Early this month, a Shell fuel station from a small city near Sacramento, California, mistakenly had a gallon of gas priced at only 69 cents. The manager was fired afterward, and his family raised $20k to help him pay the company back. However, they refused.
When drivers noted the impossibly low price of just 69 cents for premium gasoline instead of $7 a gallon at a Shell gas station from Rancho Cordova, they were incredibly happy. They told other people who rushed to top off their tanks and it felt like a small miracle.
But not everyone got to enjoy this unfortunate mishap. The employees didn’t figure out what was going on for hours until they noticed people queuing for gas and only filling with its most expensive option. Following the event, John Szczecina lost his job on June 13 after he accidentally put the decimal point in the wrong spot. His family rushed to GoFundMe to cover the loss of almost $16,000.
Luckily, people were sympathetic to Szczecina’s mistake and raised over $20,000 in case the employer wants his money back or they wanted to sue him. But it looks like the company will not accept the money.
In a letter John Szczecina received from his former employer, the company stated that it "does not want the money raised and will not accept it," as reported by NBC affiliate KCRA-TV, which received the letter from the former manager.
The letter writes, "To be clear, at no time has the Company told you that it intends to seek payment from you to reimburse the Company's losses. Nor does the Company intend to take any legal action against you in connection with the incorrect fuel pricing incident."
However, the company reportedly claimed that those who donated to pay the supposed debt were "misled” and requested the GoFundMe fundraiser to be “shut down.”
Now the page, created by Szczecina’s sister, Paula Jackson, shows an update with a link for donors who wished to request a refund and can do so until Tuesday, June 28. The remainder of the donated funds "will now be used to cover living expenses, bills, and help support John and his family during this difficult time," the page writes.
But not everyone got to enjoy this unfortunate mishap. The employees didn’t figure out what was going on for hours until they noticed people queuing for gas and only filling with its most expensive option. Following the event, John Szczecina lost his job on June 13 after he accidentally put the decimal point in the wrong spot. His family rushed to GoFundMe to cover the loss of almost $16,000.
Luckily, people were sympathetic to Szczecina’s mistake and raised over $20,000 in case the employer wants his money back or they wanted to sue him. But it looks like the company will not accept the money.
In a letter John Szczecina received from his former employer, the company stated that it "does not want the money raised and will not accept it," as reported by NBC affiliate KCRA-TV, which received the letter from the former manager.
The letter writes, "To be clear, at no time has the Company told you that it intends to seek payment from you to reimburse the Company's losses. Nor does the Company intend to take any legal action against you in connection with the incorrect fuel pricing incident."
However, the company reportedly claimed that those who donated to pay the supposed debt were "misled” and requested the GoFundMe fundraiser to be “shut down.”
Now the page, created by Szczecina’s sister, Paula Jackson, shows an update with a link for donors who wished to request a refund and can do so until Tuesday, June 28. The remainder of the donated funds "will now be used to cover living expenses, bills, and help support John and his family during this difficult time," the page writes.