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Fuel Shopper Dockets Under Fire

One of the wonders of the last few years has been the supermarket shopper fuel docket scheme, the system gives motorists a small saving (usually 4¢ per litre) off their fuel bill if they spend a certain amount at supermarkets such as Coles or Woolworths.


The ironic part of the system is that many motorists tend to spend more than they have to get the fuel-saving docket, and then travel past their local petrol station to fill up at a station which honours their docket. This usually results in more money being spent for a minuscule saving.

Furthermore this motorist behaviour is driving independent stations out of business, and there are questions being raised as to whether or not the scheme actually reduces the price of fuel (given it reduces competition).

The shopper docket may be on the way out though. Many have argued that the fuel saving dockets do not actually work as intended, either petrol stations raise prices by 4 cents to compensate or supermarkets raise prices accordingly.

Brisbane's Courier-Mail reports that independent fuel companies are begging the ACCC to even up the playing field. The largest of them all, United Petroleum, told the ACCC that the fuel docket scheme had lead to supermarkets dominating the field unfairly. The ACCC is investigating the claims.

Given this year is an election year, there is a good chance that come election time the price of fuel will go down and the government will punish a few petroleum giants for their misleading conducts.

Source: Courier-Mail

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