Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Double Check Your Gas Prices

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Posted by Kyle Watkins (Member # 986) on 10-06-2003, 10:48 PM:

From www.wpecnews12.com In west palm beach, Florida

Doulb Check yor gas prices

October 6, 2003 - 10:38PM
DO YOU ALWAYS CHECK THE PRICES AT THE PUMP.. BEFORE FILLING UP?
IT PAYS TO BE ALERT.
CHECK OUT THE PRICES AT THIS ONE STATION.. ON THE CORNER OF CONGRESS AVENUE AND LAKE WORTH ROAD.
MAURICE BOWLING FILLED HIS TRUCK UP A FEW DAYS AGO..AND GOT QUITE A SURPRISE.
HE HAPPENED TO BE CLOSE TO THIS MOBIL STATION...NEEDED UNLEADED REGULAR...SO HE DROVE IN...STUCK THE NOZZLE IN AND FILLED UP.
IT COST HIM 6 DOLLARS MORE THAN IT USUALLY DOES.
AND HE KNEW SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT.
"Well I think it's uh, in my opinion, I think it's kinda deceptive."
HERE'S WHAT HE'S UPSET ABOUT.
THE SIGN AT THE MOBIL SHOWS REGULAR UNLEADED IS 1.87 A GALLON..
SPECIAL IS 1.71..AND SUPER IS 1.82.
IF YOU'RE IN A HURRY...AND YOU GLANCE AT IT...COMMON SENSE WOULD TELL YOU THAT REGULAR SHOULD BE THE CHEAPEST.
BUT AT THIS STATION...REGULAR IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE...IT COSTS MORE THAN PREMIUM.
"So I think they're just being deceptive figuring most people just put the nozzle in."
"Pay for their fuel and leave and they're on their way."
HE THINKS THE GUY WHO RUNS THE STATION IS PREYING ON FOLKS WHO ARE IN A HURRY TO GET GAS...SEE THE PRICE OF 1.71 AND FIGURE THAT'S THE PRICE FOR REGULAR UNLEADED.
"Why are you charging more for regular than you are for the better grade of gasoline? Uh, we have lots of competition here. We have the Hess, Starvin' Marvin. Step Saver and we can't compete anymore. It's been real tough. We chose this strategy to help pay the rent."
HE TOLD ME HIS MONTHLY RENT HAS DOUBLED...AND HE HAD TO FIND A WAY TO BRING IN MORE CASH.
"For the people who are not paying attention and looking at the price before they grab the regular pump, they're paying a lot more than they need to aren't they? Yeah, it's a matter of... So aren't you taking advantage of people that way? Well they have a choice."

I think thsi is a bunck of crap and should not be allowd

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 10-07-2003, 07:28 AM:

You want it to be a crime to sell a better product for a lower price? There ought to be a law that bans this? Mmmkay.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 10-07-2003, 01:09 PM:

Taking advantage of stupid people is a time-honored, American business tradition!

Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 10-07-2003, 03:16 PM:

I have to agree that this is pretty clever (and perfectly legal). Much better than the ebay auctions that trick people into bidding on a picture. I am sure that once the word gets out, the station in question will switch back to normal prices. Actually it sounds like a pretty good publicly stunt if they get some kind of news coverage.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 10-07-2003, 10:10 PM:

Living in an oil state (and having some friends in the oil and gasoline delivery business) I really have to question the "legality" of the tactics of this ASSHOLE.

But even IF it turns out he is in the clear legally speaking, the customers will have every right in the world to spread the negative word about that dickhead and generate a horrible snowball of negativity against him and shut down his business. Guaranteed, if the guy did that here in my town, he might make a quick buck but then would close his business down very fast.

Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 10-08-2003, 11:30 AM:

I disagree...as long as the prices are clearly posted both at the entrance and at the pump. Sure..some people will purchase Regular out of habit, but that's their problem.

This type of pricing happens all the time: In Staples, a box of 50 envelopes was more expensive than a box of 500. McDonalds and Burger King have sold their big double-burger sandwiches for less money than a single hamburger. I've seen half-gallons of Tropicana OJ sell for less than the quart size. Same for soda...1 liter sizes are frequently cheaper than smaller sizes. At J&R Records, they recently had an all-label sale except that products already on sale were not eligible for the all-label sale discount, which was bigger. ( had a fight with a manager over that one and won.) Etc.

There's no law that says pricing has to be logical.

Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 10-17-2003, 02:26 PM:

Oil Shortage

There are a lot of folks who can't understand how we came to have an oil shortage here in America.

Well, there's a very simple answer. Nobody bothered to check the oil. We just didn't know we were getting low. The reason for that is purely geographical.

