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Would this pi$$ you off?


Linda Z
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This afternoon I was runnin' on empty, so I pulled into a gas station I'd never gone to before. The sign said 2.739 for regular, which is about as good a price as we're getting around here.

The only pump open said "full service," but it had the little credit card slot and let me serve myself, so I didn't think much about it. Then I glanced down at the price per gallon. It was $3.39...for regular (oops, I'm dating myself...I mean unleaded)!!!

I quickly walked into the station and asked, "Is there some reason the price is $3.39 when your sign says 2.739?"

The pleasant (har har) woman behind the counter said, "Yes there is. Read the sign."

I said, "It's .66/gallon higher because it's a full-service pump?!?"

"Yes," she said, scowling.

I was furious! :realmad:

Of course by the time I got back to my car, the tank was full, and the total was almost $8 more than it should have been.

Damn. So, if I were handicapped and needed someone to pump my gas, I'd be punished by paying this outrageous price? There was no sign on the pump that said, "The price per gallon on this pump is increased because it's a full-service pump." In the range of prices on the gas station's big sign, there was nothing that said "$3.39/gal unleaded if you'r un-freakin-fortunate enough to need assistance with pumping it."

I think it's a big rip-off. Like almost $3/gal isn't bad enough, they're gonna put a premium on full service? I should have made that snarly woman come out and wash my damn windows and check the air in my tires.

$7.96 won't break me, but it's the principle of the thing.

Would you be pi$$ed if this had happened to you?

Edited by Linda Z
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Would you be pi$$ed if this had happened to you?

Hell Yea!

If I was in the mood I just may be screaming words not fit for human ears at whoever was unfortunate enough to be behind the counter. I dont do it every time but Ive done it before -many times....

I hate scams , I hate scammers and i hate being manipulated and used and if i have the energy Im not afraid to let them exactly what i think of them, (sometimes to the embarrassment of anyone who is with me).

Im stubborn that way, when i have an encounter like that I make a vow never to go there again and also let everyone else I know not to go either.

Yea little crappy crap like that can get me steamed too

Edit: HA ha I like Toms Idea make em come out and check your oil, wash your windows, wax your car, vacuum the rugs, polish the dog, adjust the radio, rotate the tires....until you feel vindicated

Edited by mstar1
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A bit of advice: Next time when you're in that situation, stop the pump before you head to the salelady.

A question: Was someone there to pump the gas for you? If its full service, someone should have been there to pump it for you. If nobody there at the station offered to pump it for you (or to check your oil, do your windows, anything to convey that they are offering full service), I think you have a valid compaint to put before the organizations that can make bad publicity on the businesses that do this sort of thing: BBB, local news stations that has news people cover customer issues, etc.

As a matter of fact, why not go back there and relate this possible course of action, and what it can easily result in, to the salelady. If she's the manager, or in any way responsible for maintaining the sales for that store (and if she has half a brain) she would realize that said results of said deceptive practices would be angry customers, LOTS of angry customers, which would then result in reduced sales.

Ie., $$money$$ still talks!

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You Betcha!!! I'd be one stark raving Beee-otch! :evilshades:

Then I would promptly e-mail Todd Ulrich, our "Problem Solver" for the local ABC Station and that gas station would be wishing they'd never implemented that kind of scam, much less, treated you like that. :redface:

Then I would notify "Chang Gang Charlie" Crist running for Governor for Florida - cause this would have never gotten by when he was in control of those kinds of things. ;)

I'll put up with some b.s., but that's just not something you want to eff with, IMO. ESPECIALLY, here in Florida where senior citizens are already taken advantage of in so many ways.

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good idea Garth

Full service? I didn't know there was still such a thing. my friends and clients who are less than ambulatory take a friend to the pumpwith them. it sux.

I am with Garth about NEVER leave the pump running and walk away. Extremely unsafe. but then standing there and getting hot might have been an explosive situation too!

~HAP

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I'd me very annoyed too! Sounds like bait and switch to me.I think I would probably tend to report him too. I'm not into outting every little offence, but this looks like a deliberate cheat effort and I don't think I'd let it go.

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I can't remember the last time I saw a full service gas pump. Oh wait, yes I can. But I usually go to stations where I can use my card. Lately gas prices in STL range from $2.73 to $3.09 per gallon.

