RE: [a/s] Priceline Gas

["Phil Sinewe" <phil@xxxxxxxxxx>]

OK, bunches want to hear how it works.  First off, I not sellin it, just
telling you my take on how it works.

You first have to request a priceline gas card from them
(http://www.priceline.com).  They want a credit card number, because all the
gas purchases you make go through them, not the local station.  The card is
free, you reuse the card. (By the way, it is the same deal with Priceline
for groceries, but there are two cards, I have not played with the grocery
card much, but did buy a gallon of milk as a test for 1.29 when it was 2.49
at the store).

When you want to purchase gas (have to wait for the card to arrive first)
you go on line and pick three service station that you want to go to.  I
picked three that are all on the same corner, a block away from home.  They
then tell you what the average price of gas at the three is at the time (in
both instances there average was much lower then it should have been (good
for me).  You are asked what type of gas you want, and how much you want to
buy (10,20,30,40,or 50 gallons).  Then they "suggest" what prices will
likely get accepted (4, from likely to be accepted to not likely to be
accepted)  You choose what price you want to ask for and they tell you if it
has been accepted.  In both cases, I chose the lowest, least likely price
and got it, in fact, the second time, I took 2 more cents off (man I live a
dangerous life).  Both times it was accepted.

First time I only bought 10 gallons of regular for $1.19.  That night, the
pump read $1.44.  Second purchase was for 40 gallons at $1.17.  I have not
actually used that 40 gallons of gas yet, but the pumps are still at $1.44
here.  (Hunter, I do not think they offer diesel, they figure you folks that
own diesels have lots of money, actually I do not know if they have Diesel)

You put the card in the pump, it asks you for a transaction number (sent
e-mail to you) and you pump the gas, and walk away.

A couple "rules" they have.

1:  Only 50 gallons can be "on the card" at a time.  A max of 100 gallons
per month total can be bought.

2:  If you over pump, they charge you the pump rate for the overage of gas,
to your card.  If you pump more than 5 gallons over, they have a processing
fee of a couple bucks.

3:  If gas is less than the price you purchased it at, you pay the lower
rate, not the priceline purchased rate.

4:  After a 90 day trial period, there is a 3 dollar fee per month (covers
both the gas card and the grocery card)

All and all, it is quick and easy.  Once you have logged in the first time,
when you return, the same three stations are still there (you can change
them if you are traveling).  It now takes me less than a minute to determine
what I can get gas for.

I bought the 40 gallons at $1.17 assuming that I will always find days in
the next 2 weeks that gas is more than that.  I figure if it drops to $1.17
(hahahahahahah), then I will not use the card.

Phil & Kathy Sinewe
Curtis, Marcus & Asher (the Lab)
25' Airstream #2681
mailto:phil@sinewe.com
http://www.sinewe.com