I searched a few pages of bugs, but did not find a mention of this. Perhaps it does not qualify as a "bug." But here goes.... I was in-station and accepted a cargo mission. After accepting, I discovered that I did not have a large enough ship to accommodate 13 cargo crates. There were only EC-88s available at this station, so buying a larger ship was not possible. When I asked the mission comp to take back the cargo, it refused saying I did not have all the cargo. After trying several things to get the station to take back the cargo, I decided that my only choice was to "lie" and say I lost the cargo. The station said that it would be OK if I payed them for the cargo, the amount being 4662
credits. Unfortunately, 13 x 333 = 4329 credits. (4662 / 13 = 358.61538, an
impossible price within the game) Bug, or what?

Was that the price for the cargo being sold at that station? If it was it is because the station doesnt sell it for the same price you buy it for even if you only had the cargo 5seconds it will decrease either by 10cr or a 100cr.

I did not "buy" the cargo. The cargo was given to me by the station as part of the mission I accepted. If I had bought it, the station charges 333Cr each. Since it was impossible to complete the mission, the only way out of it was to pay the station for the cargo. Since I was trying to give back something I didn't pay for to begin with, I was wondering why the station was charging me to take back the cargo, AND why it was charging me MORE than the selling price.

It was charging you the same amount you would have received from the destination station. The price you would have received had you completed the mission.

Buying price of widgets is fixed by the station. I would pay the same amount for a widget as you, at the same station.
Selling price is based on your standings and other factors. I may get more per widget if my standings were better than yours. These factor computations cause the decimals you see.

RelayeR: I almost bought your explanation. But, as good as it is, no cigar.
Once again, this was a mission, not an old fashioned trade run. I did not buy the cargo. And if I had completed mission, I would NOT have been paid for the cargo.
I would have been paid a more or less random sum (in even money; ie: 1000Cr,
2500Cr, 5000Cr, etc.) and Exp Points.

the cargo was worth around 4662 creds at the destination station.
think of it this way:
the destination station ordered cargo from the starting station, offering 4662 for the cargo.
the starting station gave you the mission, but you didn't complete it, and you still have the cargo (since the station isn't taking the cargo back). The starting station would've gotten 4662 creds for that cargo, had you done the mission; but since you haven't, you're paying what the destination station would've paid to appease the starting station.

I stand by my answer but I misspoke on one point...

I should have said it is the amount you would have received from the destination station had it been a trade run, not upon completion of the mission.

The amount you would have received by completing the mission is the payment for the mission and has nothing to do with the cargo.

(thx, harvestmouse)