[Raccoon]

^^^Just assuming that it was really adulterated, and assuming that the bunk management is involved in the adulteration, whats the use of complaining to the manager? Might be a better idea if you can send an email or something to the Shell Head Office.

[spiritofdriving]

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

Since the BP bunk in Ph2 has been operational, I've (more or less) been tanking up there.
While there has been no "significant" rise in FE, I have no complaints on the quality of fuel being supplied. There has never been a cheating incident with me. I've always been told to check for zero. He takes money/card only after filling the required quantity, and no one comes in between asking if I need a PUC/Scratch remover et al.
Oh, also, the diesel is lesser by more than a buck, being outside octroi limits! .

All,

Quite conflicting to Swanand's, some other members here and my own trust, after filling from Phase 2 BP bunk near Wipro, the first incident of CHEATING happened on me this morning (at about 07:00 AM).

I always fill petrol from this bunk, especially due to the recommendations found here (I used to use Shell Hinjewadi previously), and never have they pulled any tricks on me without showing the initial Zero reading or by filling less or distraction tactics.

This morning however after the night shift I was a bit sleepy and wanted to get home quick. I asked them to fill for 1000 and gave my card to the guy to swipe etc. While filling for Rs.1000 /- I first noticed that the guy hadn't set 1000 in auto mode, rather he was doing it the manual way and I could see that he was doing it unusually VERY slow. I din't get suspicious at this time and generally I don't take off my eyes from the reading.

That's when the guy who had my Card distracts me by saying, you have to sign now etc and on one of those moments of I-trust-these-guys-too-much thought, I took my eyes off the reading and signed. Then he says I have to write my Car's number on it which I did.

I clearly remember before taking my eyes off the reading, he had filled for about 750 bucks and by the time I finished writing my car number, there - it was 1000 . and 1000 so quickly. until then he was very slow and also 1000 was blinking without the litre reading showing anything.

I instantly grew doubtful and asked him how many litres he filled and why isn't the reading coming up. (During this time the petrol dispenser thingy was in his hand. I don't know what the actual word for it is :|). He said he filled about 15L (so he knows the calculation) and that the litre reading cluster is not working. I had to take it because I cant prove that he dint.

But to his bad luck, when he kept the petrol dispenser thingy back in its place, the real reading of how much he filled came up on the reading cluster and it was Rs.780. He tried to cheat my Rs.220 worth of petrol!

I was furious, got out of my car and shouted at him for cheating me. Immediately the guy who swiped my card came up and told its a misunderstanding and that he will fill the rest of the Rs.220 which he did.

I however wasn't sure whether I should've gone to the bunk manager or not because I am sure they'll be on his side and moreover I was sleepy. So I left the place.

For now, I will look up on the net and find out the complaint procedures for BP and definitely lodge the same.

I don't have any issues with the petrol itself that they give and hence will go there again only be more vigilant to their distraction tactics.

I came to Pune from Bangalore which is the Mecca of Petrol cheating in my experience; so I am normally quite careful at the bunks but night shift took a toll on my alertness I guess. So decrease in alertness level now points to the question of whether I should be driving at all for night shifts or not rather than taking company cabs! Things to ponder.

I am glad that I dint fall for that. so pretty content at the moment.

[1self]

Thanks for sharing spiritofdriving. That was a detailed account of your experiences. These are some of the reasons I only fill up at the RTO (for 97 octane - special use) or Shell bunks (for regular use).

I am surprised that so many customers do not even get out of their vehicles as they are being filled up. This is what gives rise to the make-a-quick-buck mentality.

[moralfibre]

Why do the fuel attendants cheat? I was trying to figure out the advantage that a fuel pump attendant has by shortchanging you. There are two scenarios broadly:

1) The fuel pump owner himself is a big cheat and wants to make more Rs. per liter. In this situation he usually adulterates fuel than shortchange you at the bunk which can be difficult to do. The risk of being caught while filling lesser quantity of fuel v/s filling the right quantity of adulterated fuel is higher.

2) The fuel attendant makes a good deal of money. Usually, petrol pump managers allocate a fixed set of pumps to a team. The manager takes a reading of liters dispensed on a small odometer like scroll meter, at end of the attendant's shift, he simply calculates the liters dispensed and multiplies it by the fuel cost to know how much the attendant is supposed to pay the office. The additional money earned due to short fuelling is all shared between the attendants!

[sajo]

Since the gap between Shell and PSUs is now too much for petrol users to ignore, I am going to have to reluctantly switch back to them PSUs.
The IOC bunk next to Marriott in Hinjewadi isnt half as crowded as the HP bunk on the opposite side of the road. Is it because of quality ?

