Declined check becomes drive-off incident

[Pagan]

This is why I like pay-at-the-pump. And I've never see a hellacious hold amount either. Of course, I was using a gas company card and that's all I used it for and now I use my parent's Sam's card (their gas is almost always cheaper than the other stations around here).

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.

Except for the asses I encountered at one station. I went in with a $20US and said I need to fill up. Well, they wanted to exactly how much I was going to pump. I had no idea! All I could tell them is that my gas gauge is just a little under 1/4 full (which is when I like to fill up) and my tank holds 12.9 gallons. Beyond that, I've got no idea!

I want to know EXACTLY how much is going into my gas-guzzling beast of a minivan (no soccer mom joke, please)

If you can back the behemoth anywhere near decently, I will never call you a "soccer mom". That usually seems to the telling sign, can't back worth a shit.

[brucetiki]

Personally, I prefer fill then pay over pre-paid as I always just fill the tank, and while I have a rough idea how much to put in, no two amounts will ever be the same because of the varied price of fuel and how low I let the tank go before I fill it.

My favourite though is the Mobil stations that let you pay at the pump - just swipe your card, complete the transaction at the pump, fill up and you're on your way. Some Woolworths/Caltex stations use something similar to PayPass, where you touch the microchip on your credit/debit card against a reader instead of swiping, but it's only if you have a Woolworths Credit Card. I wish more servos do pay at the pump, but most don't because they want people to enter the store and buy stuff in the store (it's the same reason some stations here don't do pre-pay, as apparantly that deters people from buying stuff instore).

[EricKei]

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

Heehee... At the time (pre-katrina) -- at least, down here in Luuuziana, $3/gallon was tantamount to theft. Our average was under $2/gal back then.

The bigger problem many people had was landlords gouging people on rental rates -- Many stories went around about them doubling or tripling rates, even for existing renters, in areas where housing wasn't exactly in short supply...Which, of course, is (a) blatantly illegal and (b) never, ever enforced. >_<

[aurelemsrealm]

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!

If only it was that easy... The problem is that the police won't do much unless the customer has been officially banned. The customer would be asked to leave voluntarily, or escorted from the premesis if necessary. That does solve the problem in the short term. However, the company is reluctant to issue formal bans on customers, even when it is warranted. I could certainly call the police to have a disruptive customer removed if it becomes necessary, but that is only applicable from one visit to the next. The same customer's mere presence in the store at a later time is not considered sufficient grounds to warrant a call to the police without a formal ban first being issued, or a documented history of consistent problems with that particular customer.

Why hasn't he been banned long before this? Would it be that your managers don't have a backbone?

Prior to this incident, the customer was merely just a difficult sucktomer with a rotten, hateful, snarky attitude -- a bad case of crochety old bastard syndrome. This is the same sucktomer who once just randomly started screaming at the Coke cooler door. I would have kicked him out long ago if my decision counted for anything to management. However, we all know how that is... Anyway, this was the first time he'd attempted to use his personal checks to pay for something that couldn't be voided and put back. So, it was only a minor issue of sucktitude on his part rather than crossing into criminal territory those times.

[Andara Bledin]

to be honest, it makes sense, but there isn't a single petrol station in England (that i know of) that does prepay, we are all so used to pump, then go in and pay.

We used to be the same way, but we got used to it just fine, and it makes everything so much easier all around.

I have to admit, I am a person that dislikes pre-pay. Especially when I'm paying cash, because I have to estimate low instead of filling my tank completely. I will avoid pre-pay only stations for that reason if there is a place nearby that will let me pump first,then pay. (I also know which stations say pre-pay but will actually allow me to pump first during the day... I guess that makes me a bit of an SC.)

But at the same time, if everyone just went to pre-pay, I'd adapt and deal, not fuss about it because I do understand the reason for it. Too many people taking advantage mess up any type of "honor" system.

You're not an SC because you don't demand that stations that won't allow it do it, but you make use of those that will. And you're willing to adapt should things change, which is another thing that keeps you well out of SC territory.

Otherwise, when paying cash, why not just give more than you know you'll need, fill up, then get your change? That's what I used to do when I still used cash. Sure, it's an extra trip inside (if the place doesn't have pay at the pump setups), but then you now your tank will be filled.

That would also work for people who like to shop after pumping. Just go in, give more money than you think you'll need for the entire trip (or swipe your credit/debit card), then go back in, pick out what you want to buy, tell the counter what pump you used and get your change and/or receipt and be on your way.

Otherwise, honor systems start to fail at about the same time a town gets large enough that everyone no longer knows everyone else on sight. As soon as there's enough population for there to be any form of anonymity in the crowd, then it's time to stop using honor systems, just to stave off the inevitable problems with people who will take advantage and ruin it for everyone else.

However, in some stations that I have seen around a larger city, I kind of get annoyed with the prepay system they have in place. If you use cash, it's automatically prepay (obviously) and also a lower price.

It is to cover the fees for paying with a card. A credit card can eat up to something like 3% of the bill, and debit cards eat a set amount. It is against card terms to charge more to accept credit cards (as well as illegal in 8 states), but it is perfectly valid to offer a discount for cash payments.

If you find a place that offers a discount on cash payments (and doesn't charge a higher base rate), then get some cash and take advantage of it! I know I would.

about once a month my debt card flakes out and cant be used for 24 hours. I buy all my gas at the same place and when it flakes out, they always say. I have 24 hours to pay it off, and I always do.

And that is why I try to always keep about $20 and a couple of "emergency checks" in my wallet at all times. Having an electronic system hold my money means that when things break down, which they will do, I will have to have other options.

