Lt. Dan Walker of the Naples, Italy-based Submarine Group Eight looks through his LPG, oil and gas coupons before turning them at the Navy Exchange at Capodichino. All gas and oil coupons expired September 30. (Jason Chudy / S&S)
Department of Defense personnel holding discount gas and oil coupons purchased between Oct. 1, 2003, and Sept. 30 should turn them in for a refund because they expired on Thursday.
Returning the coupons for refund is simple, said Bart Di Mucci, NATO tax-free administrator for U.S. forces in Italy.
“The easiest and best way is to return them wherever they purchased them,” he said. The serial numbers on the coupons will be used to determine when they were purchased and a refund given based on the selling price.
For example, 100 liters of gasoline now sells for $57, but someone turning in 100 liters of coupons sold during late August will receive $52. The discrepancy is caused by a Sept. 1 increase in the price of coupons because of a rise in the cost of gasoline.
The coupons cannot be traded in for new ones, Di Mucci said.
People with G-series gas coupons, which are issued for government vehicles, rentals or privately owned vehicles used on official business, should turn those in to their commands, he said.
Naples resident Lt. Dan Walker turned in a handful of gasoline and liquid-petroleum gas coupons for refund at the Capodichino Navy Exchange Monday, the first time he’s had to return coupons.
Assigned to the Naples-based Submarine Group Eight, Walker has been in Italy for 10 months.
“As you can see it’s pretty easy,” he said, as he received about $260 for his unused coupons.
Last month, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service announced that coupons purchased for use in Germany and the Netherlands cannot be used past their Sept. 30 expiration date at gas stations on the economy, but would still be accepted at AAFES-operated services stations until the end of April. Unused coupons could also be turned in for a refund.
The Navy Exchange does not operate gas stations on bases in Italy.
