[Recompose]

Originally Posted by binand

It is an illegal, not to mention dangerous, practice.

Agreed, but then how does one fill diesel generators for apartments or mobile towers or even a stranded vehicle?

[binand]

Originally Posted by Recompose

Agreed, but then how does one fill diesel generators for apartments or mobile towers or even a stranded vehicle?

Assuming this is a genuine query:

Apartments and mobile towers and generally, everyone who wants to store diesel is expected to first obtain an explosives license, subsequent to which he is expected to enter into an agreement with one of the oil marketing companies for diesel supply. The OMC will send an inspection team who will check the license, storage and handling arrangements, equipment used and a bunch of other things before giving the go-ahead for the agreement.

As for a stranded vehicle: (a) ensure you are never stranded - the "reserve", the various indicators etc. all are aids in this; (b) use a highway assistance service that is licensed and equipped to transport fuel.

Obviously the above is not followed anywhere in India

[pganapathy]

Originally Posted by binand

Assuming this is a genuine query:

Apartments and mobile towers and generally, everyone who wants to store diesel is expected to first obtain an explosives license, subsequent to which he is expected to enter into an agreement with one of the oil marketing companies for diesel supply. The OMC will send an inspection team who will check the license, storage and handling arrangements, equipment used and a bunch of other things before giving the go-ahead for the agreement.

As for a stranded vehicle: (a) ensure you are never stranded - the "reserve", the various indicators etc. all are aids in this; (b) use a highway assistance service that is licensed and equipped to transport fuel.

Obviously the above is not followed anywhere in India

This brings up a question of how farmers are supposed to keep fuel. During irrigation season we need large quantities of diesel on a daily basis for the dg pump sets. Additionally we need and keep petrol for machines like a chainsaw and weed cutter. Now unless our farm happens to be one or two km away from the nearest gas station, we have to keep a stockpile of petrol and diesel at home. Is it technically illegal to do this.

[condor]

Guys, the discussion is going off-topic.

the risk is far more at bunks than outside. A running engine + open fuel flow may on occasion cause the fuel to ignite, thus causing a fire.

If this happens in an building or farm, or elsewhere, then the quantity of fuel is limited, and hence potential damage is limited.

But if it happens in a bunk, the damage can /will be far far greater.

While the engine should be turned off to prevent a fire hazard, it is definitely far more required in a bunk.


If any body wants to continue the discussion on safety aspects, please move to an appropriate thread.

[navrddy]

Hi all Bhp'ans,

Today i had opportunity of filling petrol bunk at IOC (Electronics City Phase 2); the location of the bunk is left side of National Highway (towards Hosur); just after first signal (after downramp of BETL) road.

My View: The bunk is having bunch of goondas; instead of attendants for operation of the pump. Why i say this is, i saw all petrol (bikers) quarreling with attenders, i wondered why initially. When my turn came, here is turn of events:

1. Mr.Atten: How much!
2. Me: 200 rs.
3. Mr. Atten: Ur petrol cap is not opened.
4. Me: Correct: Show me zero, then only i am ready to fill.
5. Mr. Atten: Then all of sudden, he starts to get irritated, murmurs somethings to his people, and tries to blame me for no reason, Saying u guys don't bring bikes forward enough for filling petrol.
6. Me: In raised Voice "Hello, Cap is open, what is the problem, Plz. Reset and fill to 200".
7. Mr. Atten: That "strange look".
8. Me: While leaving, i gave stare and left.

My views: He tried to cheat me, no wonder he would have tried to cheated other customers, behaves rudely & i myself seen he argues almost with all customers in front of queue (maybe 3 or 4).
Lesson Learnt: Never ever fill petrol @ this particular bunk..
Maybe, we can create map of petrol bunks in & around Bangalore with likely concerns of Quality / Quantity of fuel being topped, overlaying google maps.

[Schoudhury]

The IOC CoCo pump near Sony world tried their best to cheat me.

I stay near HSR, but just for getting good quality fuel I have been using this IOC CoCo pump for some time now.

