[Raccoon]

^^^Definitely, I'v heard of more than one story. I just mentioned the latest one I could recall.

Shell attendents insisting on dismounting from 2 wheelers is most likey due to the risk of petrol spilling on the rider...

[bblost]

Originally Posted by Ranjan Sharma

Why do you we get down from the bike in Shell? to pay respect? Why not on Cars..? :-P

If there is a fuel spill its going to soak into your trousers. A potential fire safety issue on motorcycles.

In a car this is not applicable.

[Spitfire]

This happened while fueling at the bunk near Sarjapura. I was at this bunk for the first time. Its next to ICICI Bank.

One attendant is holding the nozzle and filling up, I am standing next to him my eyes on the meter.

Another attendant comes from behind me and does the distract-cheat on me. Saar, cash or credit card. At the cue our man who is fueling stops. I havent turned to reply but he thinks i should have.

Without uttering a word, I instinctively hit the attendant on the back of his head quite hard. He doesnt say a word and presses the nozzle again and continues.

The other attendant who came from behind makes a hasty retreat. Once done. I pay the Rs 1K. Ask for the bill which he gives get in the car. Start, drive out and laugh my guts out all the way home.

The attendant didnt utter a word to me after I hit him. I think they are now aware of the smart and not so smart folks coming in to fuel.

I always get off the car while refueling this helps a lot.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by bblost

If there is a fuel spill its going to soak into your trousers. A potential fire safety issue on motorcycles.

In a car this is not applicable.

+1.

In the Shell bunk I frequent, one has to dismount and place the bike on centre stand. Side stand is not allowed! And if you take your car, they always ask "petrol or diesel" before commencing to fill. It sounds silly when they pose this question even for my Alto, but is actually a good practice as many cars have both versions, and there is a risk of the attendant filling wrong fuel.

[sbraj]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

At the cue our man who is fueling stops.

Pardon my ignorance, but what was their game plan? He will stop at that reading, reset the meter and move on the the next customer? And will tell you that you got full fuel?

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by sbraj

Pardon my ignorance, but what was their game plan? He will stop at that reading, reset the meter and move on the the next customer? And will tell you that you got full fuel?

I had asked for Rs 1000 of fuel. He keyed it in. I checked and we were at Rs 400 odd when the above happened.

I was not sure what their game plan was. The distract nonsense works mostly for full tank. What irked me was that the Saar from behind my back and he stopping the meter was like a well trained sequence of events. I neither looked at the guy who came from behind neither did I talk to him after that.

I am doubly alert when I refuel at a new bunk.

I think he could have reset the meter and told me its done, like you said.

The other thing to notice was that he gave me a quick handwritten bill and not a system generated one. So I was sure they were upto something. I didnt want to argue later as I was a bit worried that my action would bring the whole of the bunk on me.

[Ranjan Sharma]

Originally Posted by Wolfheart

I have experienced ATM's malfunctioning and dispensing less than the actual witrhdrawal amount. Sometimes the notes get stuck inside and never make it into the customer's hands. When the ATM is opened the extra notes are discovered. So if you're one of those people who don't check the amount that the ATM dispenses you may want to start doing so.

Notes getting stuck is in all ATM, if you dont take the money soon, if u delay, it will go back inside.

Dispensing less amount I have never faced this. I have a citibank account, and the whole world knows they have limited ATMs. So I have used each and every ATM centre with my Citibank card, and never faced any issue unless there are insufficient funds

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Another attendant comes from behind me and does the distract-cheat on me. Saar, cash or credit card. At the cue our man who is fueling stops. I havent turned to reply but he thinks i should have.

Without uttering a word, I instinctively hit the attendant on the back of his head quite hard. He doesn't say a word and presses the nozzle again and continues.

lol... If I dont go to a Shell, I always say "1000rs ka normal petrol daalo,I will pay through a Visa Debit card Card". they have nothing to ask, later

Originally Posted by sbraj

Pardon my ignorance, but what was their game plan? He will stop at that reading, reset the meter and move on the the next customer? And will tell you that you got full fuel?

This is one of the common tricks, when you catch them, they say power was cut..! So Keep your eyes ON the meter, dont even blink it .

Originally Posted by Gansan

+1.

In the Shell bunk I frequent, one has to dismount and place the bike on centre stand. Side stand is not allowed! And if you take your car, they always ask "petrol or diesel" before commencing to fill. It sounds silly when they pose this question even for my Alto, but is actually a good practice as many cars have both versions, and there is a risk of the attendant filling wrong fuel.

Yeah, and why do they always emphasise on the other kinds of petrol, and not Normal? I guess it's Xtra premium they always want to sell first.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by Ranjan Sharma

Yeah, and why do they always emphasise on the other kinds of petrol, and not Normal? I guess it's Xtra premium they always want to sell first.

Because the margin will be more on super unleaded!

I was once waiting in this Shell bunk to meet with a fellow BHpian. From what I observed, more people asked for super unleaded than normal unleaded, though the bunk had both. Interestingly a lot of them were bike owners. But whenever a diesel car came in, it was for normal diesel and not premium.

I always fill Shell super unleaded for my car and bike.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Another attendant comes from behind me and does the distract-cheat on me. Saar, cash or credit card. At the cue our man who is fueling stops. I havent turned to reply but he thinks i should have.

Without uttering a word, I instinctively hit the attendant on the back of his head quite hard. He doesnt say a word and presses the nozzle again and continues.

