Do you even look at the price...?

It's getting so that I rarely drive lately, and the price of gas is a further dis-incentive, but this morning I really needed to fill up before heading out of town. I finally stopped at a station and was grateful that "my favorite brand" was also the cheapest in sight. Or, it least it was according to the HUGE sign out front of the mini-mart. I was just about to start pumping when I noticed the price at the pump was NOT the price on the sign....it was $0.07/gallon HIGHER. Which got me to thinking...."how many other times has the price at the pump ANYWHERE I may have gotten gas been higher than the price on the sign they are LEGALLY required (at least in most areas) to post? Am I the only person who doesn't double check this?

I always check on the pump since I got duped a couple years ago by $0.10.

I'm sure your state's Weights & Measures Bureau would like to know about the discrepency in prices.

I usually check just to make sure I've picked up the right nozzle and am not about to put 98 in for no good reason. I don't start pumping until I see the price come up on the screen.

Jay wrote: I usually check just to make sure I've picked up the right nozzle and am not about to put 98 in for no good reason. I don't start pumping until I see the price come up on the screen.

This (or diesel).

I regularly leave gas stations without getting any gas because of this or they just don't list the price for 93 at all on the sign and its waaay higher than 89. I use a gas buddy app on my phone to find the cheapest gas. The shell stations which used to be obscenely high when gas was cheap are now the cheapest for some reason around here.

integraguy wrote: It's getting so that I rarely drive lately, and the price of gas is a further dis-incentive, but this morning I really needed to fill up before heading out of town. I finally stopped at a station and was grateful that "my favorite brand" was also the cheapest in sight. Or, it least it was according to the HUGE sign out front of the mini-mart. I was just about to start pumping when I noticed the price at the pump was NOT the price on the sign....it was $0.07/gallon HIGHER. Which got me to thinking...."how many other times has the price at the pump ANYWHERE I may have gotten gas been higher than the price on the sign they are LEGALLY required (at least in most areas) to post? Am I the only person who doesn't double check this?

That's probably the "cash" price. Happens all the time.

To expand on what Osterkraut said, some gas stations will charge more for credit purchases in order to cover for the extra processing fees they face, kind of like when someone on evilBay jacks up the price of shipping to cover PayPal transaction fees.

I avoid those kinds of gas stations unless I have no choice.

RexSeven wrote: I avoid those kinds of gas stations unless I have no choice.

You'd have a hard time buying gas around here. They ALL do that. Typically around 10 cents/gal more for credit.

One reason I like the diesel station I go to is the cash/credit price is the same. I rarely carry much cash at all, so having to pay cash for fuel would be a real PITA.

The problem with stations around me is that they have car washes. They all have a "With Car Wash" Price and "W/O Car Wash" Price up on the sign. It sucks when you're an 1/8 mi away and you think "OMG CHEAP GAS FTW!!!!!" and then you get closer and see "With Car Wash". It's usually a $0.10 difference.

Bastards.

There aren't too many gas stations that charge more for credit in my area, and those that do are either generic stations or the credit price is about the same as the price at the surrounding stations. The N/A RX-7 runs fine on el-cheapo 87 swill, but I try to stick to name-brand 93 octane for the Speed3.

I have a neat deal around here. If I buy my groceries at a certain market and have their "membership" card I get a discount of at least 10cts a gallon, goes up the more you buy, at the local Sunoco station. I got as much as 50 cts. off one time. I usually get a 20cts discount.

Osterkraut wrote: That's probably the "cash" price. Happens all the time.

Or "with car wash" The Sunoco station on Jolly and 496 pulls this all the time. you can get $.18 off per gallon with a car wash and cash.

iceracer wrote: I have a neat deal around here. If I buy my groceries at a certain market and have their "membership" card I get a discount of at least 10cts a gallon, goes up the more you buy, at the local Sunoco station. I got as much as 50 cts. off one time. I usually get a 20cts discount.

I have a credit card that allows me a gas discount if i spend a certain amount per month on it.