[advaitlele]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

Why do the fuel attendants cheat? I was trying to figure out the advantage that a fuel pump attendant has by shortchanging you. There are two scenarios broadly:

1) The fuel pump owner himself is a big cheat and wants to make more Rs. per liter. In this situation he usually adulterates fuel than shortchange you at the bunk which can be difficult to do. The risk of being caught while filling lesser quantity of fuel v/s filling the right quantity of adulterated fuel is higher.

2) The fuel attendant makes a good deal of money. Usually, petrol pump managers allocate a fixed set of pumps to a team. The manager takes a reading of liters dispensed on a small odometer like scroll meter, at end of the attendant's shift, he simply calculates the liters dispensed and multiplies it by the fuel cost to know how much the attendant is supposed to pay the office. The additional money earned due to short fuelling is all shared between the attendants!

Chances that owner himself is involved in this malpractice is more. The false readings and dispensing may be encouraged by the owner himself and that way he makes more money. And we, the customers, have no way to find it out. If we shout at the attendant, the manager or owner would apologise profusely and fill up for our loss. Ek bakra less for the day, but that's it. He would still make it up with some other customer.

Originally Posted by sajo

Since the gap between Shell and PSUs is now too much for petrol users to ignore, I am going to have to reluctantly switch back to them PSUs.
The IOC bunk next to Marriott in Hinjewadi isnt half as crowded as the HP bunk on the opposite side of the road. Is it because of quality ?

I agree, with Shell and PSUs difference getting bigger, we are tempted to go with the PSUs again. I usually fill up at HP opp Marriot or at BP next to Wipro circle. And I have not complaints with anyone for last 2+ years that I am at Hinjewadi.
The IOC pump has enough bad reputation in first six months of opening and I have never gone there, after our office BB got flooded negagive publicity for IOC pump.

[motorpsycho]

Those of who work in Magarpatta don't have many options to refuel other than the one in front of Magarpatta gate, and it is common knowledge that the attendants there are cheats. My friends had warned me about getting refueled there and asked me to be careful , I am usually on the guard when I go for a refuel there.

Last Saturday , I went in for a refuel at the bunk it was a little crowded and I was running low.

Here is how the scam went,

I was waiting in line on my bike with 300rs in my hand, I pushed the bike near the attendant and asked him to fill 300 bucks worth of fuel. I was keenly observing him and the meter on the fuel dispenser, he punched in 100 and asked me
Are you paying by card ?
I said Cash. (I had held the cash clearly in my hand resting on the right handle bar ,right in front of the attendant)

He then asked "DO you want speed"?
By this time I became very alert that something was amiss, and I look up the machine shows that it has already dispensed 100 rs worth of fuel.
At this time I said , boss 300 not 100 , he filled in additional 200 Rs.
I paid and moved out of the bunk , the fuel indicator was not showing the filled in fuel. I always fill when the indicator hits a particular spot on the indicator and always fill the same amount.
But at that time I did not find anything wrong as I had seen him fill the 200Rs and the machine had shown the 100 Rs dispensed. So I did not have anything concrete to accuse the attendant. I left it at that and went home.

I knew that I was scamed out of 100 rs worth of fuel , the fuel indicator was showing a lot less fuel. I thought about how did that happen where did the attendant manage to skim off ,for 2 days this was bothering me a lot and was thinking very hard on how it happened . I went through each step on how the fueling went and what I was doing and where the attendant could run the scam.

1st I thought that after he filled 100 and I asked for additional 200 he must have not zeroed the machine back , I ruled this out as I was very alert by this time and i saw the machine running up a bill of 200 rs.

Than I thought that the attendant may have used the machine to help him, when he was filling up the initial 100 Rs he had engaged me in asking stupid questions like do you want to pay by card , even when the cash was clearly visible in my hand, and when he said do you want "Speed" I thought why is he asking me this when he has already dispensed 100 Rs worth of fuel. And I recall very clearly that I did not feel nor hear the fuel being filled in my tank and the 100 reading had come up pretty fast. This made be believe that the scam was pulled using the aid of the machine which can show that it has dispensed fuel even when it has not.

I did talk to my colleagues about this and they too confirmed that they too have felt that the fuel filled was less when they had to refuel much earlier. I did a quick Google on the petrol bunk and a similar case was filed on the consumer complaint forum.

Guys just be careful next time you hit this bunk.

MP

[Raccoon]

^^^Why don't you lodge a complaint with BPCL and take up the issue?

[F150]

Originally Posted by motorpsycho

Those of who work in Magarpatta don't have many options to refuel other than the one in front of Magarpatta gate, and it is common knowledge that the attendants there are cheats. My friends had warned me about getting refueled there and asked me to be careful , I am usually on the guard when I go for a refuel there.

Guys just be careful next time you hit this bunk.

