[GAP_123]

Four is too much to miss out. Do sound like a scam.


Step 1: Engine off, Ignition on.
Step 2: Get off car, pull up petrol cap. (Nexon is underneeth the driver seat.
Step 3: Check fuel meter for zero and the tell them how much to fill.
Step 4: Insist on receipt from fuel Despencer only. As long as it's not zeroed again, there should not be any problem in getting it.
Step 5: after getting receipt only, make payment. I use card or upi for payment (MS Or Visa Card Or BHIM app).

Important note: Ignore the over friendly or over involved staff. Don't think he/she is doing that for a five star rating.

Have faced problem in getting machine receipts while in Rural parts of Maharashtra.

[shridhan]

In Aurangabad, Maharashtra: They tried 3 times to scam me in 3 different petrol pumps. These guys know this trick. Usually, they PRETEND to hear wrong.. i.e. 4 litres instead of 40. Then when you ask them to make it 40, they fill till 40. But at the end they tell you that pay for 40+4. i.e. 44 litres. In between the confusion, he does not set meter to 0, but continues from 4. So you are asked to pay for 44 litres when he filled only 4. So he gets approx 400 for free.... Remember: If he says pay for 2 different fill ups, ask him to show Zero 2 times on the counter.. Else don't pay saying you didn't show me 0 on second time. Please make all aware of this scam.

[shridhan]

Originally Posted by nileshbhatiaa

This is a common scam with multiple variations in tricks played. Normally in my case if the meter stops mid way, i tell him not to continue any further. Just pay those few hundreds and move away not causing any confusion.

Good idea..I also do that to avoid confusion and argument.

[pratyaksh]

I never used to think it was possible to scam people on pumps and whenever friends in India warned me, I dismissed it as hearsay. Only to be scammed myself last week while traveling on the highway in UP.
So I tell him to do a 'full tank'. The attendant comes back saying done, it's just at 400. I say what are you doing, he says I thought you said 400. I said 'FULL' and went back to talking to the wife. 2 seconds later the needle is at 900. Total comes out to 2900, I pay him...he says +400 for the last fill. I said you didn't restart, he said he did. My word against his. I had done 750 kms already,I was weary and just wanted to get home. Didn't argue,gave him 400 more. Asked for the receipt,he says only hand printed is available.
I get pissed but don't say anything.

I drive down 40 odd minutes and ask the missus,what do you think happened there. She says you got scammed, what else. I get really pissed and want to turn the car around. But I was too tired to do anything.

For God knows what reason, I had read and remembered the pumps name. I always use IOCL bunks, so after having a nice warm dinner and a cold shower. I open the IOCL Pump Locator, search the name and bang the owner's number is listed. I called him at 9pm and he answered,told him what happened,didn't know the attendants name so just told him the unit was at the back of the pump. Asked him politely to talk to his boys and instil some values. He didn't call me back to say anything, I somehow couldn't let it go. I called him again,he said the boy denied it. I asked him to get him on a conference call. It took me exactly 5 colourful words with a high pitch for him to confess. 10 mins later some manager UPI'd the money to me.
And fired his behind.
I felt bad about him being fired but if they keep getting away with impunity, it will never get better.
I want to Thank all TBHP members who are helping us all learn through this forum. Thank you

[Stribog]

This quite frankly is something am baffled by OP.

Why would you pay BEFORE you fuel up. I have been driving and filling in petrol / diesel for decades now and not once have I been asked to or paid in advance.

Also, as others have pointed out, getting out of the car, standing by the machine and ensuring it's at Zero and it's the right fuel takes maybe 1 minute? That alone will avoid most scams.

And if for some reason (genuine or malicious) the attendant wants to stop midway and start, insist on it being zero'd.

That's it, nothing else is needed.

[CrusadingMonk]

Golden rules I have been following for quite some time now
1) Switch off car & open fuel tank
2) Walk towards tank side & always ask for full tank
3) Check zero & tell to stop at auto stop
4) Ask for & check bill amount
5) Always pay by google pay by scanning QR code after checking amount
Last few years, we have been locating Shell/COCO on our routes before travelling & getting fuel filled only at those pumps. Never had a bad experience at any of the Shell pumps till now

[lpudr]

Originally Posted by amey027

As an automotive engineer, I will recommend not switching off the car completely while filling fuel. Turn the engine OFF but not ignition. Modern cars are safe enough and the fuel tank is anyway situated at the back, far away from the engine and battery. It's risky for scooters and motorcycles since the tank is situated directly above the engine and even a small spill can lead to fire (only exception is Jupiter 2021 and beyond, the fuel cap is under the handle bar).

