Financial Times

Shell Gas runs out of new cylinders
Shell Lanka has run short of new cylinders in recent weeks causing a lot of problems for consumers. A spokesperson for the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) said they had received complaints from consumers that dealers, in the absence of new cylinders, were offering the "cooker package" where a cooker comes along with the cylinder - at a higher price. "We are looking into these complaints."

Christine Perera, a resident in Polhengoda, said she wrote to the CAA on two issues pertaining to Shell Gas. When she sought to purchase a new cylinder from a Shell Gas dealer in Nugegoda, new cylinders were unavailable and instead the dealer offered the "Cooker package" - at a higher price!

Another issue she complained about was that a Shell Gas dealer charged her five rupees more when she wanted to replace her cylinder, because the black protective cap was missing. "We have not been informed about this," she said in her complaint.

The CAA obtained a response from Shell Gas on the issue. The Shell response, a copy of which was sent to Ms Perera, said that some customers return empty cylinders to dealers without the black safety cap. "Because of the cost to replace missing black caps we were compelled to charge our dealers a levy of Rs 5 for each cylinder returned to the filling plant without a black safety cap," the Shell letter said.

Shell said that since dealers were charging customers for the missing black caps, the company planned to shortly issue a public notice advising customers that there is no need to remove the black safety cap from the empty cylinder.

Meanwhile a spokesperson at Shell's Consumer Service desk told The Sunday Times FT that due to a shortage of new cylinders, dealers only had cylinders that are offered with the cooker package. She said a shipment of new cylinders is expected in the next two months.

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