Shell station's pricing glitch sends fuel prices plummeting for hours

Drivers Celebrate as Gas Prices Plummet—Briefly—in Straubenhardt

On Wednesday evening, motorists in Straubenhardt, in the Enz district, had reason to cheer: for a few hours, the price of premium unleaded at the local gas station dropped to an astonishing €1.87 per liter, with E10 fuel even cheaper at €1.81. The figures seemed almost unbelievable at a time when fuel prices—spurred by the Israel-U.S. conflict with Iran—have been climbing relentlessly, long since surpassing the €2 mark.

Colleagues from SWR Aktuell spoke with the station's managers and a cashier. The pumps were swamped, according to managing director Linda Schöthaler:

"Traffic backed up all the way to the roundabout. Cars couldn't get in or out of our entrance. We ended up using our second access road yesterday because the rush here at the front was just overwhelming."

In roughly three hours, around 100 customers were served. The station even stayed open later than usual to handle the surge.

But where did the bargain prices come from? Not from the station itself, but from its corporate parent—Shell. In response to an inquiry from SWR, Shell confirmed there had been a "pricing error", affecting only this single location before it was corrected.

The lucky drivers who filled up during the glitch left with an unexpectedly light bill. But what if you see a great price on the sign, fill up—only to find the charge is far higher than expected?

In such cases, the rule is clear: gas stations must display prices accurately, both on the main sign and at the pump. But the price at the nozzle is what counts. If the posted price and the pump price don't match, customers can—and should—take it up directly with the station manager. That's the advice from Thuringia's Consumer Protection Agency:

"Advertised prices heavily influence purchasing decisions. Station operators can't shirk responsibility—they must act with due care."

The takeaway? If you spot suspiciously low prices on a gas station sign, double-check at the pump. - If both prices match, you're in luck—whether it's a real deal or a glitch like the one in Straubenhardt. - If they differ, the pump price prevails. - In that case, the Consumer Protection Agency urges customers to complain, as such discrepancies are unacceptable. - Some of the grievances reported to agencies like Thuringia's Consumer Protection Agency have even led to formal warnings and lawsuits.