tarmac terror

iTrader: (2)

i was told a story about one of the other half's work colleagues who placed an order for home heating oil. They asked for a price for 900 litres delivered and were told £300. Being just before Christmas and cash was a bit tight, they ordered 500 Litres instead.

The oil company delivered the oil when the house was empty, as they were regular customers with the same company, risk of non-payment was presumably low.

The invoice left stated 900 litres had been delivered and they were being charged for 900. On checking the tank, this looked to be accurate. The oil company were contacted and offered to come round and draw off the excess amount from the tank at no cost and would reduce the invoice, alternativly they offered the larger amount for the special price of £317 (£17 more than originally quoted).

Immediately I thought oil compnay messed up, therefore their loss. Pay for the 500 litres you ordered and keep the rest. Not sure how they would stand regards coming onto your property to take the oil without the owners permission.

What do you reckon, opportunity to get one over on the oil companies for once, or skating on thin ice?

TT

johnfelstead

sounds like they calculated their costs and decided it's not worth their time/money to remove the excess oil suplied, so ofering you a discounted price cuts the time/hassle/costs they would incur. Sounds like a normal business decision process to me, nothing unusual, you should take their offer.

Spoon

A special price should be less than the £300 originally quoted and not £317 though John.

If the company are willing to not charge for drawing off the excess and amending the invoice then I can't see there is a problem.

tarmac terror

iTrader: (2)

Maybe haven't explained what i meant as well as I should have - my question is, should they pay for the 500 litres which they ordered and not give back the other 400 litres, it was the oil company who over filled the tank - their error / their loss.

TT

Spoon

I understood you the first time TT. Why would they want to steal the extra oil?

Bubba po

But that's not theft, Spoon. They deserve to lose that oil because they made a mistake.

Fuzz

Well if they offered to take it away FOC as it was their fault they put in 400 Ltrs too much, fair enough.

Cash was tight as it was Crimbo and you couldn't afford the £300 for 900 Ltrs, so why exactly are you considering the £317 deal for 900 Ltrs
You either can afford it or you cant..

I'd say to them "I wanted 500 lts and I'll pay for 500 Ltrs, nothing more, Come and take it away if you want to."

£317 for 900 Ltrs is not a deal when a few days before it was £300 for 900 Ltrs.


Andy

johnfelstead

you edited the post after i read it to write a reply, thats why my reply makes no sense now.

Pay for the 500 litres at the original price quoted, anything else is the supliers problem to sort out to your friends satisfaction. Your friends cant keep the excess without paying for it, if thats what you are thinking.

As they are regular customers, why dont they ask to defer the payment for the extra until a few months, as they will need a topup then. Saves the cost of a second trip that way, all parties will be quids in then (or is that far too logical these days?)

dsmith

ffs of course you cant just keep it. Oil company have offered to come and take it back i.e. rectify their mistake. To refuse that AND refuse to pay for it = Theft.

BEW

Do some folk really have so few problems in life that a minor mix up over £132 is such an issue?

DJ73

Scumbag

If you accidentally parked your car on private land, would you expect the owner of the land to just say that it was your mistake, so he can keep your car, and not allow you back on his land land to collect it?
Exactly the same principle - theft

Spoon

Not only that then but in the new world of today surely they could claim to part own the lorry that deposited the oil as it was on their land for at least 20 mins?

Then there is the claim for 'emotional distress' for knowing the delivery driver delivered to an empty house!!

There had to be a knee, back or even worse a neck injury when the news of a wrong delivery to an empty house reached the stressed occupants. Keeping upright without crashing to the ground in such a circumstance would be difficult, no doubt.

Quids in I reckon, well worth a call to Claims Direct first thing.

p.s Don't forget the Rolex watch that was crushed in the fall.

Leslie

I think it is right to be be honest about it than that greedy!

Les