gas station complaints--

[Planogirl]

Our stations charge the same for cash or credit. I'm not sure if I'd like two prices after reading this thread.

 

[Mimi1965]

ANY card requires additional labor/paperwork

BUT I have never encountered two prices at a gas station-ever!

 

[tvguy]

ANY card requires additional labor/paperwork

BUT I have never encountered two prices at a gas station-ever!

Like I posted, very common after the Arab Oil Embargos and through the 1980's. ARCO even switched to cash ONLY back then, dumped their own credit card. They still don't take credit cards, but will take debit cards.

 

[sbell111]

OP was not using a DEBIT card, they were using a GIFT card--one from the same company, not just a generic VISA gift card. That article is talking about Debit cards. I have to agree, I would have been upset too.

There's no difference.

Do you have a legal basis for that conclusion?

Indeed. Turn over the gift card and read it.

While I don't have every gift card in the world to compare, the unbelievably tiny print on the back of the two gift cards that are in my wallet does not have anything that would support your position.

 

[happywanderer2]

ok--I get the caveat emptor(sp), I should have read the back of my gift card to make sure it would be treated as cash by the stations. And, I should have noticed that I was being charged the credit price before I pumped my gas-in the second case.

I guess my point is that if I have to make sure I'm getting the right price with a two-tier price gas station then I'd just as soon go to a station that only has one price and I don't have to worry about cash or credit.

And I reported the second gas station so that perhaps they won't do it to anyone else.

 

[bookgirl]

No two tier pricing here, well at least at the stations I stop at. However we do have a law requiring stations to state whether they sell pure gas or gas with ethanol. Non-Ethanol is consistantly higher than the mixed stuff. There is one station that sells both and that's the only place where you have to watch since only certain pumps have the cheaper gas.

I like this alot since I only use pure gas (habit from my old car, new car is a flex fuel so I can use as low as 15% mix but I prefer better milage to saving .09 cents).

I never pay cash so a two tier system would really suck for me I have no will power and cornnuts, miny donuts and fountains of Coca Cola products are best avoided, so I like paying at the pump.

 

[bettymae1121]

No two-tier pricing here either. I remember my father complaining in the 80's that Amaco was the last hold out for charging more to use credit (4 cents a gallon I think) but even they gave that up eventually and went to "one price for all". The first brand that attepts to put in two-tier pricing around here will get creamed, almost everyone pays at the pump in my area and anyone trying to charge more will lose customers in droves.

 

[pixiewings71]

Like I posted, very common after the Arab Oil Embargos and through the 1980's. ARCO even switched to cash ONLY back then, dumped their own credit card. They still don't take credit cards, but will take debit cards.

Not true, ARCO down the street from me takes cash and debit at the machine by the pump (they charge a fee for debit but I stopped going there so I don't know what the fee is now) and if you go inside you can absolutely use a credit card. But you have to go inside to do the credit transaction, it cannot be done at the pump. And yes, I know that you can use a cc because DBF stops there sometimes for gas, we use a cc for rewards and I do see the receipts that he gets.

OP most of our gas stations only have 1 price but you can bet if they had 2 and what happened to you happened to me I would be very upset as well. I understand that gas stations want to get that fee that they are charged back but I really disagree with 2 tier pricing. I'm glad it's not common around here.

 

[bicker]

While I don't have every gift card in the world to compare, the unbelievably tiny print on the back of the two gift cards that are in my wallet does not have anything that would support your position.

I suspect you're mistaken.

 

[focusondisney]

You must be 30 or younger. This was the norm in the 70's and 80s.

Nope! Waayyyy over 30. Also DH worked at a service station back in the 70's, yes, during the days of rationing. No 2 tier pricing here, now or then.


But thanks for thinking I'm so young.

 

[brerrabbit]

A couple of things are effecting the two tier pricing. One the station owners are all about selling more gas so they certainly want to give the discount if it means more sales for them. Secondly the recent court ruling that came down in favor of retailers that basically said that the retailers can differentiate pricing based on form of payment. Certain places used to have signs that said minimum sales for credit $5 or $10 and this was a violation of their agreements with the CC companies. The ruling said that retailers could impose those limits and price differentiate. In the Retail Fuels business the cost of transactions became a huge deal when prices went to $4 a gallon because the typical fee was a flat fee of say 30 cents plus a percentage of the transaction. The % is usually from 2 to 3%. The arguement was that CC companies were doing the same amount of work but collecting twice as much in revenue ($2 a gallon vs $4 a gallon).

As far as E-10 gas being cheaper thats because a gallon of ethanol is quite a bit cheaper than a gallon of gas. On very few occasions does ethanol cost more than gas.

The latest occurance in the gas world is the EPA's waiver to allow for the use of E-15 fuel in vehicles manufactured in 2007 and later. Both energy companies and enviromentalists are complaining about this one. What people don't consider is how in the world do you provide the infrastructure to do it and how do you enforce it's use in 2007 and later models?

Realize this there is no way in the world stations could provide E-10 and E-15 at their stations. Most stations has two tanks. One regular, and one premium. If you buy midgrade they just blend the two 50/50. To provide E-10 and E-15 every site would have to add two more tanks. Then every site would have to station workers on the site to make sure you don't put the wrong gas in the wrong vehicle.

