Q.How To Detect Fraud at Petrol Pumps

[LIST] [*]Beware of free Tyre pressure pumps in petrol pumps specially in Delhi ncr more specifically in Gurgaon. They point to some non existent problem with Tyre and try to jolt you to repair Tyres.common scam is to losses the valve with trick and tell u that there is problem with the inlet commonly known as "nulki". Donot allow them to touch ur Tyrese with anything other than the nozzle [/LIST]

[URL="https://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/21"]JijoMalayil[/URL] Reliance opened the pumps after upa Govt assumed them that fuel will b completely deregulated but did not do so due to political compulsions, so Mukesh closed the pumps.

[URL="https://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/976"]KPR[/URL] Ha ha! Kyun becharon ko pareshan karte ho! :D I can imagine the stares you must have got when you asked for 2 liters of petrol! While on that thought, I think they should change the display of rates at petrol pumps- From Rs/ liter to liters/ 100 Rs. :)

[URL="https://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/11"]kaiserketkar[/URL] Just wanted know that if they fill in round litres. I normally fill tank in my bike or car. But I was even curious to know whether they fill in litres ! The thought of it even was scary to receive tantrums from petrol pump staff.!

[URL="https://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/976"]KPR[/URL] I'm curious. Why 2 liters exactly? Yes, change is always a problem and especially now, with the demonetization. If you DO want to fill up exactly 2 liters, then like Praveen said, pay by credit/debit card. Win-win for both you and the petrol pump.

[USER="976"]KPR[/USER] I find paying by card easier because I don't have to worry about change. Also, I can fill the tank to the brim without worrying about round numbers. But one has to make sure if the fuel station is trustworthy enough to use cards. I have heard people steal data off the cards when they swipe it in the machine and then duplicate them.

I wanted to fill my bike with 2 litres of petrol! I faced all rebukes and the only answer is no change. Not that I don't check in petrol quantity or quality or filling, it the attitude of filling station attendants have changed. i also forget to tender exact change for litres I ask. Given demonitisation situations now only round denominations work.

[QUOTE=gautam _67;n18980]I have also felt that they do not start from 0, especially if a small amount was filled earlier. I have now changed my practice. I come out of the car and then tell them the quantity. I prefer auto cut-off position so that the attendant will just lock and wait till it automatically cuts off. Also, suggest avoiding filling after the auto cutoff. [/QUOTE] It's always the best practice to get out of the car when they are refuelling. It's also perfectly fair to dismiss any other people who may seek your attention while the refuelling is going on. If you're paying by credit card, not to hand over the card to the attendant but make him bring the machine to you or go to the machine yourself and hand it over to him only at the time of inserting it in the machine. Auto cutoffs: I beg to differ on the matter of auto cut-offs. The auto cut-off system is designed only to ensure that the fuel doesn't overflow by mistake. It doesn't have any connection with the amount of fuel in the tank. The way it works is that there is another pipe called the Venturi, parallel to the fuel nozzle that is air-filled. The moment fuel seeps into the venturi, it chokes off the air pressure that holds the nozzle valve open and shuts it down. This can happen even when fuel is gushing out of the nozzle into the tank faster than it can be taken in, and when air gets trapped causing the fuel to back up. Hence, this method is not a very predictable method to judge a tank-full. Try this the next few times you're tanking up: At the auto stop, note the amount of fuel dispensed after the auto cut-off till you start to see the fuel at the neck of the fuel inlet. It'll be different every time. I have experienced that the extra fuel can vary up to 5-7 liters varying from pump to pump, nozzle to nozzle and time to time. If you want to be on the safe side, it doesn't matter if the a couple of liters of fuel were less- in that case use the auto cut-off method. If however, you keep track of the mileage by the tankful method, then an error is seeping into your calculations, the magnitude of which can vary but it's very much there.

