Flying J Is Ripping Us Off

[genenick]

I received an email from Flying J today telling me that they will be charging us to dump in the future. $10 if you have no Loyalty Card or $5 if you have a Loyalty Card and have made a specific purchase. I have always made Flying J my number one stop for fuel because of the convenience. There are other places to dump and it looks like now I will have to be more prudent in making sure I dump before I leave home and when we leave campsites. I have spent a lot of money a Flying J over the last 30 years and I feel like that I'm being dumped on.

I intend on sending a "tart" letter to Flying J; but I doubt my one letter would do any good. If several of us do the same maybe it will bring a change. I have tried to email them on their webpage only to receive: You've experienced an error sending your message, try one of the following:

-- Return to message and verify all fields have been entered correctly.

-- Select the email link again and submit a new message.

-- Try a related email link to send your message.

-- If the problem persists, contact webmaster@flyingj.com

They can be called at (877) 787-3595.

Flying J needs to revisit this policy making it free when there is a fuel purchase in a specific amount and then maybe charge those who don't purchase fuel. I'm not trying to pick on big truck drivers, but the last time I stopped at Flying J to buy gas and propane, the attendant and I were talking about the dump facility and how the truckers with portapotties were misusing the facilities by leaving them in a mess. I always made sure that it was either as clean or cleaner as when I arrived.

[garykd]

Hi Gene,

While the email was just received by the J loyalty card holders, this is old news. The J has been implementing this over the last several months. We do not see the same on this issue. I support the J making their services fee based.

Times change. If one uses a service one should expect to pay a fee. For those who see no value in paying the fee, they are free to go elsewhere. If there is value in the fee charged for the service, one should understand it and pay the fee.

[wolfe10]

A previous thread on this subject: http://community.fmca.com/index.php?showtopic=1514

[Guest BillAdams]

I guess if I were going to write Flying J I would have to write them a letter of support. I prefer Flying J over all the other truck stops I have visited and the pricing and easy access will keep me coming back. I only use the FJ dump a couple of times per year so it's really not an issue for me whether it's free or costs $5. The latest update to this news is that it will actually only cost $3 as you will get a $7 rewards credit (one free now if you go register your FJ Loyalty card on line) when you fuel at FJ. This makes perfect sense to me as I suspect that many, many inconsiderate RVers (and others) go by FJ, dump, fill and move on without spending a dime. I call this good business and with someone with good sense at the helm we may not see the loss of this excellent business in the future.

To continue providing waste dump station services, Flying J is instituting a $10 fee to customers using this service. This has become necessary to cover the increasing costs of offering this amenity. These additional fees include:

Maintenance - escalating expenses associated with normal usage and the misuse and abuse of waste dump stations

Municipalities - rising costs from local sewer treatment service providers

Regulatory - increasing expenditures linked to stringent corporate responsibilities

Frequent Fueler Card Member Benefits

As a Flying J Frequent Fueler member, a $7.00 dump station coupon will be added to your card based on fuel purchases. You must present your card to the cashier at the point of purchase to receive the discount.

Exclusive Flying J Loyalty Online Offer

Sign up for Loyalty Online and you will receive 1 FREE waste dump (a $10 value) on your next visit.*

If you are already a Flying J Loyalty Online member, a complimentary coupon for 1 FREE waste dump (a $10 value) has been added to your loyalty card to use on your next visit to Flying J.

Flying J appreciates your business and looks forward to continuing to offer the best services and facilities in the industry.

[genenick]

I appreciate the responses but I am just sick and tired of being nickel-ed and dime-ed to death or having to play somebody's game to get something that used to be "good customer service." If we don't tell them how we feel then they will never know - not that it will make any difference or not. I see the states removing the parking areas along with dump stations. My home state seems to be leading the way; however they still have left a dump station about a mile from the Flying J so that solves our problem for the time being. I am fortunate that I can dump at my home. I seems like we are losing more things everyday. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, with the middle class being squeezed to death. I think it will be a struggle but my children will not see a decline in their overall lifestyle and have the ability to purchase RV and travel the great highways and byways of our wonderful nation. I pray for the same for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren. My grandchildren are being introduced to the RV Lifestyle and hopefully it will continue on and on.

