It has happened a couple of times at the same esso station. I start pumping, but the pump stops after no more than a little over 1 litre of petrol. The attendant insisted that this was delivered and that I must pay, but I am not so sure that I got any petrol. You don't think of writing down the "Mileage left" before pumping, but next time that is what I will do. Surely, the pump must have cut out because the tank was empty in the first place. Any views?
Did I get any petrol?
Mar 08, 2008
59 Replies
Seems odd that it happened twice. Take a fuel can with you next time and start by filling that. Or go to a different garage.
Are you using a filler cap on the opposite side of the car to where the pump is? Filler nozzle at a funny angle?
I have noticed a number of times at my normal Shell garage, that when I have finished filling, the pump rolls on an extra penny (once the nozzle has been returned to the pump and I am walking across the forecourt to pay). Each time I questioned it, but got the brush off.
That was what I did; instead of going to another pump, I wrote off the £1.28 as a loss and went to the station next door.
My one big gripe about filling stations is that they 'all' stick to the ridiculous 0.9 of a penny in their price per litre, how do trading standards allow them to get away with it, and would I be within my legal rights to demand my 0.1 of a penny change if I handed over £1.12p for a litre of diesel which was advertised at £1.11.99 pence?
I say bring back the old fashioned pumps, the analogue type where the price spins round. You could always get a few extra drops of free fuel by just nudging it a fraction past 0. I bet over the years I must have ended up with an extra 1/4 of a litre!
No IIRC, back when they changed totally to metric pump deliveries, there was a court case about this and it was deemed that it is quite legal to 'charge' 0.99p - I'm showing my age now!
BRG
Didn't "Not the Nine O'Clock News" have a sketch showing the attendant using the "nobble" button to do that?
Ian
Yes it did. It was hilarious!
Ivan ("Ivan" ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:
When did you last buy one litre?
Ivan ("Ivan" ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:
115.9 spotted near here the other day. At a consistently expensive station. 107.9 for unleaded.OTOH, 101.9 seen last night, 107.9 for diesel.
Well being less numerate than most Adrian, I thought that it was easier to use a single litre as an example rather than 4.54609188 litres as in an imperial gallon.
Years ago I was filling my car up and the nozzle started pumping air. The digits started to increase at an alarming rate and I stopped and went to tell the staff that the pump was displaying far more petrol than what I'd actually got, and that the tank must be empty as it was pumping air. They were completely dismissive and insisted I'd have to pay the full amount. Not happy with this, I got one of the staff to come outside and she confirmed it was pumping air and that the pump's display was being incremented. When she went back in to tell the acting manageress she turned her back and ignored us, which got my back right up.
While I was deciding my next move, another customer pulled up on the other side of the pump and started using it. I pointed this out to the acting manageress and the stupid bint just insisted there was nothing wrong with the pump. I had to go outside myself and tell him to use another pump.
Anyway, I told her I'd pay for the amount that I thought I had got, and leave my name and address. If she wanted to make something of it I'd be glad to discuss it with the proper manager when he returned, but that I would also have to arrange a visit from weights and measures inspectors.
That seemed to do the trick and I left her wailing about 'losing her job'. I never heard anything further about it.
Pay that's nothing. 117.9p per litre for a premium fuel the other day.
It wasn't that long ago that the media would have got really excited at > £5.00 a gallon, perhaps they will when it reaches £10.00 a gallon! :o(
DervMan ("DervMan" ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:
This wasn't the premium "super ultimate" - this was the normal...
Well, V-Power Diesel, so, not quite. Usually costs ~6p more than normal. 'Course, 6p more on 112p a litre is psychologically less damaging than 6p more on 94p...
Paused at 1 litre today just to see what the price was (£1:09.9 p/litre) and the display read £1.10. Did'nt need 10 litres but when it does I'll see if the price reads £10.99 or £11. All these .1's of a penny add up to a lot in total for the fuel companies !
JJ ("JJ" ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:
You really think the pump is accurate to 10ml?
Even if it is why didn'y he stop it at 1:09.9 when it would have been
1.000L, rather than stopping at 1.001L?Join the Discussion
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