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Author Topic: Posting Debit Card and Cash Prices Post a Reply Back to Topics
Norm1947

Champion Author
Flint

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Message Posted: Apr 19, 2012 10:24:10 AM

I think a spot should be added to post both prices. Over 80% of the members prefer to pay by debit card. I notice that the postings sometimes represent the cash prices and sometimes the debit prices. Which one is the correct price to post? I think the current options we have leaves a lot of room for confusion and can lead to surprises when you pull into a station with your debit card only to find out it was cash price only.
REPLIES (newest first)
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Byte_Doctor
Champion Author Akron

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Message Posted: Apr 26, 2012 7:36:10 PM

scoutmaster, u mad bro?
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scoutmaster
Champion Author Pittsburgh

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Message Posted: Apr 26, 2012 4:41:46 PM

The whole site needs revamped to be able to post cash & credit prices or even to indicate if the price is cash or credit. And that's a lot of programming and man hours.
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guzzlr
Sophomore Author New Jersey

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Message Posted: Apr 26, 2012 3:22:30 PM

It would be better and more intuitive if users could enter and display both cash and/or credit prices. Gasbuddy is useless in my area nowadays since no one enters comments for their prices, and I can't tell if the price entered is for cash or credit. I guess no one reads these forums.

P.S. I heard on the new last night that there are gas stations that charge up to a $2.00 difference between the cash and credit prices.
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Doro
Rookie Author Nebraska

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Message Posted: Apr 26, 2012 9:58:42 AM

Additional fees charged by some stations in some states for the use of credit cards or debit cards would possibly significantly increase the overall cost for consumers.
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scoutmaster
Champion Author Pittsburgh

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Message Posted: Apr 26, 2012 4:45:15 AM

Well that was pointless!
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Byte_Doctor
Champion Author Akron

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Message Posted: Apr 26, 2012 4:21:18 AM

And kwzh wins the prize! Sorry if it was too obvious, but sometimes you've got to just go with it.
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scoutmaster
Champion Author Pittsburgh

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Message Posted: Apr 26, 2012 2:09:58 AM

Dunno kwzh. I'll go with your answer.
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kwzh
Champion Author San Jose

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Message Posted: Apr 26, 2012 12:31:51 AM

Is this a riddle? I'll guess "blind people".
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Byte_Doctor
Champion Author Akron

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Message Posted: Apr 25, 2012 6:23:32 PM

Come now scoutmaster, surely you can figure out what group can't see the comments? It really is pretty obvious...
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TxJeans
Champion Author Tampa

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Message Posted: Apr 25, 2012 6:14:39 PM

Rich - thank you for posting that...It is what I did last night [zeroed out + comment] and I wondered what happened. We have a station under construction that 2 low lifes were posting fake prices - the one posted all grades for several days. Today, finally they stopped posting the fake prices :-)

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scoutmaster
Champion Author Pittsburgh

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Message Posted: Apr 25, 2012 5:31:19 AM

"Who? Well,unless folks actually ENTER comments you can't see them."

Well that's stating the obvious.
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scoutmaster
Champion Author Pittsburgh

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Message Posted: Apr 25, 2012 5:13:16 AM

"But I can think of at least one other group who cannot see comments, so my challenge of your blanket statement still stands."

What group would that be?
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RichWLIN
Champion Author Indiana

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Message Posted: Apr 25, 2012 4:30:17 AM

Byte, I had this same problem before Scrapheap explained it to me as follows:

"If you zero out a price and enter a comment, you are essentially deleting the price entry. In this case, the comment is only available to the moderators and is only useful in the case that someone complains about their prices being deleted. The moderators can look at the price reporting history for that station, look at the comment and see why you deleted the price instead of having to ask you."

In the Android app, comments appear just below the diesel price when you select the station and open the "Report Gas Prices Here" page. Because my comments were entered simultaneously with zeroing out bogus diesel prices, the comment never appeared. It sounds like this may be happening to you.

I just zero out the price from the map (can't do this from the app) and then add my comment later either on the web site or the app.

This process to add comments isn't very intuitive to begin with and even more frustrating when the next reporter enters prices and your comment is summarily erased by default.

RG


[Edited by: RichWLIN at 4/25/2012 7:30:24 AM EST]
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Byte_Doctor
Champion Author Akron

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Message Posted: Apr 25, 2012 4:21:44 AM

Well, I'm not sure what that link (http://akrongasprices.com/index.aspx?mss=216484) was supposed to show me - all I get is the expanded search options screen with a "No current gas prices reported" message in place of the usual lowest / highest gas prices list. Even if it did show me anything I have no idea how I'd get that to show in the iPhone app since you can't just enter a URL to view a station.

Not sure if it matters - I was able to see a comment I posted after my drive home by checking immediately after I posted it, so I stand (or rather, sit) corrected.

But I can think of at least one other group who cannot see comments, so my challenge of your blanket statement still stands.
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scoutmaster
Champion Author Pittsburgh

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Message Posted: Apr 25, 2012 3:42:52 AM

Here is one I post daily that has comments. See if you can see these.
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Byte_Doctor
Champion Author Akron

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Message Posted: Apr 24, 2012 10:34:34 AM

Well, I still don't see them - but, it could be that the volatility of the comments is what is preventing me from seeing them. That is, the stations I post comments for are in an area that is pretty active with other posters so they may be overwriting my comments with blanks, and maybe nobody else in my area posts comments. Since our area isn't dual-priced, I could see that. I only post "Station does not sell Diesel" comments for stations that show Reg/Mid/Super + Kerosene on their price sign, because some mistakenly post the Kerosene as Diesel.

I also don't see anything below the Diesel prices where comments would show, but it could be that the app doesn't reserve space and only shows anything if there is a non-blank comment.

In any case, I'll test it when I get fresh prices from my drive home.
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scoutmaster
Champion Author Pittsburgh

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Message Posted: Apr 24, 2012 8:17:20 AM

They are under the Diesel price.

[Edited by: scoutmaster at 4/24/2012 11:22:45 AM EST]
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Byte_Doctor
Champion Author Akron

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Message Posted: Apr 24, 2012 8:05:25 AM

Unless I'm missing something - I've never seen any comments, including comments I've posted for stations myself. I don't even see where they would show.
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scoutmaster
Champion Author Pittsburgh

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Message Posted: Apr 24, 2012 6:45:02 AM

Really Byte Doc? I just looked at the app on a friends iPhone and a station I posted from my Droid with comments and I saw the comments I entered this morning.
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Byte_Doctor
Champion Author Akron

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Message Posted: Apr 24, 2012 5:31:55 AM

scoutmaster, yes you can enter comments using the iPhone app, but you can't see them. No, I have no idea why that isn't a part of the app.
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RichWLIN
Champion Author Indiana

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Message Posted: Apr 24, 2012 5:22:41 AM

The comment field is volatile. That is, a comment does not remain when the next reporter posts prices.

This is a glaring error in logical programming. If you add a comment that explains cash or credit pricing, it will be erased by default when the next GB reporter inputs prices. This can happen in mere minutes from making a comment and often does.

The comments field should remain intact and visible to all until another member overtly makes a change to it. While this won't make all app users fill in the comment field, it would at least leave an existing comment in place if one exists.

All this talk about using comments to define either cash or credit is really moot under the present circumstances.

RG
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scoutmaster
Champion Author Pittsburgh

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Message Posted: Apr 23, 2012 6:58:39 PM

You can't enter comments on an iPhone?
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TxJeans
Champion Author Tampa

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Message Posted: Apr 23, 2012 6:51:37 PM

"Who can't see the comments?"

Who? Well,unless folks actually ENTER comments you can't see them. I didn't think they were available for view on the main list - turned out that no one was posting any comments. I posted a dual price station for the first time and included the comment and there it was...I guess the folks either are too lazy around my neck of the wods.
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Byte_Doctor
Champion Author Akron

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Message Posted: Apr 23, 2012 6:06:26 PM

iPhone App users for one, there may be others - I don't know.
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Gas_Buddy
Champion Author Maryland

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Message Posted: Apr 23, 2012 9:45:53 AM

Same question:
Who can't see the comments?

I'll agree that you might not see them "at first glance", but maybe it takes just a moment more than first glance; maybe it takes "a look" instead of "a glance." That doesn't appear too difficult or time consuming if you're really concerned about finding out about the prices.
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scoutmaster
Champion Author Pittsburgh

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Message Posted: Apr 23, 2012 6:54:16 AM

Who can't see the comments Byte Doc?
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Byte_Doctor
Champion Author Akron

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Message Posted: Apr 23, 2012 4:28:07 AM

scoutmaster, no, not everyone can see the comments.

To quote something you've said many times "blanket statements are rarely correct".
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scoutmaster
Champion Author Pittsburgh

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Message Posted: Apr 22, 2012 5:42:14 PM

You mean the comments? And everyone can see the comments.
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insightcruzer
All-Star Author Oakland

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Message Posted: Apr 22, 2012 5:25:55 PM

the notes section does allow one to make mention that the cash price is a certain amount of cents less per gallon than the credit price, but one can't always see the notes section at first glance..
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CampKohler
Champion Author Sacramento

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Message Posted: Apr 22, 2012 1:04:01 PM

Around these hyar parts, Costco does not always closely track the lowest price, so you have to be aware of what is going on locally before buying there.
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Debrastorch
Veteran Author Florida

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Message Posted: Apr 21, 2012 6:11:14 PM

I gave up on debit or credit cards except at Costco. The gas there is always cheaper than anyone aroud anyway. I just buy a card from them and use it at their pumps.
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CampKohler
Champion Author Sacramento

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Message Posted: Apr 20, 2012 2:31:22 PM

You are hereby entitled to wear on of these.
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scoutmaster
Champion Author Pittsburgh

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Message Posted: Apr 19, 2012 10:26:12 AM

Yet another topic about the same thing.
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