All our oil is in Alaska, Texas, California, and Oklahoma. All our dipsticks are in Washington, DC

Posted by Shane Hoffmann (Member # 1620) on 10-17-2003, 04:00 PM:

I agree that people need to pay attention and check the prices carefully.

On the other hand, tricking your customers is not the proper way to run a business.

Martin- The difference with paying less for more(50 vs. 500 envelopes; different sizes of soda, etc.) is that those are the same product. Buying in bulk always has its benefits. But that isn't the problem here. My Jeep has a 23 gallon tank. I have friends with tanks that are 10 gallons less. If we all fill up our tanks with gas, I'm still paying the same price per gallon as they are. I don't get a deal out of buying more.

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 10-24-2003, 02:40 AM:

quote:
You want it to be a crime to sell a better product for a lower price?

Maybe the next amendment?

Congress shall make no law protecting someone from his or her own stupidity.

Posted by Don Bruechert (Member # 1538) on 10-25-2003, 10:18 PM:

Actually, I think this should be OK to do. I know one chain of gas stations in our town has been selling their regular and mid-grade for the same price on and off lately. I was going to ask why one of these days, but I don't buy the mid-grade anyway, even though it is the same price. I am assuming they want to get people used to buying the better gas and then they won't check the price anymore after a while and keep buying it out of habit.

Taco Bell had a phenomenally good bout with this maybe 10 years or so ago. They dropped their prices on many or their products by a considerable amount - like regular tacos for 49 cents, etc. People began flocking to Taco Bell and their products took off - long lines at the drive thru and everything. Then, if you paid attention, after a couple of months they started very slowly raising their prices back up so that now you are paying almost what they were before, but you are still going there on a semi-regular basis (if you eat that kind of stuff).

I don't think there is anything wrong with posting the prices on the sign and the pump. You can price your products any way you want (within the minimum markup laws). It would be fraud to have one price on the sign and charge a different price on the pump, and I notice most of the stations around here are very careful when changing their prices to change the sign first and then the pump when the prices go up, and the reverse when they go down, so that no one accuses them of charging more than is posted on their sign. I don't really think this is taking advantage of anyone. If you can't read a sign, or a pump, and make sure you are buying the right product that isn't the store's fault. My fault is that I am used to having the pump nozzles in the same order most of the time. Regular is usually at one end or the other, and it is usually the one closest to my door when I get out to fill up. I filled up with premium at a station one time because I thought I grabbed the nozzle for regular and I wasn't paying attention. I will always remember that now, and check first. Was it the station's fault that I was stupid and not paying attention? I don't think so! I also check to make sure the price on the pump matches the price on the sign, because I have been to a few gas stations in "the boonies" where they like to play games with the prices between the sign and the pump. When challenging the station attendants I have usually gotten "Gee, I'm sorry, Billy-Joe Jim-Bob must have forgotten to change the sign." I wonder how often that crap happens, and I wonder how many people notice.... THAT is wrong! If I look at the pump and see premium is cheaper than regular, then I guess I'm gonna fill up with premium today - it's on sale!

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 10-26-2003, 12:14 AM:

As long as the price above the button is correct, it doesn't matter to me.

I have been to stations where the "regular" gas is on the middle button, the "super" is on the left button and the "mid-grade" is on the right. I almost got snagged by that but I shut the pump off before I actually got any gas. This is actually becoming common in some locations. Again, the price on the pump and what's on the sign out front have to match for each grade, no matter what order they are in on the buttons.

I did go to a station where the price on the pump didn't match the sign. The pump was 5¢ higher on the pump than on the sign. I didn't catch it until I had finished filling up and looked at my receipt. I went inside and complained. The guy did give me a refund without question, though.

Before I left the place, I asked him if he was going to fix the problem. He did... By going out front and changing the sign!

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 10-26-2003, 01:46 AM:

quote:
Taco Bell had a phenomenally good bout with this maybe 10 years or so ago. They dropped their prices on many or their products by a considerable amount - like regular tacos for 49 cents,

I remember a few years ago they had 39 cent tacos. I used to buy tons of them.

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 10-26-2003, 02:17 PM:

Cool! News from my home town!! Since when does there need to be a law to regulate what someone can charge for a common product they sell? And why would this gas station get NEGATIVE publicity? Hell, I would dash there to fill up on premium gas in a heartbeat.

Also, the gas station owner is right. Most people just grab the regular gas and don't look. Hence, regular gas is the highest demanded product at his station, so shouldn't he charge the most for it?

It's like if most people just bought a medium drink at your concession stand, so you raise the price of medium beyond the large. How is that "deceptive"?? It's a smart business move if you ask me.

These local news stations are way too bored if they're parading around being the "Problem Taker-Awayers" for stuff like this. Maybe someone should alert them to theaters that charge you $7.00 to watch a scratched print?

=TMP=