Fuel Pump Fraud

Received this in an email alert, today...

Some fuel station pumps are not accurately reflecting the amount of fuel consumers put into their tank. Consumers are challenged to check each pump to help stop potential rip-offs. To help, stop the pump at exactly 10 gallons and examine the dollar amount at that point. If the dollar amount is not exactly 10 times the price of the fuel grade unit cost, then the pump is rigged.
If you find a rigged pump, do the following:

1) Finalize your purchase at the 10 gallon amount.
2) Keep your receipt.
3) Note the pump number.
4) Note the grade of fuel.
5) Note the time of day and date.
6) IF you have a cell phone, take a photo of the pump.
7) Note the name of the station and the location.
8) Notify authorities.

What great info, thanks Gims. Sad state of affairs when the whole nation is suffering some skumbags have to make it even harder...

Thanks for that info. It's really timely and I never would have thought to whip out my phone camera to record.

A good friend of mine is a weights and measures inspector for the government -- he goes around and checks the accuracy of gas pumps. Look for the little inspection sticker. If it's up to date, most likely this isn't a problem. According to him, this kind of thing is really rare, and happens mostly with older pumps, but not because of fraud.

Other friends of mine use to operate a gas stations. Gas station owners are small business franchises. They're not the big oil companies who are making the huge profits. They only make a few cents per gallon no matter what the price is.

Anyone watching the new TV show called Black Gold about men in Texas on the big rigs, drilling for oil. It is amazing to me to see how primitive the process is and dangerous. It also shows the huge losses when things go wrong and theres down time, and the profits these rig owners make. It shows the extreme dangerous working conditions these men face every minute of every day and tells about what they earn a year. The Worm or lowest man on the totem pole experience wise makes about $75,000 a year and the head honcho makes upwards of $100.000+. It is a grueling, filthy job. Give it as look, its interesting an can be.

I watched something like that, but I don't know if it was the same one. Was it a guy near Abilene as the main oilman?
Wish I owned a few of those dunking donkeys.
There's another fellow setting up a huge wind farm in Texas... we're talking acres and acres. Which I could afford one or two, myself... but the home sized model is a whopping $15k... no telling what the commercial models costs. I have been checking into solar energy. Back in the mid to late nineties, I tried to get my older brother interested in the energy source, thinking the market would grow pretty rapidly. He convinced me it wouldn't work in these parts (I guess he thought there were too many trees)... it rains so little any more, I think it would work... so I'm back to my researching.
If any of you receive "The Economist" magazine, don't forget to check out the inserted mini-magazine, covering alternative energy sources... informative read.

What an interesting thread. I've seen reports about drilling in The States, how they stopped that 10 years ago and are going to start again. But that'll be long range benefits and we need a quick fix, now. They said something about getting fuel out of rocks. I guess that process is long and involved, too. I loved your info gims. I'm going to check the next time I need a fill-up.

I don't know if any of you do this, but I just read another
post, I posted. I darn near repeated myself. Sorry ladies!
I'll try to be more careful. Any of you talk with friends via a landline, and when you're done, wonder how many times you've said the same thing to the same person? Gosh, growing older isn't any fun! It's downright scary!

Several years ago hubby made a solar panel, which warms our swimming pool. And it really works. We're able to swim many weeks before the neighbors pools are warm enough for them to use. There's a recent line of windmills, lining the eastern shore of Lake Erie. And builders around here are using insulated glass. Area folks are also buying smart cars!

Gims, great info regarding fuel. Thanks!!

Theres a new huge plant here in Nevada that is making the glass panels that use solar power and the Senator from our state, Senator Reed says when utilized properly the solar panels there alone could heat/cool the entire country for a year. We can do it, depend on our own abilitys to generate and hopefully this fuel gouging by other nations has taught us a hard lesson...

Chatty,
Right U R! America has to produce its own oil supply and not count on other countries. And those tiny cars are kind of cute anyway. Lawmakers R considering lowering the speed limit and that would help. It might even cut down on auto accidents and save some lives!

I've been checking, esp. since I saw the coverage about this very thing on cable news this very week. They piece had the Texas State Commissioner on talking about how this problem is on the increase... in Texas, it is up 30% for complaints against service stations. He said, if we find this happening to us, to report it to the State Department of Agriculture. This bit of info wasn't in the email I received. So, it is happening, at least in Texas.

I've got 2 remember 2 check this out. I forgot about it the last time I filled up!

We need power to cool down our swimming pool! Yesterday, I turned on the irrator (sp) and looked outside and there was a line of birds sitting on the fence, taking a shower in the spray. It was so cute. They don't often find water in the desert! I may become the community swimming pool for birds.

Dianne, I have a big bird bath in one of my gardens and the birds never use it. Isn't that odd? You should take a picture and share it with your bird!

We have a birdbath in front of the driveway turnaround.
The birds love it. Queen of shoes, I think it's nice of U, 2 bathe the birds!

GMA had a news segment about gas stations increasing the cost of gasoline, when customers inserted credit cards into the pump. They suggested folks' look at the receipt after each fill up.

Gims, great advice. I hadn't hear that. The only advice I've been able to put to use is getting gas in the car early in the AM before the liquid has swollen from the heat.

Meanwhile, here in Daytona, all the pumps I look at are a year behind in being checked.

Now that would be a factor! How often do regulators check the pumps?

Get this ladies; now Hybrids are in such demand, the car dealers can't stock them fast enough. There's a waiting list! And what's going to happen with all those big ole SUV'S???

I know people who can't get rid of their SUVs now. Nobody's buying them. Not even the dealers will take them.

Saundra, same thing is happening here in Baltimore.

Gas prices have dropped .08 cents this week here for some reason???

I'm sure all stations are not equal. In some stations $4.19 a gallon goes much further towards filling up my tank than in others. Though I'm sorry that merchants are doing this to consumers, I'm glad that my mind was not playing tricks on me.

Lynn
www.writeradvice.com

We just got back from Ireland - makes the US gas prices look good! Over there, they sell it by the liter, I guess to make it seem less expensive. We had a small rental car and filled it up when it was down to 1/4 tank. It cost about $125 U.S. to fill it up - yikes!

K

My Lord, are you kidding DD. I'm afraid I would walk before paying such an outrages price for gas, cavier maybe BUT gas, never!!!

My goodness!!!! I'm rejoicing here because it dropped from about $4.15-$4.20 a gal. here over the July 4 holiday to about $3.65 a gal. this weekend. I filled my tank up for less than $40. I wonder why such a price variance here in the States? (But then again, I've noticed a big range as much as up to 20 cents on the gallon just around here...they were raking some poorer neighborhoods!!!!)

KH, I think it has to do with distribution costs, taxes (mostly local), and a locations' costs and profit margins...
California's fuel is higher due to tax rates.
Washington's fuel is higher due to distance from oil production.
And so on.

Gas has dropped here in Vegas this week from $4.17 a gallon to $3.79 everywhere. Guess maybe 'big mother oil' has finally gotten the message. But qe still need to keep them squirming or it will go right back up again.

chatty, that's a nice drop. Ours is down to $3.64, but it didn't have as far to fall.

$3.41 at one of the Houston pumps today!

Our prices are down too. But the thing that's made the most difference for me is that I have a new car that takes regular. My old car took high test. What a difference! Plus, I get better gas mileage.

Dotsie, what kind of car did you buy? I have a Hyundai and it gets great gas mileage (when I actually drive it) Oh thats right, you saw my little car and rode in it too.