Serious Question ? Petrol Price Fixing

[Colin L]

Right we have all heard the BP - Shell Price fixing news this week, but what happens to us the poor people who paid for it.

Lets assume they are found to have fixed the prices.

1. They get told off, the governments get money paid in a fine or something
2. They say sorry did'nt mean to do that and nothing happens

What do we get out of it, we are all out of pocket.

So hears a question -

If they are found out to have fixed the prices, can we as customers then take a small claims court case each against them, the evidence is that they did fix prices (if proved by the investigation of course) as a customer we had to pay increased petrol and heating oil prices. Thus claiming back say 2 to 6 K in damages from them?

Its a thought if nothing else.

Somehow I dont see them giving everybody free petrol for a year to make up for it if found to be guilty of price fixing.

So any thoughts?

Colin L

[Lefty]

You'll get squat I'm afraid.

And I think that DC needs to be very careful in his accusations, the only group "ripping off motorists" is the treasury.

[Colin L]

Who is DC

As I made no assumptions, just asking a question which affects us all.

Colin L

[m4tti]

David Cameron.

I guess one way to work out what the real cost is to find the cheapest fuel in which ever country. Remove the duty cost from our fuel and cheapest country and see what the differential is. If there's a large one, you'd have to question why on such a global commodity. ... And we can assume how ever low the price is in the cheapest country that the oil industry is still making money.

Duty does make up a horrific amount of the cost but we all suck it up. Look at the French, when they don't like something they go on strike.

[Walford]

I filled up yesterday 26p litre, will take pic later, diesel was 17p

[Lefty]

The oil company's make their profit on production trading, not retail. So the profit is made within the trading price.

Say $110 per barrel, that's $0.69 per litre or £0.43.

43p per litre to find and produce crude oil (and make huge profits). The oil needs to be refined, transported and sold, i don't know how much that costs but i'd guess <20p.

Who's the winner robber here?

[Lefty]

For example. I just bought 2000 litres of kerosene at 66p (incl 5% vat).

If there was no duty on fuel, diesel would be about the same, petrol slightly dearer maybe.

[Allandwf]

Think in reality the gov fix it!

[s p a c e m a n]

As far as I am aware most forecourts only make about 2p a litre, most of the price is down to crude and tax on tax.