Why does gasoline go up at pump when already purchased by station

[misterx]

What makes you think they already had the gas? The storage tanks are not that big so a busy station needs to have them refilled daily.

 

[Anti Federalist]

oil went down but gas prices didn't.

i think oil is such a necessity to our economy that it should be regulated. i'm sure others will disagree with me and say that in a capitalist society one should be able to make money because of supply and demand.. but the whole things rigged. rigged i say. either that or investors need to be required to take physical delivery of oil. when you've got oil filled tankers sitting in the ocean because of lack of demand... and the prices go up to the consumer... something is not right.

This was already tried back in the late 70s. (not to be confused with the shortages of the early 70s caused by the Arab oil embargo)

Crude prices were regulated, crude could not be sold for more than "x" amount.

The price rose above "x" and the suppliers, rightly so, refused to sell at a loss.

Result?

Tankers sitting offshore, full, but refusing to unload, along with massive shortages, gas lines and rationing.

No gas to be had at any price.

Nothing is more ridiculous than the idea of arbitrary wage and price controls, especially in a funny money, fiat currency economy.

A thing costs what a thing costs, and a government bureaucrat giving orders demanding that it cost less is as pointless as giving orders to the waves and tide.

All a price control or cap will do is result in shortages of the commodity.

 

[Nanerbeet]

If house prices went up, would you still sell your house at the old price? Why? After you move, wouldn't you need to buy another house to live in, at the new price??

 

[cbc58]

If house prices went up, would you still sell your house at the old price? Why? After you move, wouldn't you need to buy another house to live in, at the new price??

see... people keep using this argument but that's not what is happening. what is happening is that pump prices are raised and kept elevated even when the supplier cost is going down. it's a rigged system that is a unspoken colusion among stations. if one goes up they all go up because they can get it because it's such a necessity. maybe it's just me but the system seems rigged to enrich people who have wormed thier way into the system that add no value to it... and consumers foot the bill. seems that way with alot of things these days and likely is a large part of why we are in this mess.

A thing costs what a thing costs, and a government bureaucrat giving orders demanding that it cost less is as pointless as giving orders to the waves and tide.

if this was a true free market... i'd agree.... but it's not. there are no free markets regardless of any arguments to the contrary.

 

[Nanerbeet]

Enriched?! ENRICHED!? BAHAHAHAHA Gas Stations colluding with each other to enrich themselves?!? THATS RICH


Never met a wealthy gas station owner in my life.

 

[misterx]

It's not the gas station that is ripping you off. After credit card fees, the station is lucky to break even on gas. They are slow to bring the price down when the cost comes down, but they are also slow to raise the price when the cost goes up, and often sell it at a loss just to drive traffic. Most station owners are struggling just to make ends meat.

 

[Ninja Homer]

It's probably the same reason that gas prices go up right before a big travel time like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Memorial weekend. People have to buy gas and they'll pay a little extra at those times. These are probably some of the only times that gas stations can make a half-decent profit on gas. I don't see a problem with it... they should be able to charge whatever the hell they want to.

Anybody buy flowers for Mother's Day today? They charge up to 5 times the usual price today, because they can... same thing.

The cheapest days to fill up are typically Tuesday and Wednesday.