Why Do Drivers Buy Gas at Higher Priced Stations?

xzins

[xzins]

It always puzzles me to see people pull into a station that is a few cents higher in price than one immediately across the road that is lower in price. It just doesn't make sense if everything else is equal.

All the boycotts and government intervention in the world won't have near the effect on gas prices of drivers simply choosing the lowest priced gas available when they fill up their tanks.

There will ALWAYS be an economics minded station owner who will keep his prices 1 penny less than his competition. That's the guy you need to buy from.

Then the others will be forced to lower, and then that guy will lower again, and then they'll be forced to lower, etc., etc., and a purely market driven cycle will result.

But you have to do your part. Be a smart consumer. Buy the lowest priced, equal quality gasoline that's available to you.

[hobbes1]

It just doesn't make sense if everything else is equal.

Brand name Recognition, and formed Habit. Pretty much the same thing that keeps Dummmies electing Dumbocrats.

[HairOfTheDog]

Because it is on the right side of the street? I go to the one that is easiest to get to.

[Ditto]

There will ALWAYS be an economics minded station owner who will keep his prices 1 penny less than his competition. That's the guy you need to buy from.

So I should go out of my way or make a turn against traffic for fuel 1 cent per gallon less to save 10 or 15 cents on a fill-up?

[xzins]

That makes me crazy. They buy higher just because they're putting it on a card and they don't see the bill for 30 days? It's still their money!

Thanks for the thought, but it's a depressing one.

[xzins]

If it'll get your favorite station to lower their price over time, yeah, why not?

[budwiesest]

All gas is not the same. Some burn cleaner than others. If you have fuel injectors, the cheaper fuels can foul them quicker.

[bert]

Service... When I need something the people can get it for me. The convience store types can't even give directions.

[xzins]

If you have fuel injectors, the cheaper fuels can foul them quicker.

Still the same principle, though. Do you buy from the cheapest of the QUALITY GAS gas stations?

[freedomcrusader]

It is worth 12 cents to me to be able to pay at the pump, and not have to walk into the store, wait in line (TIME), and deal with the moron working behind the counter. Thus, I will pay more if the cheap station doesn't have pay at the pump.

[Koblenz]

IF you have a shell mastercard and use it at Shell, you get a 5% discount. If you use your mastercard anywhere else, 1% goes towards free shell gas.

Different locations also mean different prices: some gas stations are easier to enter and leave. Others have better gas, but I've never noticed that difference.

[Irene Adler]

Because the owner of the station they choose is a relative, or it's easier/faster for them to pull into the station they choose. Maybe one station has a convenience store, and they need something other than gas. Maybe they were preoccupied and didn't notice that there was a price difference. There's always a reason even if it's a small one. Unless they weren't aware of the difference, they are trading off lower price for some other factor which has value to them (enough value to outweigh the price difference.)

[DouglasKC]

Sometimes I won't frequent a gas station just because the employees are rude. Sometimes I will avoid a station because they don't have pay at the pump (my preferred method).

[xzins]

If that were the case, I'd understand. But most of the economy stations in our area have about 12 - 20 pumps anymore. I never wait....at least VERY SELDOM.

[Dakmar]

It makes a BIG difference in high performance cars. I lose 3 - 5 miles per gallon on cheaper (same octane) gas.

[Labyrinthos]

Because the cheaper station across the street is owned by a person of middle eastern descent, and the chance, however so slight, that some of my money might be used to fund terrorist activities is not worth the 16 cents per tankfull that I would save.