Cheating / Short Fuelling Tricks at Petrol Pumps

[itsmejohnhcl]

A funny thing which happened to me day before yesterday at IOC petrol bunk Koramangla (near Sony world).

My Brio has a fuel tank capacity of around 35 litres.
We went to the above petrol pump and asked for a tankfull.
I just didn't come out of my car, since I can see them doing the Job from the OVRM. They started off with a ZERO display.
Suddenly another attendant came towards me and shows me some IOC stickers which can be put on the petrol lid and then he asked which credit card I have and whether its Indian Oil-Citibank Credit card. By the time I could finish with this guy, the "full tank" is done and I asked them loudly "how many litres u filled", nobody replied and they turned the other side showing themselves as busy, then my wife checked and told, the amount shows as some 2640 Rs.
I asked them for the bill and they gave me a hand written bill for 2640 for 35.xx (i think xx was either 17 or 71, don't remember). I thought something suspicious, because every-time I do a fulltank, it comes to max 2100Rs/28.xxlts. Then i gave them the credit card since there were cars behind me honking.
I did question the guy who took my card as to "how can you fill 35.xx lts whereas my tank capacity is max 35lts and that too no topup after autocutoff done. He replied most of the cars have 40Lts of tank capacity.
Then I was confused about my Brio Specs itself.

I parked my car outside the pump to avoid congestion and came back to collect my card and then started off a fresh argument stating very clearly that my car capacity is max 35 lts and there is something wrong in the bill they have presented. Suddenly one of the bunk members said in a loud voice "oops we have given him the other vehicle bill by mistake"
Then I got the wind of it and they asked me to cool down.
Immediately they looked at the billing machine again and made another hand written bill of 29.99lts (not sure even that is accurate) and refunded me 430Rs.

I just collected that money and didn't had further patience and time to report it to the manager and came back as my wife was sitting in the car.

Always make it a point to be very careful in petrol pumps. Every drop makes an ocean.


Disclaimer: Based on my personnel experience only.

 

[amit1km]

Many people in Bangalore might have faced the same situation. If you argue you will get your money back. I have never seen they have counter back with argue for these kind of indecent.

As a rule stated and tested by other, in petrol bonk never sit inside the car while refueling.

Stay near your where he is filling.

First mark the meter whether it is reset to zero. Ask him to reset to zero if not or else you may not able to win the argument, since that is only proof you will have. Every pump have option to give the bill in printing of the last transaction not sure about any previous transaction.

Better to carry cash to avoid unnecessary delay for card swipe and all.

 

[sethumurugan]

I dont think there are much problems in chennai. or atleast in the pumps I do fill for my bike or car. I generally go to some 3 or 4 pumps regularly. There was very occations where I have been to other filling stations.

• as every one mentioned, always get out of car and stand near the guy who is filling the petrol and make sure no one distracts you. you can always ask the other person to wait.
• as much as possible pay by cash.
• Some may be utilzing the points earned during every fill. In that case, do one job at a time. Either fill fuel and swipe card or swipe card and fill petrol if it is for whole amount like Rs. 500 / Rs. 1000 if you know the amount of fuel your tank can take.
• I generally avoid FILL TANK method.

 

[Gurrala74]

[*]I generally avoid FILL TANK method.
[/LIST]

Yes, it is like unnecessarily carrying more fuel than required, which in turn increase the weight of car and reduce the FE.
Also unnecessary spending in advance than required. waste investment
If you have more fuel on the ODO you tend to do more driving going here and there which is again waste of money. So within city I always fill Rs.500 every time and if I go outside trip I will fill with 1000/- which easily takes me till 400 km and within this I can find one more fuel station

 

[travelfreak]

if I go outside trip I will fill with 1000/- which easily takes me till 400 km

400kms with just Rs.1000 petrol What's your FE sir?

 

[krish_go]

Very true, filling tank every time is stupidity as this will add weight and also evaporation.
I fill 1000/- too and run it till car says "Dude fill me or u will see my true colours"
@Gurrala- 1000 to 400km? Is this Car or Bike?

