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

[dmarsh8]

It would be up to the station owner would presume. They can refuse service or shut off the pumps right?
Especially since many are not corporate owned. If any. Rural King had this issue over the holidays and handled
it well in my opinion.
I got gas the other day ten cents cheaper than the sign
said but the pump still said the lower price. So, I don't guess I owe them anything since the system wasn't updated,
just the sign. I've also had the opposite happen. I didn't go in and argue. I just get gas. It's pretty much irrelevant because I have no control. Invest in oil drilling if you want to make up for it. Seems to be a good way to profit from oil.

I just don't get people lining up to "save" 20-30 cent/gal, but I just have to laugh.
My time is more valuable than sitting in my car and burning $1-2 in gas to "save" a couple bucks.
Besides taking the chance of getting rear ended because people are lined up into the road.
I shop at Kroger because that where I like to buy my groceries and use my card at shell. Outside
of that, it's not worth my mental energy.
My vote will be no. Because some fools would probably end up dead if they were actually selling it for a penny/gal.
People die over discounted electronics at wally world on black
Friday. Imagine what would happen in this scenario?
Idiots + flammable liquid=

 

[melensdad]

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.

Yes.

Most of the chains are also distributors and make margin on distribution as well as retail sales.

 

[hoosierdoc]

I wouldn't be surprised if a person hit the emergency shut off and then was gang assaulted And left for dead.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

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?

And yet, miraculously their prices ALL go up and down at exactly the same time (+/- an hour or so). Does that make them less of a monopoly?

 

[Tanfodude]

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?

I'm referring to the oil companies in robbing all of us legally by controlling the price. I understand individual business don't make much. Also, I don't drink soda and don't smoke. Hardly eat Lays. For fair pricing, none really.

 

[HoughMade]

And yet, miraculously their prices ALL go up and down at exactly the same time (+/- an hour or so). Does that make them less of a monopoly?

No. It means they are watching their competition closely.

...and I still don't know why that makes screwing someone over because of a mistake OK.

 

[Tanfodude]

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.

What drama?

 

[remauto1187]

Im going to hell anyway...so I might as well have a full tank on the way!

 

[DoggyDaddy]

No. It means they are watching their competition closely.

...and I still don't know why that makes screwing someone over because of a mistake OK.

I did vote no...

But regarding the pricing issue, I guess one man's "watching the competition closely" is another man's "price fixing".

 

[hoosierdoc]

I'm referring to the oil companies in robbing all of us legally by controlling the price. I understand individual business don't make much. Also, I don't drink soda and don't smoke. Hardly eat Lays. For fair pricing, none really.

So to get even with an oil company you would punish a local small business that has already paid the oil company. I just don't follow that logic I guess.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

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.

My folks would dance naked in the streets if they could regularly make 5 cents a gallon.

They have an independent Marathon station.

Can't even afford "pay at the pump" pumps - for it would mean most folks wouldn't come inside at all.

"Cokes and smokes" are what keeps their store afloat.

Things may be different in a more populous area - but often times, they lose a cent or two / gallon just to stay competitive with the bigger stations in the bigger town 6 miles away. These days - 6 miles to get cheaper gas is nothin'.

 

[yote hunter]

I'm not afraid to admit it, I'd fill my truck up. Then I'd go home and get the wife's truck and fill it.

+1 Here too....

 

[femurphy77]

My folks would dance naked in the streets if they could regularly make 5 cents a gallon.

They have an independent Marathon station.

Can't even afford "pay at the pump" pumps - for it would mean most folks wouldn't come inside at all.

"Cokes and smokes" are what keeps their store afloat.

Things may be different in a more populous area - but often times, they lose a cent or two / gallon just to stay competitive with the bigger stations in the bigger town 6 miles away. These days - 6 miles to get cheaper gas is nothin'.

He speaks the truth here, my sister is only gettin 2-3 cents per gallon on a sale of gasoline. She won't let them put in "pay at the pump" equipment even at no charge to her precisely to get them in the building. Once they are in her web, I mean store, she starts making money.

 

[lovemachine]

I voted no. I'm too honest.

 

[Birds Away]

No, I wouldn't take it. But I don't feel sorry for them either. I don't see the oil companies returning the free money they get from the government and that is just as clearly wrong.

 

[actaeon277]

If there was a tornado in this area, how many people would be trash talking about the people stealing TVs from stores?
Isn't this the same thing.

1) you are not hurting the big bad corporation.
2) I you think the corporation is bad, why not start up your own operation? Find a site. Drill it. Build a refinery. Distribute it. Follow EPA, OSHA, Fair Labor practices, and other regulations.
3) No one mentioned, not only is that small business owner on the hook for what he paid, but he is on the hook for the TAXES. He pays tax on EVERY GALLON SOLD. This is in addition to his profit. So, if he sells 1000 gallons for a penny, he still has to pay federal and state taxes on each gallon.

 

[actaeon277]

No, I wouldn't take it. But I don't feel sorry for them either. I don't see the oil companies returning the free money they get from the government and that is just as clearly wrong.

The oil company didn't lose.
The owner of the station lost.

 

[sb0]

I'd fill up.

Then I'd come on INGO and lie and say I wouldn't.

 

[sepe]

The majority of the time I don't really even look at the price. I just pay what it is because there isn't much I can do about it. I probably wouldn't even notice until the transaction was completed. I would most likely tell a manager (I've had several friends that grew up in families that owned gas stations and they'd like to know about things like this).

 

[Mikeshep1462]

Was about to say the exact same thing.^ I never look at the price, so it is likely I would do it by accident if there wasn't a big line or something letting me know something was up. I would however say something to the owner the next morning though. I also never pay at the pump, so it's actually pretty unlikely this would happen to me at all.