Motorists warned of petrol price rip-off

MOTORISTS are being warned to be on the alert for a price rip-off at petrol stations.

A number of smaller retail outlets, particularly in the south east, were found to be overcharging drivers by up to four cents per litre more than their displayed prices.

The Director of Consumer Affairs, Carmel Foley, disclosed that investigations are continuing into likely breaches of the retail prices' act "with a view to prosecutions".

Due to the possibility of court proceedings, Ms Foley said the names of the allegedly offending retail outlets will not be named at this stage.

The stations involved, it emerged, did not have electronic display signs and retailers claimed manual signs did not permit prices to be advertised in excess of 99.9 cent.

Ms Foley said the retailers' excuses were bordering on being pathetic. "I personally consider it to be an extremely serious matter for anyone to advertise a price lower than the actual price," she said last night. "The law is crystal clear; retail outlets selling fuel must display prices and the display signs should be clearly legible."

The warning of misleading prices followed a survey this week at service stations by inspectors from Ms Foley's office.

The survey, focusing on the accuracy of petrol price displays, discovered at least three stations in the south east showed display prices of petrol at 99.9 cent per litre while the pump price was up to 103.9 cent.

The petrol stations claimed their manual display signs had only space for three digits, two digits before the decimal point and one digit after.

Ms Foley said that the inspectors' intervention resulted in the suspected breaches being rectified, with retailers inserting hand-written figures.

Meanwhile, checks carried out at 160 retail outlets by inspectors from the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs found the price of petrol varied considerably from region to region.

Ms Foley said she was anxious to halt further breaches of the Retail Price Display Order, 1997, in relation to petrol and diesel. Her concerns, she indicated, were primarily with the petrol stations which relied on manual signage, especially as prices begin to exceed the one euro level.

"The misleading price indication issue is not widespread yet," Ms Foley said, "but if the price of petrol continues to increase, the potential exists for it to extend countrywide."

The director said last night she had written to the oil companies on the issue. She said the major companies had a key role in ensuring correct prices are displayed by providing petrol stations with new signs.