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STATE OF MICHIGAN

DEPARTMENT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL

P.O. BOX 30736


LANSING, MICHIGAN 48909

DANA NESSEL
ATTORNEY GENERAL

December 21, 2023

M 12 Fuels LLC Airport BP LLC


c/o Registered Agent: Naim Saad c/o Registered Agent: Naim Saad
9201 Middlebelt Rd.
Romulus, MI 48174

Re: BP Gas Station (Romulus); AG No. 2023-0391716-A

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter gives you notice of intended action in accordance with MCL
445.905(2) and directs you to immediately cease and desist from engaging in the
unlawful business practices described below.

As background, this Office is responsible for enforcement of the Michigan


Consumer Protection Act, MCL 445.901 et seq. Under this Act, the Attorney
General may bring injunctive actions to protect the interests of consumers. MCL
445.905. She may also seek money damages on their behalf. MCL 445.910.

The Attorney General has probable cause to believe you are violating the
MCPA with respect to the gas prices you are charging customers at the BP station
you operate at 9201 Middlebelt Rd. in Romulus, Michigan. During the past two
months, this Office has received complaints from two consumers alleging your
station was charging prices more than $1.50 per gallon above those offered by
nearby competitors. One of the complainants alleged that you are taking advantage
of your location near the car rental return at Metro Airport. A review of
GasBuddy.com reveals similar allegations have been made in the past against your
station related both to its pricing and Airport car rental proximity.

In light of these recent complaints, one of our Special Agents was dispatched
to your location on December 15. He purchased regular gas at a rate of $4.749 per
gallon. This rate is grossly in excess of what Michiganders are seeing throughout
Detroit and surrounding areas. GasBuddy charts for last month show as follows:
M 12 Fuels LLC
c/o Registered Agent: Naim Saad
Page 2
December 21, 2023

Fuel Price Trends 0


Select Fuel Type:
Price Regular Fuel , Detroit - M I Warren-Troy-Farmington HIiis - Ml I I For 1 • Regular
Month
D. esel

• USS per Gallon canad1an c p~r Liter


Select Up to 3 Areas:
,. Detroit - rAl

warren-Troy-Farm •v
33
Locabon ...

3l

Select Time Frame:


• 1 Month
31
3 M onths
6 ~1onths
9Months
1 Year
2ve.1r-s
,. 5Yea~

+ Detroit • Ml .... War'"er,- ro,-farrmngton -iills - M l


UPDATE
For Moro 1nform.t1on on Fuel Prices. contact LK

Fuel Price Trends 0


Select Fuel Type:
Price I Regular Fuel I Det roit - Ml I Wa r,en-Troy-Farmington Hills - Ml I I For 1 • Regular
Mon th
Diesel

• US $ per Gallon Canadian c per Liter


Select Up to 3 Areas:
3.4 Detroit -Ml xv

Warren-Troy-Farmi xv
3.3

Location3 V

3.2

Select TI me Frame:
• 1 Month
31
3 Months
Fr ,day. Dec 15 , 2023
Warren-Tr oy -Farm ington HIiis 6 Months
9 Months
1 Year
2 Years
2.9 5 Years
20/Nov 22 / Nov 24/ Nov 26/Nov 28 /r-.ov 30/Nov 2/Oec 4/0et 6J Dec 8/ Dec 10/ Dec 12/ 0ec 14/0ec 16/ Dec 18/Dec

..... Detroit - Ml -+- Warren-Troy-F.armington Hills - M


UPDATE

Fo r More Informat i on on Fuel Pnces, Contact Us

Our investigator was dispatched again to your station yesterday, December


20. He observed the price for regular (87 Octane) to be $4.74 per gallon. He also
observed the price for 87 Octane at the Marathon station at 29240 Ecorse Rd.—just
1.1 miles away from your station—to be $2.75 per gallon.
M 12 Fuels LLC
c/o Registered Agent: Naim Saad
Page 3
December 21, 2023

Based upon the information and evidence we have gathered we have probable
cause to believe you have engaged in the unfair trade practice of “[c]harging the
consumer a price that is grossly in excess of the price at which similar property or
services are sold.” MCL 445.903(1)(z).

With many people travelling both from and to our State in the coming days to
spend the holidays with friends and family, we emphasize now that you should put
the brakes on this pattern of what appears to be grossly excessive pricing. If you
have additional information that might serve to justify your prices, we are very
interested in receiving it. Know, however, that your mere location would not be a
satisfactory justification—even if that is (as one of the consumer complainants
suggested) the explanation.

This Office is taking steps to either file a civil lawsuit pursuant to MCL
445.905 or commence a formal investigation under MCL 445.907. Your response to
this Notice is expected by January 8, 2024, and will help us determine which of
these paths will be necessary. We are also open to exploring an assurance of
voluntary compliance with you, as anticipated by the MCPA.

Your prompt attention to this correspondence is appreciated.

Sincerely,

Darrin F. Fowler
Assistant Attorney General
Corporate Oversight Division
(517) 335-7632
FowlerD1@michigan.gov
DFF/cms

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