Coles and Woolworths fuel discounts

[cfryback Find all posts View Profile Close cfryback]

The discounts are an illusion. It makes you feel as though you are making a saving when in reality you are not. Sure, if you don't have the discount, you pay more at the pump but again this is part of the illusion.

The discounts are indeed timed with the fuel price cycles. It's all part of the game.

It's quite a trick - to make consumers believe they are getting a good deal and be happy for it, even though they are really being ripped off.

IMHO the retail fuel arrangements with the big two supermarket chains is a consumer scandal of epic proportions. First you flood the market, then you control the market, then you create the perception of a market, then you rip everyone off every day, and every now and then you bring the profits down to normal creating the perception of being fair. Once you dominate the market and control everything - price setting, smart marketing, inflated price margins, coordinated price cycles - game over to the consumer.

Well, true - but Tassie has to ship fuel across Bass Straight - so our prices are 10-15 cents more/liter (don't get me started on the whole who has the best fuel BS). We have to do shopping anyways.

[PLAYDOH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PLAYDOH]

Took advantage of the 16c off deal the other day, you had to spend over $100 at Coles which we were doing any way. I was just short of the 150L limit though. But still I got just over $20 off diesel which isn't to be sneezed at. If you shop during the deals at Coles as well you can save a bit of money. The only thing we should have done is paid for three lots of groceries just going over the $100 mark to get a few 16c off dockets.

[Ozpat Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ozpat]

The discounts are an illusion.

You're probably right but it hasn't bothered the ACCC. Still better prices than they pay in Europe though same thing happening in UK with the supermarket war.

[bruggie Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bruggie]

Sign up for the Flybys card and get it activated on the 'net. Get email updates, we got the above deal as well.

Maybe it is a Southern Tassie thing

Good point, I should have mentioned that. I received the email update, activated for 30 cpl discount when spending more than $90. Our shopping was $130 and I somehow received 42 cpl discount. I believe when you spend $5 in shop, you get another 3cents off (used to be at least).
As for being ripped off as others commented, I agree, but I need my shopping anyway. Shell may be a few cents more than the local BP or other outlets, but that still leaves enough to save.
I like the Coles/Shell offers better than the Woollies everyday rewards. With Woollies/Caltex, the discount goes on your card, but depending on the offer it may take 7 days before it appears. So, you would need to keep a close eye on the account and time when you fill up. The Shell discount is on your docket. No doubt, this "discount" model is not created with 150+ liters fuel tanks in mind, so its "payback" for us Prado owners ;-)

[sandman Member Find all posts View Profile Close sandman]

You'll need the discount cards in Alice Springs folks....Diesel just ratcheted to $1.78 per litre and $1.83 for premium unleaded... $2/L here we come :-)

[macaroon1 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close macaroon1]

Could not agree more with ntp #14. I don't get how Coles and Woollies have been allowed to get away & control most of the Aus market whether it's liquor, hardware (Masters, Bunnings), petrol (Caltex, shell) & groceries. Finally people are waking up to the new competition (Aldi, Costco etc) explaining their massive explosion in expansion. I prefer to give as little of my hard earned as I can to C &W (make them work for it) . We regularly save loads going to the discounters & independents instead and this saving pays for the fuel as I've never done the loyalty bonus thing..IMHO it's a marketing scam. What you save there, they add a few cents onto to bread and milk etc. Just my 2 cents!!

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Macroon you do make some good points but a laugh a little when people mention Aldi and Costco, coles and woolies may have the market but at least they aus company's and the money is not going back to germany or the states. They are also two of the major employers employing australians.

[macaroon1 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close macaroon1]

very possibly 100% of the staff at the independants/discounters would be Australian citizens/nationals otherwise it would be illegal! I like to know how many overseas institutions own shares in Coles and Woollies...very possibly a very large %? The 'foreigners' may indeed have more overseas suppliers though, in today's climate one does have to look after your hard earned not just blindly pay homage to the big two! you have to shop around to keep them honest???

[Ozpat Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ozpat]

I know these days people think they're getting ripped off but when you compare prices from 30 or 40 years ago (if you're old enough) we're not doing too bad. A 1.25L Coke today is about the same as it was in 1973. Wages, in my experience, have gone up 10 to 20 times over last 40 years. I don't think the average grocery /hardware/entertainment bill has risen that much. It's just that we've got so much more to spend our money on. We were all running around in crappy Kingswoods/Falcons/Valiants then cos that's all we could afford. So I'm not complaining.

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Macroon no issues with supporting the independants my point wss just around aldi and costco.

[yowie Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close yowie]

The prices in southern Sydney have started going up now. $1.60 for unleaded near Sutherland Hospital. Up about 20 cents in 1 hit.

[jss Moderated member Find all posts View Profile Close jss]

The discounts are an illusion. It makes you feel as though you are making a saving when in reality you are not. Sure, if you don't have the discount, you pay more at the pump but again this is part of the illusion.

The discounts are indeed timed with the fuel price cycles. It's all part of the game.

It's quite a trick - to make consumers believe they are getting a good deal and be happy for it, even though they are really being ripped off.

IMHO the retail fuel arrangements with the big two supermarket chains is a consumer scandal of epic proportions. First you flood the market, then you control the market, then you create the perception of a market, then you rip everyone off every day, and every now and then you bring the profits down to normal creating the perception of being fair. Once you dominate the market and control everything - price setting, smart marketing, inflated price margins, coordinated price cycles - game over to the consumer.

I agree 100% ntp. The only problem is if you don't play their game and use the vouchers you are still paying more for your shopping and then getting rolled again if you don't use their vouchers. The independent servos are cheaper, but not 17 or 20 cents cheaper, These big multinationals are just getting to the point of having a monopoly on everything, when the 2 big players are working in cahoots to roll us there's not much we can do about it.

Maybe it's time to go "fast & furious" style on them and start hijacking fuel tankers. I'll supply the balaclavas and the shotguns.....who's in???

Cheers
James

[two+four Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close two+four]

We got an email offer from Coles on Tuesday for 40 cents off if you spend $120, the on Wednesday we got a 45 cent off if you spend $200 from woolies. Looks like I will spread my shopping around this week, $121 at Coles and $201 at woolies.
When I fill at woolies I always grab $5 worth of stuff in the petrol station store as well because that gives you another 4 cents off per liter which essentially means they pay you a dollar and give you some milk when you put 150 liters in.
Yes it may be a scam on there part but if you need the groceries and fuel you may as well do it. That said I can't wait until Aldi finally gets to WA

[prado2004 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close prado2004]

Fly buys have a deal ths weekend when you spend over $150 you get 30c per litre discount

[ntp Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close ntp]

Don't get me wrong, if you can use these discounts then do so. You'd be mad not to. My point is, the perceived discount is simply an illusion. You're still paying more than you should, but less than those that don't get the discount.

120 series diesel Prado owners at least have a chance to buy on the lower end of the cycle if they manage their refuelling strategy well. For example, I think we only fill up every 4-7 weeks depending on best deals. I can't recall the last time we filled up with anything less than 15c/L off.

And we will use our entire 150L allocation too, even if it means a few jerry cans.

And as someone said before, a few litres of fresh milk or some fresh bread as well to get the extra 4c/L in store discount, which equates to an extra $6 off for $5 worth of milk.