A Berkshire girl, who turned up at a Newbury showroom yesterday to pick up her brand new Kia Placenta, was left ashen faced when she was unable to pay the cashier at her local Esso garage, who proceeded to offer her a two year fixed rate to pay for her tank of fuel.
Torica Johnson-Sawdon , 17 was given the vehicle by her father, a London stockbroker after getting her fifth certificate at Pony Club. “It was sooo, like, embarrassing”, said Johnson-Sawdon “and in the end Daddy had to come down with his gold Amex”.
Others have not been so fortunate, with a succession of first time buyers becoming stranded at the pumps,like beached sales, as customers have suffered the credit crunch backlash.
Shell have defended its decision to charge £299 just to apply for a tank of fuel, with customers tied in for the first year and expected to stay on the variable rate for a further 12 months to help pay their debt off. "In these recessionary times we have to be careful that our business doesn't go up in smoke" said a spokesman.
Critics have hit back, however, asking that if drivers struggle to get on the petrol ladder, how can they ever hope to upgrade their Vauxhall Amoeba to a Leyland Leylandii?
This is just a development of Madjez' idea also using suggestions from Ludicity. It is still very much a work in progress. Consider the baton passed on...
