[Aviator_guy]

Similar incident (not sure if you can call scam) as OP about premium fuel is very common at the HP petrol pump on Gunjur Varthur Main road in Bangalore which is opposite to Prestige Lakeside Apartment. Whenever I visit there, answer is alway 'only premium fuel available sir'. Only option nearby is Shell Bunk which is 5% expensive. So one is with left to chose between premium HP fuel or regular Shell fuel. Now I started planning my refills in advance elsewhere!

[DarthVeda]

Buy an EV, and whenever you go past a fuel bunk where you had got duped before, give them a virtual finger and drive past with a smile on your face.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by CarguyNish

Tip - Always keep the car in idle when filling the fuel.

How exactly are you avoiding a scam by leaving the car in idle? This makes no sense to me. Why burn fuel and spew emissions when the car is being refueled! Your fuel gauge will register the refilled fuel quantity as soon as you restart the car.

I do not recommend this practice at all. Its dangerous to leave the engine running while refueling. If the time to fill the vehicle is taking long and there are occupants in the car, lower the windows.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by CarguyNish

How not to Get Scammed

Turn off the ignition. Get out of the car, tell the fuel then open the fuel lid. Stand right next and supervise from the point the nozzle is lifted out. You'll not just avoid getting scammed, but also will ensure not filling the wrong fuel. There is also a distinct petrol and diesel smell that you can recognize.

It is just plain laziness not to get out of the car for refueling.

If you have owned the car for sometime, you'll get an idea how much your car will take just looking at the DTE or AFE.

Whether am in my local area or on trips, I stick to the same pumps over and over again.

Only option nearby is Shell Bunk which is 5% expensive

It is Shell where you get pushed premium all the time. I remember only 1 or 2 Shell pumps which haven't pushed for premium, otherwise its an universal trait. PSU pumps aren't pushy.

[silverado]

All petrol attendants these days remind you to check the "0" before starting to fill it. With petrol so expensive i am sure all of us are on high vigil while filling our vehicles.

If they have to scam you, they will scam you by pilferage which anyways we have no way to detect.
Its when on highway rides that you need to be carefull about bunks you choose for refilling, its best to line up at a bunk which has more crowd rather than empty ones.

Mr Carguynish, i am not sure how you manage to keep the car in idle after switching off the engine!

[impala]

Originally Posted by Aviator_guy

HP petrol pump on Gunjur Varthur Main road in Bangalore which is opposite to Prestige Lakeside Apartment.

I have decided to never go to this pump again! Sometime in December I noticed that the meter was no showing 0 but a few hundred mls and asked them to reset. They reset it but it again moves up a few 100mls before they insert the nozzle. This happened 3-4 times and then they brought a measuring vessel to take out some petrol; probably assuming that would reset zero correctly. To my surprise, the quantity in the measuring cup was not matching what is being dispensed. Apart from the initial offset, the gap was increasing as the pour more!

[adisan]

The below was reported in another forum about five years back, regarding how Shell attendants cheated. Sharing the details (not the original wording) for the benefit of Team-BHP readers:

The attendants start by retaining a few genuine bills for fuel dispensed earlier on the same day. Then, when a vehicle approaches, they ask to park in such a way that the meter is not easily visible unless one steps out. If "full tank" is requested, they identify one of the old bills, and fill 2-3 litres lesser than the identified bill shows, and stop filling pretending that it is auto-cut. Any requests for topping up (till a round figure for example) are ignored. They immediately print the actual bill for this filling, but hand over the old bill identified earlier.

People who do not observe the meter, nor the date/time on the bill handed over, get cheated for 2-3 litres.

The person explains how he discovered this scam:
His vehicle shows the actual number of litres of petrol in its fuel tank. The amount of petrol left when he entered the petrol pump, plus the amount filled, did not tally with the expected value after a full-tank auto-cut fill. There was also an obvious discrepancy between the actual time of filling and the time-stamp on the bill handed over.

[speedmiester]

Avoid filling up air for your car tyres at this BPCL station on Bannerghatta road.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation ltd (Sri Varshath)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/T4XAK5whw3pWKtSo6

Had two incidents at this fuel station where the attendant did something to my front right tyre that it starts losing air pressure gradually.
The first instance happened last November when I filled up air at this station and within the next few hours my front right tyre was flat. I checked for leaks myself but didn't find one, so used my tyre inflator to fill up the tyre and did not face any issues as there was no puncture. I let it go as I thought it might be by mistake.

Yesterday again I filled up at the station and had the tyres checked for air pressure. Again the front right tyre lost pressure within few hours. I only noticed it in the early morning and used my tyre inflator to fill up. Post that I have driven 400+Kms today and faced no issues with the tyre. Most likely the attendant has done some mischief as it can't be a coincidence that it can happen twice.

