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Contractors have been warned to beware of false claims from fuel card companies trying to push their products. Steve Clarke, general manager of The Fuelcard People, said: “Our customers tell us that some suppliers make very odd claims when trying to push their products. It seems that the fewer fuel cards in a supplier’s range, the wilder their claims become. They can sound very plausible, so contractors should be aware of what to look for, and why the claims are false.”
He highlighted some of the more common misleading claims being bandied around by unscrupulous suppliers.
Claim 1: “Discounts don’t matter.” Some suppliers actually expect customers to pay pump prices – or even more – for their diesel and petrol. Whatever other benefits may be on offer, any fuel card which does not save you 2p to 3p per litre is not worth having. The whole point of having a fuel card is to save money, so avoid any that do not offer discounts.
Claim 2: “All fuel cards are the same.” They are not. Esso, for example, has seperate cards specifically geared towards HGV and LCV/car users. If all fuel cards were the same, The Fuelcard People would not go to the trouble of offering the industry’s widest range, covering every major brand. This false claim is very common, because almost all other suppliers offer only one or two different cards.
Claim 3: “You don’t need personal service.” Few suppliers have the honesty to claim this out loud, but it is the policy they operate. If you want to talk to your supplier, most of them will expect you to wait in a call centre queue before speaking to a random operator who has never heard of you. It should be obvious that it is better always to speak to the same person, because a dedicated account manager will know and understand your business.
Claim 4: “Universal use is important.” This is a real red herring. BP, Esso, Shell, Texaco and Total all have huge networks, as does Keyfuels (Diesel Direct). Having a fuel card which can only be used with one or two of these brands is not a problem, unless you really believe that their sites are hard to find. It is a funny route which will not frequently take you past your chosen brand.
Claim 5: “Branded fuel cards can not be used at supermarkets or on the smaller fuel networks.” This is simply not true. The range offered by The Fuelcard People includes cards which can be used at supermarkets, including Morrisons and Somerfield, and with such fuel suppliers as Jet, Murco, Moto and Gulf. If a supplier claims this, it simply means that their own particular card can not be used in such places.
Contractors who need more information about fuel cards should visit www.thefuelcardpeopleco.uk, email info@thefuelcardpeople.co.uk, or call 0844 870 9856.
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