When to tank up: There is a marginal expansion of volume of fuel during the day. Petrol would expand approximately 1% when the temperature rises from 15 to 24 degrees C. But this temperature change happens during the day overland. Petrol pumps store their stocks in underground tanks, where the temperature variation is not that much. But even if you consider a 1% increase in volume, an average tank up of 30 liters will give you ~300ml less, ie you're paying ~INR 2100 and but getting INR 21 worth of fuel less. This mind you, is considering a 1% volume change, reality is probably even less. If you do want to optimize your refuelling however, it's best not to do it in the evening, because it'll be evening by the time the underground tanks undergo change in temp.

[URL="https://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/8623"]Gautam _67[/URL] Even I prefer Auto cut off, unless I am taking longer drives during uncertain bandh or hartal days where petrol bunks maybe closed, when I want the maximum range. I also modify my driving style to improve the range in such days. The Auto cut off feature also helps you keep a tab on the fuel efficiency when you are using an app like Fuelio. In my opinion keeping an eye on fuel efficiency is important, not just from an economical point of view,but also as a drop in fuel efficiency is an indicator of fuel quality or a problem with the car. Also, its said that as fuel is sold by volume, its best to avoid fueling in the afternoon. The fuel expands and in the afternoon you would get lesser fuel in the same volume than you would get in the evening.

It is difficult to spot the difference between 97 Octane / 93 Octane and 91/89 Octane petrol. If a pump is really that corrupt so as to fill an entire underground storage tank with a lower quality fuel and sell it as a higher quality fuel, then they will have to be reported. Unlike kerosene which is dyed blue in colour, the different grades of petrol and diesel don't have any distinguishable colour difference, unfortunately. [URL="https://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/5753"]Kamesh_Babhu[/URL]

Always a problem in Gurgaon

[QUOTE=Vaddiparthi_Ramanarayana;n14000]The biggest fraud in the petrol pumps is adultration which is done ouside the petrol pump. Who can control this?? [/QUOTE] If you mean the adulteration that happens on the way from the refinery to the petrol pump, then yes, that is the trickiest part. One of the news channels had done a story on that a few years ago, where they showed how the tankers that leave the refinery are stopped, some amount removed, topped up with naptha or something and then sent on their way. It's a comprehensive mafia operation. But oil companies, especially the private players [and now increasingly also the govt cos] have initiated measures to monitor the trucks enroute. Things such as GPS tracking, along with electronic seals and other security devices ensure that the trucks are completely monitored and foolproof. As a thumb rule, however, stick to COCO pumps or Shell/ Reliance pumps. That should ensure that the fuel you use in your car is just about as pure as possible.

[URL="https://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/4310"]Vaddiparthi_Ramanarayana[/URL] Yes, adultration of fuel is a big problem. Even though not a fool proof solution, sticking to company owned and operation petrol pumps helps us avoid this situation to an extent. I have been sticking to COCO fuel pumps and they are quite easily available on the highways. In order to have a good choice of fuel, I start looking for pumps when I reach quater tank when I am driving on the highway. For Diesel, I use Shell, as the price difference is not there anymore as compared to regular petrol pumps. As mentioned by Roshun earlier, the fuel quality is much better at Shell and we manage to get better fuel efficiecny out of it. Reliane has also restarted opearations now and they also have got good fuel quality as compared to the other operators.

The biggest fraud in the petrol pumps is adultration which is done ouside the petrol pump. Who can control this??

Shell petrol pumps are the best place to fill fuel.Receipts appears from the machine itself so less chance of cheating.[URL="https://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/4284"]Ganesh_Udupi[/URL]

[QUOTE=Reshma;n13471]Considering the discussion going on here is it better to switch to a particular brand for petrol for cars as well? Right now I use normal petrol which is around 70Rs/litre in Mumbai. Has anyone used the different options available & has it helped increase mileage?[/QUOTE] Reshma, like Roshun says stick to a specific pump as far as possible. It's not about a brand, Bharat Petroleum has also come up with a good initiative- Pure for Sure-PLATINUM. These pumps claim to have the best practices for ensuring quality and quantity. Typically COCO [company owned, company operated] pumps might be slightly more reliable than dealer pumps. Private companies' pumps have lesser chances of '[I]jhol[/I]' happening. So when you're zeroing on a pump to stick to, consider these aspects also.

