Gas prices are lower this summer as they in the past. This is due to falling demand. In some places, however,some gas stations have an “I know what I have” attitude, which sometimes leads to high prices. One gas station in the desert is like that and doubles prices with a disclaimer for customers.
Najah’s Desert Goods is located in the middle of nowhere in the Mojave Desert, right at the intersection of Route 66 and Interstate 40. Well, it’s not technically nowhere; it’s in a place called Fenner, California, which, if you know it, might as well be nowhere. In Najah’s desert oasis there is a Chevron gas station and, as you can see from a tweet on Þjórsárdalur X showed that this gas station probably has the highest, if not the highest, gas prices in the area. Regular is $8.59/gallon, Plus is $8.65/gallon, and Premium is $8.75/gallon. Everywhere else, the prices are definitely outrageous.
However, Najah’s Desert Goods knows there is a need. The owners also know people will complain about gas prices. A second image in the post shows a disclaimer the gas station posted for anyone considering complaining to someone about gas prices. It states:
Our overhead is extremely high. Delivery costs are double at this location. There is a desert almost 100 miles long with no service. Please do not complain about the prices. It is your choice whether or not to become a customer. We are here for your convenience. Thank you for supporting a family business.
On the one hand, they are right. You have the choice whether you want to stop, pay their prices and fill up or not. On the other hand, it can be a deterrent for some when they say: “You need us, because look where you are! What other choice do you have!” And that is reflected in the ratings of the gas station: 1.4 stars on Howling and 2.3 on Google. That’s according to nearly 500 reviews. And according to some reviews, the station’s prices aren’t the only thing that’s wrong.
“At the prices they charge for gas and other things in the store, they can’t be bothered to fix two out of three bathroom stalls. Nothing inside has a price tag, you just take what you want and have a heart attack at the checkout,” the article said. 1 review from earlier this month.
I’m not usually price sensitive. I know sometimes you have to charge extra, but this seems so extreme – it’s more like ripping off desperate people than charging fair prices. “I also went in and paid $8 for water…” read another Review.
It seems like if you’re ever in this part of the Mojave Desert in California, you should just stock up on extra gas and avoid this place altogether. Or if you don’t mind paying almost $5 more than the average gas price in California, just drive in here and have a blast.
