FAO Scotland

[sc_BK]

Anyone see reporting scotland? In particular the article on MVPA? Petrol (and diesel I think too) for sale in stirling for 35p a litre, after you pay £100 to become a member.

Not much on the net about it, but there is a rather long thread on MSE - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/sho ... l?t=370774

[BigNeil]

am researching now..................

watching reporting scotland on the net


this is an article from the herald "
Cheapest petrol in Britain sparks inquiry
The taxman is investigating how a convicted fraudster is selling the cheapest petrol in Britain - at just 35p a litre.

Hundreds of concerned motorists have called trading standards and HM Revenue and Customs about how James McDonald, who has served a seven-year sentence for handling counterfeit money, is selling fuel for less than half the normal pump price from the Auld Brig Filling Station in Tullibody, Clackmannanshire.

Since February, for a £100 annual fee, drivers have been able to join his Motor Vehicle Protection Association (MVPA) and fill up with 50 litres of petrol or diesel a week. The 58-year-old, who has a long-standing reputation for finding loopholes in the law, said his operation is perfectly legal and plans to locate MVPA depots around the UK.

He said the money goes towards research and development of a retrofit gadget called the Ripple Generator he's invented, which he claimed cuts carbon emissions and improves fuel efficiency. Mr McDonald once said he had found a way to allow a petrol engine to run on water.

The petrol, sourced from Spain, is provided to his members at cost price to allow people to test the gadget. His literature shows he is exploiting the provisions concerning free movement of goods in the EC Treaty, which state customs duties and charges are prohibited between member states.

Clackmannanshire Council trading standards, currently investigating the activities, has been warning consumers they should take care in dealing with the station.

A trading standards source said the department had limited powers to look into the pricing activities, but added: "We're not saying go ahead or not go ahead. We just don't know what might happen at some stage in the future. It might turn out to be a great thing but, having been in this job for a while, I have found if you find something is too good to be true it usually is."

An HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) spokeswoman confirmed an investigation of the association is under way, and said: "We can say that the trader is in discussion with ourselves but we cannot comment any further at this time."

A separate HMRC source added: "The point of sale is where the duty's paid and it's paid to the retailer by the purchaser and passed on through us. We're concerned about the duty being paid at the time of purchase."

Mr McDonald served a seven-year prison sentence, imposed in August 1992, for supplying counterfeit money but has always claimed it was the result of illegal entrapment. In 1999, the former law student, who normally represents himself, got a conviction for speeding quashed after pointing out the instrument fitted to the police car involved was not on the list of devices approved by the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Mr McDonald told The Herald that his previous brushes with the law were irrelevant, and added: "If we were a scam of any kind we would not be here. That speaks for itself.

"I am aware of the interest from HM Revenue and Customs and I have spoken to them and have no problem with them.

"We are not reporting to anyone in particular regarding the success of the device, but we would make our results public knowledge - we would have to do that."

today



By MARTIN WILLIAMS "

[BigNeil]

you can watch reporting scotland on the web its about 11.5 minutes in.

[sc_BK]

I'd deffo be up for this if I was a bit closer, I'm often down in central scotland but nothing's guaranteed and I' don't know if I could justify the £100 membership. Also they'll only allow 50l a week and apparently you aint allowed filling cans. One way to "get around" that would be to siphon pump it out yer tank when you get home


If anyone local was wanting to buy some from MVPA and fill 20ltr jerry cans I may be willing to buy them off you whenever I was down in the area, with you making a profit?

[BigNeil]

it would only take 4 fill ups to pay for it.

but like you am nowhere near. although closer than you

[BigNeil]

hang on April 1st

[sc_BK]

Lol nah, was on the news on the 30th and has been known about on MSE since february

[BigNeil]

well done sc_BK, you have managed to get the forum referenced to when you search for MVPA stirling

this is a good thing which will show more people that we are here.

[sc_BK]

Just wondering if any central belters have any update on this?

A quick google brings up this article from a month ago - http://www.alloaadvertiser.com/article. ... 1&id=16017

[bigmastif]

alright boys i know the place its on the tullie to stirling road its the old dicksons car sales place as most of ya know i kick around stirling 3 times a week
going by what ppl i have spoken to have said its brilliant and it is takeing off
personaly the guy who owns it is a f*** con man as stated in the press cos he owes a wee bit of money(£3000) for his tanker that he bought to a freind of mines uncle in edinburgh but about the MVPA
from what i have gatherd you pay £50 a month and you go in and fill your car up to that value in that month at the stated 34-35p a litre but think there is a ban on commercial vehicles or company ran vehicles useing it cos of vat implications
but you cant over spend or let the money roll over to the next month you gotta use it in that month

that any good for ya kyle?

[doughythevanman]

do ya think if we had 10 members on here and 10 turned up in a van ( with drums ) they would allow the fill? Would make sense if it could work that way as it seems a lot of members know and meet up regular ( as i hope to do in the future) and it would probably work out better!

[sc_BK]

Apparently the law is you can only fill up with 5ltr in a plastic container or a max of 2x10ltr cans. Though lots of people fill up 20l jerry cans with no bother - infact I remeber in the council we'd fill up the mk6 chassis cab with 50/60l diesel then took about 40l of petrol in 2 jerry cans


Jim thanks for that, as you can see I started this thread when I first heard about it back in march and just remembered it a couple of hours ago when talking about the stirling meet
Shame you cannae fill up a commercial though