so how do the number of and location of gas stations affect fuel perks being good or not so good?

[cpnmaniac44]

the limit is 20 gallons.

We have 4+ BP's but only two take fuel perks.

The one wiith the lowest price is still 10 cents higher than a nearby station.

Is everyone finding this?

BP prices way higher than others
No Shell's or Sunoco's in your town take it?

A gas station manager said it is Bi-Lo that determines which stations take it. If true, they are sure picking the highest gas prices.

I have 25 cents and have to give back 10 cents of it due to the prices.

[uummm]

I would have no problem using it at the more expensive station as long as I was saving $.15 in the end.

[loaslaen]

I would have no problem using it at the more expensive station as long as I was saving $.15 in the end.

I agree with this.

You can save the fuelperks for up to 3 months and just buy gas at the cheaper stations until you've saved up quite enough to make it worth it. We've bought 20 gallons of gas for $1.98. I can't get any other gas station down to 9.9 cents per gallon.

[everprincess]

We have no stations near us. Driving to Conover isn't so great for me.

[loaslaen]

Oh, just wanted to ask..what do you mean by the "changes" on fuelperks? Are they doing something new/different? The limit has always been 20 gallons. There's also a Shell in my town that takes it.

Again, as far as the higher prices, what would you do if you had a choice of buying a product for 2.50 at one store that doesn't take coupons at all, or buying the same product at another store that costs 2.80, but you have a .50 coupon and they do take coupons? Final price is the bottom line. You're not losing the .30 if the other store never offers anything. One thing that should be taken into consideration though is whether the gas station is "out of the way". If you have to drive several miles out of the way, then you could be eating up the difference in the gas you're using to get there. So saving up fuelperks like my previous example could make it more worth it if you have further to drive, or you could wait until you plan to be in the area of the participating store.

[uummm]

Oh, just wanted to ask..what do you mean by the "changes" on fuelperks? Are they doing something new/different? The limit has always been 20 gallons. There's also a Shell in my town that takes it.

Again, as far as the higher prices, what would you do if you had a choice of buying a product for 2.50 at one store that doesn't take coupons at all, or buying the same product at another store that costs 2.80, but you have a .50 coupon and they do take coupons? Final price is the bottom line. You're not losing the .30 if the other store never offers anything. One thing that should be taken into consideration though is whether the gas station is "out of the way". If you have to drive several miles out of the way, then you could be eating up the difference in the gas you're using to get there. So saving up fuelperks like my previous example could make it more worth it if you have further to drive, or you could wait until you plan to be in the area of the participating store.

That is my problem...My BiLos are not close to me...None are in "my" town...The one I like to shop at (when I bother) is about 13 miles (=1 gallon+ of gas for me round trip) from my house and on the way to no where (same with the 3 other closest) and I would have to be near empty gas wise and have to need to so shopping to make it worth my while. I wasn't really going to say this, but I only shop Bilo every couple of months lately. The sales have just not gotten me in the door compared to my regular store 1.7 miles from my house. I can go once in a while and get a bunch of stuff but usually it just isn't worth the trip for me-and then to have to plan it for when a vehicle has less than 1/4 of a tank is even more difficult. I let $.20 expire on my card a few months ago.

[cpnmaniac44]

[QUOTE=loaslaen;2725975]Oh, just wanted to ask..what do you mean by the "changes" on fuelperks? Are they doing something new/different? The limit has always been 20 gallons. There's also a Shell in my town that takes it.

QUOTE]



By changes, I mean, I thought that in the beginning there was no limit on # gallons.
Because people were getting in line with two vehicles.

I am fully in agreement that my dollars spent do not let me accumulate many fuel perks.

We have:
4 shell stations
1 Sunoco
7 BP
out of those 12 stations only 2 take fuel parks.

One of the BP managers told me that is Bi-Lo's decision.

I'm skeptical on that.

Shouldn't Bi-Lo want us to be able to use them EVERYWHERE?

I think it's the stations that are deciding if the hassle is worth it to them.
Ex: The first time I has 20 cents in perks, I used it and saved 12 cents over the station a mile away. Well, the pump did not take my card etc., so I had to go inside and the cashier had to do it manually. So, if the pumps don't take the cards, then yes some stations say forget it, too much hassle.