I pay all my bills with it, pay it off at the end of the month, and get 10 cents per liter off on gas. I saved $7.00 on my last fill up.

I always verify the price when I lift the nozzle.

This wasn't a case of a cash versus credit price, and they had no car wash. And I DIDN'T buy any gas. Any place that is that cavalier about it's pricing doesn't get my business.

When I lived in Memphis, Kroger grocery stores, and then Schnuck's went to offering "rewards" on the gas prices for their gas when you bought so many dollars worth of groceries. I prefer my "reward" at any store be that they keep the prices as low as possible.

Yeah they're required to keep it up to date. I would have talked to the manager and if he didn't discount it I would report the station. That's a big no no from what I learned when I worked at a station.

There's one gas station in my area that has the philosophy of '10 cents cheaper than the cheapest around,' and since they've always charged the price they advertise you can see how they keep my business.

Thanks for the heads up, though. I say take a couple pictures of the pump and sign and e-mail them to a local government representative. That's what I'll do if I ever stray from my favorite pump.

There are two places that are usually the lowest I can find without going out of my way to get gas, and it works out that I can go to either one depending on if I'm coming or going.

I did have one time when my f150 took 26.3 gal, and it had a 26 gal tank in it. Supposedly the pump was 'in spec' according to the dept of weights and measures guy that checked it.

SupraWes wrote: I regularly leave gas stations without getting any gas because of this or they just don't list the price for 93 at all on the sign and its waaay higher than 89. I use a gas buddy app on my phone to find the cheapest gas. The shell stations which used to be obscenely high when gas was cheap are now the cheapest for some reason around here.

a couple of summers ago, one of those websites on the internet that shows you all the gas prices in any given area showed one gas station in my old home town as being the cheapest gas in the state.. i happened to be going there that day, so i was going to go to that station to fill up..the price on the sign at that station was the same as the price i saw online 2 hours earlier when i left my house.. i happened to notice that the station down the street (that wasn't shown on the web site) was 5 cents a gallon cheaper, so i started driving down there and figured that i'd try the place just outside of town (that was also not on the web site)- and it was 10 cents cheaper than either of the other stations.. so i filled up my car for 15 cents a gallon LESS than the "cheapest" gas in the state of MN.. the lesson for me was to skip the "name brand" gas stations and find a locally owned independent station.

Cpl supermarket chains around here offer 'fuel perks', 10 cents off/ gal. per $50 groceries as well as gift cards. Occaisionally they offer dbl perks at .20/ $50. I load up on gift cards from HD, Lowes, Sears, restaurants etc. cause I'll be spending there n e way so might as well get the perks. I've cashed in up to $1.80 off/ gal. before. Every little bit helps.

You guys have to BUY your fuel?

Sorry, I just had to

DrBoost wrote: You guys have to BUY your fuel? Sorry, I just had to

Ouch, that hurt, man.

I just added up all the gas for last month, it all goes on the same credit card. Typical month, just fuel for my wife's 30 mpg commuter and the MPV, maybe a little in the truck while I'm out getting a load of mulch. 480 dollars.

if I add up my fuel consumption for the month.. about $100ish. Comes from having a short commute,(12 miles each way) a short work week (4 10+ hour days) and a fuel miserly car that is still fun to drive (bmw 318ti)

1988RedT2 wrote:

DrBoost wrote: You guys have to BUY your fuel? Sorry, I just had to

Ouch, that hurt, man. I just added up all the gas for last month, it all goes on the same credit card. Typical month, just fuel for my wife's 30 mpg commuter and the MPV, maybe a little in the truck while I'm out getting a load of mulch. 480 dollars.

I'm only doing it for the $ savings. The Merc is one of the most uninspring cars to drive but I'm saving money. My fuel budget (back when diesel was $3.30 a gallon or so) went from $250 a month to about $400 a year. Everytime I think about taking a corner fast (realizing there's no point) or try to beat anyone off the line and loose terribly I think about the money I'm saving.
Now, if only I could swap a diesel into my wife's minivan.....