Updated: 9/14/2009 7:17:32 PM
One year after drivers shouted "price gouging" at the pump, most Tennesseans failed to claim money the government set aside for them.
It appears most people just wanted to vent.
"A year ago, I was coming back from Tunica, and we looked up and saw $4.00 per gallon, and we couldn't believe it," Rose Turner, a Knoxville resident said.
Today, prices are back to what most drivers consider normal, around $2.26 per gallon.
But it seems nobody in East Tennessee has trouble remembering what they paid one year ago.
"I think I paid $4.39 a gallon or something like that," Robert Bush of Knoxville said.
In April, Tennessee's Attorney General Robert Cooper settled with 27 gas stations on allegations of price gouging.
As part of the settlement, almost $74,000 was set aside for consumers who bought gas, as restitution.
"I never filed. I wish I did, I had a small daycare and it was killing me," Turner said.
She's not alone. While roughly 4,000 complaint calls poured into the state a year ago about gas prices, so far it appears only a fraction have filed to get their piece of that money.
Tennessee's Consumer Affairs division is handling claims against 8 Rocky Top Markets in East Tennessee and Burnett's Fuel Center in Allardt.
They've only received two claims, and both customers received less than $50.
"A lot of hard work went into it all by the consumer affairs staff," Christopher Garrett, a spokesman for Tennessee Consumer Affairs said. "We certainly hoped more people would contact us and put in claims."
"Just didn't do it, sort of wish I had, though," Bush said.
Tennessee's Attorney General says some customers can still file for their portion of the money, depending upon which gas station they shopped with. To find out if you're eligible, you can head to the AG's website.
At this point, it's not clear how many consumers have filed in relation to the other 18 gas stations covered in the settlement.
Garrett says they'll use the balance left over for education, letting consumers know their rights and how to recognize fraud.
They're hoping next time, customers will know what to do.
"I'm going to go to the poor house. I feel like I'm there now, I don't know what I'm going to do," Turner said.
Pilot is among the stations that settled in April. In the agreement, they admit no wrongdoing or responsibility for any crime.
One East Tennessee chain that did not settle and has on-going litigation with the state is Weigel's.
The company says they were offered the same settlement deal but instead are choosing to fight back because of principle.
In a press release, Chairman Bill Weigel says their supply of fuel was cut, and the proof was obvious: they had stations run out of gas.