I am looking at a gas price list for all 38 stations in my city.
Here are where those 12 stations rank as far as cost per gallon.
NONE of them are in the TOP 13 as far as low gas prices.

1 shell station comes in at #14

9 of the above 12 station are ranked between 22 and 38.

The only two stations that take the perks are ranked 19th and 29th
One 10 cents higher than the lowest in town and the other 14 cents higher.

GREAT program for high dollar shoppers.

My car holds 16 gallons. It takes me many weeks to get to 20 cents, I give back at least 10 cents so save 10 cents = $1.60 = about .56 gallons or enough gas to go 12 miles. It takes me 6 miles round trip to the closest station that takes it. As I drive to their station I pass all these stations 9-10 cents cheaper.

So, I save maybe 80 cents total for my 16 gallons when I have 20 cents in perks after spending $200 in food. (one .50/1 coupon doubled saves me $1.00 and that is more than 20 cents in fuel perks which saves me about 80 cents)

I am glad it works well for large families and 100% loyal Bi-Lo customers.



We have other store chains and their sales and "promotions" get alot of my food dollars too, as well as Bi-Lo.

[hotpostalchick]

It has always been up to 20 gallons as far as I know. I'm also pretty sure it is up to the gas station itself if they honor fuelperks, not Bi-lo. I'm just *guessing* here but Bi-lo probably offers the program to the gas station and the gas station either accepts or doesnt. I would think more gas stations would want to offer it because it could possible bring more customers to their store. We have ONE station in our area that takes fuelperks. It is not close to my home (around 20 miles away) nor is it even necessarily close to Bi-lo (around 5 miles away). I just wait until we have .75c or more to redeem before going and go when we are out that way. Bi-lo doesn't have to offer this program but I think it is a nice little reward for shopping with them. Gas is $3.11 per gallon here right now and with predictions of it going even higher (possibly $5 per gallon by 2012), I'm not going to complain.

[hotpostalchick]

You may want to change the title of this post. I saw it and thought "oh my what have they done?!?!". Lol. They haven't changed any thing.

[cpnmaniac44]

You may want to change the title of this post. I saw it and thought "oh my what have they done?!?!". Lol. They haven't changed any thing.

I changed the title.

Here is my idea:
Remove the 90 expiration date.

If the shoppers like you get 75 cents every 90 days, you probably will continue getting 75 in fuel perks every 90 days.

I struggle to get to 20-25 cents and having to lose 8-10 cents of that due to BP having high prices makes it minimal promotion for me.

As I gave an example, the savings I get for 16 gallons is less than the savings of (1) .50/1 coupon doubled.

Now, if they removed the expiration date THEN, I could accumulate more, so that BP's price difference is a "lower %" of the amount of the perks I have.

Other people's BP prices may not be as high as our's.

So, comparing you and I, if you earned 75 every 90 days and lost 8 cents a gallon to high prices and I earned 25 cents every 90 days and lost 8 cents to higher prices, then no expiration date does not benefit one of us over the other. We both save the same per gallon as we normally do.

BUT, if all of us have very different gas prices in our areas, and some of you have Sunoco's or Shell's, then maybe, where you can use your perks may be different than where I can use mine, as far as cost above the lowest price in town.

We have Asian stores and they are always 8-10 or more cents, lower, than the two BP's that take perks. Also, we have 12 eligible to participate gas brands, (7 BP, 4 Shell, and 1 Sunoco) and only 2 take the perks. That is pretty low participation. 16%.

NOW, in areas where you have only one station that takes it and there is not alot of competition on price, or you have to drive a long way to even get the cheapest gas, then everyone's situation is different.

I'm in S.C. so I know how high gas is in N.C. due to the gas tax.
And do not think driving across the line to exit 88-90 saves you money. THEY know N.C. residents drive down to save, and the prices at exit 88-90 are alot "higher" than down at exit 82. The cheapest gas in York County is in Rock Hill on Anderson Rd. not at exit 88-90 on I-77.

DID they change the 90 day expiration?

I have been LOOKING for my receipt to tell me mine expire end of the month. I have only used perks one time and that was a long time ago.
I'm almost positive it was before October, so mine should be expiring end of Dec. and my receipt does not say.

Maybe they removed the 90 day expiration?