MP

That is a useless pump. The fuel quality is also not so great. I never fill up there and the same has been discussed on this thread some time ago.

[Raccoon]

^^^Interesting term - "Fuel quality is not so great". It should be "level of adulteration in high". Given any specific refinery, the fuel "quality" should be the same at any of their bunks. But its clear that it is not. Why? Adulteration of course!

When we say "quality is not great" it seems to suggest different standards; and sounds like a milder term. Let us use the correct and ugly term "adulteration"... something that we Indians are perhaps world leaders in.

[AvinashV]

Originally Posted by amit_mechengg

I recently filed Diesel at Shell bunk in Hinjewadi. I just gave it a try even though it was 62rs per litre that is whooping 14-15rs more than other pumps.

To my shock my car started running very sluggish and unrefined. I refilled with HP diesel at the Autolines FC road pump and my car is back to normal.

I clearly suspect adulteration as no one fills at shell pumps these days. To make profits the owner must be going the adulteration route.

Amit just to confirm this is the pump right after fortune hotel, before the turning to Symbiosis on the left & not the Shell petrol pump which is on the highway to Mumbai just after the Neeta volvo place. Cause i filled up about two weeks back at the later pump & seeing the price of diesel had the same doubt whether anyone would be buying from them & was a little worried that would "old".
Thankfully, i didn't face any issues.

[HammerHead]

Last month I filled at Shell bunk, the one located at Kalasagar, Pimpri and not sure what went wrong but the car sounded as if its a diesel car!! I remember one of my office mates comments a week before filling at Shell, saying my car is more silent then his 6 months old A-Star. I payed Rs. 76.50/- per liter!! Any one else fills at Shell?

[AvonA7]

Originally Posted by motorpsycho

Those of who work in Magarpatta don't have many options to refuel other than the one in front of Magarpatta gate, and it is common knowledge that the attendants there are cheats. My friends had warned me about getting refueled there and asked me to be careful , I am usually on the guard when I go for a refuel there.

A bad experience indeed! There are few options available near MP City - IOC@Mundhwa, HP@Kharadi. Having said that, we need to be careful in any petrol pump.

Originally Posted by Raccoon

^^^Interesting term - "Fuel quality is not so great". It should be "level of adulteration in high". Given any specific refinery, the fuel "quality" should be the same at any of their bunks. But its clear that it is not. Why? Adulteration of course!

When we say "quality is not great" it seems to suggest different standards; and sounds like a milder term. Let us use the correct and ugly term "adulteration"... something that we Indians are perhaps world leaders in.

Searched and quoted an old post sharing some experience in this pump -

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/other-...ml#post2278088

Originally Posted by AvonA7

Two of my friends were cheated with petrol quality/quantity in the same pump -

First one - bike got stuck suddenly, engine off, had to take the bike to a nearby shop and culprit was around 1.5 ltrs of water in total 8 ltrs of petrol left in the tank. Next day, he went to the pump to complain and they agreed a mistake on their part and were ready to give him 8 ltrs of petrol free. The reason told was - there was some cleaning going on and accidentally water left inside the tank.

Second one - He felt his car not accelerating as usual, some vibrations. Took his car, Alto to Maruti Service station, again water in tank along with petrol.

Personally, I never faced any issue when filling up at this pump, but after hearing these 2 incidents, I avoid filling up petrol here - BP Pump opp. MP City Main gate.

[1self]

As the price difference between Shell & 'Others' increase, less & less people fill up there, so the fuel quality will tend to deteriorate over time.

The same thing happens over time if the fuel is left in your vehicle tank.

With petrols of various octanes, refineries tend to add short term octane enhancers instead of refining the fuel further (cost). This evaporates & the fuel quality tends to take a beating.

I fill up shell at the bunk near the Warje flyover & I find that if a tanker has arrived & replenished stocks recently (upto a week back) the fuel is VERY good. If the tanker has not arrived for say 15 days or more....low octane fuel.

[sajo]

Originally Posted by 1self

As the price difference between Shell & 'Others' increase, less & less people fill up there, so the fuel quality will tend to deteriorate over time.
.....
With petrols of various octanes, refineries tend to add short term octane enhancers instead of refining the fuel further (cost). This evaporates & the fuel quality tends to take a beating.

Ohh wow, thanks, this was new info for me.
I find that the Hinjewadi Shell bunk still has some people going in, ie, it is not as deserted as the Warje bunk.
If only they reduce the cost!

Yesterday I filled up from the BP bunk on Paud Road (near Krishna Hospital) , because my bike was running on Fumes, and no sooner had I travelled about half a KM, it stalled. Today morning it happened again as the RPM levels dropped and it took a long time to kick start. This is very uncharacteristic of my bike and I blame the fuel quality wonly!