Posted on 08/29/2014 11:40:23 AM PDT by Dick Bachert
Got this from a email friend today. She says . . . I ALWAYS check the first gallon before pumping more – simply to MATCH the PRICE (advertised) against the ONE gallon pumped into my car. – I “caught” a SHELL station (here in Mesa, Arizona) that had the price 12 cents per gallon HIGHER than the advertised price on the pump AND the sign out front. – I called the local Department of Agriculture (weights and measures division) from my cell phone immediately – waiting for them to show up. They did, some 20 minutes later. The Department taped all the pumps – stopping ALL traffic from using the pumps. They (two men) checked all 6 pumps, finding them all “rigged” at a higher price (by 12 cents) per gallon than advertised.
PS – That particular SHELL station was being operated by 2 men from India.
This is especially prevalent at places owned by foreign born entities.
In some case, they even have counterfeit Department of Agriculture stickers to put on the pumps when they re-calibrate. The State seldom physically inspects the pumps as it is very labor intensive, so it often goes overlooked for months or years. I usually buy all my gas at Sam's Club, but always get receipts wherever I have to get fuel. Often, I will pump exactly ONE GALLON and check the pump pricing before continuing the fill up, and even then, I am aware of how much fuel I should get within a couple of tenths of a gallon from experience.
This is true. It happened to them three weeks ago somewhere in Pomona on our way to Penchant. The pump should have totaled @ $68.00 (and change). When the receipt was printed, and she checked it was $77.00 (and change). She got mad, went inside the store, asked for a calculator and let them do the math.
They refunded her, she told them that if they cheat, they had better make it right. Normally, her husband would skip printing the receipt. Not her. We saw on the news the other night that this is happening everywhere.
Brian pumped exactly one gallon of gas. The price did not match the cost of one gallon. It was higher. He went inside and complained, and got a refund.
There is also a number on each pump that you can call and complain.
I stopped at a BP gas station in GA. My truck's gas gauge was on 1/4 of a tank. I use the mid-grade, which was priced at $3.71 per gallon. When my tank is at this point, it takes somewhere around 14 gallons to fill When the pump showed 14 gallons had been pumped, I began to slow it down. Then, to my surprise, it went to 15, then 16. I even looked under my truck to see if it was being spilled. It was not.
When it showed 17 gallons on the pump. It stopped at 18 gallons. This was very strange to me, since my truck has only an 18 gallon tank. I went on my way a little confused, then on the evening news I heard a report that 1 out of 4 gas stations had calibrated their pumps to show more gas had been pumped than a person actually got.
Here is how to check a pump to see if you are getting the right amount:
Whichever grade you are using, put EXACTLY 1 (one) GALLON in your tank, then look at the dollar amount. If the dollar amount is not EXACTLY the price of the fuel PRICE ADVERTISED, then the pumps are rigged.
In this case, as I said, the mid-grade was $3.71 per gallon; my dollar amount or 1 gallons should have been $3.71.
I wish I had checked the pump. It doesn't matter where you pump gas, please check the 1 gallon price. If you do find a station that is cheating, contact the state Agriculture Department, and direct your comments to the Commissioner, the info is on the gas pumps.
Please don't delete this until you have sent it to all people in your address book. We need to put a stop to this outrageous cheating of customers. The gas companies are making enough profits at honest rates.
About ETHANOL: recently - well, better late than never - I heard about a site that listed user-reported stations that had ethanol - by location.
- - - and ! found one a couple miles away !
[ seems however that they dont lower the price of ethanol when the price of gas in general goes down, as lately.
OOPS - I meant to say ‘gas WITHOUT ethanol’
Very true.
BTTT
I read somewhere were Exxon Mobile made about 2 cents/gallon profit in 2010, whereas the fed takes 18.4 and 24.4 cents/gallon for gas and diesel respectively, and states vary. For example, Idaho taxes fuel at 25 cents/gallon for gas and diesel.
Here’s an interactive chart of all state and federal gas taxes:
http://www.api.org/oil-and-natural-gas-overview/industry-economics/fuel-taxes/gasoline-tax
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