BP 10c discounts

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frankv

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#214638 22-May-2017 12:56

Does anyone know whether the BP 10c/L discount days are targeted individually, or whether they're across the board?

It seems to me that I only get a 10c/L discount email offer the day after I've bought fuel from BP (I don't use Caltex just because round here their base price is more than 4c higher than BP's). I'm wondering if this is a deliberate strategy by BP to ensure that I buy half my petrol at the higher price. Or maybe I'm just unlucky to be using petrol at a slightly higher rate than optimum? (And paranoid).

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#1785949 22-May-2017 13:06

It depends I think. I presume there's an algorithm they use I reckon as I used to top up both our cars - so 140-ish every 3-3 weeks and as a result got all the emails/texts indicating 10c off every other Thursday.

Since my wife stopped working and her car stays in the garage so I just fuel up mine and I don't get their texts any more, just emails and every other week now rather than weekly.

scuwp

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#1785984 22-May-2017 14:49

Check out the app 'Gaspy'. Crowd sourced fuel pricing and tracking. Use it all the time now. Recently added some statistical info which may help you track BP price changes.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

nzkiwiman

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#1786001 22-May-2017 15:05

I've had one targeted campaign from Caltex, everything else was a general promotion that was applicable to everyone
However majority of the time they do not come at the right time for me and I just take advantage of the 6c standard offer.

dukester

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#1786002 22-May-2017 15:06

I get the emails from BP and Caltex advertising there 10 litre deals. I have my fill ups planned around using either one to get the most out of the 10 Litre deals. Caltex are usually a different day to BP.

sbiddle

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#1786130 22-May-2017 18:36

Smartfuel is just a scam. The sooner it's banned the better off everybody will be.

dukester

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#1786138 22-May-2017 19:04

sbiddle:

Smartfuel is just a scam. The sooner it's banned the better off everybody will be.

Can you explain why its a scam?

jamesrt

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#1786151 22-May-2017 19:23

Whilst "scam" may be a bit harsh, I'd rather just see lower prices across the board; and none of this drip-feeding of discounts.

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Oblivian

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#1786152 22-May-2017 19:27

dukester:

sbiddle:

Smartfuel is just a scam. The sooner it's banned the better off everybody will be.

Can you explain why its a scam?

Very negate-able savings on paper when you actually work it out. Amount loss on detour+full purchase vs discount when accumulated within cents - $2 of it

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=162&topicid=208861&page_no=2#1729252

Wiggum

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#1786206 22-May-2017 20:28

sbiddle:

Smartfuel is just a scam. The sooner it's banned the better off everybody will be.

Really now??

Aredwood

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#1786250 22-May-2017 21:14

sbiddle:

Smartfuel is just a scam. The sooner it's banned the better off everybody will be.

Fully agree. Other problems it causes is that poorer people can't take full advantage of it. As they normally won't have enough money to spend at once at Countdown or the petrol stations to get the max discounts. And almost certain shops that offer the discounts have to pay a fee to do so. Meaning they will have to have higher prices. Sure by all means use it if you would otherwise have still gone to the same shops and petrol stations and still spent the same amount of money in them. But the money to give you those discounts has to come from somewhere.

A good example is Contact Energy offering 30C per L discount via smartfuel. But their power prices are really expensive compared to Flick Electric.

Near my house there is a Mobil and BP on the same street. Mobil have a standard promotion of 6c off per L if you spend $40 or more on fuel. And they regularly do 10c off per L days. The pump prices are normally exactly the same. So zero benefit of using smartfuel. Then there is Waitomo Petroleum, Far far cheaper. And without any gimmicks as well.

NB the above relates to Diesel prices. Often BP are the most expensive For diesel as well. Have had times when Mobil with the 10c per L discount has been 30c per L cheaper than BP. And that is without any fuelcards as well. My far better method of getting discounts is to carry a 20L fuel container in the van. If I drive past a particularly cheap petrol station, I fill up the van and the container. When the van runs low I tip the container into the van. Often by the time the van's tank starts to get a bit low, It is another 10c off per L day. I wouldn't recommend carrying a container of petrol around though.

Oblivian

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#1786251 22-May-2017 21:19

I think where sbiddle is coming from (and I may be wayyy off here as I didn't use the aforementioned chart..)

Based on a standard 6c discount (which flybuys card @ z constantly, @ Mobil constantly others with aa card at present) is based on a 6c discount and a 50lt fill (for roundness)

2.05/l = $102.50/50l

6c discount 1.99/l = $99.50/50

Saving $3/visit

Assuming 6c every visit and no pricing fluctuation, to get your 1.50/l discount 25 visits required

25 visits @ $3 is $75 spent without discounting.

