In case anyone is unaware, those little buttons on the side of the screen can and usually do mute the ads. In 99% of the time I’ve tried the 2nd from the top, on the right hand side mutes them.
Literally all of the gas stations I frequent have disabled this feature (or made it a more complex series of button-presses) in the last year or so. :(
That said, GP's assertion that the station can make up for stolen gas with ads is nonsensical and dishonest.
I agree with you 100%, especially because the volume is always turned up to 11.
However, you'll get arrested for stealing gas -- so as a practical matter, when confronted with the situation, tolerating the ads is the recommended option!
My desired method of muting them might require a bit more clean up. It may also involve a trip to the ER ward for burn treatments. But I would at least look back and say I enjoyed myself.
Hah, I'm going to make a startup that shows ads in the in-car display, "this gallon of fuel is brought to you by McDonald's. Try our new quad-cheeseburger, a drive-through is coming up 2 miles ahead!".
Imagine if your GPS would automatically add an extra stop at Starbucks in the morning and McDonald's around lunch and dinner time. You try and punch in directions to one grocery store and it reroutes you past a competitor who paid for placement.
It's user-hostile UX, but to mask the hostility the GPS can say "Starbucks on your route is offering 10% off bagels, for the next 10 minutes!". And similarly for the grocery store, "try Kwik-E-Mart and get a free treat!"