Paying for fuel before pumping

[russ35]

My local petrol station in Blackpool has just started asking for people to pay before they fill up. This is only from 6pm till closing at the minute.

Just asked them the reason for this. It is because they were having 7 or 8 drive aways each week, and then when the police got back to them the majority were stolen plates nicked from cars on the promenade or main car parks. Since the garage started doing this 2 or 3 weeks ago they have had no drice aways.

Bet these cars are sticking to 30mph past all the speed cameras as well.

[a2z]

My local one used to do this. Same reason, drive offs. However, as I fill my tank to the brim I am never sure how much needs to go in plus I'm honest and didn't want to be treated like a criminal. Never went back. Its now a Tesco express.

[Dibble]

russ35 said:

My local petrol station in Blackpool...

Which one is that Russ? I occasionally have to buy fuel in Blackpoo






and that's a deliberate spelling mistake

[BliarOut]

Dibble said:

and that's a deliberate spelling mistake

Are you talking to me?

[7db]

A Shell I visited in Bristol did this, but only on the outside pumps.

I pointed out I wanted a full tank, not £20 worth which was heading to a stand-off. (Clearly haven't seen how long it takes to get into my car, harness etc)

Turns out leaving my (fake? cloned?) credit card with them whilst filling up was enough.

[hustlebabe]

First experienced this at Shell garage near St.Pauls in Bristol back in the mid nineties

Soon be the norm than the exception.....

[hustlebabe]

7db said:

A Shell I visited in Bristol did this, but only on the outside pumps. I pointed out I wanted a full tank, not £20 worth which was heading to a stand-off. (Clearly haven't seen how long it takes to get into my car, harness etc) Turns out leaving my (fake? cloned?) credit card with them whilst filling up was enough.

Hey, did i see you there..?

[Dibble]

BliarOut said:

Dibble said: and that's a deliberate spelling mistake Are you talking to me?

...or are you stalking to me...

[russ35]

Dibble said:

Which one is that Russ? I occasionally have to buy fuel in Blackpoo and that's a deliberate spelling mistake

Woodheads on Squires Gate Lane by the airport enterence.

No objections on the spelling - I live the other side of Squires Gate Lane, so live in St. Annes!!!

[BliarOut]

Dibble said:

BliarOut said: Dibble said: and that's a deliberate spelling mistake Are you talking to me? ...or are you stalking to me...

It's my own personal stake out

Isn't anyone going to share the donuts

[7db]

hustlebabe said:

Hey, did i see you there..?

Mine was the one in Fishponds by the M32. Not so very far from St Pauls.

[hustlebabe]

Yeap, that's the one.

Didn't like to be initially too specific

Found quite a few since and i always drive on but was in Waitrose (not getting their crap fuel) the other day in Southend and they were moaning a 3rd car had driven off without paying and it was only lunchtime

[groomi]

An absolute pain in the ar*e when they do this. How the feck are you supposed to know how much will fit in the tank before you put it in?

Made all the more difficult by the constantly rising fule prices so £65 to fill this week may be £70 to fill next week.

[parrot of doom]

Just overpay, and get a refund of the difference when you're full up.

[JMGS4]

Just another case where the thieving scum make it difficult for us all, mind you it's been that way in the majority of the US for yonks where they won't even accept cash any more!!!!!!!
Why can't they just make a petrol station with a drive through with a barrier, so a drive-off is impossible? As seen in Edinburgh at a mall (Cameron Toll)......

[A57 HSV]

First encountered Pre-Pay 15 yrs ago in LosAngeles, guess the British Pondlife are not as quick as their USA cousins at working out how best to get petrol without paying for it!
Funny thing was, back then petrol in the states was so cheap it hardly seemed worth nicking!

[WildCat]

groomi said:

An absolute pain in the ar*e when they do this. How the feck are you supposed to know how much will fit in the tank before you put it in? Made all the more difficult by the constantly rising fule prices so £65 to fill this week may be £70 to fill next week.

But surely - when you pay in advance - the girly at the till switches on the pump when you have paid und switches it off when you have pumped int he amount you paid for? I would hope ist way they do this...


But in days where we have less police, slower response time und over-reliance on all cameras - ist hardly any wonder we have increasing drive off from fore-courts... und all manner of "incidents."..

By the way - speaking of "incident" - it seem Manchester ist gridlocked because of "incident" at A57M/A34. Cannot be accident as they said three times on radio now "incident"... ist just warning to anyone thinking of driving that way to avoid....

[Don]

ing Petrol Stations - trying to have it both ways again.

I LOVED those pumps where you just shoved your credit card in, then filled up, and got a receipt! Nowadays they could even make you type in your PIN. Secure and very convenient.

But then they found no-one went into the shop anymore.

Any petrol station trying to force me to pay in advance for no benefit to me - in fact simply making it inconvenient for me - will LOSE MY BUSINESS.

[minornut]

My mum filled up her car at the local independent attended petrol station at the weekend but had to go back yesterday to pay as the card machine was knackered. That's proper service!

[Munter]

But what happens if I pay for £15 but only £10 go's in?
Or I pay for £20 and fill with £30 and thrash off into the distance?

The petrol station in Beaconsfield had a notice up saying pay before filling up the other week. When I went in and said "How does that work then?" the guy behind the counter go's "Just fill her up and then come back in".... err right..