Yes, I'd be PO'd. I don't understand why gas station employees do that. Don't they know they're not the only game in town? Who knows, Linda. Your word of mouth "review" of that station may lead to it's closing down.

Edited by johniam
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There is a gas station a coupla doors away from me, and they offer full service.

If you pull up to those pumps (which are higher in price, than the others *available*),

You don't pump your own gas, and yes -- the price is higher.

You pull up to one of those pumps, and the service guy is there immediately to check your oil,

wash your windshield, pump your gas, etc.

Full serve is still alive and well here, but you wouldn't be allowed to pull up to a full serve pump,

and fuel your own car. That wouldn't be *full-service*.

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When I had my service station back in the late 70's (now who's dating themselves?)...my Full serv price was $0.08 a gallon more than self serv...that was mainly to cover the cost of the employee who washed your windows, checked your oil too.

Nowadays, it's just out & out price gouging...pure and simple...I think I should change my screen name come to think of it...any suggestions? AND BE NICE!

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Thanks for all your responses.

Yes, I should have stopped the pump as soon as I saw the much higher price, rather than going inside and leaving the pump running. I was just sure it was some kind of mistake.

I could see a 10 cent difference, but 66 cents? Of course they didn't have an extra employee to pay with the price increase--just the unpleasant woman sitting in there taking all the self-serve customers' money.

I told the woman, "For that price, you should have come out there when I pulled up to the full-service pump instead of just sitting in here watching me. You should be out there right now pumping my gas." I also told her I'd never be back.

I'm thinking about calling the local TV stations that have the expose' guys who publicize such things.

After a good night's sleep to help me cool down a little bit, it still ticks me off that someone who's elderly or handicapped would have to pay that much more to have gas pumped, and that there was no sign to indicate the increased price.

Maybe I'll call the county treasurer's office, too, to see if charging that much more for full service is legal. I think that's who checks the pumps and such in this state..

Damn weasels.

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Do you live in Jersey? I didn't think anybody had full service anymore!

Seriously, back in the day when I saw full service (and back centuries ago when I worked in a gas station), there was a serious difference in price between self and full. Back in the 70s, it was around a dime more, IIRC (if I recall correctly, for Garth's sake :biglaugh: ). When I think about how much more labor costs now than then (along with insurance, taxes, and so on), 40-50 cents more a gallon for full serve seems about right. Keep in mind, too, that most people (like me) would use self-serve any day before using full serve, and so it's likely there would be fewer gallons pumped to spread out the employee's cost. 66 cents seems pricey, but not overly so...

Having said that, if you're paying that big a difference, you should, as dmiller said, get some HUGE service.

And that, imho, is the real scandal I see...paying for something you didn't get.

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Here's the thing, Mark. They had one employee at the gas station. One. She was the one sitting on her butt behind the counter collecting the self-serve money. She never came out to pump my gas, despite the fact that I stood there waiting a while for the credit card to go through. None. So she was going to get the same pay for sitting there or pumping the gas. It's obvious that they weren't paying an extra person to pump gas.

I'd better go to work to pay for that extra $7.96 and quit obsessing about this. :D

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Yep... I'd be very mad. Was the Sign big enough to read?

I would report them... If it's full service, where was the person that was supposed to be servicing with that pump? Shouldn't be allowed for just anyone to use it... You paid for the 'service' and they didn't come through... think they owe you a car wash & interior cleaning :)

I've not noticed a 'full service' pump in a long time. Our gas prices here continue to drop. We were up to $3.15 last week, and yesterday it could be found for $2.88... Heard it was going down even more...

Time to full up all the gas 'cans'...

Abigail... check out that gas station down the road from the airport... that had an excellent price last time we were in town... :wave:

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Here's the thing, Mark. They had one employee at the gas station. One. She was the one sitting on her butt behind the counter collecting the self-serve money. She never came out to pump my gas, despite the fact that I stood there waiting a while for the credit card to go through. None. So she was going to get the same pay for sitting there or pumping the gas. It's obvious that they weren't paying an extra person to pump gas.

I'd better go to work to pay for that extra $7.96 and quit obsessing about this. :D

To reiterate:

And that, imho, is the real scandal I see...paying for something you didn't get.

Obviously with having one employee on duty there is no way they COULD have somebody to pump your gas.

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