Gene

[Guest BillAdams]

News Flash! Prices are going up and services are going down (as a way to maintain profits without raising prices). This has been the case since you were a child and it will continue until your children have children and on and on forever. Whether the price of milk goes up or your favorite candy bar changes from 12oz to 11oz without a price change, this is known as inflation and it is with us everyday in every part of our society. Prices rise and salaries rise in hopes of maintaining some sort of equality. It doesn't always work but that's how our free economy works. We just have to do the best we can.

[tomnagy@consolidated.net]

I look at this situation a little different.

Since I've been dumping at FJ for free for years I've been ripping them off.

[garykd]

Hi f335149,

Welcome to the FMCA forum. thanks for the post.

[Lutefisk39]

My wife and I have been RV'ing for over 25 years and have been regular customers of Flying J and spent thousands of dollars at their establishments. Recently we were charged $10.60 to dump at their East Boise facility. When my wife told me this and I had finished dumping, we visited with the Manager. He told us that if you had a Rewards Card they would credit back to that card $5. of the charge. He wound up giving my wife $5. cash back.

We do not agree with those of you who have posted herein support for this new policy. Since they have filed for Bankruptcy protection, and apparently are engaged in negotiations with Pilot, we have noticed other changes in their policies including relatively higher diesel fuel pricing. Do those of you who support this new policy think that their charging RV customers for dumping their holding tanks might have prevented bankruptcy? If so, please do some research regarding what happened at Flying J, leading to the Bankruptcy filing.

My wife and I have no intention of purchasing up to 200 gallons of diesel fuel and paying Flying J to dump our holding tanks. We urge the RV community to boycott Flying J until they remove the dump charge. Rather than relying on Flying J for fuel and dumps, we will purchase our fuel elsewhere and rely on RV Dumps.com to locate dump facilities.

Len & Sharon Lofthus

F87624

[Guest BillAdams]

We urge the RV community to boycott Flying J until they remove the dump charge. Rather than relying on Flying J for fuel and dumps, we will purchase our fuel elsewhere and rely on RV Dumps.com to locate dump facilities.

And I urge the RV community to support Flying J so that we don't end up stuck with places to fuel like Pilot and Loves. Now there's a boycott I would be interested in!

[garykd]

No boycott support from me. I support the J. I will patronize them at every opportunity. They save me time and $s in too many ways to list. For me, those who complain about the J charging for dumping are,,,,whining. I have yet to hear a business reason the J should not charge for their services. Maybe because there is no business reason to give things away. Maybe because those who dump take so long and could care less about the people waiting behind them that the J is loosing fuel business.

I'd appreciate it if those of you who think buying fuel elsewhere is your best deal, please immediately do this. Stop using the J. Gut feel says the line at the RV pump will be short and the J can sell more fuel. The rest of us will greatly appreciate your absence. Unfortunately, after a few trips of fueling elsewhere you'll, most likely, return to the J. Then the rest of us will be stuck with your whining again.

[Guest BillAdams]

[dwilson787]

I am not surprised. I was fueling at a J a couple of weeks ago and there was a Slob emptying his tanks without the benefit of attaching a hose. What a mess. I am constantly amazed at how inconsiderate the human race can be.

[nlahni1]

I own my own business and all cost are rising. I have a FlyingJ close to my house and last year the dump station was closed several times and had to have costly repairs because someone dumped something in their that was not suppose to be and clogged it all up. Very costly repairs. I have no problem paying a fair price for a service. Why should this be free ! If you dont like paying put in your own dump line at your house and see how cheep that is to do !

[deluco]

I gotta say that I am soooo happy to have a dump station available on the road...$5.00 is a small price to pay. Dump stations are rare on the road, we all know this. Even in my home town, I'd have to pay $10 to dump at the town water treatment plant. We should be THANKING Pilot/Flying J for keeping the dumps open. My fear when I heard that Pilot was taking over, was that they would close the dumps because of the cost of running them. After all, RV's are NOT their primary customer...truckers are. I can only hope that they open dumps at the Pilot stations. We should be writing to THANK them for keeping the dumps open and asking them to install dumps at the Pilots. Ask yourself what you'd do if they closed the dumps at the Flying J's? I do a fair number of rally's and dry camping where there are no dump stations.

[kevinpvb]

Hello Everyone:

I read almost all of the thoughts and replies. I wanted to add my two cents worth.