Keeping the ignition ON allows you to track the fuel filled in real time. Also keep your eyes like a hawk on the pump meter. I have a habit of first getting out of my car, standing next to the pump and then telling them how much I want to fill. Even if they provide a wrong input, you can correct it before the filling starts

I fully agree.
Stop the car, get out, check the meter has been reset to zero, and ask the attendant to leave the hose alone while filling, and take only that amount of fuel which the pump auto cuts at.
I prefer autocut over filling the tank up to the brim - it is more convenient and avoids any chances of spillage.

Also, on a side note, we should have an idea looking at the meter how much fuel a car can take(given we're aware of the total capacity) -why ask the attendant for more. There can always be a separate billing if you want extra fuel in a jar.

[Joeboy]

I had known a guy who worked in many fuel pumps and he is a friend of mine. He used to say that all fuel pumps steal between 50ml to 100ml per litre of fuel while filling them in the vehicles. Since in India since there is no gauge in a vehicle to show us how many litres have been filled in the fuel pump so a customer can't check the exact amount of fuel filled. We can't rely on the fuel meters in the fuel pumps as they can be calibrated easily.

[MT_Hyderabad]

If you have to deal with a cheat, how many times will you want to deal with him?

This is the question I asked myself and from thereafter, always tanked up full.

Procedure I follow at the pump:
1. After aligning the car at the dispenser, open the filler cap from the remote cap opener inside the car.
2. Turn off the engine and get out of the car. Slam back the door. This is important as there are some valuable items inside. Laptop bag with my wallet and spare phone which I use for playing music.
3. Ask the operator to fill full tank. He asks cash or card etc to divert my attention, but I keep looking at the display. Sometimes others join him in this and ask about scratch removers etc. Once he sets zero, and starts the filling only then I engage in a conversation, if any. I keep looking at the display and at the car frequently to check if someone is trying to open the door and steal the valuables.
4. Once done, I take the receipt and pay through Gpay etc. Still keeping a check at the car doors occasionally.
5. I then get into the car, move the car a little forward to vacate the dispenser for others in queue and take an image of the receipt against the odo. It is not needed, but takes just 10 seconds of my time. I am bad at storing receipts and most of the time they just become unreadable after a while due to ink volatility. This image is quite useful in case I was scammed and need some course correction from my end. I don't calculate mileage that often, but this also helps in retrospective calculation, if needed.

Another important aspect: Pay by cash on highway drives, sometimes the e-wallet payment is stuck due to interruption in network connectivity and they ask you to pay again. You are left at the mercy of the bank/e-wallet company to decline the first payment within 48 hrs.

[amrit_bareta]

Originally Posted by shridhan

In Aurangabad, Maharashtra: They tried 3 times to scam me in 3 different petrol pumps. These guys know this trick. Usually, they PRETEND to hear wrong.. i.e. 4 litres instead of 40. Then when you ask them to make it 40, they fill till 40. But at the end they tell you that pay for 40+4. i.e. 44 litres. In between the confusion, he does not set meter to 0, but continues from 4. So you are asked to pay for 44 litres when he filled only 4. So he gets approx 400 for free.... Remember: If he says pay for 2 different fill ups, ask him to show Zero 2 times on the counter.. Else don't pay saying you didn't show me 0 on second time. Please make all aware of this scam.

Sir, if we ask them to put oil in rupees instead of litres , then the chances of this fraud may be reduced, I always ask them to put oil in rupees, not in litres .

Originally Posted by Joeboy

I had known a guy who worked in many fuel pumps and he is a friend of mine. He used to say that all fuel pumps steal between 50ml to 100ml per litre of fuel while filling them in the vehicles. Since in India since there is no gauge in a vehicle to show us how many litres have been filled in the fuel pump so a customer can't check the exact amount of fuel filled. We can't rely on the fuel meters in the fuel pumps as they can be calibrated easily.