I usually go early in the morning and fill. But today while on a weekend drive was running low on fuel so thought of going to the pump and fill.
As usual went to the pump, opened the fuel lid and came out of the car and asked the guy over there to do a full tank + top up.
The attendant reset the meter to 0 and started filling diesel.
All the while I was watching the meter to make sure all was fine.
After filling 36.xx liters the auto cut stop filling in more, so I asked the attendant to do a top up and I try to shake the car a bit so that it can take so more amount of diesel.
To my surprise he suddenly stops the same and tells me that the meter got reset to 0.
Anyways, I immediately understood something was not right.
So I asked the attendant to give me a bill, to which he agrees and writes an amount of 2300 in the bill and give it to me, I promptly ask him about the no of liters of diesel he has filled, so which he told some 42.xx liters.
I got the plot immediately; ask him to get me the properly printed receipt immediately.
The attendant also understood, he is caught, asks another guy to give the same to me.
Accordingly I get the printed receipt, and I see 38.xx lts diesel was filled amounting to Rs 2006.

I just lost my cool and blasted the guy who gave the receipt and rushed to the guy who started all this.

Asked them to call their manager and bring me the Complaint book.

A so senior person comes from the office and talks something among them and tells me that attendant might
done that by mistake, which got me angry to my limits and was about to give a tight slap to that attendant, but
somehow controlled myself and asked them to get me the complaint register as I understood there is no point
talking to these morons.

I was asked to seat inside the office room and the senior person hands over his mobile to me and tell me the
pump manager was on the line and wants to talk to me.
The store manager tell me that this must be a new guy and might have done that by mistake and will not happen
again.
I told him, how can this so called new guy do these kind of stuff to a customer without the knowledge of the
guys who are running the pump.
I hung up the phone and asked for the complaint book to me given over to me.
But the senior guy was not at all ready to give me the complaint book and tell me that this is first time it has
happened and will never happen again.
To which I tell him, this is not the first time and lot of other people have also reported the same kind of
stuff from this pump, and this being a CoCo pump, this is not at all acceptable.
I politely ask him, if he is aware that this kind of stuff is going on in his pump, he hesitantly agrees to it
with a smile on this face

I tell them to bring me the complaint book, as I was no mood to listen to all these crap.

So they make me seat in the room for 5- 10 mins, and then comes backs with the attendant, who tried this trick,
along with other pump attendant.
He slaps that guy and asks him to apologize to me, but still maintains that it might have happened by mistake.

I was irritated to the core, as the guy was still not accepting that he did that intentionally.
He was almost on the feet and was begging.
But they were still not ready to give me the complaint book and were rather ready to give me the tank full of diesel free of cost.

They even told me that they will deduct money from that attendant’s salary, to which I told the person in charge, that the salary should be deducted from his salary rather, as without his knowledge these kind of stuff is impossible.

Anways I was getting late and my wife and kid was waiting in car wondering what going on for the last 20 mins.
So gave them the printed receipt and my credit card and asked them to bill me for amount that I am supposed to pay, but to my surprise they simply said that "I need not pay”.
I took my card back and left the place.

I am not sure if I did the right thing or not, but those guys were not at all ready to give the complaint book.
I am sure a complaint would have cost them a bomb; otherwise they would not give me a free diesel worth Rs 2000.

Any idea guys if there is any way I can let the IOC officials know about it.

One thing, to my surprise no one was bothered about this and was still seating inside their cars and asking the attendant to fill the fuel

[pganapathy]

Originally Posted by Schoudhury

The IOC CoCo pump near Sony world tried their best to cheat me.

I stay near HSR, but just for getting good quality fuel I have been using this IOC CoCo pump for some time now.

Oh wow, shows you the extent to which people will go to cheat you. I guess it shows us that a COCO pump is probably pretty good at quantity dispensed and with regular checks probably at quality dispensed. It essentially leaves tue staff to make extra money the option of distracting you and cheating.

This technique is a new one and does show you how serious the companies are with regards to their fines for complaints by a customer.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by Schoudhury

The IOC CoCo pump near Sony world tried their best to cheat me.

I read about the IOC CoCo on this thread and now avoid filling up there.

My normal fill up point is the IOC on St.Marks Rd. where the erstwhile Bowring Kulfi stall was. Since fill up is once every 2 weeks, I usually end up going to town for some work or the other.

Incase I need to tank up nearby HSR, I now go to the HP bunk opposite BDA complex near ORR and BDA signal.