[QUOTE=Reshma;n13471]Considering the discussion going on here is it better to switch to a particular brand for petrol for cars as well? Right now I use normal petrol which is around 70Rs/litre in Mumbai. Has anyone used the different options available & has it helped increase mileage?[/QUOTE] More than shifting to any particular brand, it would make sense to identify one petrol pump you trust and keep filling from that pump. You could also considering using premium petrol or adding an additive to the petrol once in every four tankfuls as this keeps the fuel injection system clean.

[URL="https://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/6"]Roshun[/URL] I've had great mileage from this pump as well. If you remember, when I tested the mileage of my XUV on the Expressway, I got a phenomenal mileage of 21.41kmpl. A lot of it had to do with the way I drove, but I'm sure some of the credit should go to Shell diesel. :) As to the "why" part of it, yes, refining process might be a factor, but I feel the adulteration that is rumored to happen in transit as well as at the bunk level might be the cause. I've read Reliance & Shell run quite a tight ship, whereas Govt companies are only now waking up the this reality.

[USER="6"]Roshun[/USER], I had the same experience in the Honda BRV. Although I did not get fuel from Shell, there was a noticeable difference with Reliance fuel. I was averaging about 18-19 kmpl on fuel from IOC/Bharat Petroleum and with Reliance, it went up to 21 kmpl.

[QUOTE=Roshun;n13222] Tanking up Shell, with a lady attendant doing the filling: [ATTACH=CONFIG]n13223[/ATTACH] I was a bit sceptical if there would be any drastic improvement in mileage although many had told me that it really works. Anyway, after tanking up, I set off towards Mumbai (Thane actually) on the famed Mumbai-Pune expressway. I set cruise control at 100 kmph and let the Scorpio roll along comfortably, rarely accelerating beyond that. Earlier, at that speed, my MID would settle at about 13.4-13.6 kmpl. But I was shocked to see it show 16.8 kmpl for quite a while, reaching Thane with not even a bar disappearing from the fuel gauge even after nearly 138 km of high speed driving with the AC and the rains. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n13224[/ATTACH] I decided to see how much I could stretch it, and to my surprise it went close to 630 km before I decided to refuel - and only because I saw a Reliance fuel pump. I still had nearly quarter tank of fuel left in the Scorpio. It sipped 47 litres, giving a tankful to tankful mileage of 13.5 kmpl, up to the brim. [/QUOTE] This same Shell pump has given my Scorpio fabulous FE too - its lifetime highest of 14.5 kmpl

