There’s 4 main ways a gas pump can screw you over:
gas
GMAC Insurance: Drive Less, Pay Less
By 7.30.08
People who drive fewer than 15,000 miles per year can save 13-54% on their GMAC insurance premiums under a GMAC Insurance’s new Low-Mileage Discount. All you have to do is opt-in to let OnStar monitor your mileage. The average annual vehicle mileage is about 12,000 miles, according to the Department of Energy’s Annual Energy Review ’06, so it looks like most people with GMAC insurance and OnStar could save under OnStar’s Low-Mileage Discount Program. With the need to save every dollar on your car, this could be a good program for eligible drivers to check out by calling 1-800-GMAC-123 or going to gmacinsurance.com.
For Chrysler, A "Full Tank Of Fuel" Is An "Additional Feature"
By 7.25.08
Reader inkjammer would like to let you know that Chrysler thinks of a full tank of gas as an “additional feature” — albeit a free one.
Expert Says Gasoline Prices Could Drop To $3.50 Per Gallon By Labor Day
By 7.24.08
According to Phil Flynn, Vice President and Senior Market Analyst at Alaron Trading, gas prices nationwide have been recently reduced about $.05 per gallon and he says this is just the beginning. He predicts that gas prices could go down to $3.50 a gallon by Labor Day (Sept. 1st).
By 7.22.08
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Midwest Airlines is cutting 1/3 of its flights. [620wtmj]
Spirit Airlines Charges $10 Fee For Ordering Tickets Online
By 7.21.08
One of the major points of having your customers order online is supposed to be that it makes it a more efficient and convenient process for everyone. Not so at Spirit Airlines, which is now charging $10 roundtrip extra fee if you order your tickets online. They’re calling this the “web convenience fee.”
Sorry, We Don't Know Why Our Pump Is Overcharging You
By 7.21.08
Reader Matt says he bought gas from a Sunoco station in New Jersey, but the price advertised didn’t match the price he was actually charged. He even “double checked” to make sure there wasn’t a separate price for cash vs credit. Matt says he tried to resolve the dispute with an employee, but that the employee “just kept saying he doesn’t know why it’s happening. So I just snapped a picture and left.” What should Matt do?
Visine Would Cost $1,021 If You Bought By Gallon
By 7.17.08
You cringe over the price of a gallon of gas, but what about a gallon of Visine? An article in the September issue of ShopSmart shows that if you bought the eye drops by the gallon, the price would be $1,021. Steak sauce? $48. Secret Platinum, $189. Obviously, no one buys Visine by the gallon, except for maybe Cyclops (hey, that stick still burns). Similiarly, except for hobbyists, no one buys a dropper of gasoline. And there are cost-savings by selling and buying items in bulk. Still, makes you think…
Is Your Milk Spoiling Faster?
By 7.17.08
I hosted a shrinking product chat over at WashingtonPost.com this morning and an interesting comment from someone in New Orleans came up about milk going bad:
UPDATE: MyGallons Refunding Membership Fees?
By 7.15.08
Consumerist commenter doireallyneedausername forwarded us an email he got from MyGallons.com, claiming that his membership fee will be refunded because MyGallons.com cannot find a credit card processor. The email, signed by CEO Steve Verona, says that current members will get a free year of MyGallons.com when (if?) they are ever able to process transactions. Read the email inside.
Federal Reserve Chairman Thinks High Gas Prices Are Here To Stay
By 7.15.08
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told congress today that he expects the economy to stay sluggish, and was extremely pessimistic about the price of oil in the future. Despite the the airline industry’s open letter to consumers claiming that speculators are driving up the price of oil and causing a commodities bubble, Bernanke doesn’t agree.
Is This $0.10 Credit/Debit Surcharge On Gasoline Allowed?
By 7.15.08
Reader Brian wants to know how to tell a “surcharge” applied to a credit/debt card transaction vs a convenience charge?
BBB Says: "Anything With 'Gas' And 'Deal' Should Set Off Alarm Bells"
By 7.11.08
The BBB says the consumers should be wary of advertisements claiming to offer cheap gas for visiting a website. Paying $2.49 a gallon just for “clicking” sounds too good to be true– and it probably is.
UPDATE: MyGallons.com Suspends Accepting Membership Fees
By 7.11.08
After acknowledging that it did not have a contract in place to process transactions, gasoline-hedging service MyGallons.com has suspended accepting membership fees and placed the current fees in a non-interest bearing escrow account, says the BBB. Read the BBB’s findings inside.
By 7.10.08
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Northwest Airlines is cutting 2,500 jobs. Passengers may be asked to get out and push to help the plane taxi. [NYT]
Can Prayer Lower Gas Prices? These People Think So
By 7.8.08
Some people think we don’t have a prayer of gas prices dipping below $3.00 for a good long haul. These parishioners holding hands around a Shell station beg to differ. They’re part of a group called “Pray At The Pump,” organizing prayer-circles at various DC area gas stations, hoping to goad divine intervention into lowering gas prices. I wonder if they carpooled to the rendezvous point.
BBB Says MyGallons.com "Omitted Fact" In Advertising, Has No Contract To Process Transactions
By 7.3.08
The BBB says its concerned about gasoline-hedging company MyGallons.com and its ability to live up to the advertising claims on its website. A spokesperson for the BBB tells us that the biggest “red flag” they’ve discovered is that MyGallons claimed (in their press release) to have partnered with US Bank. However, when the BBB called US Bank to confirm this, they found out that it wasn’t true. US Bank had discussed the opportunity with MyGallons, but had declined. According to the BBB, despite the fact that they have no contractual agreements in place to process transactions, MyGallons is still signing up new customers.
By 7.2.08
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In case you were wondering, yes, it is illegal to trade sex for a $100 gas card. [The Smoking Gun]
