Tesco lies about 'petrol mix-up' fuel driver anger

The Northern Echo report that Tesco is facing legal action from motorists who say a fuel pump mix-up has cost them a fortune in engine repairs. Tesco has denied claims that a diesel fuel pump at its filling station in Newton Aycliffe was dispensing petrol. But drivers who filled up say their vehicles have been damaged by contaminated fuel.

In one case, a motorist says he has been left facing a bill for £1,500 to get his Mercedes back on the road. Derek Wood, 61, said his car ground to a halt within 25 miles of filling up. His insurer, NFU Mutual, is seeking to claim the cost of the engine damage back from Tesco, but the supermarket maintains it is not to blame.

Officials say that if the pump had been dispensing petrol instead of diesel many more drivers would have complained.

However, other motorists have come forward to say their vehicles suffered a similar fate, and the store chain now faces the prospect of court action. Sharon Heathcote, 30, a community nurse from School Aycliffe, said her Nissan Micra diesel had fuel problems after a visit to the petrol station. Her car broke down a few miles after filling up and her garage told her the car had petrol, rather than diesel, in the tank. It required a new fuel injection system, costing more than £3,000. She told the supermarket in a letter that she was prepared to take the matter to court.

Tesco told her no one else had complained.

When Mr Wood's insurers wrote to the supermarket they received the same response.

Mr Wood said last night: "We are quite prepared to take it to court."

Tesco replied, again saying that no one else had complained.

Miss Heathcote said: "It has cost us nearly £4,000 to fix the car, including hiring another one while ours was repaired. "We have three small children and have just moved house and for us, financially, this is a big thing."

A local paper has also published an open letter from another driver claiming to suffer the same problem.

Tesco finally admitted last night that it had really received "four or five" complaints but maintained there was no problem with the pump. A spokeswoman said: "These four or five complaints have been spread over the past six months.

"Trading standards checked our fuel in July after the first complaint was received and it was found to be clear. "They came in again last week following the latest complaint, and we are awaiting the results. "However, this is an extremely busy petrol station and if there was a real problem we would expect to have received many more complaints."

Tesco leaves elderly instore during fire evacuation...

My elderly parents were shopping at The Tesco store in Chelmsford, Princess Road, on Friday 2nd February 2007 at approx 10.30 am in the morning when the Fire Alarm went off. As the alarm went off everyone looked at each other wondering what to do, then everyone started making their way to the store entrance. All the checkout staff seemed to disappear, there was no announcement over the tannoy, and no direction from any of the staff whatsoever. The fire exit in the centre of the store by the window near the checkouts was locked due to building works. Everyone was going towards the main entrance, no one was being directed to any alternative fire exits. Once outside shoppers were blocking the entrance by standing about, so that others could not get outside. What has happened to Fire Safety at Princess Road, Chelmsford, why was there no direction from any of the staff. It seems that customers were left to exit the store without any guidance or direction from staff whatsoever. Fortunately this was either a very small fire in some small section of the building, or a false alarm, or the alarm had been accidentally set off by the builders. If this had been a more serious fire I dread to think what would have happend - mass panic with injury and loss of life I imagine. Please investigate this incident!!! Could someone reply please. Helen.

Iconoclast finally gets his GT50545b!

Iconoclast records Tesco's poor customer service!

Bernard Matthews' Turkeys going Cheep at Tesco?

Dear Mr Leahy, Having seen on the news this morning that nearly 2000? Turkeys were slaughtered overnight at Bernard Matthews' farm in Norfolk, and at the same time being reassured by a Government Expert that there was absolutely no danger to the public, I wondered whether Tesco's has any plans to sell these tasty morsels at discount?

I was very impressed with my last Bernard Matthews Turkey from Tesco's and wonder if there is any chance in you now bringing down prices... because as we all know 'Every little helps'.

My latest art based upon the H5N1 Avian Flu virus is here:- (I am a bit of an expert myself). Would you be interested in selling my art at discount?

Kind regards
David Nicolas - GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO

www.davidnicolas.tv
www.davidnicolas.co.uk
www.myspace.com/davidnic0las

Tesco's unsafe system of work?

I have been working for Tesco Express for around 6 years. During this time I have gained many skills from office admin to all areas of shop floor. Since the procedure changed to only having flatbeds instead of cages on the shop floor I have found it’s more time consuming filling heavy items onto flatbeds than having one cage on the shop floor. This procedure has increased time for completing the fresh delivery by two hours. Therefore we are not coinciding with the cold food chain cycle.

This procedure is not only time consuming but an health and safely hazard too. Using flatbeds/trolleys for off- loading heavy chilled items adds unnecessary strain to the bottom of your back. As a company I believe you are to reduce the risk of this kind of health and safety hazard. Its not just lifting the items onto the flatbed/trolleys, its also wheeling heavy flatbeds onto the shop floor, as most of the flatbeds/trolleys have their own minds you are continually steering the flatbeds/trolleys to go in the particular direction you want it to go in, which puts more stain on the individuals back than there is necessary.

I know what your going to say, ‘ask a colleague to help you’ and yes I follow my training guidelines. My point to you is that your actually losing your manpower from other areas of the shop floor, therefore more time consuming, less availability within the store, which leads to poor customer service. Not to mention the stress staff are under, to ensure all the check outs are attended to soon as the bell rings, which is literally every 60 seconds and your on the till between 5 - 10 minutes depending on the amount of staff you have on your shift on a particular day (if less staff, the longer you are on checkouts). This causes moral to become unbearable.

I have spoken to management and other colleagues on this issue and suggested ideas to achieve our goal. But they are not listening to my concerns or ideas. E.g. have only one cage all staff work from on the shop floor. This actually prevents unmanned cages because all staff are working to clear the cage at once. This also increases the availability on the shop floor, increased communication between colleagues, we are also adhering to the cold food chain policy as it’s less time consuming and our main concern providing good customer service.

I feel if you finish the delivery earlier then staff can provide more time and friendly assistance to customers. Please someone out there listen to me; it will work!!!

Yours faithfully
Ms Potter