50lt @ .55c = $27.5

un discounted 102.5 tank - 27.5.. $75

/edit.. actually I think I've looked at the savings cost wrong. lol carry on, brain no work

sbiddle

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#1786281 22-May-2017 23:08

It's a scam because prices are being inflated to offer a discount. It's against the law to advertise products in such a way.

If BP, Caltex and Mobil can offer 6-10c cpl off every day it shows their prices are too high. Likewise Z have just lost the plot entirely and only offer discounts if you're a Fly Buys customer. Why they even bothered signing up to Airpoints defies all logic as you'd have to be pretty dumb to shop there and pay $2 - $3 more per fill (they haven't offered any Airpoints discounts since January) in return for getting APD 50c as a reward.

Discounting in excess of 4cpl was banned in Australia because it severly skewed the fuel prices. Exactly the same thing has happened in NZ but so far the Commerce Commission have been too gutless to do anything about it.

Oblivian

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#1786289 22-May-2017 23:13

sbiddle:

It's a scam because prices are being inflated to offer a discount. It's against the law to advertise products in such a way.

If BP, Caltex and Mobil can offer 6-10c cpl off every day it shows their prices are too high. Likewise Z have just lost the plot entirely and only offer discounts if you're a Fly Buys customer. Why they even bothered signing up to Airpoints defies all logic as you'd have to be pretty dumb to shop there and pay $2 - $3 more per fill (they haven't offered any Airpoints discounts since January) in return for getting APD 50c as a reward.

Discounting in excess of 4cpl was banned in Australia because it severly skewed the fuel prices. Exactly the same thing has happened in NZ but so far the Commerce Commission have been too gutless to do anything about it.

Heres the irony (I almost added to the z flybuys thread...)

Their alignment with Flybuys means of course what we are seeing to compete with Mobil and the AA card, as a near permanent 6c discount. They also severed the supermarket dockets as a part of the deal.

So, I found it rather odd I got a 10c off voucher in the mail recently from Z. Called 'ditch the dockets' campaign! Saying that docket discounts to other retailers weren't fair. Whats more, you can add your fly buys and get 16c off. https://www.cheapies.nz/node/11028

boflit

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#1786470 23-May-2017 09:47

I use smartfuel as I shop at countdown, it is more a bonus though, as I would shop there anyway. However, it is the wife that gets the benefit, as my last car, and current car can only run on 98. So she goes to Caltex and uses my discounts (or rather I take her car and fill up for her). My local BP is about 20c more expensive than any other garage, so I avoid them like the plague. But Gaspy has been great in finding the best deals, as I am restricted to BP, Mobil and Gull, I boycott BP, so it leaves me with Mobil and Gull to choose from, so it tends to be whichever is most convenient for me. Saving 10c a litre just by going 2km out of my way is a real bonus when I have to fill a 68l tank.

Its not a huge saving, but its the principal, if service stations in my area are going to elevate their prices because they don't have the Gull effect, then I will avoid them. I notice Howick BP is never full when I drive past it, nor is Z Pakuranga, I have told them they need to be more competitive in their pricing to attract locals, not just rich/desperate/lazy locals, but they don't care. Nor do they care that 91 is no longer a valid fuel for the NZ fleet. They argue it is ok, but I would say over the long run its not, IMO.

sbiddle

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#1787209 24-May-2017 07:58

Oblivian:

Heres the irony (I almost added to the z flybuys thread...)

Their alignment with Flybuys means of course what we are seeing to compete with Mobil and the AA card, as a near permanent 6c discount. They also severed the supermarket dockets as a part of the deal.

So, I found it rather odd I got a 10c off voucher in the mail recently from Z. Called 'ditch the dockets' campaign! Saying that docket discounts to other retailers weren't fair. Whats more, you can add your fly buys and get 16c off. https://www.cheapies.nz/node/11028

Z have lost a lot of market share recently, and are still continuing to do so. Across both brands (Caltex + Z) however Z Energy are relatively stable. Their strategy right now seems to be to pitch Z at the top of the market with high pricing and minimal discounting - they haven't run an Airpoints discount for months and have only recently reintroduced FlyBuys discounts as even FlyBuys customers were walking away from them. They're making very, very good money from this because there are plenty of people out there who seem willing to pay significantly more for petrol for absolutely no benefit.

On the other hand Caltex is pitched as the competitive brand offering all the discounting with an average retail cpl charge that's significantly less than Z.

As a strategy it's obviously working well for them because they can average the two out and have overall margins that are above what the competition can get. BP are locked into the SmartFuel discounting model also and Mobil are simply being forced to offer 6cpl - 10cpl off just to stay competitive.

Anybody shopping at Z and paying retail for their petrol with no discounting or using Airpoints really is the perfect customer. They're blatently ripping you off and you seem to be enjoying it.

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