I just did a Google search with the following argument: 9/10 gasoline pricing.

One of the hits, http://www.users.qwest.net/~taaaz/AZgas.html#A%20LITTLE%20HISTORY, is a very interesting discussion of this and many other aspects of gasoline pricing and dispensing.

Bill Potts, CMS
Roseville, CA
http://metric1.org [SI Navigator]



>-----Original Message-----
>From: Brian White [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
>Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2003 09:40
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; U.S. Metric Association
>Subject: Re: [USMA:26457] RE: Fuel in the US
>
>
>Thanks Bill, but if I remember right there were specific reasons for it
>related to taxes or something of the sort.  It's definately a legacy thing
>completely unrelated to the (very annoying) habit of labelling
>everything in
>retail X.99.
>
>There's supposedly a real reason for it, which is what I'm curious about. 
>Anyone know?
>
>
>
>---------- Original Message -----------
>From: "Bill Potts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Sent: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 09:34:49 -0700
>Subject: [USMA:26457] RE: Fuel in the US
>
>> Brian White wrote:
>> >Speaking of that...does anyone know what the whole 9/10ths
>thing is about
>> >with fuel prices in the US?
>>
>> It's what I've always called the department store pricing syndrome.
>>
>> A department store will price something at $99.98 or $99.99, leading
>> many people (including my wife) to think of the price as being "not
>> much more than $90."
>>
>> If a competitor priced the same item at $100.00, and it was
>> something I needed, I would buy from the competitor in appreciation
>> of their honesty -- and I would let them know that. (Although if
>> another competitor offered the same item for, say, $85.00 [or even
>> $84.99], I'd do the rational thing and buy from them.)
>>
>> Gas stations are, of course, selling to the same people as the department
>> stores.
>>
>> Bill Potts, CMS
>> Roseville, CA
>> http://metric1.org [SI Navigator]
>------- End of Original Message -------

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