I always try to use Shell petrol when possible (have a Shell Loyalty card) and my most convenient Shell station is the one on the New Chester Road just past Cammell Lairds.

However I have never known a petrol station to be closed for business as often as this one is, I think maybe 3 out of 10 times I intend to fill up there it is closed with cones blocking off the entrance ( no sign of a tanker, so not just closed for deliveries).

Happened again today about noon, I was in Liverpool so deliberatly took the Birkenhead tunnel instead of the Wallasey one to find it closed again.

Has anyone else noticed this? I wonder what the reason is.

Ive noticed exactly the same thing with the Shell garage by Moreton Cross- I must have gone to use it at least 10 times in last few months and its been coned off. Another time while I was in there the petrol pumps didnt work and wouldnt dispense due to a computer failure or something. Only ever seems to happen when Im desperately low on petty and then have to try and make it go a little bit further whilst crossing fingers

I`ve seen the one in Eastham close when they change shift,not sure if its the norm`

Drive past it all the time, but never really noticed it shut more than anywhere else...

Mind you, I use the Esso anyway, so don't use it

Yep always happens at Cammel Lairds one and Eastham one . . . drives me nut's.

i use the shell garage on new chester road and must admit i dont find it a problem, maybe its the time that you go, the only reason why it would be closed would be if they were getting a delivery of petrol or they have got a delivery of petrol filling up the pumps there would be no other reason, if in doubt next time you are i there ask them and post it on here what there reply is i wouldnt be surprised if they look at you with a blank look wondering what you are going on about.

My petrol station too - darned annoying when it's closed.

I normally find it happens between 10am-1pm, only once have a I seen the fillingat the pumps back up. I'm Carlett Park one tomorrow so will ask.

If the convenient Shell one is always closed, to the point you are having to travel elsewhere to get your fuel (presumably out of your way/off-route), then sticking with shell for the 1p per £1million you spend loyalty reward, is hardly worth it. Go where its convenient. They may give you points, but they're usually dearer than the Esso 100 yards down the road lol... the other day I noticed the Shell was 2p higher than the Esso for oil.

The one on Brough Road is closed a lot too, I just go to Sainsburys

Remember when Tesco admitted their petrol was cr*p - never been to a supermarket for petrol since.

I find that these petrol stations are only staffed by one person, so if they need a break or the toilet they have to shut for 15 mins. The lady in the moreton one told me she was closing for a short time due to being on her own and not having a break for hrs. Maybe this is the reason ?

I use the Esso opposite the Oval on Bebington Road, never known it to be closed.

I wont use that one because the prices seem to be high there even though its by my kids schools

The petrol in the supermarkets is EXACTLY the same as the petrol in the Garages,the Only difference being is the ADDITIVES . Believe me ,i work in the industry.

Shell Carlett Park I asked why it closes for 20 mins and the reply was "Sandwich deliveries, they have 20 minutes to store them away".

Sorry to go on about this but my wife went to fill up there on Tuesday this week at 1pm and it was coned off, I went to fill up today at about 12pm and it was coned off again.

I don't know much about petrol retail but I do know that you won't sell much if you're closed.

Sent an email to Shell customer services to see if they could offer an official explanation but no reply as yet.

They must be doing quite okay, they're still in business. There is an Esso just down the road, which I've only ever seen coned off once in the past 6 months, and I go most days at various times.

Esso on Green Lane gets most of its deliveries late at night, so daytime trade tends to be unaffected.

The shell station only runs one till (Esso has two), so they close the pumps during shift changes.

Out of all the stations I pass, it's always Shell who seem to cone them off during the day. I've seen it on the ones going from Liverpool to Crosby a few times, the Crosby one last Saturday lunchtime.

Can someone else ask next time they use a Shell garage please, I was honestly told it was to put sandwiches away.

I do wonder whether it only applies to leased garages rather than ones actually owned by shell?

The Shell in Heswall gets a call when the petrol tanker is on its way (from the Hinderton Shell) and closes off the garage.

Some garages seem to have to close during petrol deliveries and others don't, seems to depend on how far the pumps are from the filling points. Some garages close to ensure the tanker doesn't have to wait outside and block traffic.

Just use ya nod and go to Esso; they're never shut, problem solved.

Ok,

Got an answer back from Shell :-



Thank you for your email.





Firstly may I apologise for your experience at Shell Lairds station.
An independent retailer is responsible for the operation of this site, including the staff working there. Whilst Shell UK is not directly responsible for the day to day operation of this site, we do take a keen interest in the service and standards delivered by the retailers who operate our sites.

However, after reading your email, I took the liberty of calling the site and asked them regarding this issue. I was informed by a member of the staff that last week they closed the site due to electrical testing on the whole station for new lines as they have installed new tills at the site. Then this week, they coned off the site again because there were engineers who checked and tested the pumps for leakage as there were fumes reported.

Once again, I am sorry that this experience gave you cause to contact us and I do hope that this incident will not deter you from visiting Shell branded service stations in the future.

If you have any other queries, please do not hesitate to email us back.


So, that accounts for the two incidents mentioned but not for all the other occasions when the place is shut, I notice there was no mention of routine shift changes or deliveries.

I can't believe people are so concerned by this; just don't go there, simples! If I kept going into a supermarket for something, and they were shut/out of stock half the time I went, I'd just go somewhere else.

Vote with your feet, if you're not happy, don't use them, as I say, there is an Esso practically next door to it lol...