Exxon On The Run turns down money

The BBQ Pit
#1

My local Exxon On The Run offers self-serve soft drinks for 79c up to 44 oz. The catch: they only provide cups up to 32 oz.

I had a 44 oz cup in my car from a visit to a different Exxon On The Run. I used this to get my soft drink. They refused to honor the price. So I told them that if they didn’t honor the posted price, I would pour out my soda. They said it was my choice. So I did.

I don’t understand why they would do this. Once the soda is out of the fountain, it can’t be re-sold. So they turned down my business just to spite me.

#2

That is annoying. It’s possible that there is some health code thing about clean cups.

As an aside: Welcome to The Straight Dope. We are glad to have you. You may want to email the mods about changing your user name; we have another poster, even sven, who posts quite a bit, and there’s a strong possibility of confusion here. Don’t just form another account: that’s a big no-no.

#3

The employee made you pour out a 44 oz cup of soda? He wasn’t named “Bloomberg” was he?

#4

I did a double take; she doesn’t seem like the type to start a pit thread bitching about Big Gulps.

#5

Why don’t you try calling the consumer affairs department for your city and see what they have to say?

If they ran out of the larger cups and were waiting for a delivery, no problem. But if they advertise 44 oz without any intention of supplying it to their customers, that is a problem.

#6

It might not be the employee’s choice. It might be the fault of the local store’s inventory system. If the system is tied to the cash register the employee may have no way to “sell” a soft drink for $.79. (well, I have entry for class 1, 2, and 3 soft drink sizes but this is a 4)

I’m just taking a guess.
Or the employee hates his/her job and is more than willing to spread that feeling to customers.

#7

Some underpaid store clerk was enforcing the ‘no outside cups’ rules he was taught yesterday.
Don’t take it so personally.

Get the store number and call corporate headquarters and lodge your complaint. It’s always best to seek a change from someone who has the power to make one. They will maybe send you a coupon for a free beverage! Or they may blow you off. But at least you went to the people who deserve to know their franchisee’s behaviour. Perhaps they will call and make them change the signage to read 32oz instead. Or make them stock 44oz cups. Or not.

Or you could just stop at another gas station and try again.

#8

That is so odd. The Circle K’s here allow you to get refills for both coffee and soda. I see lots of people bringing their own coffee cup. My husband will use the same soda cup for a few days - he just puts his initial on the bottom with a sharpie and tells them its a refill. Its not like the cost difference between a 32 oz and 44 oz soda is that extraordinary.

If your On The Run advertises a 44 oz soda, they ought to be fine with 44 oz refills. You should totally escalate this and see what corporate says.

I’m really interested in this from a waste perspective. I cringe at all the soda cups and disposable things that are only used once. Even if everyone just used a cup twice it would make a big difference.

#9

My guess is the Exxon on the Run is a franchise operation, and if you look at the fine print on the 44 oz cup offer, it says something like “at participating retailers” or “at participating franchises”.

This particular Exxon on the Run has decided for whatever reason not to participate in the 44 oz soda for .79 cents deal.

Also what BubbaDog said. If they have no “button” for the deal because they are not participating, they could not sell it to you.

All that being said, the employee was an idiot. They should have punched the button for the 32 oz. drink, charged you .79 cents and said “have a nice day”.

Finally, who the hell can drink 44 ounces of sweet, sugary crap in one sitting? Jesus!

#10

As far as I know there is nothing in the Bible that describes Jesus as being that superhuman sugary drink wise :slight_smile:

#11

He probably turns it into wine first.

#12

Doh!

#13

Based on the outcry against Mayor Bloomberg, most of America will die if they can’t!

#14

What the OP should have done when given the opportunity to pour out his soda was to pour it out on the counter.

Then, the next day, when he asks if they want to sell it for 79 cents or have him pour it out…

#15

I may be wrong, but I still think Mayor Bloomberg is behind this. Connect the dots, people.

#16

Dude, how do you think Exxon gets those multi-billion dollar profit figures? It’s not by letting people like you scam 12oz of flavored water off them.

#17

Just to reply to some of the points brought up in this thread:

  1. They had no problem with me using my own cup per se, they just wouldn’t honor the 79c price if I did; they said I had to use their own cups to get the price.

  2. Since this promotion went into effect, the largest cup in stock has always been 32 oz.

  3. The sign in the store said “up to 44 oz”. It’s not like I saw it in an outside advertisement or was trying to convince them to honor another Exxon’s promotion.

#18

Any pitting that complains about some injustice involving a dollar amount less than $1.00 is automatically lame. Who even bothers to check whether their big gulp rings up for $0.80 or $1.20?

#19

Someone who also can’t live without 12 extra ounces of soda.

#20

FWIW: I also thought this had been started by even sven, although I’m not familiar enough with the poster in question to be all that confused.