Gas station owner says gas gouging settlement is not fair

A company that owns several local gas stations will soon begin refunding some of its customers as part of a price gouging settlement.

You may remember when gas prices spiked across the area during Hurricane Ike last September.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, three Bucko’s Pantry gas stations—two in Radford and one in Dublin—raised prices illegally high.

Kasey Quesenberry shops at Bucko’s Pantry off First Street in Radford regularly.

“They shot up to about 5 dollars a gallon when everybody else was still at regular prices,“ Quesenberry said.

Now, the company is the first in the state to come to an agreement with the Attorney General to refund its customers, the Commonwealth, and even contribute to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

We spoke with station owner Bill Stone over the phone Tuesday afternoon.

“We sold more gasoline that day than we had sold on a single day ever,“ Stone said. 

The owner told us he feels bad about the spike in prices, but he thought he was doing the right thing for his business.  On the other hand, he doesn’t feel like the punishment is fair.

“I had to settle with this even though I certainly don’t think for four hours of being at a higher price that this is fair,“ Stone said.

The customers we talked to disagree.

“I think it’s about time they do something with gas prices,“ Quesenberry said.

The Attorney General’s Office tells us the owner gave some customers refunds before the state ever started the investigation.

The owner will have to pay customer’s the difference between the high price and the price before he raised it plus 20 percent.

You should be getting a refund if you paid credit or debit.  If you paid cash, you need to take your receipt to Bucko’s Pantry for a refund.