 

[Gurrala74]

@Travel and Krish

What is a big deal !! it is a car, Ritz diesel which gives 20kmpl at an average on highway

 

[mastersquall]

Yes, it is like unnecessarily carrying more fuel than required, which in turn increase the weight of car and reduce the FE.
Also unnecessary spending in advance than required. waste investment
If you have more fuel on the ODO you tend to do more driving going here and there which is again waste of money. So within city I always fill Rs.500 every time and if I go outside trip I will fill with 1000/- which easily takes me till 400 km and within this I can find one more fuel station

Inside city even i never get full tank but going outside i always get full tank

 

[Lucas]

Considering the capacity of a fuel tank as 40 litres, the following would be the weights of the fuels full tank and half tank. I don't think running a petrol car with half tank fuel will improve FE, as the wight will be reduced by merely 14 KG approx in comparison to full tank. I once tried to calculate FE with half tank petrol during June 2012 (by resetting the trip meter to 0, the moment the fuel gauge showed half tank); the result was almost same 14.8kmpl with AC on in city. Whereas I get approximately the same figure with full tank (15.2 kmpl). I could have managed to get 15+kmpl with half tank, but didn't want to drive till the last drop of fuel.

 

[sethumurugan]

Considering the capacity of a fuel tank as 40 litres, the following would be the weights of the fuels full tank and half tank. I don't think running a petrol car with half tank fuel will improve FE, as the wight will be reduced by merely 14 KG approx in comparison to full tank. I once tried to calculate FE with half tank petrol during June 2012 (by resetting the trip meter to 0, the moment the fuel gauge showed half tank); the result was almost same 14.8kmpl with AC on in city. Whereas I get approximately the same figure with full tank (15.2 kmpl). I could have managed to get 15+kmpl with half tank, but didn't want to drive till the last drop of fuel.

Friend. Do you meant those FE in your SPARKY?

 

[Lucas]

Yes Sethu. Recently during Durga Puja holidays from 21st to 28th Oct I drove 1013 KMs with 52 litrs of petrol, 90% highway with intermittent AC. Avg. 19.48 kmpl.

 

[sethumurugan]

Yes Sethu. Recently during Durga Puja holidays from 21st to 28th Oct I drove 1013 KMs with 52 litrs of petrol, 90% highway with intermittent AC. Avg. 19.48 kmpl.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW man.. You should be only lucky guy.. I am going to bang those people this time. let me see.

 

[Gurrala74]

Yes Sethu. Recently during Durga Puja holidays from 21st to 28th Oct I drove 1013 KMs with 52 litrs of petrol, 90% highway with intermittent AC. Avg. 19.48 kmpl.

Hey Amazing FE Lucas. Sethu what is happening with you Sparky

 

[sethumurugan]

I really dont know sir. Let me check with those people next week and find out. if they are not able to make it, I will visit TVS another dealer for spark in chennai

 

[sethumurugan]

Guys, I was about to get cheated yesterday from a HP petrol bunk at Ekaduthangal, Chennai.

After taking delivery of my sparky from service, I went into the fuel station. They were using the hose which comes from top. so the meter is in the gun itself. it is small and normal one with green background and black letters. The letters were really very small.

I told the guy to fill tank till its neck. But he said he had set for Rs.1000. By this time he started filling fuel. Then I said okie and after completing asked him to start again. During this first filling, other guy started talking to me like what is the mileage am getting, what is the full capacity of tank and blah blah. I told him to wait till I finish and he got shocked and shut his mouth. And I was standing opposite to the guy who is filling so that i was able to see the numbers up side down since the numbers are facing the guy who is filling fuel.

After completing he shown me the display and said sir I finished for Rs. 1000 and I am restarting. It was displaying in two lines and he shown me the second line which was like 1000. After starting the second lot, I went near the guy and saw the meter and found that the first line is Amount and second line is liters. Then I asked him what man you shown 1000 in the second line, that means you filled 1000 liters in my car. He did not expected this from me and said no sir, I have set for 10 liters. I did not minded it and in second lot he filled 25 ltrs and I paid for 35 ltrs and started home.

on the way home only I realized that if I had not asked about that second line that guy would have filled only 10 ltrs [Rs.710.xx] and got Rs.1000 from me. He was showing the liters and saying it is Rs.1000 From far I could not see the dot between 10 and 00.

Luckily I saved nearly Rs.300 yesterday.