Is gas the same price at all the stations you see?

[nytemare]

I find it odd when gas prices really jump lately that the prices are the same at Racetrack as they are at Shell. Monday, everywhere was 1.95. Today, everywhers is 1.99.

It is weird that when BP is normally about 7 cents less than Mobil, this week it is the same.

Any thoughts?

[joeybee12]

1. I've noticed the same thing--usually can find a place 7-10 cents

cheaper. Not recently--all at 1.97.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. jumped from $1.99 to $2.04 in two hours

but that was only one gas company. The other major company in town kept their price at $1.99-and when I went home, an independent that is usually higher was selling gas at $1.98

[catzies]

3. I learned today California has "zone-based pricing."

What that means exactly, I don't know.

But prices from one area to another fluctuate wildly.

There's as much as a $.30/gal. difference between stations in Ventura County (where I live) and Santa Barbara County (where I work).

:shrug: All I know for sure, is that ExxonMobil and ChevronTexaco will both declare a record-breaking profitable quarter. Again.

[Xithras]

16. Yep, the locals have no choice.

We had a small local independent refuse to raise his gas prices a couple of years ago when the Iraq war was simply a threat and prices were spiking out of "fears" that there would be a shortage. The station owner was quoted as saying that he spent $xx dollars to fill his tanks, and that he would raise his prices when his costs actually went up. This put him almost 20 cents a gallon cheaper than his local competitors and he had LINES of cars waiting to gas up.

Of course, then the state stepped in and said that he was violating the zone pricing laws. They threatened that if he didn't raise his prices, they would fine him. To make it worse, the other local gas stations that purchased from the same wholesaler complained to THEM, and the WHOLESALER threatened to cut off his gas supply if he didn't raise his prices.

Two days later, his prices were right up there with everyone elses. Over his price marquee he hung a small cardboard sign with two simple words: "They Won". He became my sole gas supplier for nearly a year after that, until he finally went out of business (he swore that his wholesalers raised his prices as a sort of revenge, and he was only making about 2 cents a gallon profit at the very end).

[catzies]

18. Wow, what a story. Just goes to show we're screwed no matter what.

n/t

[slackmaster]

4. Pretty wide range in my area

I've been afraid to look but will have no choice when I leave work this afternoon. The amber light is on, I'm running on fumes.

I was just remembering back in the '60s when gasoline was about 23 cents per gallon. I think one of the independent (people used to call them "cut-rate") stations went down to 17 cents briefly during a "gas war". I'll bet most people under 40 have never experienced a gas war.

[BlueJazz]

5. Here in Florida..(St Pete) It varies tremendously.

I saw some today for $2.19 for reg and 2 miles away it was $1.89 for reg..Go figure..

[nytemare]

10. Strange, Orlando is 1.99 just about everywhere

:shrug: Who can understand this stuff?

[Deja Q]

6. Most are the same, with few differences (usually less.)

Dunno if it's price fixing or if the other stations for lower prices are cutting profits or adding phoney-baloney liquids into the gas... :shrug:

[Nite Owl]

7. Exxon/Mobile

are more. Sometimes .15 cents more. We are well over $2 up here. Think it was $2.06 for reg and $2.26 for premium and that was Tuesday.

[Left Is Write]

8. No. It ranges anywhere from 1.959 to 2.059 or so.

[Carni]

9. Today it was 2.05 EVERYWHERE!

I looked at about 15 gas stations and every damned one of them had the same price--there is no way they aren't colluding with one another.

[KitchenWitch]

11. $1.99 in some areas, $2.15 in others

[beyurslf]

12. 1.94 on Mon and 2.09 today everywhere

[tyedyeto]

13. One word.............price fixing...n/t

On edit...oooops.....that was two words

[catzies]

14. Read today too credit card costs account for 3% of cost of gal. of gas

Another reason to hate the credit card companies.

[nytemare]

20. Interesting

Did you catch the PBS documentary on credit companies? I think it was on Frontline.

Frontline is a great program.

[happynewyear]

15. $2.38 local; $2.29 Costco

Hail to the great pacific northwest!

:kick:

[catzies]

19. My Costco was 2.17 a week ago today. Who knows what it will be

by the time I need gas again, probably Friday?

Nobody knows...

Our local paper said expect $3 by summer.

[maveric]

17. Stations by freeway ramps are 10-20 cents a gallon more.

"Last Chance" pricing.