I agree with the fee based thinking. Also, I feel bad for the Flying J workers that have to try to keep the dump site clean after the thoughtless users. I'd like to see the fee go directly to the folks that have to clean up after the slobs.

I don't use the facility. So I have no issue with the charge. I'm not a full-timer yet, so I don't know how big an issue this is. I agree that costs of everything (except my salary) are going up like crazy. I'm really steamed about the dramatic rise in fuel costs. I thought that I heard that there is not a real spike in demand, unless it's somewhere else in the world. And I think that I've heard that there is no issue with supply either. So, if we're getting ripped off, it's at the pump itself.

While we're on the subject, though, I like to weigh in of Flying J in general. I live in north Florida and my experience is limited to FL and GA. The Diesel prices that I see at Flying J here are generally a bit higher than other gas stations. Then, after the discount, it's about the same. Further more, I find myself going into the store to buy things I don't really need (which cost more than what I would normally pay at places like Wal-Mart) just to qualify for the discount. Maybe I'm missing something here. But, I don't see Flying J as a very RV friendly merchant. So, someone, please educate me.

Finally, I'm in total agreement regarding Love's. I bought fuel in St. Augustine two weeks ago for $3.39 per gallon. Then, I stopped at a campground 50 miles south in Ormond Beach. Love's was selling their Diesel for $3.52. I'm not waiting for an organized boycott. I'm in the middle of a one man boycott of Love's. But, they don't care. They were busy as heck when I drove by.

[garykd]

Hi kevinpvb,

There has been a considerable number of posts about J prices. I was just at the Tampa Super Show. The prices at the J in Seffner were much higher than other stations in the area. They were competitive with the TA across the street from the J. That being said, I think a local resident can almost always find a lower price than the major truck stop located at an interstate exit. This past summer (summer is when the majority of my fuel is burned) I found the J to be competitive at the exit they are located at. TA, Pilot, Loves, etc. where I needed fuel were all within a nickel of each other on cash price. The J is the only place I can get the cash price. At the other fueling stations I would be paying the credit price. In addition, the J does offer an additional discount for being in their loyalty program.

The bottom line, for me, is the J's pricing is not out of line based on where I have stopped. When looking at the net cost, to me, the J is competitive. When looking at the entire package the J offers, they are very competitive. When I mention the entire package I refer to when the loyalty benefits are extended to the truck pumps. I am not comfortable using the RV pumps due to my overall length. The entire J package includes:

1. located at the interstate exit

2. easy in/out

3. easy parking if I want to have a meal (in the coach or their restaurant)

4. on-site restaurant

5. on-site store

6. free overnight parking

7. cash price using the credit card of my choice

8. loyalty program discount

9. consistent fueling/payment process

If only the sign posted cost of fuel is what one needs, a fueling location other than the J might be best.

[Guest BillAdams]

Remember that one of the biggest reasons for our fuel prices going up is that oil is traded in US dollars. When the Government prints an extra 6 billion dollars (for no particular reason) the value of the US Dollar drops forcing an increase in the price we pay for oil. The Government knows that this will be the end result but continues to spend and spend and spend sending the US Dollar lower and lower and the price of fuel higher and higher.

[garykd]

Hi everyone,

I've been informed that for those Loyalty Program members registered as an RVer for the pump start feature, the requirement to pump 500 gallons before the pump start feature is activated is being eliminated! Yea for the Pilot/J. This will happen no later than the end of February (that is the plan). Getting the per gallon discount at the truck pumps is now in programming test. They have run into a few problems with the programming. No date on this feature, but they are working on it.

[Guest BillAdams]

Hi everyone,

I've been informed that for those Loyalty Program members registered as an RVer for the pump start feature, the requirement to pump 500 gallons before the pump start feature is activated is being eliminated! Yea for the Pilot/J. This will happen no later than the end of February (that is the plan). Getting the per gallon discount at the truck pumps is now in programming test. They have run into a few problems with the programming. No date on this feature, but they are working on it.

