Free Gas Giveaways

[jamesdenver]

So I was writing a post on my blog about how the city is REDUCING bus service because MORE people are riding it - hence increasing costs.

Anyway I noticed how popular "gas giveaways" have become over the past few months.

Today 200 people get free gas in Denver (http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=92252) Ironically you'll have to drive there and wait in a long line thus idling more gas.

Chrysler is promising you $2.99 gas when purchasing a new car (http://www.letsrefuelamerica.com/).

At my work gas cards are being given to salespeople who meet certain goals and what not.

Anyone else find this hilarious? Of course I did just help a relative drive a U-Hual across the midwest which cost about $500 in gas - so I certainly wouldn't have turned down a free gas card --

however prizes and contest giveaways are supposed to be plasma TVs, concert tickets, and trips to Mexico. But gasoline?

[bizzz111]

free gas has always been used as a promotion, especially by the radio stations. I remember "99 cent gas!!!" giveaways by radio stations back when gas hit $2 a gallon.

The Nascar store started subsidizing their employees' gas months before chrysler did it.

Promotions are designed to get the most bang for the buck. And there's a lot of hoopla around gas prices right now. Superpages.com probably got $500k worth of advertising for $192k. I sure as hell hadn't heard about them before this promotion.

[wahoonc]

We had the 200 $40 card giveaway in our area too...bet it cost the taxpayers more than that in police work to herd the traffic around the jams. Taco Bell has some gas give away going too...might just ride my bike down and see what it is all about:lol:

Aaron:)

[Newspaperguy]

These days, there's more anger than ever when motorists talk about the price of fuel. I'm hearing more and more calls to action from people who want to bring down the cost. Any initiatives to give away free fuel or to drop the price will be welcomed.

The price of a litre of gasoline here is double what it was in early 2003 and around four times as high as it was in 1982. Wages haven't increased nearly that fast. Everyone who drives, even the car-light people, will be looking for ways to cope with the price hikes.

[Platy]

Tip: If you're out on a bike and you need to get anything at a gas station or convenience store, pick the one with the highest gas price. Shorter lines at the checkout!

[Sianelle]

Tip: If you're out on a bike and you need to get anything at a gas station or convenience store, pick the one with the highest gas price. Shorter lines at the checkout!

*Makes a careful note of that* :thumb:

[Lamplight]

Man, my coworkers would be mad if I won free gas and they didn't. :lol:

[Blue Order]

I'd say none of these giveaways are "free."

That Chrysler promotion? Either the cost of the gas is buried in the price of the vehicle, OR Chrysler plans to spread the cost to all vehicles, which means that new buyers who choose a fuel sipper will be subsidizing new buyesr who buy a fuel gulper, OR Chrysler intends to take a tax deduction for its losses, passing the costs onto all of us. Chrysler is probably forced to do this based on its inventory of gas gulpers-- better to get rid of them now and transition to gas sippers than to have them in stock for several years. One thing Chrysler won't be doing is giving away "free" gas.

Those promotions giving away "free" gas? The price of gas gets buried in the product or services offered, which in effect means the purchasers of the services and products will be subsidizing the recipients of that "free" gas.

[Artkansas]

Tip: If you're out on a bike and you need to get anything at a gas station or convenience store, pick the one with the highest gas price. Shorter lines at the checkout!

If there gas prices are high, how are their juice prices? Probably not loss leaders. :)

[cerewa]

That Chrysler promotion? Either the cost of the gas is buried in the price of the vehicle, OR Chrysler plans to spread the cost to all vehicles, which means that new buyers who choose a fuel sipper will be subsidizing new buyesr who buy a fuel gulper, OR Chrysler intends to take a tax deduction for its losses, passing the costs onto all of us. Chrysler is probably forced to do this based on its inventory of gas gulpers-- better to get rid of them now and transition to gas sippers than to have them in stock for several years. One thing Chrysler won't be doing is giving away "free" gas.

Those promotions giving away "free" gas? The price of gas gets buried in the product or services offered, which in effect means the purchasers of the services and products will be subsidizing the recipients of that "free" gas.

In the case of Chrysler, I think the cost of the gas is just a loss to the company, which will be passed on to shareholders. They're losing money anyway, but better for them to lose a little money subsidizing gas for people than keeping cars worth tens of thousands of dollars, sitting around depreciating.