Yesterday, when we were handed our docket for groceries the nice bloke who served us pointed out that if we took the docket to any Woolworths petrol outlet, bought $10 worth of product in store and showed our rewards card we would get 14 cents a litre off our bill. You beauty says me as I'm off tomorrow up to Byron Bay to see my mother for a few days.
So today I headed to the nearest outlet. My luck was in. There was no other vehicle at the diesel pump. So I put in 130 litres at $1.39 and it comes to $182.00. So I walk into pay and show the bloke at the counter my docket from yesterday plus my rewards card and my 10 bucks worth of product and ask for the discount. He says that, no they don't honour that as they are a Caltex, Woolworths outlet, not a woolworths outlet. I then point out to him that there is a woolworths sign in big print advertising that it is a woolworths outlet and he still refuses. I then ask him where it is shown that they do not honour this prior to me filling my car. No answer. I point out that I no longer want their product as it was not what I thought I was buying and asked how was he going to get the fuel out of my car for a refund. The attendant tells me that this happens regularly. Oops. He should probably have not. At this stage an elderly gent behind me bought into the argument and suggested that the ACCC needs to be brought into it. I then ask the attendant for a phone number for me to ring. This he couldn't provide either.
By now I've had enough although I felt better when all those in the queue in the servo told the attendant that it was poor form. Getting home I then rang the local woolworths to speak to the manager. He couldn't help and put me through to the front desk so that I could get a number to take the matter further. Again they couldn't give me a number. I tried to explain to the lady (I maybe using the term loosely) that, unlike in the shop, where I can choose to leave something behind at the checkout if I decide it is more expensive than I expected I can't do this with the fuel. She tried to fob me off and I told her that she was next to useless and hung up. It will be on tomorrow. I'll still get up to Byron but I think I'll be getting away a fair bit later than I thought.
Okay. I understand that I may not have read the fine print but when a member of their organisation gives me this information am I not entitled to think that it is accurate? Or maybe they need better training. It is not about the 18 bucks or whatever. It just makes my blood boil when companies such as this dangle the bait and then get you into a situation where you have to pay. It is bloody immoral.
I have the number for the ombudsman and the ACCC ready to ring in the morning.
Anyway the point of this is, if you are going to use discount vouchers promising the world go in and ask the attendant if their servo does indeed honour their promise. The one I went to didn't.
Am I being too precious?
By the way I checked other fuel outlets on the way home and I could have got it for $1.28 without any discount at another place. That didn't help my mood much either.
Cheers
Ken