I usually use my tyre inflator to fill up my tyres, but in both the above instances I was lazy to get it done and used the service at this fuel station.
Never had issues with fuel quality at this station, but will give it a miss as I don't like to be scammed.

[MT_Hyderabad]

Originally Posted by speedmiester

Avoid filling up air for your car tyres at this BPCL station on Bannerghatta road.

Air leak is not rocket science and you should be able to make out easily what he is doing.

If it is not a permanent leak, he is playing around with the valve or putting a stone between the valve and the valve cover(if you are having one).

If you have any doubt about mischief at the bunk, put some soap water around the valve and see if bubbles appear.

[speedfreak01]

My spouse visited an Indian Oil pump yesterday to get her car refuelled. As is the norm with us, we always get 1000₹ filled in our cars. When she said 1000₹ petrol, the attendant started filling in the petrol and the meter went all the way up to 1647₹. My wife who was sitting in the car all the while noticed the needle go up more than it should and she immediately asked the attendant to stop. Thats when she noticed the meter was at 1647₹ amount. At this time all the attendants came up and said that mam the attendant who filled petrol in your car has some sort of hearing issues thats why he heard the wrong amount and asked my spouse to pay up the extra amount, which was funny because if my wife hadn’t told him to stop then he would have gone all the way up to full tank. My wife then called me and I immediately told her to pay it and get out of there asap. This was a strange incident for sure and never ever gonna visit that pump again

Pump location is “ INDIAN OIL PUMP ON PARMAT ROAD, PITAMPURA NEW DELHI - 110034 “. There is only one indian oil pump on that road, so it can be spotted and avoided easily.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by yashg

I was filling up petrol yesterday. The SBI card sales guy came along to pitch the card. I wasn't interested. Nothing against them. They are hard working people who are trying to make a living.

There is a very high chance that the fuel meter took some interesting jumps when your attention was distracted by the card salesman, or some guy offering windshield wash, wiper fluid or whatever.

Don’t even look at them just say “don’t want it” in whatever local language and keep your eyes glued to the fuel pump.

This was a favourite trick of a petrol pump I used to fill at regularly as it was near my house .. till I caught on.

[hsaxena]

Originally Posted by hserus

There is a very high chance that the fuel meter took some interesting jumps when your attention was distracted by the card salesman, or some guy offering windshield wash, wiper fluid or whatever.

Wow this is some sophisticated swindling technique. How do someone check this? I believe a quick jump of let’s say a 100 Rs is unusual? Moreover, how do you confront them? They would shrug it off saying sir the final readings are matching!!!

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by hsaxena

How do someone check this? I believe a quick jump of let’s say a 100 Rs is unusual? Moreover, how do you confront them? They would shrug it off saying sir the final readings are matching!!!

From what I have experienced seeing in the past is that a two wheeler would have filled up before you for say for 100 and the attendants colleague will distract you from noticing that the meter was never adjusted back to zero.

The meter jumping midway is not possible unless the attendant fills up a can/bottle in between the process robbing you of the quantity of fuel filled up in your vehicle. But, this too is possible in pumps which doesn’t see much footfall of vehicles for no one else to notice the scam.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

From what I have experienced seeing in the past is that a two wheeler would have filled up before you for say for 100 and the attendants colleague will distract you from noticing that the meter was never adjusted back to zero.
.

Distraction usually takes place when the meter is to be reset.

Or he keeps starting and stopping the flow and creates a temporary airlock where fuel is dispensed but doesn’t reach your car.

Or occasionally there’s cheats at the chip level installed that keep the meter running but fuel isn’t dispensed.

https://www.jagoinvestor.com/2020/09...mp-frauds.html

[apollo_1999]

Originally Posted by hserus

Distraction usually takes place when the meter is to be reset.

Or he keeps starting and stopping the flow and creates a temporary airlock where fuel is dispensed but doesn’t reach your car.

Or occasionally there’s cheats at the chip level installed that keep the meter running but fuel isn’t dispensed.

https://www.jagoinvestor.com/2020/09...mp-frauds.html

there are also some very neat trick that I have noticed. This usually doesn't happen much but some fuel station do it.
overcharging is one of them, this happens generally when payments are made using cards. They will add some Rs 10-15 extra if you are not vigilant.
The other one is double charging. Somehow the card machine doesn't generate the charge slip but the amount got deducted, the attendant will tell you that the transaction failed and the amount will revert back to you and you need to swipe your card once more. Most of us will do it out of goodwill gesture but only to realise after a few days that the amount charged isn't refunded back into the account.