You are absolutely right sir, petrol pump machines in rural areas are mostly tampered with.This thing is very common in our Punjab, specially at Indian Oil pumps

[Aviator_guy]

Attachment 2368695O

Originally Posted by MT_Hyderabad

5. I then get into the car, move the car a little forward to vacate the dispenser for others in queue and take an image of the receipt against the odo. It is not needed, but takes just 10 seconds of my time. I am bad at storing receipts and most of the time they just become unreadable after a while due to ink volatility. This image is quite useful in case I was scammed and need some course correction from my end. I don't calculate mileage that often, but this also helps in retrospective calculation, if needed.

.

There is an app called "Fuelio" which you can use for this record keeping (and storing image if like). You can also get statistics about mileage, fuel expense, fuel price trends, car efficiency trends etc. at your fingertips anytime you need

[immortalmechano]

I quite often see the 500 instead of full tank scam being attempted. I always ask for full tank, always ask for zero and record the volume using drivvo on the spot. Believe pump guys also become wary the minute I take my phone out and punch in all the numbers from price, quantity and odo readings...

I've also started putting Google reviews everytime a scam is attempted. Hope it does drive those down eventually.

[TDI_Power]

Originally Posted by amrit_bareta

You are absolutely right sir, petrol pump machines in rural areas are mostly tampered with.This thing is very common in our Punjab, specially at Indian Oil pumps

Rightly said sir, not only Indian oil there are many other companies whose pumps are malfunctioning in their machines.

[MT_Hyderabad]

Originally Posted by immortalmechano

I quite often see the 500 instead of full tank scam being attempted. I always ask for full tank, always ask for zero and record the volume using drivvo on the spot.

I cannot recommend this, but I fill until I see the fuel till the brim or sometimes till auto cut off.
They can never cheat with volume. What was inside their tank is what got filled in mine, till the brim.

[RaviCar]

Originally Posted by city2491

Came across an interesting scam today at IOCL Petrol Pump Mazagaon, Mumbai.

Innova Crysta fuel gauge was showing little less than a quarter tank and asked the attendant to fill up 40L of Diesel. Like conventional oldest scams running, he fills up 4L worth 377.xx and said you asked 4L only. I said no and made him reset the meter to 0. Even got me a printed bill of 377.xx

Now here comes the interesting part. He bills me for 40L on credit card for 3770.xx Rs and starts filling up from 0. Incidentally, the auto cut off happens at 31.xx L only. Anyway he fills up some more and the car finally takes approx 33L. I asked him to put the rest in a container but he said the pump shuts off after 30s of inactivity and what not.

Now there are many things happening at once and I get confused. He says he'll return the excess amount in cash and since I was billed for the entire 40L, I get about 200 bucks. Now I know its less, but suddenly I have lost the 4L receipt and the pump is reset as well. Not wanting to argue over a few hundred bucks, I leave and drive home about 2km away. To my surprise, the car wasn't full. The gauge was between 3/4th and full.

First he made about 150-200 bucks out of the transaction and also a few litres worth of fuel because the tank is clearly not full. Just wanting to check how much fuel was deficit, I drive to another petrol pump, this time 2km in the opposite direction. Keep in mind the car has done 4km since the transaction and even if we take a very very conservative estimate of 8km/l it shouldn't have consumed more than half a litre.

BUT, at the second pump, I fill up to the brim and its 5.86L. Now the gauge shows full. So he's made a few hundred bucks in cash, and 552.30 Rs worth of fuel.

What I can't understand is I could see the diesel up till the brink but the tank was far from full after leaving. So he definitely did not put the initial 4L and somehow managed to not fill up the tank.

So lesson learnt:

• Never pay before the end of the transaction
• Just leave and go to the next pump if it shuts off at less than what you have asked for
• Check if your gauge shows sufficient increment

Something like this happened with me. I just sternly spoke and said he was trying to rob me, and call your manager, I will complain.

He apologized and I believe in the end I did not have to pay more... How I caught it that he billed me for 45+ litres when my tank is only 45. As I remember I didn't lost anything... May be a discrepancy of ₹100 on either side.

My understanding is same as yours, if the machine stops just pay for that much and move ahead.