suarezn said:I thought the price of gas is set by the government, thus it doesn't make a difference where you buy it as far as price is concerned. Service is a different matter.
Keith R said:Stallion,
As I understand it, all but Coastal use petrol from the same refinery in the DR, so in terms of fuel quality, I doubt there's a significant difference between Texaco, Shell & Isla in the DR. And as Suarezn points out, no price competition between them either. So it usually all boils down to convenience, level of service at the individual station level and trust. Why do I add the last factor? Well, when I lived in SD (in the pre-Coastal years), I went to the Texaco 2 blocks from my home because of its convenience. Then one day they sold me gasoline full of water that harmed my fuel pump. After that, never again, only went to Shell (whom I never patronize in the US because their price is almost always higher than everyone else's).
Regards,
Keith
suarezn said:Stallion: There's no need to get so worked up over a post. All I said was that there's really no difference between gas companies in The DR, other than the service level, since (as Keith mentioned) the gas and prices all come from the same place, as far as I understand it.
In terms of fraud (a more interesting topic, if you ask me), you should always look at the pump BEFORE they start pumping your gas and make sure is set at Zero. Even then, I would think most if not all pumps are probably "fixed" to dispense a little less than what they should and everyone knows that they add water to the gas to make a bigger profit. It's just a way of life in The DR. The problem is that in some cases they go to far and add too much water (like in Keith's case). Another trick is to sell you regular gas passed as Premium. The reason why I always buy the cheapest type. Think about it...Does anyone have a clue whether the gas being pumped is regular or premium? As far as I know there's no government entity that checks for purity or type, at least on a regular basis.
In another recent thread, some posters derided me for warning that the DR does not have consumer protection laws and no authority charged with looking out for the consumer -- if I recall, I was acused of whining and wanting a nanny state instead of economic freedom. Despite what some on this board may think or say, I don't advocate regulation for everything. But I do believe there should be some sort of system to help consumers when they are cheated or defrauded by businesses. I have been cheated in the US and elsewhere before, but at least then I had recourse. In the DR, what recourse does one have when the petrol stations adulerate your gas and/or fix the pump readout? When the car repair people so botch a job that it causes a car fire (yes, happened to me too)? when a store sells you a food past its expiry date? When a store sells you a household appliance that doesn't work? When a merchant consistently practices misleading advertising? When Plaza Lama tries a bait-and-switch? When the phone company charges you for service when you had none? When lawyers or real estate agents run off with money without providing service? And so on?suarezn said:In terms of fraud (a more interesting topic, if you ask me), you should always look at the pump BEFORE they start pumping your gas and make sure is set at Zero. Even then, I would think most if not all pumps are probably "fixed" to dispense a little less than what they should and everyone knows that they add water to the gas to make a bigger profit. It's just a way of life in The DR. The problem is that in some cases they go to far and add too much water (like in Keith's case). Another trick is to sell you regular gas passed as Premium. The reason why I always buy the cheapest type. Think about it...Does anyone have a clue whether the gas being pumped is regular or premium? As far as I know there's no government entity that checks for purity or type, at least on a regular basis.
Escott said:I use the Coastal Gas Station because it is run by Greg who is a real nice fellow who runs about the cleanest, nicest business on the North Coast. His equipment is also newer and less likely to have water in the tank. He has sensors in the tanks and can show you a complete read out in his office.
If anyone wants to think that every business is the same in this place I wish them the best of luck!
Precisely why I made sure not to lump Coastal in with the rest.Escott said:I use the Coastal Gas Station because it is run by Greg who is a real nice fellow who runs about the cleanest, nicest business on the North Coast. His equipment is also newer and less likely to have water in the tank. He has sensors in the tanks and can show you a complete read out in his office.
If anyone wants to think that every business is the same in this place I wish them the best of luck!
Escott said:In Sosua I buy my gas from Coastal only.
Toronto2inDR said:Many years ago I worked in the garage at a Texaco in Canada fixing cars during the day and pumping gas at night. First thing everyone should know is that Premium or Regular gas makes NO difference to the majority of vehicles on the street no matter what your hand book says. If you drive a Formula 1 car then you?ll need an octane boost unless you live in Europe where some stations actually sell Formula 1 at the pumps?Like a Super Premium gas.
Second, at that Texaco I worked at we had a lot of water in the underground tanks so we had to keep a good watch on the levels because if they got too low then the pumps would suck water as gas flouts?The same goes with the gas tank of your car so try not to run too far into the E (empty) with your vehicle to help avoid sucking water into the engine.
In Canada you could be very confident about what you are buying when you ask for Premium vs. Regular (see above notes marked ?first) because stations are monitored from time to time but it?s not 100% and cheaters get caught from time to time?In the DR I would guarantee that you?ll almost never get what you think you?re paying for when you ask for the ?good stuff? so save the extra Pesos.
Lastly, watering down your gas is practically impossible (see note marked ?second?) water and gas don?t mix! What is happening is, like the station I worked at, there is some water in the underground tanks at most stations and inevitably some water gets into your car?s tank if the tanks are low. So after months or years of a drop here and a drop there it starts to accumulate in your car?s tank until finally the filter is clogged.
Yes I know what you are thinking?After you filled up and pulled out of the station all of a sudden your car started to sputter and finally gave up just blocks from the pump and you?re sure they filled you up with water?What is actually happening is that the accumulation over time of drops got to a critical level and when you filled up it stirred it all up and the fuel pick up just happen to suck up a few drops of water.
You?d be surprised have much water is in everyone?s tank and how little it takes to bend a rod. Just a few milliliters will bend a connecting rod into a banana so thank your lucky stars that it?s just a <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=21&k=fuel%20filter" onmouseover="window.status='fuel filter'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">fuel filter</a> that needs replacing.
windeguy said:I always buy regular and check the pump is set to 0 before they start. I get my gas whenever I need it at the closest station. I have not noticed any difference in performance; they have all worked well. And please, don't buy premium unless your car needs it. It is a complete waste of money to pay premium price when regular is all you need.