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Problem with some gas station shops

January 12, 2025 06:43AM
Some shops now require the main price ID to be in the overall station picture. There are problems with this. Some shops you would have to stand in the middle of the street to get the main sign id in the picture. I know of some stations where the main sign id is down a hill. There is no way to get the sign in the overall picture.

You need two pictures. One of the sign and one of the overall station. I don't know who came up with this idea, clearly they have never done gas station mystery shops.
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More About Gas Station Mystery Shopping
January 12, 2025 10:03AM
I agree with Service, but there are exceptions. There is a P66 in my general area that the only way to get the MID in the overall site picture is to take the overall site picture from the backside of the building. And I have been questioned about it more than once. There is a Marathon in an entirely different city far from the other one I mentioned. It's on a arrowhead shaped piece of property, again, I would have to drive across the street, where you wouldn't be able to see the c-store in the picture, to get the sign in the overall picture, either me or my son ends up stuck with that shop almost every round.
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January 12, 2025 02:21PM
Nearly every day, I am thankful to all of you who advised me last year to buy a used, high-end phone with a much better camera than the crappy one I had. Now, with the zoom out function, I can often get full stations and restrooms in single pics. Not always but this thread reminded me how much better my pics are now, because of forum members! Night photos are now crystal clear, too. Thanks again!
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January 12, 2025 03:42PM
I don't know who requires this. I don't do all brands. But I can think of many times this is impossible. Stations next to busy interstates are the first that come to mind.

I frequently cross streets or stand in the middle of a highway with a car coming in the distance to get a good photo. But at a certain point is just gets too dangerous. They get a picture from the corner of the property, and they can take it or leave it.
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January 12, 2025 03:47PM
I never had problems with this in the past. They do require a seperate picture in the pastu. Now someone said you have yo include the main sign in the overall pictures. I have one shop where the main station is on a hill and the main sign is at the bottom of the hill.
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January 12, 2025 05:46PM
I used to walk to the other side of the street, but now I use the zoom out function of my phone camera. I have done thousands of gas station shops, and I know of only 2 locations in my metro area of over a million population which are impossible to get the MID and overall front of the station in one shot. Not being able to do those 2 locations would not affect my overall MS income.
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January 12, 2025 05:50PM
@ServiceAward wrote:

...I've never run into a situation where I cannot get the main ID in the overall shot. You are welcome to PM the address of a station you say where this is impossible, and I will tell you where to stand to get the shot once I Google Map it and see it.
Tell me how to send you a PM, and I will send you the address of one, maybe two, gas stations where it is impossible to get the MID and overall front of the station in the same shot.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2025 05:50PM by AZwolfman.
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January 12, 2025 07:26PM
Most, if not all, gas brand instructions I've seen say to include the main ID sign in the overall photo "If possible." Is this a case of an editor not knowing our instructions (again)?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2025 11:02PM by sestrahelena.
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