[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

[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

[shankar.balan]

I wont mind at all if all these petrol pumps keep one machine aside for ‘self-service’ where the car owner can fill up petrol or diesel in his or her own car. And there should be an integrated payment system with NFC where one can tap and pay once done.

I also dislike the way these pump attendants crowd around and tend to distract you especially if you pull up in an interesting car.

[silverado]

Originally Posted by city2491

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

During all the time, did you get off the driver seat ?
I usually make it a practice to get down and have a look at the fueling process myself.

[lemedico]

It used to be a thing of the past when we paid cash for fuel. Then we'd ask them to fill up worth Rs. xyz.
Now with UPI, I don't remember asking to set a pre-paid amount. I fill up a full tank till auto-cut off and pay the exact charge. This reduces a lot of margin for error, both deliberate and accidental.

[rajeevsulu]

Is it not much easier to just get out of the car, check for zero, fill up the tank and pay for the fuel later? There is no chance of error or getting scammed. We are in total control all the while. This is what I do all the time

[sumeethaldankar]

Originally Posted by city2491

Came across an interesting scam today at IOCL Petrol Pump Mazagaon, Mumbai.[/list]

As a rule visit only trusted (Trusted petrol pumps in Mumbai) petrol pumps for a full tank. If in need of immediate fuel only fill up 400 to 500 Rs worth of petrol so that you reach till your trusted fuel pump and avoid such scams.

[dass]

I follow this.

1. Pull up at the fuel station.
2. Switch off the car, pickup my wallet, open the fuel lid.
3. Get out of the car, stand next to the car near the fuel lid, then tell the attendant the fuel and the quantity, which in my case is usually a full tank.
4. I ensure the dispenser is always reset and pay by card, so not much of a hassle.
5. Take the transaction confirmation print for record and move out.

I think getting out of the car and ensuring you are looking at the fuel dispenser is the key. As long as you are vigilant, cheating will be difficult. Not impossible, but difficult.

[oh_maan]

Modern cars calculate the range based on fuel left over and avg fuel efficiency. They could just as easily show how much fuel was added in litres. I have always wondered why they don't do that. It will be such a good feature in India where fuel scams are all around.

[itwasntme]

In these NFC days, another precaution is to always confirm the amount punched into the PoS machine before tapping and paying. Very easy to hold it in such a manner that the screen is indistinct.

Also, verify the SMS received with the bill in your hand before moving away. I once caught an IOC fellow who charged me ₹3,990 vs 3,090 actual. When pointed out on the spot, it was of course an 'error' on his part. he would have smartly pocketed the extra petrol.

And never let the card out of your sight. Easy to clone the info in a few seconds with the right machine. If they walk away with the card, quickly lock your vehicle and follow them.

Anyway, when you get down from the vehicle, open the fuel cap and lock the vehicle anyway. Easy enough for a sneak thief to get your laptop or phone out especially in busy fuel bunks.

[bobbyblr]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

In these NFC days, another precaution is to always confirm the amount punched into the PoS machine before tapping and paying. Very easy to hold it in such a manner that the screen is indistinct.

That's why I have disabled the WiFi / NFC feature on my cards so that I can see the amount on the PoS machine, confirm the amount and then enter the PIN. Later sanitize my hand to get rid of the viruses present on the PoS machine.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by bobbyblr

That's why I have disabled the WiFi / NFC feature on my cards so that I can see the amount on the PoS machine, confirm the amount and then enter the PIN. Later sanitize my hand to get rid of the viruses present on the PoS machine.

Normally, I'd agree but I stay in a pastoral area and the PoS machines are outright filthy.

I'll take my chances with the NFC for now. Always take my time to verify, and verify again before any tap takes place.

[c@rwate]

I too usually avoid the hassle of entering the PIN, but I always ask the guy to show me the screen before walking away. However I think Payment issues can be resolved even if you find out later, most city petrol pumps have cameras and records can be matched later but obviously it makes sense to be more careful on the spot specially if you are far away from your usual place.
Also, while filling whenever the attendants are attempting to pull a fast one on you, the immediate sign of this is their attempts to get into a conversation. I become even more alert in such cases.

[Aviator_guy]

Not sure if it is a scam. Sometimes when I ask for receipt, the petrol pump operator doesn't provide a computer receipt but gives a hand written paper receipt from his bill book. Reason given is that machine has some issue so they will issue paper receipts instead. Any idea if anything suspicious here or is it ok (in terms of fuel quantity filled)? May be they are saving on paying taxes by not giving proper printed receipts.

[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.