In response to an email I sent to IWA, NABO, RBOA, BMF asking them if they would be lobbying to stop retailers either supplying red diesel at 60/40 or not at all, I had this surprising reply from one of their represenatives. I will not name him since the reply was sent to a limited distribution list, but I wondered what listers thought of his stance and my reply. > 2. As to what the Retailer Charges. So long as he operates within > the tax law, surely he can determine what market he is in. If , > for reasons of economy of paperwork, he decides he will only sell > to Commercial Craft or 60/40 declarers, that surely is reasonable. > I can fully understand why a retailer does not wish to get involved > in any more than the minimum of paperwork.
I replied: Can you also understand why boaters who are being squeezed every which way cannot understand that unsympathetic stance? This applies particularly to pensioners, but in the current financial climate to a very high percentage of boaters, I would have thought. Having been in the retail trade in the past I also disliked paperwork, but always tried to work on the principle that the customer came first. In fact, to administer the two rate pricing is a very simple matter, as was demonstrated by a retailer I visited at the end of October. Since most retailers sell more than the one item, all they have to do is to do what they do when they make two sales - one of diesel for propulsion, one of diesel for domestic use, and ask the customer to sign the declaration of their propulsion percentage. Before this change, whenever I purchased over 100 litres I had to leave my address, so that will be no change. Retailers who act "reasonably", to your way of thinking, should not be surprised if they find boaters shun them completely, not just with regard to fuel purchases, but I would have hoped that officials of organisations who represent high numbers of boaters who have understood that. Regards John
