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FuelWatch Typo Locks Perth Station Into $3.97 Diesel Price

The case spotlights a rigid 24-hour price lock that blocks fixes after a 2pm cutoff.

Overview

  • Burk Cannington, which was stuck with a $3.97 per litre diesel on Tuesday after a data-entry error, gave customers $1.04 off at the counter through Tuesday and until 6am Wednesday.
  • FuelWatch, a WA system that posts next-day prices, lets retailers edit entries until a 2pm cutoff, then locks prices for 24 hours that regulators say they cannot legally alter.
  • Consumer Protection praised the checkout refund as a workaround, and Commissioner Trish Blake said the lock stops stations from changing prices during the day.
  • Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti called the outcome very unfortunate and said ministers could review the case, while Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas said common sense should have prevailed.
  • In a twist highlighted in FuelWatch data, the same outlet sold one of WA’s cheapest unleaded prices at $2.29 per litre that day, as the state also launches a taskforce on fuel supply and costs.