Fuel quality is pretty decent and they haven't tried to cheat so far. Ampere suggested this one to me since he gets his Duster filled up from there as well.

Also, one important point is to always get down from the car and stand next to the pump/attendant. Have seen many times people prefer to be seated in the car while filling.

[rjstyles69]

Originally Posted by Schoudhury

So gave them the printed receipt and my credit card and asked them to bill me for amount that I am supposed to pay, but to my surprise they simply said that "I need not pay”.I took my card back and left the place.

You get free fuel for 2k

Originally Posted by Schoudhury

Any idea guys if there is any way I can let the IOC officials know about it.

Now you want to complain after those blokes gave you free fuel ?

Come on man, if I had to make a point and complain I would have insisted they bill me, pay the amount and then put my demands in place.

[joecherian]

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

You get free fuel for 2k

He would have got his free fuel but then some unsuspecting customer would have paid for it. I am sure the pump will not take it from their pocket and will try the same trick on some one else to make up for the loss.

[rjstyles69]

Originally Posted by joecherian

He would have got his free fuel but then some unsuspecting customer would have paid for it. I am sure the pump will not take it from their pocket and will try the same trick on some one else to make up for the loss.

joe my argument is, if you really wanted to make a point and save an unsuspecting customer refuse the freebie, stay put and make your demand. Once you have written their ways of scamming in the complaint book, pay and leave.

How sure are you after Schoudhury left the bunk they never scammed another customer ?

[noopster]

@Schoudhury, You did your best. Thanks for highlighting the malpractices at that pump on this thread. Another of my misconceptions flushed down the toilet...that COCO pumps are somehow more trustworthy.

The manager/owner of the pump is clearly orchestrating this nonsense. Maybe someone higher up in IOC should be sent a link to your post. They apologised and made up for the shortfall in your case by insisting on free fuel. But it will help future customers from getting scammed.

[pganapathy]

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

joe my argument is, if you really wanted to make a point and save an unsuspecting customer refuse the freebie, stay put and make your demand. Once you have written their ways of scamming in the complaint book, pay and leave.

How sure are you after Schoudhury left the bunk they never scammed another customer ?

They have definitely done this in the past and will continue to do it in the future unless the brass at IOC come to know about it. Schoudry is right, we need to find a way to inform the IOC management about this so that they can put an end to the practice and hopefully fire all the staff involved in this scam. Otherwise the whole point of going to a COCO will be diluted.

[Soumyajit9]

My two cents in this whole episode. Why do we still trust the Indian Companies ? CoCo or whatever, I have faced a million times, these kind of hassles. My recent one, about 2 months back at Brigade Road junction (HP, I guess).

Ever since I bought a car, the only fuel I have been refuelling is at Shell. Keeps the engine smooth. Till date (2 years), I have only filled four times from companies as HP, IOC, BP. Everytime of these 4 times, I have felt engine knocking. Not sure if that was my pre-conceived notion or actually it was knocking, but the car performance was sluggish.

I understand that there may be times when suddenly you notice that the fuel is low, so need to top up. But then, only do a Top Up - why Tank Up at these hideous outlets ?

For instance, I noticed that fuel was low on the night before our recent Bangalore BHP Meet. The nearest Shell pump was about 8 kms away. So I chose to visit the IOC (BTM Water Tank - 2kms away from home) and filled only 500 bucks, so that I could only make the trip. After the trip, the next day, on my way to office, I tanked up with Shell. No questions asked about quality or quantity of fuel there.

I guess Shell prices are pretty much in line with regular oil company prices. So, it won't burn a hole in your pocket. Might be a pinch of Rs2 per litre. Anyways, we smoke away that much money daily. Why not invest in, for the good being of our rides ?

P.S: I am not promoting Shell. Its' just my experience and personal opinion.

[condor]

Originally Posted by Soumyajit9

I guess Shell prices are pretty much in line with regular oil company prices. So, it won't burn a hole in your pocket. Might be a pinch of Rs2 per litre.

You drive a petrol car ..

Originally Posted by Vid6639

I read about the IOC CoCo on this thread and now avoid filling up there.

That IOC bunk in Koramanagala has caused a lot of complaints, something not seen with COCO bunks.