I think you were lucky enough to get away with that, be careful might not work always.
I have seen the attendants keeping the fuel cap open even before I alight from the vehicle. Many time I have reprimanded them on the same. hence always make it a point to get out of the car first, open the fuel cap with remote lever. Ensure the counter is zero. Till then dont listen to the attendant. Then place the order and allow him to open the fuel cap and order him to keep the filling nozzle at middle postion rather than at the xtremes. This way avoid the splashing of the petrol/diesel. Lot of times the attendants try to use the distract technique with Card or cash sir dialogues but really dont care them and keep staring at the counter. Once finished ask for original receipt. You have to be smart to outsmart those thinking smart attendants or else you will end up paying more for less.

[fatboyslim]

Hey Zipperone,

Thats a good point. How do we make sure that the fuel that we are paying for is premium and not normal, even if the pump is marked as premium?

Is there a way cheating could go on till underground tanks to accomlish this? Scary!

Originally Posted by zipperone

never take your eyes off the meter when getting fuel, always get out of the car to buy fuel, that way they will know you are serious about scams and tricks, chose the pump you want to fill from and not the one they want you to go to. The biggest scam is when they fill normal petrol instead of premium and you will never know. well how can you and you pay rs 2 extra per litre

[Raccoon]

^^^Guess it is very much possible that you get ordinary when you are paying premium. If they can adulterate so much, this smaller misdeed should be quite possible! One more reason I prefer ordinary petrol + system G.

[Ranjan Sharma]

Originally Posted by fatboyslim

Hey Zipperone,

Thats a good point. How do we make sure that the fuel that we are paying for is premium and not normal, even if the pump is marked as premium?

Is there a way cheating could go on till underground tanks to accomlish this? Scary!

This is very true, reason why I say a "NO" for premium petrol in ordinary petrol bunks. I don't think this happens in SHELL.

Was never able to notice in my car, but in my bike... yes.

My Pulsar runs 40KMS(Exact) in 50Rs. in normal petrol from normal bunks.
40-41KMS in 50Rs. in premium petrol from normal bunks.
40-41KMS in 50Rs. in normal petrol from SHELL.
44KMS in 50Rs. in premium petrol from SHELL.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

I had asked for Rs 1000 of fuel. He keyed it in. I checked and we were at Rs 400 odd when the above happened.

I was not sure what their game plan was. The distract nonsense works mostly for full tank. What irked me was that the Saar from behind my back and he stopping the meter was like a well trained sequence of events. I neither looked at the guy who came from behind neither did I talk to him after that.

I am doubly alert when I refuel at a new bunk.

I think he could have reset the meter and told me its done, like you said.

The other thing to notice was that he gave me a quick handwritten bill and not a system generated one. So I was sure they were upto something. I didnt want to argue later as I was a bit worried that my action would bring the whole of the bunk on me.

The plan is this: (thrwarted once by me - thanks to tbhp - higher levels of awareness + general paranoia)
You ask for 1000.
The guy stops at 400.
And then again stops at 600, saying 400 was filled earlier + 600 now = 1000.

Many ppl fall for this.

[jassi]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

I always get off the car while refueling this helps a lot.

yeap i do that always and also don't take my eyes of meter to respond to the 'saar credit or cash' joker. Always get a full tank done and haven't been cheated in years!

[aargee]

Facing these guys working at fuel station is one thing that I hate the most. On contrary, I love to fuel in at Shell provided they bring down the price. To avoid all this hassles, I fill in only at a specific fuel station near my home. They know me very well, know my payment mode & know my needs. So when I go there, I still say "card payment, tank full" & open up only after I see the meter reset to 0 & payment to 0. The beauty is if the amount is 374.79, I'm charged for the same & all the more - no pumping business to round up.

Why do I say card payment first? - Sometimes these guys after filling in (frustrated that unable to cheat) give a lousy grin & say "credit card machine not working saar".

An interesting incident that happened at Salem in Dec 2009. I was returning from Kochi & was filling at this specific fuel pump. There were about 3 young lads (not sure if they were even 15) & fighting among themselves as who will fill my car & this is happening right in front of me waiting for a minute or so. Now I get down & ask is anyone going to fill in or shall I leave? And now one hasty young boy fills for Rs 1140; takes my card for payment & doesn't show up.

Now after 5 minutes or so I get an alert message in my mobile that a transaction worth of 11400 is being made; meanwhile one of these lad comes over & hands over me the card & bill. Upon this, I lock the car; take the card & bill & approach the incharge over the pump. He immediately admitted the mistake of overcharging & says he will refund 11400-1140 in cash. Now these credit cards have a policy of surcharge waiver only upto Rs 10000 per month & since it was already billed for 11400, I said I will accept 11400-1140+2.5% surcharge, this guy didn't know what to do more & says he'll call the owner for which I agree.

This guy goes in the pump comes out with another young man & he says he can reverse the payment. I was like "how is this possible?". This young man went ahead, reversed the payment & then charged for Rs 1140. Now I get a call from the bank asking "Sir is everything alright? We see too much of (confused) transaction in last 15-20 minutes". Now everything is being sorted out & I leave Salem. It was simple, straight forward things.

Originally Posted by jassi

Always get a full tank done and haven't been cheated in years!

Very true; I was once cheated when I filled in for Rs 50 or so. That day I decided to go only to those pumps who accept CC & fill in only for full tank. Result - no cheat; and yes - I too never reply for credit or cash payment as I let the guy who's filling reply who already knows my payment mode.