Report # 8 - 23-11-2008 The Great Boat Fuel Price Rip-Off

We've received dozens of emails and calls from boat owners complaining about the cost of fuel at St Kilda Marina. After checking current fuel prices, we're as disgusted as our contributors are.

Prices as of Sunday 23rd November 2008 are:

"What a bloody rip-off. Their price for unleaded petrol is 50 cents a litre more expensive than the BP service station at the entrance. 50 cents. Fucking Pirates." - Tony

"I've attached a pic of the sign recently placed at the entrance to the marina. Talk about adding insult to injury... What a bunch of wankers. It's completely legal for all of us to use an approved fuel container to fill our boats no matter the size. Mine takes 450 litres so at 50 cents a litre above the service stations price it will cost me an extra $225 to fill my boat if I buy fuel from their bowser as opposed to the BP at the corner. And this is for the same fuel.... Message to them: Go and get stuffed." - Jim





"I don't have any problem at all with them making a profit on fuel sales, but a 50 cent per litre difference between St Kilda Boat Sales Service Center and the BP at the corner is nothing more than blatant price gouging." - Joe

"I'll bet they drop the price 5 mins after this article is posted onto stkildamarinaclub.com" - Pam

"Can you believe that their own website says "Only quality fuel from BP is sourced." So why are they 50 cents a litre more expensive than the BP only 200 metres away at the corner? Go to Sandie and fill up and you'll save heaps." - Phil

"They can piss off and stick that sign where it fits. If I can fill up my boat with premium unleaded petrol for 30 cents a litre cheaper at the servo than I can buy regular petrol from these bastards, then that is exactly what I am going to do." Nick

"No wonder he walks around with that perpetual smirk on his face. It's nothing short of an out and out rip off and everybody knows it. I wouldn't buy fuel off them on principle. I've got an approved fuel container and I'm going to keep using it and there is nothing they can do about it. I swear to God that if he says anything to me about my right and ability to legally save 50 cents a litre, I'll smack that smirk right off his face." - John

"Apart from the fuel issue and that stupid sign that I'm sure if you asked them would be justified as an OH&S issue, has anyone else noticed that these guys are antifouling boats literally 5 feet from the canal? All that toxic stuff is ending up in the water. Surely there are some EPA issues here that need to be investigated" - Linda