Anyone else hear about...

[yankee doodler]

gasoline scam by station owners? I got an email from a relative in MO. that follows:

Dear Friends:

Yesterday I learned from a fellow Freemason of two instances where gas station owners are setting their pumps to start at $1.25 instead of $0.00 when you buy fuel at their stations.

The first instance happened to my fraternity brother himself at the Phillips 66 station in Harrisonville , MO , across from the Cass Medical Center . When my friend lifted handle out of it's holder and pushed the 87 octane button he happened to glance at the screen which shows how much you've been charged and how much you've pumped prior to pumping any fuel at all. The amount pumped was zeroed out, but the price screen read $1.25. He attempted to clear this and the amount charged always remained at $1.25. A gentleman pulled up on the opposite side of the pump and started to fuel his vehicle when my friend warned him about what had just occurred on his side of the pump. The same exact thing happened on the other gentleman?s side of the pump. They both shut off their respective pumps and went in demanding to see the owner. The owner pretended that he didn't understand what was happening and spoke to them in broken English as he was obviously Middle Eastern. Both men left him and his station without purchasing any fuel.

My friend was relating this story to one of his customers at his place of business when the customer stated that the exact same thing had happened to him at the Valero gas station located at Highway 7 & Walnut in Blue Springs , MO. The pump simply went to $1.25 before any fuel was pumped at all. When the man attempting to fuel his car went into the station to report the problem there was another Middle Eastern man in charge of the station who pretended to be busy on the phone and refused to speak with the man attempting to report the problem. He, also, left without purchasing any fuel.

The next weekend my Masonic brother was returning from a fishing trip to the Lake of the Ozarks when he stopped for fuel in Warrensburg. There was a man wearing a state of Missouri uniform checking the pump next to the one my friend was using. My friend approached the official from the state and relayed his stories about the two gas stations with the pumps that wouldn't zero out for amount charged when first turned on. The state official took down the locations of the two stations, stating he was very familiar with the one in Harrisonville doing this as they'd had to fine him before for overcharging. It seems it's a common practice among some station owners to assume that most Americans who use fuel cards don't look at the pump screen s before they fuel their vehicles.. Therefore, the station owners will receive an additional $1.25 per purchas e 24/7/365 to put in their own pocket as profit. The official stated that he would report the instances to his supervisor.

The following Friday the same state official came to my friend's place of business and reported that they had busted BOTH gas stations for charging too much on purchases made at their stations and that they would both receive hefty fines. He told my friend that there is supposed to be a 1-800 number on each side of a pump where people can report fraud to the state if they believe a station is overcharging.

I am sending you this not to spread rumors about Middle Eastern gas station owners, but to warn you to be very vigilant when buying fuel. Always LOOK to see that both the amount of fuel pumped and the amount charged have zeroed out prior to pumping your fuel. None of you receiving this are millionaires, so I know you don't want to spend an additional $1.25 each time you purchase fuel. Stay alert and don?t get sc rewed at the pump.

It's just an email and I didn't confirm it, but just an FYI the next time you fill up, eh?

[FisherMike]

Thanks YD.
I'll pass that on, even if it's not true. Better be safe then sorry.

By the way. Have you herd anything about the decals?

[Ranger R61]

Haven't heard about it but I will be on the alert. Just passed it on. Maybe some others have seen it.

[J White]

It pays to watch everybody nowdays - back couple years ago
I stopped and bought some food n junk, no fuel, and didn't pay attention
when they swiped my card - looked after I got down the road, and it said
I'd bought $10 of gas too - and I's in my diesel truck, no boat

went back and confronted them about it - didn't realize I was gettin'
loud until I wondered why the manager was backing up away from the
counter (where I couldn't reach him) he gave me cash back.
Homegrown rednecks they were, like me.

Got to thinking about it, nobody else was in the store or at the pumps
when I was first in there, except for girl running the register and a
girlfriend/hanger-arounder... manager showed up before I got back.
I THINK I bought girlfriend some gas is what happened, but can't prove it...
Anyway, watch 'em all.

[yankee doodler]

Thanks YD.
I'll pass that on, even if it's not true. Better be safe then sorry.

By the way. Have you herd anything about the decals?

I send Jason a PM on what's up, but I haven't heard from him or seen any posts from him on the site....Hmmmm?

[Opie1]

Last week I made a purchase at a drive thru/ gas station. I was in the drive thru. It was $10.71.
I gave the boy a twenty and a one dollar bill. He hands me back 29 cents.
I caught him right there and hey you owe me another 10 dollars. NO, he says, I specifically saw a ten and a one. He wouldn't give me my money back.
Well son I said, we have a problem. Put the car in park and shut it off.
The hell with everyone behind me.
Either you give me my 10 buck or give me your manager's number.
He gave me the manager's number. Called her 3 times that evening and she never called back.
It was settled the next morning when he was over on his cash drawer. But the woman manager reprimanded the boy for giving out her cell number.
That's BS.