[gomzi]

PuntoMania, sorry to hear about this episode that happened with you, but i'm glad that you did stick around to fight for your right not to be fleeced and action has been taken by the company too.

I'm a little wary of these tactics by fuel pump attendants, although I have never been duped in the last 12-13 yrs of fuelling up all over the country. But, I think thats more of luck than anything else.

In city, I always go to a few trusted fuel pumps - 2 near office and 1 near home - and when travelling at COCO's where available.

Nonetheless, my SOP remains the same - the regular fuel pump attendants know this by now and recognize me coming a mile away.
1) Switch off car, close all windows (if no one else is with me)
2) Get out, lock the car
3) Walk around my car and over to the pump, ensure its at 0
4) Stand right next to the pump attendant when he's filling fuel. This usually leaves hardly any space for anyone to stand in between me and the meter - I noticed this thing only today.
5) Shoo away anyone who tries to talk to me. Mostly people who try to sell polish, additives etc. If they dont go after i've told them no once, I just shut up and ignore them - this eventually gives them the idea to vamooze. All this while staring fixedly at the meter.

Offlate though with both of my cars on alternative fuel LPG & CNG, I hardly need to fill any petrol. Its usually CNG being filled nowadays in my daily driver and you just cant pull off tricks like this when fuelling up CNG.

[a4anurag]

Good Job buddy!

One question: Did you go again to that petrol pump again to see how they work post this incident. I know it would not have made any difference to them but just for the sake. I have seen many users sit inside car listening to songs and chatting while the filling is done. Some petrol pumps are honest some cheat like how you were robbed off.

I was more cautious after my friend new Honda City was filled in with diesel (Full Tank). I was inside the car and he was admiring his car from out. Post filling he gave the bill for which I asked why so less has the bill come too? Was it a full tank or less. When the petrol attendant told it was full I realised the blunder. Towed the vehicle to Honda, Emptied the fuel lines and filled in petrol and drove it off. Since we knew the dealer well he did this work free of cost.

Once I reach the bunk I switch off my engine and go to the filling machine and stare at it till it stops at auto-lock. Pay the cash and leave. One good thing I have seen here in the pumps that I use are the attendant himself tells "Saar Zero!!" and stops the filling when the auto lock releases and asks whether to continue filling?!

Cheers,
Anurag.

[Derezzed]

Originally Posted by nijelj

So it happens in Pune too! I've been facing this problem in some pumps in bangalore (HP at Brigade road,IOC near Sagar Hospital,BG road,IOC at Banaswadi for e.g.). Every time I have to gearup for a fight.Pretty stressful when you roll into a unknown petrol pump now!

Another fraud I experienced in Bangalore is when you tell them to fill your tank. They fill in for Rs 200 and make an action of removing the nozzle.When you remind them that its a full tank that you wanted, another guy distracts you and the tank is filled. Now say it reads 1000 on the meter.They say " 1200 sir, 200 before and 1000 now". Since you were distracted, you forget that he had not reset the meter!. So like a chump you're cheated of 200.

Happened to me only once.Since then every time they try this, I scold them, and question their hearing.Or to avoid situation like PuntoMania faced, I keep staring at the meter, even if the second attendant is nagging me in my face, asking "card or cash, card or cash". And then I never go to that pump again.

Good going PuntoMania!

I had a similar experience 2 months back at Pune. the first HP petrol pump on the left on the service road towards Mumbai-Pune expressway from Wakad bridge.

The 'filled' for Rs. 400 first following which the 'power went out' and the entire system was reset. They then proceeded to 'full tank' my car. I ended up paying for 35+ litres of petrol while my car can take only 30+. Daylight robbery!!

I was on my way to the Mumbai airport and didn't have time to argue. I let them win..this time.

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by nijelj

Another fraud I experienced in Bangalore is when you tell them to fill your tank. They fill in for Rs 200 and make an action of removing the nozzle.When you remind them that its a full tank that you wanted, another guy distracts you and the tank is filled. Now say it reads 1000 on the meter.They say " 1200 sir, 200 before and 1000 now". Since you were distracted, you forget that he had not reset the meter!. So like a chump you're cheated of 200.

Oh! Its an old trick, is it? A pump Guy, "Reddy fuel Service" near Bommanahalli tried this on me yesterday.

It happened thus -

As soon as I pull in, I ask if they accept cards - they say yes, and I ask for a full tank. He stops at Rs. 200 and asks me for the card - I reiterated, "Full tank". He then mumbles something and does some action on the meter and continues refueling - to his bad luck, I was looking at the meter all the time. Even as he finished "resetting", the meter was reading 3.xx.. I smelt a rat and let him continue.

