View Full Version : No Optimax in the North East
Hi
Many of you have recommended Optimax and I thought I'd try it in my Cupra when it arrives (today). Trouble is, I can't find any stockists in the N East of England. Not one in Cleveland, Co Durham, Tyne and Wear or Northumberland, and only 4 in North Yorkshire in 2 towns. I couldn't see one listed in Scotland either.
I rang Shell and was told it was "too difficult logistically" to ship it the the North East... So fellow inhabitants, just remember it's too hard for a major oil company to get their product from the North West, to the North East - around 140 miles to my nearest Shell station. Thank God Seat don't have the same attitude...
Originally posted by Toonman
Thank God Seat don't have the same attitude...
Give em chance with the latest cut throat cull of dealerships i wouldnt put it past them.
Anyway someone else asked Shell a few weeks ago about it being delivered to Scotland, they were told they hope to introduce it next year across the border.
So fingers crossed it will find its way to the North East too during next year.
Its a new product and hence i think they are not putting as much emphasis on its production as they do the other fuels they sell, once they see how popular its becoming im sure it will become a nationwide fuel.
So logistically they will only have so many tankers dedicated to delivering it, therefore they are going to sell it in areas where their research tells them they will sell large amounts of Super.
Maybe your area is a lower user of Super Unleaded fuel, not a putdown you understand just they will be going off their research.
Remember its a substitute for Super Unleaded and most of Joe Public wont pay the premium over normal Unleaded, only us performance users who only want the best for our cars.
So be patient its only been out a couple of months and its popularity is growing all the time.
We should be welcoming Shells comitment to introducing a better standard of fuel, not complaining about it.
Read the stockist list on their web site and they've got the stuff available in obscure little villages in the middle of nowhere, but can't be bothered to sell it in a county (Cleveland), that has the biggest petro chemical complex in Europe.
Performance cars? Newcastle-upon-Tyne has the most successful Porsche dealership outside of London and the most successful Ferrari dealership (outside of London) is near Sunderland. A Pal of mine manages a petrol station in the area (not a Shell one) and his sales of Super Unleaded are huge, due to the demand by owners of performance cars in the area.
Yep but you hit the nail on the head didnt you
Hes not a Shell.
Shell may not be doing as well in Super Unleaded sales in your area compared to other garages.
Did i say anything about their not being performance cars in Newcastle NO
I said people like us with performance cars. to be honest couldn't give a stuff if newcastle has more car sales than another city thats beyond the point.
What i am saying is they obviously have researched the best area to locate it for their business, at the moment, not to say they are not ever going to introduce it anywhere else. But as a business its got to be worth their while to put it where they will get the most feedback.
And unfortunetly at the moment that isnt Newcastle
And stop taking things so personally, jeez
:confused:
Icecavern
19-10-2001, 15:15
Just to rub salt in, my local shell has just dropped the price another penny... The advantages of being next door to the refinery.. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
Pete
I'm not taking things personally - I don't live in Newcastle (or anywhere near it) either...
I think it's unfair to launch a product and not make it available throughout the whole country. Why should Scotland be left out too? Cleveland, Co Durham, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland make up a large area of the country - add in North Yorkshire with only 4 dealers - 2 in York and 2 in Harrogate - and you have a very large area indeed. The reason given was that it was too difficult to transport it to these areas. I don't think that is good enough in 2001.
If you look at the marketing stats for petrol sales today, you'll see that brand loyalty is a thing of tha past. People buy petrol from whoever/wherever is convenient or cheapest. Drivers who buy "standard" Super Unleaded do the same no doubt. Shell garages therefore, should sell the same here as anywhere else.
Enough anyway. I've had an emailed apology from Shell Customer Services and it's on its way. Mind, looking at the complaints about it in Scoobynet, I'm not sure I want it now.
Mind, I'm delighted with my Leon Cupra - got it at 5:30 tonight and it's smashing! Drove to Carlisle and back (loads of Optimax there!), in awful weather and after over 7 years of 4WD, was delighted at how well balanced it was in the wet. Nice to have air con too that didn't cost £1500 extra.
Well the same could be said of SEAT then, how about the Cupra 4 V6 and the 4WD 1.8VT, neither have come to the UK and have been held back from being brought to the UK.
OptiMax has actually been available throughout the world for a number of years. I think its the age old story of RIP OFF BRITAIN, government starving competition or large companies inflating prices in the UK where they cant get away with it in the rest of Europe.
Glad you like your car anyway enjoy it even if you cant get the OptiMax its a damn fine motor any day of the week.
Thats something i can be totally in agreement and i dont pay attention to what Scooby drivers say either.
:devil: