BP Station Owner Ordered to Raise Prices
MERRILL, Wis. -- The owner of the Center City BP gas station, located here, has been ordered by the state to raise his fuel prices, The Associated Press reported.
Station owner Raj Bhandari was giving a 2-cent per gallon price break to senior citizens, and selling discount cards for sports boosters, allowing them to pay 3 cents less per gallon. But the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection said those deals are a violation of Wisconsin's Unfair Sales Act, which says that stations must sell gas for about 9.2 percent more than the wholesale price.
Bhandari received a letter from the state auditor last month that said the state would sue him if he didn't raise his prices. More specifically, a penalty, determined by a judge, could be given for each discounted gallon sold, the report stated.
The owner told the AP he's worried that customers will think he put an end to the discounts to increase his profits.
One local youth hockey program supporter told the AP he bought a $50 card that would have saved him about $100 per year on gas.
Station owner Raj Bhandari was giving a 2-cent per gallon price break to senior citizens, and selling discount cards for sports boosters, allowing them to pay 3 cents less per gallon. But the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection said those deals are a violation of Wisconsin's Unfair Sales Act, which says that stations must sell gas for about 9.2 percent more than the wholesale price.
Bhandari received a letter from the state auditor last month that said the state would sue him if he didn't raise his prices. More specifically, a penalty, determined by a judge, could be given for each discounted gallon sold, the report stated.
The owner told the AP he's worried that customers will think he put an end to the discounts to increase his profits.
One local youth hockey program supporter told the AP he bought a $50 card that would have saved him about $100 per year on gas.