The final reading was around Rs. 19xx, about 37 lts of diesel (Stopped at auto-cut off itself). Now he started his calculations, and told me the bill is Rs. 21xx. I questioned him now, and said my tank can take only 45lts, and how did he fill 37+3lts when the diesel tank was not dry?? He had no answer and sheepishly said the final amount is 19xx (the meter reading) and swiped the card for that amount!!

Warning for people in Bangalore - never ever go to this guy. He is on Begur Road, at the turn towards Kodichikkanahalli when coming from Bommanahalli side.

[MRAMAB]

I always fill up at any Shell Bunks, i have never had a problem with them, they ensure 0 and don't touch until the auto cut off stops the petrol flow. But unfortunately their numbers outside Bangalore is very negligible.
The IOC petrol bunk near my place does day light robbery, yet since it is the only bunk within the vicinity there is always a large queue. The last time i filled petrol to my bike i kept a watch on the meter, though it said 0 when he pressed the lever to begin the petrol flow it jumped to 7 Rs immediately, i asked the attendant and got a blatant reply 'That is how it always starts' i also noticed that before it auto cut off he was lightly pressing on the lever, i am sure this causes less fuel to be filled but because of the crowd could not do anything.
I always avoid any bunks which are not Shell, even before a leave for a long trip i fill up to the brim so i do not have to fill up anywhere else.

[arun_josie]

Not sure if any one has faced similar cheating before but thought of updating this thread with my experience. This happened during the Hyderabad-Bangalore team-bhp meet @ Kurnool. I was among the bangalore team-bhpians and we were returning to bangalore when this happened. Near Ananthapur I decided to refuel when others stopped for a small break near a IOC.

This how it went,

Me: Diesel for Rs.500
Attender: Asks me to check for Zero (He speaks only telugu and I don't)
Me: Go ahead
Attender: He stops at Rs.20
Me: I asked for Rs.500 not Rs. 20
Attender: He resets the meter again to Zero and fuels again, this time he stops at Rs. 300
Me: I said, now its 20 + 300, balance 180 is still pending
Attender: No Sir its 200 + 300
Me: No, first time you stopped at 20 and not 200
Attender: This machine is for trucks only and we can't fuel any amount less than Rs.100

I couldn't communicate in telugu and hence couldn't argue with him. He kept insisting that he filled for 200 during the first attempt. Since he reset the meter there was no proof of this as well. So, I left the bunk feeling cheated.

Later I came to know that he tried the same trick with another bhpian as well but he couldn't get away with it as he could with me.

So, its not only about looking for the Zero setting. we need to be alert throughout the transaction(especially when multiple attempts are made) to avoid getting cheated.

[nijelj]

Another incident: My wife went to the petrol pump at the jayanagar madhavan park circle.She wanted a full tank for her Rodeo (4.5 litres approx if empty).Since she was forewarned about frauds by me,she was looking at the meter the full time.At around 300rs,the guy who was filling said 'Maam swalpa nodi?' (Ma'am pls look? In kannada).So she looked at the scooter.Another guy suddenly came and reset the meter.On asking how much it was,he said 350.Since she has filled the tank so many times before,she knew that it couldn't be so much and told them so.She refused to pay.After some time of the stalemate,the guy said that we can check the last reading on the meter and on checking it was found that it was 307!.It couldn't be a innocent mistake,because the guy did not even acknowledge it.She paid the 307 and we vowed to never go there again.
Learning: It is possible to check the last meter reading in the digital ones
Wonder if the second to last reading is also available?

[rohit0103]

How exactly does this fraud work ? even after resetting to zero ? Fill up for a smaller amount, stop, reset to zero, and fill in another amount

What happens that it goes for a fraud. I was a victim at BP Pump, RTO, Pune.

Originally Posted by binaiks

Oh! Its an old trick, is it? A pump Guy, "Reddy fuel Service" near Bommanahalli tried this on me yesterday.

It happened thus -

As soon as I pull in, I ask if they accept cards - they say yes, and I ask for a full tank. He stops at Rs. 200 and asks me for the card - I reiterated, "Full tank". He then mumbles something and does some action on the meter and continues refueling - to his bad luck, I was looking at the meter all the time. Even as he finished "resetting", the meter was reading 3.xx.. I smelt a rat and let him continue.

