there experienced a fuel card company increasing the cost per litre on their invoices??
I own a small business, two vehicles and have been with this Fuel Card for eight or more years. My invoices are often processed by a staff member who is only concerned with the total and the VAT.
Recently when looking at an invoice myself, I noticed that 99.5 litres had cost €173:eek: It was only the fact that the use in that particular week was small and the figure was close to 100lts that I quickly realised something was up.

I thought this can't be right, €1.73 ish per litre? The cost ex-vat on the invoice was 1.416. I was astounded by the price but even more astounded to learn that this was NOT the price for everyone using these cards!!

Researching here on boards, I was able to find the cost per litre that this company was charging their customers. The posters seem to be average users, and were receiving texts per week with the price for the week which they then posted. (I signed up long before a text service was available from this company and was never informed of one, the thread on here was first I heard of it).

I matched up the prices with my invoices as best I could, over the past year. A conservative estimate leads me to believe I've been charged €1500 extra over this year alone!!!

I'm not at all happy:mad:. I rang company and asked why I'm being overcharged? I was informed that the computer system automatically puts clients onto higher price brackets based on usage. I said I was unaware that a certain usage was a requirement, and with some of the posts from the other thread indicating moderate use at best of the card, I know my usage was more. I regularly pay invoices in excess of €500 per week.

I was informed that if I had called them I would have been put on the lower price point, and that my invoices clearly showed the price I was paying and the company could only assume I was happy to pay!!! What BS! Why would anyone want to pay more for any identical product?

I was told by the representative that my not checking the price on my invoices was akin to not checking the price on a forecourt when buying fuel! Two points here 1) I was under the impression that this fuel card was a bulk buying scheme, and that the savings, or lack of, would be passed on to all members. I was aware the price may fluctuate, but was unaware of price brackets to different members and there is no indication of 'plan' or 'tariff' on the invoice. Just the price per litre, written quite small. 2) Yes it is true that many people will just fill up and not take note of the price, and I put it to the representative, that this company is exploiting that fact. My initial reason for signing up was to feel safe in the knowledge I would be paying a 'competitive rate' not having to worry about forecourt prices and often went out of my way to ensure I found a pump that accepted my card. It seems to me that the systems they have in place isolate customers that have the same assumption and businesses that have accounts departments or office assistants processing the invoices. Those who have never been in contact and pay on time have their price slowly nudged up. The reward for loyalty and trust in the company being to be screwed!

So firstly, if you are using, have a business using or know anyone using fuel cards please check your invoices. If my experience saves anyone being ripped off at least that will be something. In a time when small business is hurting practices such as this are the lowest form of enterprise. This company has thousands of customers, if they dupe just 100 customers in the same way, that's €150,000 per year. Some small business would currently be happy with that as a turnover!

Also, if anyone else has had a similar experience let me know. If anyone has taken action or feel I may have grounds for such your input would be much appreciated.

Many thanks for reading:)

dudara

Moved to Entreprenurial & Business Management

dudara

Ah_Jazuz

Hi Moose100

What a shame I didn't see your post years ago !

I have had the exact same experience as yourself. I initially signed up for the fuel cars in 2008 to get the promised competitive price and and simple monthly invoice.

For several months I I was checking amounts used over 2 vehicles and the cost per litre.

I was getting on or below the average price and this build up a level of trust which leads to be focusing on other priorities, and just randomly checking the amounts were correct.

Then they began billing weekly which was an annoyance, but I stayed with them.

Fast forward 14 years to 2022, when when I began double checking some invoices.

I was shocked to discover that over a 9-year period from 2013 I was being charged over the average price anything from 5% to 35% with an average overcharge of 15%

With a total spend of circa €40,000 in that period I was overcharged €6,000.

I emailed the company with example of my records and discrepancies.

The initially offered a Goodwill €100 and after many phone calls and emails that was increased to a final offer of €800 recently.

I did hint in phone calls that if I did not receive a fair offer as in a large proportion of that amount, that public exposure of the matter could cause terrible reputational damage.

This did not seem to worry the representatives nor his boss's who are sticking with the same bad offer.

Not quite sure if any of the consumer champions/media would be interested in exposing this sharp practise scandal.

Martin

Gloomtastic!

Not a great advert for fuel cards and journalists like Conor Pope at The Irish Times might be interested in covering it.

https://www.irishtimes.com/author/conor-pope/

walterking

They really don't care.

They have a near monopoly.

I presume this is DCI

It's how they make their profits. Probably best to get the Applegreen card or Circle K card.

sugarman20

Applegreen are usually 1-2 cent less than the pumps. I thought DCI were the same? (at least that was what I was told)

writhen

DCI are the worst for this. Price creeps up over a period of weeks. You do a check versus local pumps. You make a complaint.... Price goes down.... Price creeps up again over a few weeks and so on.....

Just avoid them...