Profiteering
Author
Discussion

bqf

Original Poster:

2,288 posts

192 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
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Now that every 70 year old has completely filled every receptacle they own with fuel, and I had a range of 5 miles, I thought it was safe to visit a garage.

WRONG! 151.9 for a litre of diesel, £137 to fill up.

I feel very unwell indeed. The greedy bds.

kambites

70,314 posts

242 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
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confused Not a fan of capitalism then?

Hoofy

79,163 posts

303 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
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Mm. I think there should be a boycott of garages that took the piss. Some garages around here increased by a penny to 140p or even 141p but the one closest to me increased it from 139p to 145p.

Devil2575

13,400 posts

209 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
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Indeed, the same kind of capitalism employed by hotel owners immediately after 911. Aircraft grounded, people stranded, put the price of hotel rooms up...

kambites

70,314 posts

242 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
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Yup. Simple supply and demand.

Celtic Dragon

3,309 posts

256 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
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I thought simple profiteering such as this was illegal.

kambites

70,314 posts

242 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
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Celtic Dragon said:
I thought simple profiteering such as this was illegal.
Why would it be illegal? I really don't understand what people are claiming is wrong with raising prices when demand out-strips supply? That's the whole principle on what capitalism is based - price is the adjuster used to make sure that supply and demand are equal.

pingu393

10,122 posts

226 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
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bqf said:
Now that every 70 year old has completely filled every receptacle they own with fuel, and I had a range of 5 miles, I thought it was safe to visit a garage.

WRONG! 151.9 for a litre of diesel, £137 to fill up.

I feel very unwell indeed. The greedy bds.
Did you need to fill to the brim, or were you just showing your age?

PurpleMoonlight

22,362 posts

178 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
quotequote all
kambites said:
Why would it be illegal? I really don't understand what people are claiming is wrong with raising prices when demand out-strips supply? That's the whole principle on what capitalism is based - price is the adjuster used to make sure that supply and demand are equal.
I see no justification to make excessive profits just because something is in short supply or high demand for a short period.

kambites

70,314 posts

242 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
quotequote all
PurpleMoonlight said:
kambites said:
Why would it be illegal? I really don't understand what people are claiming is wrong with raising prices when demand out-strips supply? That's the whole principle on what capitalism is based - price is the adjuster used to make sure that supply and demand are equal.
I see no justification to make excessive profits just because something is in short supply or high demand for a short period.
Oh,... so if not through supply and demand, how do you think commodity prices should be determined?

PurpleMoonlight

22,362 posts

178 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
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kambites said:
Oh,... so if not through supply and demand, how do you think commodity prices should be determined?
The combined costs to manufacturer, distribute and retail.

A doubling of demand overnight through external pressures did not change those costs. The cost to the public was increased purely because they could because they knew people would pay. In effect profiteering.

Whether it was increased by the manufacturer, the retailer or both I dont know.

Liquid Tuna

1,403 posts

177 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
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PurpleMoonlight said:
The combined costs to manufacturer, distribute and retail.

A doubling of demand overnight through external pressures did not change those costs. The cost to the public was increased purely because they could because they knew people would pay. In effect profiteering.

Whether it was increased by the manufacturer, the retailer or both I dont know.
The problem with this kind of ideology is that it relies on all humans to be fair and equal. Capitalism can't.

Bonefish Blues

33,969 posts

244 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
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My regular garage put LPG down 4ppl yesterday morning, and I had the forecourt to myself, which was nice smile

Du1point8

22,431 posts

213 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
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Jeez the amount of self self self on this thread is ridiculous... especially when it comes to supply and demand.

What does the garage do when they run out of fuel and have nothing to sell for a few weeks, etc? you going to go and help them out or is it not your problem then?

They are trying to sort themselves out for when times are a bit slack like when they have nothing to sell, therefore are not making any money.

Plus do you realise how little the garage owner makes on fuel?

PurpleMoonlight

22,362 posts

178 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
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Du1point8 said:
Jeez the amount of self self self on this thread is ridiculous... especially when it comes to supply and demand.

What does the garage do when they run out of fuel and have nothing to sell for a few weeks, etc? you going to go and help them out or is it not your problem then?

They are trying to sort themselves out for when times are a bit slack like when they have nothing to sell, therefore are not making any money.

Plus do you realise how little the garage owner makes on fuel?
Are you serious?

If the garage sells 3 days supply in 1 day and then has nothing to sell for 2 days, he has made the same profit over the 3 days .....

Du1point8

22,431 posts

213 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
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PurpleMoonlight said:
Du1point8 said:
Jeez the amount of self self self on this thread is ridiculous... especially when it comes to supply and demand.

What does the garage do when they run out of fuel and have nothing to sell for a few weeks, etc? you going to go and help them out or is it not your problem then?

They are trying to sort themselves out for when times are a bit slack like when they have nothing to sell, therefore are not making any money.

Plus do you realise how little the garage owner makes on fuel?
Are you serious?

If the garage sells 3 days supply in 1 day and then has nothing to sell for 2 days, he has made the same profit over the 3 days .....
If a garage sells 3 days supply in 1 day then it is doing well... If all the other garages in the area do the same, there is no guarantee when the next shipment arrives otherwise we wouldn't have lots of stations closed would we they would all be filled back up again asap.

martin84

5,366 posts

174 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
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Devil2575 said:
Indeed, the same kind of capitalism employed by hotel owners immediately after 911. Aircraft grounded, people stranded, put the price of hotel rooms up...
That was more exploitation rather than capitalism. Ripping people off for a hotel for the Olympics is one thing, but that was people cashing in on a terrorist attack.

This whole 'go capitalism' thread is a load of bks anyway. Nothing to do with supply and demand, The cost price of the fuel to the retailer hasn't changed over the last week so they have no need to hike prices up.

ferdyg

193 posts

192 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
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No, he has not.

he will have less "foot fall" and people buying all the other stuff that people buy when they pop in to buy fuel.

and the margin on fuel, for the forecourt operator is quite small.

They make far more profit from non fuel sales.

I was waiting to fuel a customers car, the motorist in front of me brimmed to the top, very carefully. Seemed to not take very long. The cost of fuel displayed on the pump when he had finished was £16.82 (yes, £16.82 )

PurpleMoonlight

22,362 posts

178 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
quotequote all
Du1point8 said:
If a garage sells 3 days supply in 1 day then it is doing well... If all the other garages in the area do the same, there is no guarantee when the next shipment arrives otherwise we wouldn't have lots of stations closed would we they would all be filled back up again asap.
Err, no.

Their next delivery arrives when scheduled as there is no delivery strike. They have therefore sold the same fuel in the same period as they were expecting to do.

There is no justification to increase the unit price.

Du1point8

22,431 posts

213 months

Sunday 1st April 2012
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PurpleMoonlight said:
Du1point8 said:
If a garage sells 3 days supply in 1 day then it is doing well... If all the other garages in the area do the same, there is no guarantee when the next shipment arrives otherwise we wouldn't have lots of stations closed would we they would all be filled back up again asap.
Err, no.

Their next delivery arrives when scheduled as there is no delivery strike. They have therefore sold the same fuel in the same period as they were expecting to do.

There is no justification to increase the unit price.
as mentioned by someone else... when fuel runs out no more normal customers, so no-one buying just normal goods, therefore less sold.