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.)

That means that whoever runs the processing for those locations broke it. Generally speaking, the holds should be attached (and removed) when the charge goes through. At least that's how it's worked pretty much every time I've used my card for anything like that.

Except with Ticketmaster, who also had a broken set up that kept a bunch of my credit limit tied up, but only for a week.

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!

That's easy. You just go in and tell them you need change for the pump you were on.

The system keeps track of how much credit was applied to the pump and how much was actually used, so they just have to hit the change out button, and it will display how much they're supposed to give you back.

$3 gallon!?

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

I'm so glad I don't live up there.

I currently pay about $2.80/gallon down here, near Los Angeles.

But, as has been mentioned, we pay a pittance for our gas here in the US. We have some of the cheapest rates for a lot of different services when compared globally, and yet we whine about how expensive everything is.

^-.-^

[blas]

I only brought it up because I worked at a gas station once, and our highest drive off rate was during Hurricane Katrina. Before that, gas was never as high as $3 a gallon.

When you aren't used to paying so much, it seems ridiculous. I am sorry that you pay so much more over the pond than we do. It was just a story.

[aurelemsrealm]

It's taken some time for the aftermath of this incident to settle, but I finally got to do something many of us dream of. I got to be the one to inform old bastard sucktomer that he has permanently been banned since he never has even offered to pay for that $10 in gas. The ban has been issued for a few weeks now, but I've not seen sucktomer until over the weekend.

Prior to this I always dreaded seeing him walk through the door, but I was almost ecstatic this time since I knew I was going to get the chance to tell him he's banned. I was working with manager, but she was in and out of the cooler doing stocking. It was busy, so I had a line constantly 3 or 4 customers deep. I continued waiting on the customers ahead of him in line. I figured there was no sense making them wait while I confronted him since he was going to be coming to me anyway.

When his turn came, he told me he wanted two packs of cigarettes.

So, the conversation goes something like this

Me: "You still owe us for $10 in gas. The manager told me you have been banned because you've not yet paid for it."

Him: "I told you I'll pay you back Wednesday when I get paid."

Me: "Wednesday was a few weeks ago. You still haven't paid for it."

Him: "Now you listen to me!!!"

I cut him off: "I'm done listening to you. You owe us for $10 in gas from a couple of weeks ago. If you're not going to pay for it, you can leave now. The manager said you are banned, but you still need to pay for the gas."

Him: "Well, are you going to give me my cigarettes?"

Me: "No, haven't you been listening? You owe us for $10 in gas. You can pay for that now if you have money for cigarettes. Otherwise, you can just leave now."

He storms off. I thought of calling the police, but they haven't done much thus far. I figured it would be a futile effort, and I didn't feel like going through any more interviews or filling out any more reports that weren't going to lead to some kind of positive action. The issue is really out of my hands since management has decided to ban the customer, and I had all the necessary reports and documentation to cover my butt. I told the manager what happened when she finally came back to the front from the cooler.

She told me she thought she saw him up here, but figured I could handle it. She also told me he tried to pull the declined check bit on one of the other clerks for cigarettes earlier in the week. The clerk didn't know he was banned when it happened, and manager had been at the bank. Manager had went back through the surveillance video with the other clerk because she suspected it was him.

Apparently, the guy hassled the other clerk when the check declined. He asked her if he could have the cigarettes, and pay her back later. She told him no, and removed the cigarettes from his reach. He started in with his usual crochety old bastard ranting to her, and she told him to leave because he was not getting the cigarettes.

So, I'm happy that I was the one to deliver the news to him. Now that I know he's been told, I won't have to wonder if the company will back me if he shows up again, and I tell him to leave.

[PepperElf]

$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?

Go inside and get your change. most places expect this.

I usually pay at the pump if i'm using a card. if i'm doing cash i pay for more than i'll need (just in case) and get my change back.

[JustaCashier]

She told me she thought she saw him up here, but figured I could wanted to handle it.

FIFY.


Mike

[dmf]

I actually like the system they use here in Japan. You put your money or card in the pump. choose what type of fuel you want. Choose how much you want to pump, or select fill it up. Pump your gas. Afterwards any change and a receipt is given back by the pump.

[wolfie]

I've had a couple incidents (one pre-pay, one post-pay) that went wrong, but fortunately I had the means to pay the difference.

Pre-pay: On a trip to B.C. (pre-pay is mandatory), I went in, handed over $40, then went back out and started pumping. Wasn't really watching, because (of course) it would shut off when it hit the pre-pay amount. Oops - they had merely turned on the pump. Went in again, and paid the remaining $5 or so.

Post-pay: On a trip to Louisiana (in my "other car"), I handed over my Comdata card (no reader on the pump), assumed they were doing it as pre-pay. Pump shut off before fill-up was complete (hit around $990). They ran the card and it was approved. Based on my usual fuel stop (Flying J affiliate with TCH), I had them re-start the pump. Took about $30 to top off, but Comdata rejected it (payed with MasterCard). Turns out Comdata only allows $1000 per calendar day (Central time zone), while TCH at Flying J allows $1000 per transaction. Needless to say, once I found out from Comdata what the issue was, I told the fuel desk so they'd be able to recognize the problem if it happened to anyone else (was overnighting at that location).

[Shalom]

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...

Yabbut your gallons are bigger.

1 gallon UK = 4.546 litre
1 gallon US = 3.785 litre

This means that one US gallon would cost £4.47, which today per xe.com is $6.77. Still about two and a half times the price, but not quite $8...