Current buzz is that the waiver was granted as an appeasement to the midwest to garner votes in the upcoming election. Since we don't discuss politics here anymore, I will leave it to you to figure out who thinks they will possibly gain from the ruling.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Indeed. Turn over the gift card and read it.

I did. I have several Shell Gift Cards
Across the top of the card: "For security reasons, treat this Card like Cash"
Below the magnetic strip:
"Your Shell Gift Card Number is: ___________"

"Your use of this Card constitutes acceptance of the following terms: This Card can be used only for purchases of goods and services at Shell locations in the U.S., except territories. This Card cannot be redeemed for cash and no change will be given, except in those states that require redemption for cash. Except in certain circumstances, the value on this card will not be replaced if the Card is lost, stolen, or destroyed. Replacement fees may apply. An inactivity fee of $1.75 per month will be applied to any balance on the card if 12 months elapse during which the card is not used to make a purchase (except for Cards sold in AR, CA, CT, DE, HI, IA, LA, MA, MD, ME, MT, ND, NH, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, RI, TN, VT, WA, WV, and as otherwise prohibited by law). For questions regarding your Shell Gift Card, please see your local Shell Dealer, visit www.shellgiftcard.com, or call the Help Desk at 1-800-809-7231."

How to use your Shell Gift Card:
Pay at the pump: Insert Card and follow instructions on pump
To pay inside: Fuel vehicle and present Card to attendant inside
Card balance: For remaining Card value, check your receipt, see an attendant, or call 1-800-809-7231

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

I suspect you're mistaken.

You've been awfully harsh with your responses in this thread--is the using of gift cards to pay for gas a particularly sensitve subject for you?

 

[kaytieeldr]

I also have some Gulf Gift Cards. Part of the information on the back of those cards (I'm not going to quote the entire text ) states "This card is not a credit card, debit card, asset account, or deposit account."

My Market Basket gift cards state the same thing - that they're not debit cards. So it doesn't make sense that Shell would treat theirs as debit cards, but I'll check the website.

 

[hambirg]

I also have some Gulf Gift Cards. Part of the information on the back of those cards (I'm not going to quote the entire text ) states "This card is not a credit card, debit card, asset account, or deposit account."

My Market Basket gift cards state the same thing - that they're not debit cards. So it doesn't make sense that Shell would treat theirs as debit cards, but I'll check the website.

It's not that they are treating them like debit cards per se, it's just that they are not the same as cash.

Even with all the things the PP above quoted from the back of the card. . .in no way does that imply that it is to be considered a cash transaction. In fact, there are lots of terms that explain it isn't. . .ie. . .no cash back as change, etc.

I don't know why this is so difficult. . .it's NOT cash! It's not treated the same. . .it's not processed the same. . .nowhere does it state that it has to be accepted as cash. . .there are no laws requiring it to be accepted as a cash transaction or that it has to be treated as such. The OP made a bad assumption. . .and I'm sorry about that. . .but it's still not CASH.

 

[sbell111]

OP was not using a DEBIT card, they were using a GIFT card--one from the same company, not just a generic VISA gift card. That article is talking about Debit cards. I have to agree, I would have been upset too.

There's no difference.

Do you have a legal basis for that conclusion?

Indeed. Turn over the gift card and read it.

While I don't have every gift card in the world to compare, the unbelievably tiny print on the back of the two gift cards that are in my wallet does not have anything that would support your position.

I suspect you're mistaken.

May I ask why you are coming to the conclusion that I don’t know how to read, rather than that your position was incorrect?

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

May I ask why you are coming to the conclusion that I don’t know how to read, rather than that your position was incorrect?

well-said!

 

[Straitlover]

Not a Shell, but I used a BP gift card on my trip down to Florida a week ago, and I was charged the cash price.

 

[tvguy]

Not true, ARCO down the street from me takes cash and debit at the machine by the pump (they charge a fee for debit but I stopped going there so I don't know what the fee is now) and if you go inside you can absolutely use a credit card. But you have to go inside to do the credit transaction, it cannot be done at the pump. And yes, I know that you can use a cc because DBF stops there sometimes for gas, we use a cc for rewards and I do see the receipts that he gets.
.

Well, that ARCO is the odd one out.
FROM THE ARCO WEBSITE
Why don't ARCO stations accept credit cards?
We do not accept credit cards because in doing so, we would incur additional fees from the credit card companies on each gallon of fuel you buy. As most of our customers pay with cash, we do not accept credit cards as part of our strategy to sell good gas at a good price.
http://www.arco.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=16002950&contentId=7023062

 

[Cindy's Mom]

In Illinois its illegal to charge difference prices for cash vs. credit. They can charge less for gas if you purchase a car wash with your gas. Its usually about 4 cents cheaper. I have a 18 gallon tank, assuming I'm filling up, we're just talking $0.72. Not worth it for me.

I use Marriott gift cards all the time and they are actually underwritted by Visa. Perhaps this is the same for Shell.