BP Still Sucks

Because I'm a BP gas cardholder (prior to the infamous Gulf of Mexico oil spill), I received an offer in the mail at the beginning of January labeled "Exclusive Offer for BP Cardmembers." The offer is for a $10 rebate when you fill up your gas tank five times in the next two months. And, because I'm a BP cardmember, they gave me my first code free, so I only have to fill up my gas tank four times to get the rebate.

I don't normally fill up my gas tank at BP, even though it is on my drive home. For one thing, because of my anger over the Gulf oil spill, but I've gotten over that for the most part. Primarily, though, it's a few cents more per gallon than the Shell or Marathon (formerly Texaco) stations on my drive home from work. When BP was hurting for customers, you'd think they would have lowered their prices to compete with neighboring rivals, but no.

Even though the pricing is a bit higher per gallon, I stopped by a BP to fill up my tank because with the $10 rebate check I was promised I'd be getting, I'd make out better in the long run. I filled up my tank, using my BP card at the "pay at the pump" option. I can't recall the last time I actually went INTO a gas station store. I prefer to do everything at the pump so I don't have to leave my car and/or stand in line inside behind people buying their cigarettes, tonight's dinner, lottery cards, etc.

I didn't see any "code" on my receipt so I contacted BP via email to see what I had to do. In their response, they told me that after purchasing my gas at the pump, I had to take my receipt INSIDE, hand it to the cashier, and, in return, I would get a code. Now, I ask you: what sort of cardmember benefit is that? I get to pay at the pump AND go inside, doubling my time spent at the gas station? Where's the logic?

For the extra time and aggravation it would take for me to do all that, BP can keep the $10. You can find me pumping my gas at Shell. (I'd go to Marathon, too, but their pumps don't accept the Marathon gas card; I'd have to go inside there, too, to use my Marathon card. Go figure.)