On my recent North-South-North drive with [USER="42"]CorsaVeloce[/USER], [USER="20"]NikilSJ[/USER] and [USER="18"]MotuSid[/USER] down to Bangalore and then on to Coorg, Goa, Pune and back (See [URL="https://www.zigwheels.com/forum/posts/12631-4500-km-in-a-honda-br-v-and-mahindra-scorpio-4wd"]DETAILS[/URL]), I noticed another very peculiar thing. Filling up diesel from Bharat Petroleum and Indian Oil didn't really give me any great mileage - I mean it gave me the mileage I had expected, and I have been getting so far on my Scorpio S10 4WD. The average hovered around 12.4 kmpl tankful to tankful with high-speed highway driving (the Scorpio has the aerodynamics of a brick, so beyond 100 kmph, you are only fighting a losing battle with the wind). When average speeds were lower, I did get something in the region of 13.4 kmpl displayed. ​Then at Pune, [USER="11"]kaiserketkar[/USER] suggested I tank up on Shell diesel (which is just about a buck more) and see the difference. I was anyway heading to Mumbai on the expressway to meet [USER="708"]HVKumar[/USER] before continuing on to Ratlam. Tanking up Shell, with a lady attendant doing the filling: [ATTACH=CONFIG]n13223[/ATTACH] I was a bit sceptical if there would be any drastic improvement in mileage although many had told me that it really works. Anyway, after tanking up, I set off towards Mumbai (Thane actually) on the famed Mumbai-Pune expressway. I set cruise control at 100 kmph and let the Scorpio roll along comfortably, rarely accelerating beyond that. Earlier, at that speed, my MID would settle at about 13.4-13.6 kmpl. But I was shocked to see it show 16.8 kmpl for quite a while, reaching Thane with not even a bar disappearing from the fuel gauge even after nearly 138 km of high speed driving with the AC and the rains. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n13224[/ATTACH] I decided to see how much I could stretch it, and to my surprise it went close to 630 km before I decided to refuel - and only because I saw a Reliance fuel pump. I still had nearly quarter tank of fuel left in the Scorpio. It sipped 47 litres, giving a tankful to tankful mileage of 13.5 kmpl, up to the brim. Refilling at a Reliance pump at Khalghat, near Indore, Madhya Pradesh: [ATTACH=CONFIG]n13225[/ATTACH] This tank of diesel from Reliance, near Indore lasted all the way till the expressway just before Jaipur (the Kishangarh expressway). This too was pretty superior fuel compared to BP / Indian Oil. The mileage was a little lower at 12.6 kmpl, brimful to brimful, but that was to be expected given the number of times, I had to slow down & accelerate to get around trucks from Ratlam right up to Jaipur, including a few ghat sections. A similar stretch in MP on the journey to Bangalore had the Scorpio give only 11.8 kmpl. Sure, the gains are not that significant overall, but it is still something to reckon with. That aside, the pick up felt better, and the engine felt much smoother. Is that purely psychological? I don't know, but I do think we are being short changed with inferior fuel from IOL / BP. The refining standards are clearly different. It's not just me - but many others have also felt the results of better mileage with Shell or Reliance fuels. What do you think? Do our IOC / BP / HP pumps need to improve their quality of fuel?

The List of services a fuel pump operator has to offer under the Special Petrol Pump Guidelines formulated by the Oil Marketing Companies which also include penalties to be levied on petrol pumps that do not adhere to these stringent regulations. So, What are these? * Correct quantity of fuel at correct prices * Provision of Air Facility to customers during operating hours * Prompt and courteous behavior of stall at all times * Provision of a complaint/suggestion book which should be offered to customers on demand * Prominent display of working hours and holidays to be displayed well ahead of time * Clean toilets on premises * Provision of telephone facility on premises * Name and contact number of dealer and name and contact number of Oil Company to be prominently displayed * Customer Service Cell messages and posters on Customer Education to be displayed * Provision of First Aid Box with necessary medicines and first aid kit * Provision of good illumination throughout the outlet and adherence to housekeeping standards as indicated by Oil Companies * Provision of safety equipment which should be on hand and in perfect working condition while dealers / staff should be trained in its operation Next time, do demand these services :)

[URL="http://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/3353"]Parshuram_Gautampurkar[/URL], the problem is not only whether the government takes action or not, its a lot to do with the greed of the management at the petrol pumps. The owners of the pumps are also kept in the dark as far as these frauds are concerned, the profits from all these are often divided among the emplyees there. I know a few pump owners and they themselves have caught some of the workers cheating and chucked them out instantly. As you rightly said, the only way to be sure about not being cheated on a pump is completely in the hands of the C&B owners. Extra caution goes a long way!

