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

[Ali1 10+ year member]

repost

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

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.

Perhaps your owners should learn to invest in gasoline futures to mitigate shocks in the price of gasoline.

 

[snoopdan 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.

You are accurate on the economic and financial aspects of this statement, however you're lacking a view on social economics. While the nasty reality of what is taking place is quite factual, there will always likely be some social movement to rectify or at least damper this situation. This just might be in the form of restrictive price gouging laws (even though there isnt much gouging going on IMO). You gotta sit back and take a look at it from a social economic standpoint - how long do you think the average joe is going to sit there and roll pennies just to buy a gallon of gas before people are looking to get a rope and tie a nuisce to the nearest tree and head off looking for oil executives?

 

[Audiopipetwo15s 10+ year member]

bump

 

[MikeofTulsa Moderator]

I think you're retarded ...
1) The price of oil is controlled by OPEC.

2) This thread already exists.

Banned for 24 hours for being retarded.

pwned, and i agree. bush has nothing to do w/ gas prices, anyone that believes that, should have their genes removed from the gene pool