Gas for a penny a gallon due to glitch: do you buy?

[SkinNFluff]

In my case I only pay for gas with cash. I am very rarely our after dark these days. But if it did happen to me I would have instantly walked up to the door of the station to see if they had a contact in case number posted. If so I would have gave them a call to let them know about the problem. If there was no number I would call the local PD and inform them of the situation.

Now if I was on fumes and unable to make it to another gas station or home then I would get just enough to make it home and back, take a pic of what the pump showed and also print a receipt. i would be at the store when they unlocked their doors the next morning to pay the difference on what i got the night before and then go ahead and fill up. theft is theft. I was raised better than that.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Which is their call to make, and no one else's.

Also true. Let me throw this out there just to think about. Utility companies are required to get "permission" to raise their prices. With the number of people that depend on gasoline to power their vehicles to get back and forth to work, the store, etc., has gasoline become a "de facto" utility? Of course many of us remember the disastrous results of price controls for gas back in the 70's, so why have price controls for utilities not resulted in the same disaster? (apologies for the thread jack)

 

[hoosierdoc]

If we just had more government control instead of the populace self-regulating commerce and looking out for each other

illinois has a $0.19/gal tax not to mention federal. And. $0.30 per transaction fee per swipe probably. Bedsides the fuel loss, the guy probably lost about $0.30 per gallon beyond his fuel cost. Not legal thieves, but societal thieves.

they will be the first to raid your storehouse in times of adversity

 

[DoggyDaddy]

For what it's worth, I voted No, btw...

 

[Smokepole]

For those that don't know how the system works, the station owner has to pay for the gas WHEN it is delivered. He is stuck paying the company price at that time. No negotiation, no options. The oil company decides what his bill will be before the tanker truck takes on the load. Whatever the price was when the gas was put on the truck is what he pays (I don't know if or how much notice the oil company gives of the price of the next load). The station owner then puts his price up. If the price of that load is more than the price of the load before it he pays. If he doesn't have the reserve cash he takes a loan. Many or most of them have a line of credit set up for this purpose. And it isn't uncommon for the smaller operation to have to use it more. IF it is less he pays that price and benefits.

For the majority of the stations, gas profits pay the bills and not much else. Profit comes from inside sales. That is one reason that we have seen the demise of the local gas/service station. Convenience sales have a higher profit, less overhead factor than running an auto service center. There is also less liability and the income flow is more stable. But when gas prices shoot up to $4 a gallon and inside sale drop to the basement because all the money is going into peoples gas tanks the store owner takes the hit not the ABC Oil Company. The oil company's income stream has much more stability than the store owner. But, the oil company does have similar issues in paying for the oil because of market fluctuations thanks to any irrational swings of the commodities markets.

So when you get hacked off over the price of gas and take advantage of the store owner, you have no effect whatsoever on the originator of the price to begin with, the oil company.

And I would not take the gas. No matter how you spin it, it would be theft.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

I've mellowed from "Do unto others then run" to the more traditional one. Just some things you find hidden in obscure documents. I'd like to hope someone would look out for my stuff. The gas station will have a number posted for emergency contact, and even better, an emergency shutoff. Hit the big red button and nobody's gettin anything. Cut the guy's losses, anyway.

 

[chezuki]

Well {insert self righteous unverifiable statement here}

Sorry, gotta spread some rep around.

 

[hornadylnl]

So if an ammo flipper "screwed up" and charged you 18 bucks for a brick of .22 instead of $75, you would give him his extra 57 bucks?

The equivalent analogy would be the 22 ad said $.18. That's clearly a typo. Nobody thinks gas should be $.01 per gallon and has probably never cost that in the history of its sales.

 

[HoughMade]

Also true. Let me throw this out there just to think about. Utility companies are required to get "permission" to raise their prices. With the number of people that depend on gasoline to power their vehicles to get back and forth to work, the store, etc., has gasoline become a "de facto" utility? Of course many of us remember the disastrous results of price controls for gas back in the 70's, so why have price controls for utilities not resulted in the same disaster? (apologies for the thread jack)

I'm not a big fan of regulatory price controls, but I'll just throw this out:

How many electricity providers can you choose between? How many gas companies run pipe to your house? How many sewer providers compete for your business?

Now, how many gas stations are within a few miles?

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

As the son of a small town gas station owner....I'm getting a kick out of these replies.

Also adding to my list of "who not to do business with" list.

-J-

 

[femurphy77]

I'll answer a question with a question; It's a beautiful September morning, you take your convertible out for a short trip, stop by the gas station and fill up for $2.19/gallon. Upon returning home you turn on the t.v. just in time to watch a commercial airliner fly into the world trade center. A short time later you jump in the car to go to work and notice a long line at the station you filled up at earlier in the day. Something else you notice is the price board out by the road showing $6.00 a gallon. Is it wrong?

Yes I would fill up everything I owned for 1 penny per gallon.

 

[GunSlinger]

To me it's stealing. I live with my conscience and I like to keep it clear. It's not being 'holier then thou', rather it's living up to my standards.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Let's say you're at a garage sale. A card is marked $50. Someone adds a . And a 0. Do you then buy everything for $5.00 or point out to the homeowner someone jacked with his price?

both instances the buyer knows the seller did not intend to sell an item at a given price. The question becomes will you use that mistake to help yourself and hurt the seller.

 

[Tanfodude]

I'd buy it, the prices are basically robbing us in a legal way anyway. Just because they control the pricing and swim in that money pit doesn't mean what they're doing is fair.

 

[Bunnykid68]

I hope they didn't get too much pumped. 5000 gallons would equate to about a $15,000 cash loss

 

[HoughMade]

Yay for the ethics of ME!

 

[hoosierdoc]

I'd buy it, the prices are basically robbing us in a legal way anyway. Just because they control the pricing and swim in that money pit doesn't mean what they're doing is fair.

Robbing in a legal way? Seriously? You do realize the bulk of profits from gas station are from inside sales as posted earlier, right? Do you have the same feelings toward Coke, Frito Lay, and Marlboro? Can you name a supply chain that provides you a product that you consider to be a fair price?

 

[melensdad]

I'd buy it, the prices are basically robbing us in a legal way anyway. Just because they control the pricing and swim in that money pit doesn't mean what they're doing is fair.

Independent gas station owners make an average of 5-cents a gallon. How is he stealing from you?

You sir are the thief in this little drama and justifying your theft by blaming an independent gas station owner for that which he does not control.

 

[Bunnykid68]

I've mellowed from "Do unto others then run" to the more traditional one. Just some things you find hidden in obscure documents. I'd like to hope someone would look out for my stuff. The gas station will have a number posted for emergency contact, and even better, an emergency shutoff. Hit the big red button and nobody's gettin anything. Cut the guy's losses, anyway.

I have worked in gas station for over 20 years and I didnt even think about hitting the emergency shutoff.

Repped

 

[Bunnykid68]

Independent gas station owners make an average of 5-cents a gallon. How is he stealing from you?

You sir are the thief in this little drama and justifying your theft by blaming an independent gas station owner for that which he does not control.

Do independents really make that little?

I know of a chain of convenience stores that averaged about 11-12% for their fiscal year last year.