The final reading was around Rs. 19xx, about 37 lts of diesel (Stopped at auto-cut off itself). Now he started his calculations, and told me the bill is Rs. 21xx. I questioned him now, and said my tank can take only 45lts, and how did he fill 37+3lts when the diesel tank was not dry?? He had no answer and sheepishly said the final amount is 19xx (the meter reading) and swiped the card for that amount!!

Warning for people in Bangalore - never ever go to this guy. He is on Begur Road, at the turn towards Kodichikkanahalli when coming from Bommanahalli side.

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by rohit0103

How exactly does this fraud work ? even after resetting to zero ? Fill up for a smaller amount, stop, reset to zero, and fill in another amount

What happens that it goes for a fraud. I was a victim at BP Pump, RTO, Pune.

He doesn't reset here - thats the trick. He fills for a smaller amount. When we resist, he acts as if he is pressing some buttons and quickly restarts refueling. At the end, he adds the earlier amount to the amount displayed on the meter.

Example - you ask for a full tank. He fills for Rs. 200 and stops - pulls the nozzle out of the fuel tank. You'd now raise and alarm, and tell him that you asked for a full tank. He mumbles something, turns to the meter, acts like he presses some meter. All this time, the nozzle is not put back to the dispenser - he continues refueling. When the tank is full, he reads out the amount displayed on the meter, and adds the earlier 200 to it. Simple!

[sagarpadaki]

Like someone said earlier (on this thread or another ) , when the attendent fills for 200 and removes the nozzle, its best to pay 200 bucks and move on. Or pay him 200 bucks and ask him to start refilling after resetting

[rohit0103]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

Like someone said earlier (on this thread or another ) , when the attendent fills for 200 and removes the nozzle, its best to pay 200 bucks and move on. Or pay him 200 bucks and ask him to start refilling after resetting

Ok,,this is the solution.

But what is the methodology of the fraud ? what is the trick-of me getting duped, at whcih point in the process below.

Fills up till Rs 400, stops, resets to zero, restarts, fills for Rs 1600.
Bill Rs 2000.

But I know, I got only Rs 1600 worth of fuel.

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by rohit0103

Ok,,this is the solution.

But what is the methodology of the fraud ? what is the trick-of me getting duped, at whcih point in the process below.

Fills up till Rs 400, stops, resets to zero, restarts, fills for Rs 1600.
Bill Rs 2000.

But I know, I got only Rs 1600 worth of fuel.

Here is the exact point which you are looking for.

He fills for Rs.400, stops, then DOES NOT reset it to zero (just pretends to do so), then fills till the meter reads 1600.

So you have got 400+1200 = Rs.1600 worth of fuel, not Rs.2000.

So the best thing is to ensure that you see the zero reading when he is resetting, else just pay him Rs.400 and move on.

[rohit0103]

Originally Posted by Oxy

Here is the exact point which you are looking for.

He fills for Rs.400, stops, then DOES NOT reset it to zero (just pretends to do so), then fills till the meter reads 1600.

So you have got 400+1200 = Rs.1600 worth of fuel, not Rs.2000.

So the best thing is to ensure that you see the zero reading when he is resetting, else just pay him Rs.400 and move on.

Thanks OXY. But thats my point. I see him resetting to zero after 400- (very sure of it), he asks to check it as 0, and then proceed to fill Rs 1600.

is there something else ? is there a way the meter is showing reset to zero while it is actually not ?

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by rohit0103

Thanks OXY. But thats my point. I see him resetting to zero after 400- (very sure of it), he asks to check it as 0, and then proceed to fill Rs 1600.

is there something else ? is there a way the meter is showing reset to zero while it is actually not ?

In that case, how do you exactly know that you have been conned?

I think the best approach to be followed is, when you ask for full tank or a certain amount, and the attendent stops filling at a lesser amount, just pay up for what he filled and leave. Quite simple.

[rohit0103]

Originally Posted by Oxy

In that case, how do you exactly know that you have been conned?

the mileage I got for the fuel, when the Fuel Indicator started blinking again, for the same usual driving condition. At 13KMPL, I reached 260 kms- which is 20L. ~ 1600 at Rs8 0/L.
If I had 25L filled up, it would have gone 325 kms.

Secondly, my belief is strengthened even more- when I filled up yesterday at another bunk (HP- Agri College) for exactly the same amount- and the indicator easily crossed halfway mark-which was not the case in BP one-and I had driven more after hitting reserve yesterday, as compared to earlier instance.