Gassholes
It was Staurday night and I had pulled over in the pouring rain to fill up the tank with some of this ridiculously priced gasoline. I was almost done when I realized that the price on the gas pump was a dime higher than the advertised price on the big road-front sign."Could they have forgotten to update the sign?" I thought. I knew better though. I knew I had been screwed by the old cash-price/credit-price discrepancy.
Sure enough, the price to use a credit card (or one of those Speedpass™ things, which is actually what I was using) was more money.
Man, was I pissed! I can't believe that in this day and age...
In this Visa-check-card / direct-deposit / automatically-bill-your-credit-card / pay-your-bill-online-and-save-a-stamp / direct-withdrawl-from-your-checking-account / debit-or-credit world we live in...
In this society where we increasingly spend less and less cash and everything is merely an exchange of numbers...
In a world where now McDonalds even takes credit cards...
Well, I just can't believe that in the digital world of 2005 companies could still be jacking their loyal customers by charging an extra fee to use a credit card?
You used to see it more often. You know where you see it now? Only at select gas stations. It's a hold over from the old school, and no one seems to care because everyone is accustomed to seeing it. But it's common enough with gas stations that a lot of the ones that charge the same rate actually advertise it as a benefit: "Cash or credit, same low price!"
If you think the differential seems normal, consider this: Can you imagine seeing it at, say, the grocery store?
"The lettuce? It's 99 cents a head. Oh, but that's the 'cash price.' Credit card lettuce is a dollar forty-seven."
It's total crap. Granted, it's my own fault—at least in part, if not full—as I was not a careful consumer. However, I have been to this station many times before and it never was like this. So, I don't really beat myself up over it. At an unfamiliar station, I'd always check first and then split if I found out they were going to charge me extra for me being a patron of their service.
The only rebut I can imagine is that they'd say that it was based on the high prices and looking out for the customer: they wanted to give us the best price possible, and that they were actually lowering the price of the non-credit purchases as an option, a way to save money. However, I don't buy that. And if it is true, it implies that they normally mark up all the prices to take into account the fact that some people will be using credit cards. No favors there!
At any rate, we're living in a credit card world. It is a convenience that should be given out of respect for the customer. If that's not acceptable, then don't offer to take credit cards. See how that affects business.
Just my opinions. Again, maybe it all balances out because places that charge no fees (virtually everywhere else except for a couple of crappy gas stations) probably just work the percentage they pay Visa into their regular prices. Just the same, it seems deceitful to me. And I don't like it.
I'm done with that station.
posted by Steve @ 5:46 PM
2 Comments:
I am so with you on that. Let's boycott all places that don't accept plastic! Believe it or not, that is one of the things about new York that drives me up the wall. In Florida, EVERYONE takes plastic, and even for a gas station to charge an additional fee. Since coming to NY, I have found that I have to carry far more cash. Pizza places take cash only, a lot of the little delis and eateries only accept cash, etc.
It is downright annoying.
I am paying a small fortune in ATM fees because I have to use whatever the closest one happens to be to get cash, as I am one of those people that hates to carry it and rarely has it on them. I prefer to pay with my debit card, as I can more closely track my expenses and keep myself in check much better. Cash has a funny way of simply evaporating.
We can only hope that the rest of the state will slowly catch up with the world in the acceptance of plastic. But seeing as how they still require car inspections, among other ancient relics of stupid practices, I am not holding my breath.
Doh!! Despite having read this entry yesterday, I rushed to the gas station this morning running on fumes as I often am, and cashless as I often am. I swiped my card and started pumping, and no sooner did the numbers start spinning furiously when I noticed the dreadful double pricing! AGH! I just got caught in the 10 cent credit surcharge!! But alas, what was this next to the price sign? An advertisement for Speedpass, offering 5 cents off every gallon you purchase with a new Speedpass account!
So wait, you're charging me an extra $.10 for absolutely no reason other than using my card, but offering me $.05 back if I promise to use the speedpass, which is essentially charging my card, which makes you charge me $.10 in the first place? How exactly is this a deal again?
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