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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forumsgas station owner didn't notice his gas price was 45cents for 5 hours, on verge of tears
One customer, Henry DeHart of Chattanooga, knew something was wrong when, after putting 12 gallons of premium gas in the tank of his car, the pumps digital readout displayed a surprising total: $5.64.
And the price per gallon? Just 45 cents.
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DeHart went inside to explain the situation to the gas station owner, he said.
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He ran back around the counter [and] started poking at his screen and then turned green. Nobody had told him in the last 5 hours, DeHart said.
Theres no telling how much money he lost today. He was on the verge of tears, he said.
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How many people this morning thought, its my lucky day, while this man was getting taken to the cleaners? he added.
Not everyone was happy that DeHart had brought their lucky day to an end, he said. A man in line behind him made that clear, DeHart said.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/personalfinance/gas-station-owner-on-verge-of-tears-after-undercharging-for-fuel-in-tennessee/ar-AAWnvck
Emile
(22,944 posts)Skittles
(153,193 posts)FYI
Emile
(22,944 posts)lame54
(35,326 posts)When the barrel price shut up so did the station marquees
When barrel prices dropped the marquees were very slow to adjust
kcr
(15,320 posts)TwilightZone
(25,485 posts)Taking advantage of someone in his situation is a form of theft, as far as I'm concerned. If not legally, then ethically. It appears that you're OK with that.
Emile
(22,944 posts)MineralMan
(146,333 posts)He's just a guy with a small business. I would have done the same thing as that customer did. The station owner probably lives in the same down, and struggles to pay his bills, just like all of us.
Sometimes, good-hearted people just do the right thing. That customer did that. And you call him a name? That's a shame. What do you do to earn your living, I wonder?
Emile
(22,944 posts)dumbcat
(2,120 posts)I am very disappointed in your reaction.
Emile
(22,944 posts)MineralMan
(146,333 posts)So, yes.
Skittles
(153,193 posts)count on it
kairos12
(12,874 posts)their windshields.
Yes. Skittles. I hate them.
retiredgeek
(34 posts)There is one of those mega churches not far from my house. On Sundays they have the local PD directing traffic when the church gets out...and yep there are tons of big-a** cadillac's, expeditions, and so on that come pouring out of the parking lot. And they will start their next week on Monday shafting employee's, price gouging, and so on but by golly they are "saved" so it's OK....
Alpeduez21
(1,757 posts)There really is a way to tell how much money he lost today. It involves arithmetic and no CRT.
ProfessorGAC
(65,203 posts)Kind of the whole point of high accuracy metered pumps & computers.
They know EXACTLY what that mistake cost.
TheBlackAdder
(28,222 posts)MurrayDelph
(5,301 posts)(But only in daylight hours. After dark, self-serve is allowed)
Wingus Dingus
(8,059 posts)dumbcat
(2,120 posts)But I am pretty happy with our reaction here, with one exception.
Emile
(22,944 posts)roamer65
(36,747 posts)Joking aside I would have said something to the attendant.
LiberatedUSA
(1,666 posts)and track down the ones with no ethics?
dumbcat
(2,120 posts)Request that they pay up the difference? Good luck with that.
inthewind21
(4,616 posts)A manhunt for people who paid the advertised price. Set by him no less. That's just funny. And we wonder how this country got where it is. Privatize the gains, socialize the loss.
JHB
(37,162 posts)Not to minimize the unkindness of customers who didn't say anything, but as the owner, it's his responsibility. Either he set it wrong and didn't double-check, or someone else set it and he didn't double-check.
Two other thoughts:
How many of those customers saw what they expected to see and didn't even realize it was 10% of what it should be. Figured it would be around 50 bucks, saw that the first number started with "5", and didn't think about it further because it was a routine thing they were doing.
The story mentions a language barrier. Was that a factor?
TheBlackAdder
(28,222 posts)Shrek
(3,984 posts)When I fill up I start the pump and then go inside to buy my coffee or whatever. When I go back to the car I put the nozzle back and drive away. I don't normally look at the total.
SYFROYH
(34,184 posts)And there are a lot of broke people out there.
Aristus
(66,467 posts)It's either that, or the evils of decimalization...