What is the scheme?
The Club runs by bringing members of the local community together to order their oil. The suppliers offer a discount because they only need to send one vehicle to an area.
The supplier saves on manpower and vehicle usage, and we have less traffic through our villages.
To get discounts the aggregate order needs to be 10,000 litres or more.
If I register, do I have to order straightaway?
No, but once you register you will get monthly reminders to order to which you can either respond or choose to ignore.
How does the scheme work?
On or before the 10th of each month I will contact you for an order. The minimum order is 500 litres. If you wish to order, your order will be aggregated with everyone else who wishes to order at that time.
On the 20th of the month I put together all the orders and contact several suppliers for price and delivery quotations. I will select the best choice from the price and delivery options available on that day. The supplier will deliver; and you will receive an individual invoice from the supplier. If we use a supplier who is new to you, they may request payment before delivery. The Club is not involved in the payment process between you and the supplier only the negotiation of the price.
What does the scheme cost?
Membership is FREE and as a member you are under no obligation to purchase any oil. The scheme is funded by a 1.5p rebate part of which goes to Oil Buying Club for their software and negotiating skills and part of which goes to Bucks Oil Buying Club to fund the further expansion of the club. The price negotiated is the price you pay and thats it.
When I register do I really need to disclose my telephone numbers?
Yes. No one will see them apart from the administrator of the scheme and the supplying oil company, who need them for their administrators and the tanker drivers in the event of a problem.
Who will be supplying the Oil?
This is a decision I take, I will seek a combination of best price and service on the chosen oil buying date. Whilst price is the dominant factor, sometimes the lowest price is associated with poor service.
Can I choose the delivery date?
No. The discount is achieved because the supplier is able to consolidate delivery.
How do I pay for my oil?
The supplier will contact you to establish how you are going to pay, if you are not already an account holder with them. By doing that your order will be confirmed. You will receive an email on the order buying date notifying you of the supplier and their number.
If, however, you are already a customer of the supplier, there is a good chance that they will deliver without prior payment, in which case you will receive an invoice and be expected to pay promptly.
Are there charges for paying with Credit Cards?
Most supliers will charge a fee for paying with a credit card, and potentially a higher fee if you pay with American Express if they accept it.
I’m running low. When can I expect my oil?
The only way we get good prices is by allowing full tankers to deliver to very local areas.
If you are running low and cannot wait for a delivery at the end of the month, order as little as you can from your current supplier and than use Chilterns Oil Buying club next time. Make sure you register as soon as possible and then you will get the regular reminders. If you can get through to the 20th of the month, mark your order as Urgent and you will be among the first to have a delivery.
Do I have to be in when the Oil is delivered?
Not if:-
a) The delivery driver can gain easy access to the tank to fill it and you are prepared to accept their delivery note as proof of what they delivered.
b) You have already paid for the fuel or are a regular customer of the supplier.
If you have provided (say) a neighbour with keys to enable access, please provide that information in the “Message to Driver” box in the online order form.
When will I know the price?
Not until the order is placed. I will call several suppliers.
As soon as the price is agreed, you will be notified by email to confirm the order.
The web pages look odd on my PC
It is probably a browser compatibility issue.
If the program you use to connect with the internet is Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, or Internet Explorer version 10.0 or above, then there should be no issues in using the new online system as everything will display correctly.
If you currently use an earlier version of Internet Explorer 10 I suggest that you either upgrade to the latest version install Google Chrome as a web browser.
Google Chrome is fast, reliable and feature rich.
How to Install Google Chrome
Please click on this link: http://www.google.co.uk/chrome/
…and follow the onscreen instructions. It is quick and simple to do.