Interesting. Let's see what actually happens. I was at a Flying J in Orange, TX today and the area manager was very interested in what I was telling him about how upset I (many) was with the RV situation. By the time the pump kicked out at $500 (apparently this could not be overridden) I was still steaming and he stopped me again on the way out as he was on the phone with their headquarters. He had me sign up for the Pump Start program and said I needed to pump 500 gallons before it would be active (couldn't get credit for the 100+ I just pumped). Once it was active I will be able to use the truck pumps, get the cash price and the 3 cent per gallon RV discount and start the pump at the island. It is still expected that this option will not be active until sometime in Feb. as you noted but there was no indication that you would be able to get this option unless you signed up for the pump start option. You have to sign up at a Flying J location and it cannot be done on-line. I am signed up now so we will see how things go as it will only take about 3 stops for us to hit the 500 gallons but once we get to FL we won't be driving too far until March.

[kevinpvb]

Hello Everyone:

Thanks for the information regarding the Flying J programs.

This is the thing that makes this forum so valuable to me. It's like having a gazillion friends that have the same interest.

I didn't know about any of the programs the Flying J has.

I can see the value of getting the cash price while retaining the convenience and tracking ability of a credit card. Plus, getting to use the truck pumps and still getting the benefits is great. It will shorten my stops by at least 50% and probably more.

Again, thanks for keeping me current.

Kevin

[shields]

Interesting. Let's see what actually happens. I was at a Flying J in Orange, TX today and the area manager was very interested in what I was telling him about how upset I (many) was with the RV situation. By the time the pump kicked out at $500 (apparently this could not be overridden) I was still steaming and he stopped me again on the way out as he was on the phone with their headquarters. He had me sign up for the Pump Start program and said I needed to pump 500 gallons before it would be active (couldn't get credit for the 100+ I just pumped). Once it was active I will be able to use the truck pumps, get the cash price and the 3 cent per gallon RV discount and start the pump at the island. It is still expected that this option will not be active until sometime in Feb. as you noted but there was no indication that you would be able to get this option unless you signed up for the pump start option. You have to sign up at a Flying J location and it cannot be done on-line. I am signed up now so we will see how things go as it will only take about 3 stops for us to hit the 500 gallons but once we get to FL we won't be driving too far until March.

Bill,

Thanks for the update. We will be heading out for a week following Presidents Day, and I'll be refueling to the tune of 100+ gallons at FJ. It will be interesting to see what happens.

All the best,

Tim

[Guest BillAdams]

Be sure to look around before you fuel. Our last stop in Tallahassee was at Flying J and the local station down the road was 20 cents a gallon cheaper. I won't fight to get in and out of a station (especially since I was towing) but it's worth a look!

[Ramon]

Correct me if I am wrong - Flying J was purchased by Pilot - what more can I say Flying J had the best diesel prices - kept the competation honest - gone for now.

Ramon Van Sickle

F274324

[reid9439]

I too, like many others, have been upset with the service every since Pilot bought out Flying J. For RV'ers, it was like "the nut eating the squirrel."

One of my biggest complaints is having to use the tight quarters of the RV island to fuel-up. My other complaint was having to send the wife inside with cards in hand to have the pumps enabled to pay inside. Below are my questions to customer service about my issues.

Question: It is my understanding that the new "Pump Start" program will allow you to begin your RV pump without going inside.

1. Is this available in the truck lanes or do we still have to go through the RV lanes only. If no truck lane, what is the advantage?

2. Does this eliminate the maximum sale amount. (usually $75) This is the biggest problem at the RV lane. It takes forever to wait in line to open up the "pay inside" so you can fill up.

Response: Thank you for taking time to email me with your concern. To use the RV loyalty card on the truck diesel lanes, you must have your card registered and the pump start feature must be activated. Once you have pump start, you will be able to start the pumps on the truck diesel lanes without having to prepay. Then, you will have to go inside to pay for the fuel purchase. When you go inside, you will be charged the cash price instead of the credit price whether you are paying with cash or credit. The credit price is 6 cents more per gallon than the cash price.

By mid-March, you will also receive the discount of 3 cents per gallon purchased.

To apply for the pump start feature, you must show your loyalty card and driver's license to one of the cashiers in a Pilot Flying J. The cashier will begin the process and then will request a salaried manager to complete it. You will then have to fuel one time on the truck diesel lanes before the pump start will activate itself because the pump start only works on the truck diesel lanes.

Again, the pump start feature currently only works on the truck diesel lanes and not the RV lanes.

Sincerely,

Customer Service