Diesel rip off
Submitted: Saturday, May 06, 2006 at 14:50
ThreadID:
33607
Views:
2377
Replies:
8
FollowUps:
10
This Thread has been Archived
Patrol22
Anyone know who I should ring in NSW to complain about a diesel pump at a servo that is short changing people. I just pulled into a shell servo in my local area - had intended to fill up and would have taken approx 110ltrs but stopped after I'd put 35 ltrs into my sub tank (which at best hold 31). Had a bleat to the on duty staff but got the usual advise that you can always fit more into tanks than they say. The patrol was flat and level and I stopped at 35 ltrs and the sub still wasn't full enough for the auto shut off on the pump to operate. Having complained to the servo figured I should also give the weights and measures regulators a call as
well....anyone have a number for NSW?
Reply By: Laura B - Saturday, May 06, 2006 at 15:25
Saturday, May 06, 2006 at 15:25
Cannt remember the number off the top of my head but I would suggest you ring the servo again on Monday morning and talk to the Manager - staff usually would pass you onto them for a problem like this anyway...
It wasnt spilling over into the main tank was it???(silly Q to ask but to get a clear
pic of what happened...)
I work for one of the Opposition and I would have told you the same thing....plus I would have even taken you back out to the pump with a 5lt,10lt and a 20lt jery can to
test it in front of you for your sake and the servo's.and if there were any problems then shut the pump down till further notice....
Alot of the time the temperature has a lot to do with it as
well...that is why servo will have vents....our servo loses about 20,000lt of petrol/diesel a yr out the vents. Because the tanks are underground and our cars are out side in the sun etc then the tanks can get hot...basically the petrol/diesel can shrink but i cannt guarentee that this has happened.
Was it warm/hot/cold/ when you filled up???
One of our LPG bowsers did it a few months ago...only noticed because i was filling our car up and it kept ticking over - extremely slowly i might add!! - but nothing was going in....the managers wouldnt believe me untill i showed them the next week when i fitted 120lt in to an 80lt lpg tank taking an hour to fill - no joke!!
I know with
Caltex this happens every 4 months or so but ask the manager if they have had Gilbarco or the like come down and
test the bowsers lately? What they do is pump certain amounts of lts into tanks in their vans and
test its accuracy and do any nessecary changes...pumps an go 'out of wack' if this hasnt happened for a while.....
I hope you didnt get too heated at the staff....it really makes their day when an agro customer comes in abusng them for something that isnt their fault and there is noting that they can do about it really untill the manager next in...All you can do is "politely" tell them the problem that you have had and would like to leave a note for the manager. If there has been a problem the staff member will more than likely let you know that there has been a few other complaints and will keep an eye on it - which they do and if there are enough complaints then they will shut the pump down.....if we shut pump down at every complaint then the servo's wouldnt be open....
I hope this hwlps a little....
Laura B
AnswerID:
171145
Follow Up By: Bros 1 - Saturday, May 06, 2006 at 18:02
Saturday, May 06, 2006 at 18:02
Laura B,
20,000 lt a year out the vents. In evaporation? That is a lot of fuel.
Cheers,
Bros.
FollowupID:
426630
Follow Up By: Laura B - Saturday, May 06, 2006 at 20:39
Saturday, May 06, 2006 at 20:39
Sure is!!!
The bosses get charged the amount of fuel that leaves Kernel in
sydney and because its usually tanked at night and shipped down during the day it shrinks and by the time it gets dumped into our tanks there is less fuel than what we paid for in the beginning!!!
So not only do they get ripped off with the lose of 20,000lt out of the vents (which they count by the amount of fuel paid for and sold) they also only get 2c/l then there is the average of $18,000 worth of drive-offs each yr!!! Then the stock that is stolen out of the
shop and the damage that is done Thur/Fri nights (Nathan works these) - drunks all over the place.....last week a guy tried to drive off without paying and saw the security guard drive in and paniced and reversed into the bowser ripping it to pieces!! The pump (both sides because the motor was involved) was shut for 3 days until it was fixed!!
I know the last thing that our servo would need (and the bosses) is dodgey pumps!!
I have so many stories...there whould be a web site for us servo workers to swap stories.....LOL!!!
Laura
FollowupID:
426653
Follow Up By: Laura B - Saturday, May 06, 2006 at 21:03
Saturday, May 06, 2006 at 21:03
Another thing which you might not want to hear but 4 or 5 lt difference isnt that much....I have know servos to be out by 15 or more lt's......maybe if you go back , do the sae thing but if itdoesnt click off then keep it going (even at the price it is) and see how much it would actually give you..this might get peoples attention a little more too......
Laura B
FollowupID:
426660
Reply By: Member - DOZER- Saturday, May 06, 2006 at 16:32
Saturday, May 06, 2006 at 16:32
Guys
I know this goes on, because i was ripped at Gundaigai and again at
Hay....economy was lousy....i was scratching my head.....till i realised i was putting more in than the tank holds....after these fills, i got full litres and good economy back again the reat of the way to Adelide....these servos will never see my money again....
Having said all that.....my 80 series cruiser has 2 tanks, and when you fill the sub, some of the fuel goes to the main...it says it will in the owners manual....does it for safety reasons, and suggests you fill the main first, as this goes 100% into the main....
Andrew
AnswerID:
171160
Reply By: P.G. (Tas) - Saturday, May 06, 2006 at 17:55
Saturday, May 06, 2006 at 17:55
G'day all. The same thing happened to me this morning at the
Caltex,
New Norfolk. It was a little cool (about 1 degree) and by the the fuel had come to
the neck I had put 35.8 litres in the sub! I just put it down to the fact I had filled it right to
the neck, but now that I've read this I wonder?
This is something I will watch with interest.
Cheers.
AnswerID:
171169
Follow Up By: Laura B - Saturday, May 06, 2006 at 20:48
Saturday, May 06, 2006 at 20:48
Howmuch do you normally get in it.....
I know it sou ds like a typical servo response but you can get more in than what the tank actually holds...they have a "safety" limit it should hold but can always get more in....
Was it a starmart , starshop or another one????
Laura
FollowupID:
426656
Follow Up By: P.G. (Tas) - Saturday, May 06, 2006 at 21:38
Saturday, May 06, 2006 at 21:38
Hi
Laura, I have a GU III 3.0TD. The sub is only supposed to hold 31 usable litres. I don't think it is possible to fill the sub right to the top (or overfill) because of fuel foaming.
It is a Starshop, I think.
Cheers.
FollowupID:
426669