Ronski

One thing to be aware of when brimming the tank, is that diesel can expand quite a lot when the weathers hot. Seen a few truck tanks leaking diesel in the summer months due to this.

Please spread the word, the more that complain the more likely they are to do something about it, as long as they don't start charging by the hour like it says on there website.

Just thought I'd post an update to my email to Le Boat. Today I received a refund of £57.16, they matched Goodchilds price Hopefully they will review their prices and make them more in line with other hire boat operators. Thanks to all those who replied.

I phoned Goodchilds this morning, they quoted £1.139 per litre including all taxes 60/40 split. So now to far off an email to Le Boat, and see what they have to say for themselves.

Thanks for that, so there's 40.66p additional duty on the part used for propulsion, then 5% vat applied to the lot (I love the way you pay VAT on tax, as per road fuel!) So I gather from previous replies most yards would quote their fuel based on the 60/40 split with tax all in, so Le Boat are quite clearly charging incorrectly with vat at 20% and their price is amongst the highest on the broads. I'll far off an email to them and see what they have to say for themselves, and I'll post the reply here.

I don't agree, we paid to hire the boat, the cost of that is what makes the boat good value or not. If you hire a car do you expect to pay over the odds for the fuel you use (per litre) simply because you travelled a long distance and the car was nice and comfortable? Thanks, can you clarify what duty I should be paying on the 60% and the 40%. We used 124 litres so how much tax should there be on the 74.4ltrs (the 60%) and on 49.6ltrs (the 40%) My receipt clearly shows VAT at 20% on the full amount.

Thanks for all your replies. Just tried to phone Goodchilds but went to the answer phone, are they usually open on a Saturday morning? Looking at the receipt's I've got for the fuel and the initial fuel deposit, they both show I've been charged VAT at 20%, no discounted rates, seems Le Boat are ripping off their customers! C.Ricko, who do you work for out of curiosity? Le Boats cleaning charge is £100, needless to say we left the boat spot less, and we would have done even if it was free. I fully appreciate equipment costs, I run a commercial vehicle workshop so know all about costs of equipment, but I don't expect to be ripped off, I expect to pay a fair price. I wonder if their pump is actually calibrated for the sale of fuel?

Hi, thanks for the quick reply, we certainly had the Webasto going quite a lot, also the engine to heat the hot water. I've read a little about the 60/40 split for taxation, but have no idea how much it affects the tax and what difference it would therefore make to the price.

We've literally just returned from a wonderful week on the Broads, managed to cover just about all of them in the boat we hired from Le Boat, it was an 13.6m Emperor, we used 124 ltrs of fuel, but what shocked me was that they charged us £1.60 per litre, and when I queried the price they just blamed taxation and the rising costs, they did however advise us to write a letter of complaint to head office, as they set the price. Anybody know what the going rate today is, I may give Goodchilds a ring tomorrow, passed right by there this morning on the way back to Somerlayton, never even thought to check the cost of fuel before we departed last week. Wouldn't surprise me, we were talking to a couple who hired a boat from them, the first was so that bad they took it back and got another, they got no instruction either, just there's the keys off you go!