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Home > I Don't Get How they Get Away with It

I Don't Get How they Get Away with It

July 5th, 2007 at 01:14 am

Last night when I dropped my DH off at the airport, I drove by the cheap gas station, an ARCO. I didn't need gas, but as usual I noted the price of gas there. It was at $2.75. Then after dropping off my kids, I saw a different gas station, a Chevron that was selling gas at $3.21 a gallon. Same grade. Same town. I expect to see a 20 cent gas difference between Arco and everyone else, as they have a local refinery here.

Now I know Chevron has the highest gas around, with Exxon and Shell running a close second, but a difference of 46 cents a gallon is ridiculous. Even the Valero out here in the county is only at $3.05, and county stations are often quite a bit higher than town ones.

The only conclusion I can draw from this is that this Chevron is price gouging. It is right off the freeway, with a back route from the McDonald's parking lot into its lot as well, and easy to get in and out of from the street, but no way is the convenience factor worth 46 cents a gallon.

Even other Chevron's in town are in the mid to low teens. This one actually went up two cents from last weekend whilst everyone else's prices dropped. No excuse for this. It's on the corner of Iowa and King in Bellingham, in case there's anyone local reading this. They certainly won't get my business. I'm surprised they are getting anyone's.

Posted in Off on a Tangent | 10 Comments »

10 Responses to “I Don't Get How they Get Away with It”

  1. shiela Says:
    July 5th, 2007 at 02:04 am 1183601066
    1183601066

    We have the same problem here in Australia and it seems that the government can't do anything about it or just choose to do nothing. We pay way too much tax on petrol/gas.

  2. disneysteve Says:
    July 5th, 2007 at 12:42 pm 1183639378
    1183639378

    Happens here all the time. There are a few stations around that are consistently 25 cents or more higher than everyone else, including stations directly across the street. I don't know how they manage to stay in business or what kind of idiot goes there when they have many other choices that are far cheaper.

  3. nance Says:
    July 5th, 2007 at 01:25 pm 1183641932
    1183641932

    I guess a business can charge anything they want to charge, but what I don't understand is why anyone is willing to pay the price. If they didn't get business, they would have to lower their prices.
    Some people don't care how much something costs as long as they have the right credit card!

  4. monkeymama Says:
    July 5th, 2007 at 01:28 pm 1183642080
    1183642080

    They get a premium for brand it seems.

    I had a co-worker tell me they were driving around for miles and miles on an empty tank of gas because her husband refused to put one drop of "cheap" gas in their car and ruin the car. I just roll my eyes at that. Had to be Chevron I think. People believe that crap. Granted we had an issue with the cheap gas station a couple of decades back putting some additive in that did harm one of my parent's cars. But it was some really cheap no-name thing. I would think it's rare and that a place like Arco has the same stuff as Chevron.

  5. Frayed Buckeye Card Says:
    July 5th, 2007 at 01:33 pm 1183642386
    1183642386

    While driving on a two lane state highway last month traffic was halted by an accident for 40 minutes, dead stop. The TRUCK in front of us kept it's motor running the entire time. It wasn't for the AC as the windows were open. Imagine how much gas that consumed.I should have given them this web site.

  6. scfr Says:
    July 5th, 2007 at 03:44 pm 1183650275
    1183650275

    Arco can be cheaper because they only take cash, no credit cards. Their prices are usually neck-and-neck with Costco where we buy. But there's no way cc fees are 46-cents a gallon!

  7. debtfreeme Says:
    July 5th, 2007 at 04:14 pm 1183652095
    1183652095

    i used to work at chevron and on CAlifornia they aim to be the price leader. if a large comapny like chevron can lead the market up the prices will stay the same. little mom amd pops who purchase gas off large compaines then have to pay the price of gass and if chevron wants to make it go up to make more money then they have to loose a little bit, that is one reason i go to mom and pop places versus the large chains when ever possible. little places make money on items that are bought in the store, not really on the gas. the large companies make money on both.

  8. debtfreeme Says:
    July 5th, 2007 at 04:17 pm 1183652221
    1183652221

    by the way, chevron sells most of the gas it produces on the second market as they are getting away from owning stations unless there is a bog market. several years ago they sold off 25% of the statiosn they owned. they make their money byt selling their gas to others to resell. then the second market has to sell it higher to make a small enough profit (like 10 cents a gallon) to stay in business.

  9. LuckyRobin Says:
    July 5th, 2007 at 10:06 pm 1183673218
    1183673218

    SCFR--The Arco's here take cash, credit and debit.

  10. baselle Says:
    July 6th, 2007 at 04:41 am 1183696874
    1183696874

    Yes, isn't that funny. I hear people complain about gas, yet the super expensive station gets business. The invisible hand must be truly invisible. That story of the cheapest brand of gas (Arco here too in Seattle) destroying engines is bogus. Its all the same gas, sometimes dolled up with an additive, but nothing worth .46/ gallon.

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