Petrol prices- being sold at .9 of a p?

Petrol prices- being sold at .9 of a p?

Author
Discussion

RWD cossie wil

Original Poster:

4,310 posts

173 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
Ok, might sound like a daft question, but how can petrol be sold at a price that no currency exists for? It is impossible to pay 124.9p for a litre of fuel, so how is it legal to advertise at that?

vinnie83

3,367 posts

193 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
Because at point of sale, you are given a quantity that is priced in pounds and pence.

Much like working out the price of anything per whatever quantity, it may be a figure in .75 of a pence, but it will always be sold in quantities that are in pounds and pence.

mrmr96

13,736 posts

204 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
But min delivery is normally 2 litres. So 2x 129.9p = 259.8p and I think the question is how to pay 0.8p?

Rawwr

22,722 posts

234 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
mrmr96 said:
But min delivery is normally 2 litres. So 2x 129.9p = 259.8p and I think the question is how to pay 0.8p?
Try. Report back smile

maniac0796

1,292 posts

166 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
The same reason things are priced at .99

People see a lower number at the beginning, and think it's cheaper.

ShampooEfficient

4,267 posts

211 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
maniac0796 said:
The same reason things are priced at .99

People see a lower number at the beginning, and think it's cheaper.
But one can pay 99 pence in all manner of denominations, short of illegally taking a hacksaw to a penny you can't pay a fraction of a pence.

thebigmacmoomin

2,798 posts

169 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
Besause .9 looks cheaper. Just like £0.99 looks cheaper than £1.00 (well it is but its only 1p).

Dr Jekyll

23,820 posts

261 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
RWD cossie wil said:
Ok, might sound like a daft question, but how can petrol be sold at a price that no currency exists for? It is impossible to pay 124.9p for a litre of fuel, so how is it legal to advertise at that?
Because if they sold it for 125p a litre people would post on websites asking how they could pay for 0.999 litres.

cuprabob

14,604 posts

214 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
Dr Jekyll said:
RWD cossie wil said:
Ok, might sound like a daft question, but how can petrol be sold at a price that no currency exists for? It is impossible to pay 124.9p for a litre of fuel, so how is it legal to advertise at that?
Because if they sold it for 125p a litre people would post on websites asking how they could pay for 0.999 litres.
£124.875

Zip106

14,696 posts

189 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
cuprabob said:
Dr Jekyll said:
RWD cossie wil said:
Ok, might sound like a daft question, but how can petrol be sold at a price that no currency exists for? It is impossible to pay 124.9p for a litre of fuel, so how is it legal to advertise at that?
Because if they sold it for 125p a litre people would post on websites asking how they could pay for 0.999 litres.
£124.875
Crikey. Expensive where you live, then. smile

TheLurker

1,370 posts

196 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
Do they not round the final value down?

So if the price was 1299p/l and you put 1l in the car, it would cost you £1.29.

mrmr96

13,736 posts

204 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
TheLurker said:
Do they not round the final value down?

So if the price was 1299p/l and you put 1l in the car, it would cost you £1.29.
That's exactly what they do do. But isn't that missing the point of the thread? Or have I missed it?

Glade

4,266 posts

223 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
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Think of it as for every 10 litres you get a 1p discount over the £1.25 price.

Urban Sports

11,321 posts

203 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
Makes it look cheaper?

lance1a

1,337 posts

198 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
Because the .9p makes people talk about the .9p and deflects away from the fact the government are screwing us for almost the entire balance of the price?

williamp

19,255 posts

273 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
A good question and one I still dont get: the 0.9p doesnt exist. The smallest amount possible to sell something for is 1p, shirley?

If I bought two litres, is that an extra 1.8p I spend, or do they round irt down before (therefore I dont spend the extra 1.8p) or round down after the dinal, therefore I pay the extra 1p???


Can someone explain in a sort of "these are small, those are far away" approach which I might get

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

255 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
vinnie83 said:
Because at point of sale, you are given a quantity that is priced in pounds and pence.

Much like working out the price of anything per whatever quantity, it may be a figure in .75 of a pence, but it will always be sold in quantities that are in pounds and pence.
Of a PENNY...

Pigeon

18,535 posts

246 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
Just go for the simple answer: "because they are tts". It explains 99% of human behaviour pretty adequately.

DAVEVO9

3,469 posts

267 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
Pigeon said:
Just go for the simple answer: "because they are tts". It explains 99% of human behaviour pretty adequately.
Good point..

I don't know if you think like me Pigeon.. If I see something priced at £9.99 to me it's a tenner?

If I see petrol at £1.29.9 a litre then it,s £1.30? WTF is .9 of a pence worth? or for that matter, what can you buy for 1 pence?

Expect £1.50 a litre by the summer.


slipstream 1985

12,219 posts

179 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
if you put in £50.01 and hand over £100 the cashier might just give you £50 back. hey you just made 1p!!