Then you won't want to read this.
By KELBY HARTSON CARR
Date published: 5/31/2001
[...]David Lazier, chief of the California division that oversees gas pumps, said an investigation there led to about 30 stations being busted for duping customers. Investigators in other states have unearthed similar fraud.
In California, some stations were using equipment that tricked customers into believing they were getting more gasoline.
"We do have a certain faction that feels they need to make an illicit profit," he said.
The gas dealers were especially difficult to catch there because the equipment initially fooled inspectors. While inspectors usually pump 1,
5 or 10 gallons of gasoline for testing, the illegal equipment ensured those amounts dispensed properly."They were using our own test methods to beat us at our own games," he said. "We started receiving enough complaints to lead us to believe something was going on."
When undercover inspectors pumped differing amounts of gasoline--such as
6 or 9 gallons--they discovered they were shortchanged by as much as a third.He said savvy consumers can watch for such a scam.
For example, if a gas pump is rigged, the gauge that shows gallon measurements will speed up right after the 1-, 5- and 10-gallon marks, and go really slowly as they approach those points.
"You could actually see that speed up and slow down," he said.
He also said consumers should track their gas mileage and be concerned if it suddenly plummets.
"If you notice all of a sudden you're getting a lot less miles per gallon, that's usually an indicator," he said. "It could be a lower octane fuel. It could be you're not getting everything you pay for."
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