I'm too special to fill out a form so I'll drive off without paying

[Bella_Vixen]

Unfortunately that kind of defeats the whole purpose of the convenience of Pay at the Pump.

And sometimes things would get a little busy, and the employee(s) wouldn't always have time to replace pump paper immediately...if they even knew that it was out in the first place...

[Gibbo]

All of the self-service (which is.. all of them, there are no full-service stations around here that I know of) stations around here have been pre-pay/pay-at-pump for years. Only since the arrival of pay-at-the-pump has this been true though. Pre-pay was probably seen as too "customer unfriendly" before, but within a year or so after the card readers showed up on pumps, every station required pre-pay.

I remember thinking pre-pay was silly, when I was a kid. "How are you supposed to know how much to pay when you haven't filled up yet?" Now I don't think anything of swiping my card before filling up.

Asda decided to change so you would pay at the pump using your card. The result was that people stopped using them and went elsewhere as they should "have the choice of how to pay". When our nearby Asda petrol station changed we trebled our petrol sales. As we weren't expecting such a large increase of customers we ran completely dry and had people whining about how they had to go without fuel for the day. When we said that there was a nearby Asda they would say "but I'm not going there because it's card only!" So even when faced with going without fuel, they still wouldn't go to Asda.

[donruss]

All of the self serve stations I've been to would print off a receipt inside if the pump receipt paper was out.

Unfortunately that kind of defeats the whole purpose of the convenience of Pay at the Pump.

[otakuneko]

All of the self-service (which is.. all of them, there are no full-service stations around here that I know of) stations around here have been pre-pay/pay-at-pump for years. Only since the arrival of pay-at-the-pump has this been true though. Pre-pay was probably seen as too "customer unfriendly" before, but within a year or so after the card readers showed up on pumps, every station required pre-pay.

I remember thinking pre-pay was silly, when I was a kid. "How are you supposed to know how much to pay when you haven't filled up yet?" Now I don't think anything of swiping my card before filling up.

[Kogarashi]

that's what i was thinking too... that's not good
besides i like keeping the receipts so i can calculate my gas milage.

Well, as far as mileage goes, we're set. We've got a notebook that we keep in the jeep for jotting down when and where we get gas, how much it is (both per gallon and for the tankful), how much we get, and what the trip meter and odometer read (we reset the trip meter each time). So we've at least got that physical record of purchases.

[PepperElf]

that's what i was thinking too... that's not good
besides i like keeping the receipts so i can calculate my gas milage.

[Kogarashi]

All of the self serve stations I've been to would print off a receipt inside if the pump receipt paper was out.

Sadly, ours is not so efficient.

[wagegoth]

All of the self serve stations I've been to would print off a receipt inside if the pump receipt paper was out.

[Stryker One]

Sweet Deal

So, you're saying you give out interest free loans on gas?

[blas]

Supposedly around here, you can lose your license if you get caught driving off.

[Kogarashi]

though... if you use the card machines always get a receipt. that way you're sure your card was charged.

Unfortunately, that only works if the gas station keeps the machines stocked with reciept paper. The one we frequent is always out of paper, probably because it's one of the better prices in town and therefore the employee on duty can't keep up with the customers coming through. Nevermind that the employee at that station is in one of those booths with the little teller box and the bulletproof glass.

[PepperElf]

i like pre-pay as long as they have working card machines. i hate having to go in and then go back in if the gas amount if off.

though... if you use the card machines always get a receipt. that way you're sure your card was charged.

one of my previous co-workers wasn't in that habit and he found out the hard way that his card *hadn't* gone through properly when he got a call from the gas station regarding his drive-off. they had to contact the police because it was technically a drive-off, but they let him come in to pay without any charges etc... and said that if it came up on his account twice to come back in and they'd refund him.

[Gibbo]

Please tell me that you'll nail him to the financial wall as much as you possibly can. It's the only way they'll learn.

I hope it happens, but he'll probably get a slap on the wrist and a don't do it again.

A picture-perfect example of why most self-service gas stations require prepayment.

We are always getting drive offs but changing to being prepaid is never considered. It's probably seen as "customer unfriendly".

[Dave1982]

A picture-perfect example of why most self-service gas stations require prepayment.

[Mordecai]

So the sc in question decided to drive off and risk being arrested instead of just filling out a form and paying within the week? Fucking moron.