Two $80,000 lawsuits have been filed against Woodman’s in Waukesha by nearby stations.
Are you mad at high fuel prices? Let’s ask the question again: Are you mad enough about high fuel prices to file a lawsuit against them? We need to change that sentence again. Are you mad enough about low gasoline prices to file a suit? You read that correctly. It’s not an unhappy motorist who is behind this unlikely scenario, as you can probably guess.
This story is from Waukesha in Wisconsin, which is a suburb of Milwaukee. It’s home to Woodman’s Food Market. The store is part a regional chain that also offers fuel stations. However, it seems some other businesses in the area are unhappy about being outpriced. A report by WISN12 states that BP and Shell stations are suing Woodman’s for $80,000 each. They cite a state law that prohibits companies from selling goods below cost.
How much is it? Gasbuddy.com quickly shows Woodman’s regular gasoline on sale for $3.59 at the end of March 21st. Other stations are also in the region, with prices ranging from $3.75 to 3.99. According to reports, the BP station costs $3.89 per gallon while the Shell station across from Woodman’s costs $3.79 per gallon. Gasbuddy.com relies upon reports from registered users who post fuel prices and approximate times.
WISN 12 claims that it has over 200 pages worth of court documents related to this case. Woodman’s latest filings claim that the company is complying with the law. The news outlet mentions a Costco location just six miles away as its competitor. A quick search on Gasbuddy reveals a Costco in Pewaukee at a reported $3.49 per gallon.
Evidently, the court case is not based only on recent events. Newsweek states that the suit covers 40 days during which plaintiffs claim Woodman’s’ price was too low. Newsweek reports that Woodman’s filed a lawsuit against the suit seeking dismissal.
The US Energy Information Administration has updated the information to show that the national average price for regular gasoline in the US stands at $4.31 per gallon. AAA reported a slightly lower figure at $4.25 on March 21. While oil prices are down from their highs, they continue to trend upward. Brent crude is up almost 8 percent at $115.60. WTI crude oil is just above half of 1% at $112.80.