Look Who it Was Random video

Beware Confusing Advertising at the Pump

105 views · Published 17 September 2012 · 2:53 · Indexed 17 October 2026

Channel: WTVC NewsChannel 9 · 2012 · News & Politics

Watch on YouTube

by John Madewell  Several people have been confused by an East Brainerd gas station's price marketing technique.This afternoon, a vapor of confusion settled over drivers at the Kanku's Smile Fuel's on East Brainerd Road.Jeremy Mason was certainly perplexed at the pump. Mason said, "I was wondering why the sign says .57 and the pump says .91"Mason walked into the store, spoke his mind to the clerk and went somewhere else to fill up.Tiffany Hash also didn't realize she paid more until we informed her. The extra 34 cents per gallon definitely caught her off guard. We asked her if it was confusing. Hash said, "It is, it is. You know you've got the bold .57 and you're not looking at the under print, so to speak, and paying attention to the different pumps. Now this pump is this price and this pump is this price."But if drivers pay attention, they will catch the difference. The large .57 sign is for ethanol gas. The smaller digital sign for the .91 price is for 100 % gas.Even though the .91 roadside sign numbers are about a third of the .57 size, 14 of the 16 pumps are 100% gas at the much higher price.Clerk Mike Patel addressed the issue, "Well they got a sign out there and we got a sign at the pump. Every pump, not even tiny,  but I think big enough so people can read it but most people don't read it."Patel's right. There are signs on the pumps explaining which ones have ethanol and which pumps are 100% gas. Driver Jeff Hamn figured it out and went for the cheaper gas. But he still found the advertising deceptive.  NewsChannel 9 asked Patel if Kanku's would change the sign, "Like I said the boss man tells us what to do and we do what they tell us to do."NewsChannel 9 requested an interview with owner Vijay Chaoudri. As of this report, he has not contacted us.Meanwhile, Christopher Garrett, Director of Communications for the Tennessee Department of Commerce

More from this channel