Declined check becomes drive-off incident

[blas]

I don't miss working at a gas station at all. We had our highest spike in drive offs right after the Hurricane Katrina Gas Scare, when prices soared to $3 a gallon.

[It's me]

I hate prepay. But then I always fill the tank. Usually I just use a CC, but sometimes I want to buy stuff as well, and pay after filling the car.

Recent bad experience with prepay (well, any-pay I guess)

I was down from Canada in the US for work... and therefore everything has to be paid with the work CC. I went to a gas station to fill the rental car with gas before returning it... and the pump insisted on a zip code. But not just any zip code.... I tried a few random (but valid) zip codes... I guess it was after the zip that matched the CC's address... a CANADIAN address, with letters in the POSTAL CODE. So nope, no gas sale from me that day. Keep in mind this gas station is near a major airport!

So I went down the highway to another gas station and filled up no problem.

[Teskeria]

and lets not forget when you swipe the card at the pump the gas station puts a 75-125 dollar hold on your card for 2-5 weeks (& I work for a cc company CS. I SEE those holds 4-5 weeks AFTER the charge went onto the card.)

[Sleepwalker]

All the places I've had to prepay cash at allowed me to put down, say, 40$ and then gave me change if I was under. I'm not sure why'd you be forced to lowball it. Is it unusual to get change on a prepay?

[ArcticChicken]

All the places I've had to prepay cash at allowed me to put down, say, 40$ and then gave me change if I was under. I'm not sure why'd you be forced to lowball it. Is it unusual to get change on a prepay?

Add me to the confused club, that's how the prepay stations around here operate if you want to pay cash.

[Munkie]

i have to toss in my two cents on this one...

i both like and dislike prepay. Its nice when you know how much your tank will take, and how much it will cost... however, there are also times when you pay, for example, $30 of gas at the till, go out to pump and find you only needed $15 in gas. What do you do in that case? shrug it off and drive away? Go in and ask for the rest of your money back? I've never been able to figure that out - since the pre-pay pump won't print a secondary recipt since you paid inside!

I much prefer pump then pay - and thankfully, theres one station near my place that hasn't conformed to the prepay yet. I want to know EXACTLY how much is going into my gas-guzzling beast of a minivan (no soccer mom joke, please) and how much I will be expected to pay, rather than the (often) hit-or-miss lottery that is prepay.

That said... the prepay station on my way to and from work is faster to get to than the other one, so it all depends on which way i'm headed on payday that determines where I fill the tank.

So, its a toss of a coin, really, at least in my case. Either way gets my van the gas it needs and it all depends upon which direction I happen to be travelling that day.

[VenomX]

i have to toss in my two cents on this one...

i both like and dislike prepay. Its nice when you know how much your tank will take, and how much it will cost... however, there are also times when you pay, for example, $30 of gas at the till, go out to pump and find you only needed $15 in gas. What do you do in that case? shrug it off and drive away? Go in and ask for the rest of your money back? I've never been able to figure that out - since the pre-pay pump won't print a secondary recipt since you paid inside!

They know how much you pumped. The server/machines running it all keeps track.
Just go back in and tell them it didn't take as much as you thught it would and tell them what pump you was on.

[Hyndis]

I don't miss working at a gas station at all. We had our highest spike in drive offs right after the Hurricane Katrina Gas Scare, when prices soared to $3 a gallon.

$3 gallon!?


Thats cheap! Haven't heard of that that cheap in over a decade.

[Darkforge]

$3 gallon!?


Thats cheap! Haven't heard of that that cheap in over a decade.

yeah, yeah, you should see how much it is over here in england.

-quick check on Google says average price in UK today for standard unleaded is £1.182 a litre, which is £5.37 a gallon, which is $7.91 USD per gallon

so stop complaining, when its $8 a gallon over here...

[Canarr]

I'm a bit confused here. He was reported to the police as a drive-off, then came back a few days later and shopped? I would have called the police and had him arrested on the spot!

Well, they'd already filed a report with the police on the drive-off; so, if they hadn't arrested him the first time, I'd say it's highly unlikely they'd do it on the second call.

I mean, the OP gave them license plate and vehicle description, and from his frequent returns to the scene of the crime, I'd say he wasn't exactly a criminal mastermind. So, I doubt the cops would've had any trouble tracking him down if they wanted to, but I doubt even more that they'd bother to do so for a measly 10 bucks.

The way it would go down in Germany: there'd be a report with the police, which the gas company could then use as evidence in court, if things ever got that far. But the police probably wouldn't even pay the guy a visit - this would go to the civic(?) courts.

First, a company lawyer would fill out the required form to send a collection letter (costs around 40 Euros to register at a court, which are tacked on to the price of the gas), informing the man he has, say, 14 days to either pay up or appeal the letter. If he does neither, a court bailiff will be sent out to collect the money owed, plus any relevant fees, and pass it on to the company. If he appeals, the company will have to take him to court, or drop the matter.

But no one gets arrested over smallfry like that.

[ArcticChicken]

Go in and ask for the rest of your money back?

Yes. They keep track of how much gas you pump, so you just go in, tell them what pump you're on, and get your change.

[persephone]

and lets not forget when you swipe the card at the pump the gas station puts a 75-125 dollar hold on your card for 2-5 weeks (& I work for a cc company CS. I SEE those holds 4-5 weeks AFTER the charge went onto the card.)

Do they still do that? Cause my credit card doesn't. I don't usually carry one, but we've gotten one recently for the cash back rewards. It just authorizes $1 and then it clears for the amount two or three days later. Which means I need to be sure to put in how much was pumped because the balance won't reflect it if I check online for quite a few days (though I try not to push close to the balance anyway and pay it every month).

[Mr.Customer]

Thankfully in my province in Canada they passed a law that all gas stations must make the customers prepay for gas.

i both like and dislike prepay. Its nice when you know how much your tank will take, and how much it will cost... however, there are also times when you pay, for example, $30 of gas at the till, go out to pump and find you only needed $15 in gas. What do you do in that case? shrug it off and drive away? Go in and ask for the rest of your money back? I've never been able to figure that out - since the pre-pay pump won't print a secondary recipt since you paid inside!

What you do with prepay is pay inside (say $30) and then go fill your car, if it only takes $15 then you go back inside and get your change and a reciept if you need it. Most pumps are controlled on the inside so they will know how much has been pumped and be able to give you your change back.

To the original poster, when the customer said he has no other way to pay for his fuel then that is when you should have picked up the phone and called the police. "well if you have no other weay to pay sir, then I will have to call the police into this" The pick up the phone and call the police.

It is best that you ask for their car keys, tell them it will make it easier to sieze their vehicle, otherwise the tow truck tends to damage them if the car have to tow it without being able to put it in neutral.

[VenomX]

When we sold gas some cards did and some didn't.

[BrenDAnn]

Munkie (I think that was your name), I know it's been said, but yes, you would go in and get your money back if you pumped less than what you originally paid. Y'know, unless you generally like giving your money out for nothing, lol. The way the system at the c-store I'm at works, we can recall the prepay transaction, and give you the difference. In fact, if there's a prepay that was under the amount, and the person didn't come back claim it, our registers won't let us switch out with the next person on duty until we take care of it! So, yes, you'd go back and get your $15, and a receipt if you so wish.