::Gas Prices.........Psh::

[bk12321 10+ year member]

source? I remember reading up that gas stations charge a little more than what they pay for. Wouldn't that add up though since everyone needs gas?

I knew an old couple near my old house who owned and still own the same gas station. My friend's parents who live back near Charlotte where I go to school (im currently in greensboro) own quite a few gas stations as does their family. Also, someone else told me the exact same thing too, but I can't remember who.

They might charge slightly more, but they have to charge competitively so they aren't ALWAYS making money. They can make money, but they could also break even but still have people coming in to buy stuff from their store, so either way they are making money.

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

Once upon a time, even in business they had a sense of morals and fostered good relations with their customers.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif

The current "whats in it for me" attitude expressed by too many in both the stock markets as well as in the boardrooms of corporate America is the same attitude that led to the market collapse back in 1929.

And its been getting worse the last 10 years.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/blackeye.gif.66a1670f5aaf7f406e783a63e3387dc5.gif

Part of free markets is overpricing and speculation. That is about the business cycle works. Read the sig for more info....and not the quote about building a box.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

Why do you feel price gouging is wrong? If the consumer is willing to pay .30 -- $2.00 more per gallon, then why not charge them that price? Basic economics says you should charge the highest price the customer is willing to pay or where the customer's marginal value is equal to 0.
By controlling supply, then ensure that demand is always greater than supply. Say we reduced the demand for gasoline by half. Does that guarentee the price will reduce. Absolutly not. If you can reduce supply so that it is still less than demand, the price will still be the same. The only difference will be volume.

Price ceilings do cause shortages. I know you are bit older than I. You should have known this from Nixon's rent controls.

when 29 out of the 50 states have it as a law why not? reasoning behind it getting vetoed is stupid. gas is no worse than electricity. should we lift the ceiling on that?

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

I knew an old couple near my old house who owned and still own the same gas station. My friend's parents who live back near Charlotte where I go to school (im currently in greensboro) own quite a few gas stations as does their family. Also, someone else told me the exact same thing too, but I can't remember who.
They might charge slightly more, but they have to charge competitively so they aren't ALWAYS making money. They can make money, but they could also break even but still have people coming in to buy stuff from their store, so either way they are making money.

I don't think they can lose money in an attempt to gain market share. That is called predatory pricing and one of the few govt regulations I actually agree with.

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

when 29 out of the 50 states have it as a law why not? reasoning behind it getting vetoed is stupid. gas is no worse than electricity. should we lift the ceiling on that?

Over have the states at one time made it legal to own slaves. Over half that states at one time did not give women the right to vote. Just because you are the majority, doesn't make it right. Instead of calling it stupid, you should explain why.

There is a ceiling o electricity because it is a regualted monopoly. It would be impractical as well as ineffecient to have 25 different power lines on a pole. The government grants these monopolies so that they can achieve economies of scale. Oftentimes, these arrangements force electric companies to develop in areas they would not ordinarily develop, such as rural areas where it is unprofitable. Since gasoline distribution does not have such impracticalities and are able to remain effeciently self-regulated, why impose sanctions?

 

[billabongcr 5,000+ posts]

BP is pissing me off.

it went from $2.99 to $3.07 over night, the morning after it was $3.19, then 2 days ago it was $3.15, and today its $3.08. wtf?

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

BP is pissing me off.
it went from $2.99 to $3.07 over night, the morning after it was $3.19, then 2 days ago it was $3.15, and today its $3.08. wtf?

The price of a barrel of oil droped couple dollars over the past couple days.

 

[billabongcr 5,000+ posts]

The price of a barrel of oil droped couple dollars over the past couple days.

well that shit needs to keep dropping.

what was it, $55 a barrel or something and gas was $2.xx? i havent been keeping up with this at all because i feel my *****ing and moaning doesnt do any good. how much is the average barrel of oil now?

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070523/gasoline_prices_congress.html?.v=6

meh

http://finance.yahoo.com/futures?u

 

[bk12321 10+ year member]

I don't think they can lose money in an attempt to gain market share. That is called predatory pricing and one of the few govt regulations I actually agree with.

mmm i was moreee refering to breaking even //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

how is going by real supply and demand worse than a fake one? costs of fuel for basic transportation and transportation of goods causes everything else to go up that gets transported. its not like the gas companies were going broke before now they are just getting record profits from selling less.

 

[Rich B 5,000+ posts]

how is going by real supply and demand worse than a fake one? costs of fuel for basic transportation and transportation of goods causes everything else to go up that gets transported. its not like the gas companies were going broke before now they are just getting record profits from selling less.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/yes.gif.2d6d3882a589966b8145fbc57db57f33.gif

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

how is going by real supply and demand worse than a fake one? costs of fuel for basic transportation and transportation of goods causes everything else to go up that gets transported. its not like the gas companies were going broke before now they are just getting record profits from selling less.

I agree. Except they were kind of hurting @ $19 a barrel. Not going broke by any means.

Exxon for instance finds that it can better improve its bottom line by using profits to repurchase stock rather than explore for oil. That is telling you something.

 

[rawdogj 10+ year member]

for the 1st time in my life tonigh read and heard aout "peak oil"

it is very scary read so far (2 hours of reading)

 

[Ali1 10+ year member]

i work at a gas station, so maybe i can share some facts. A gas station owner can raise the price of gasoline if he wanted to, but it would have to be a reasonable increase or else there wouldn't be many customers if a gas station across the street is selling it much lower. The owner receives a sheet everyday describing what gas prices should be. At marathon, our prices are usually higher than Speedway, BP, Amaco, and Thortons, but its what he has to do JUST TO CUT EVEN(NOT EVEN MAKING A PROFIT). if the requested gas price are similiar to the nearby gas stations, the owner will raise it a nickle higher, just to make 5cents a gallon profit. There are times where the owner has to lose money from gasoline because nearby gas stations have it much cheaper. If the requested gasoline prices were nowhere near the prices of nearby gas stations, the owner would keep it to the numbers of our nearby gas stations, just to KEEP ITS CUSTOMERS, ALTHOUGH HE'S LOOSING A NICKLE OR DIME EVERY GALLON. Someone made a good point in this forum, WE MAKE OUR PROFIT OFF THE GOODS INSIDE THE STORE. If the gas station doesn't have a little quickie shop, then THE OWNER DOESN'T MAKE SH!T, EXCEPT THE PROFIT OFF GAS PRICES, IF ANY.

oh yeah, MARATHON DOESN'T HAVE BETTER GAS THAN SPEEDWAY. the same guy that delivers our gas is the same individual who delivers speedway's gas. So for all you people who think speedway/thortons use a less beneficial gas then the rest of the gas stations, are just getting ripped off. UNLEADED-PLUS-PREMIUM. don't bother getting PLUS, its just a ripoff as well. Its a mix of unleaded and premium in the same tank, its there to make the profit off gasoline prices.