Zig Wheels deserves a big Thank You for bringing said glaring frauds to the notice of Car and Bike owners which they are being put to. While the Govt. Inspectors / officers of the respective Petrol and Oil Companies do need to check their petrol pumps and make sure that said sort of frauds are not committed and the customers are not fooled / cheated, it becomes the responsibility of the C&B owners also to be cautious at the time of getting fuel for their vehicles and insist on issuing printed bills etc. I wish, if the concerned authorities in the Govt (Petroleum Ministry) get notice of listed alleged frauds and take needful action. - Parshuram Gautampurkar, Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan

[URL="http://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/6"]Roshun[/URL] petroleum ministry sweet dreams

I have been getting some queries on Whatsapp about the fuel tank capacity of cars and somehow petrol pumps manage to fill extra fuel, which is more than the fuel tank capacity of the car. How does this happen? Well, in some cases it could be short-fuelling by the pump, but in some cases, it's a problem with the stated capacity of the fuel tank. Suppose your car has a 60 litre fuel tank, it should hold only 60 litres max right? I mean if you take it into the pump when it is almost bone dry, it should not fill in more than 60, considering there may be a litre or two in the tank anyway. However, many are shocked to see that the car will hold about 62-63 litres of fuel. The reason that happens is because the stated fuel tank capacity does not take into account the extra capacity in the fuel filler pipe (around 2-4 litres) and fuel lines (another litre or more depending on the car). This discrepancy more often than not happens when you fill fuel right up to the brim of the fuel tank filler cap. So if you do go to fill fuel and find that your car takes in more than its stated capacity when almost dry, don't panic if the amount is just a couple of litres more. But do raise a red flag if you know that you probably already have a certain amount of fuel in the tank and it still fills to capacity. Also see: [URL="http://www.zigwheels.com/forum/posts/11250-how-to-get-the-maximum-fuel-efficiency-from-your-car"]http://www.zigwheels.com/forum/posts...-from-your-car[/URL]

Same as the case in my old Ritz, I have 8 bars on my digital meter and the last bar acts as the reserve indicator, just as [USER="6"]Roshun[/USER] mentioned. So, you fill it the moment the last bar starts blinking. And the Ritz tank measures 43 litres, but once I had filled 45 litres into it. So yeah, it can hold more than the specifed quantity.

[URL="http://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/1675"]Reshma[/URL] Different cars have different levels of fuel in reserve. Not all cars even have a warning light to show that fuel is low, and usually you just have to trust the fuel gauge. In the Alto K10, the last bar in the fuel gauge starts blinking when it hits reserve. It has about 11 bars in the digital fuel gauge when it has a full tank, which means that each bar is worth about 3 litres of fuel. So that way, when your last bar starts blinking, you probably have about 3 to 4 litres of fuel left in the tank. Some cars - even if the stated fuel tank capacity is 35 litres, they can hold 36 or 37 litres if you fill it to the brim. That's because the fuel in the pipe is usually not calibrated as part of fuel tank capacity.

[USER="40"]Praveen[/USER] looks like you know a lot about card skimming. I'm a bit concerned now :p But on a serious note, I wish we had a self-serve system at out petrol stations like you see abroad. But then again there will be some idiot who'd want to immolate himself to support some stupid cause or the other, so I don't think that makes any sense too. I guess the only way to not get scammed is to be attentive and go to a trusted petrol pump near you.

[USER="20"]NikilSJ[/USER] Swiping debit cards sounds rewarding, but one must beware of card skimmers being used by crooks. These crooks use your card on a device called a 'skimmer' which essentially clones cards. When the guy swipes your card into the skimmer, the data in the magnetic strip is stolen. These guys also figure out the pin number when you type them. and with the help of a decoder, the data is then transferred into a card with an empty magnetic strip. Then, they use it to withdraw money from other ATMs or buy other card swiping machines under false names and the card is used on them and the cash goes into fake accounts. Apparently, a gang, working in different petrol pumps with this kind of modus operandi was caught a few years ago. That is why I don't prefer swiping my card at such places. I usually keep the money ready before I go to the pump so that it is handy to just hand him the money without any distractions.

[URL="http://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/6"]Roshun[/URL], I never thought there were so many ways they could scam customers. I never really thought about the remaining fuel in the hose. Some pumps have really really long hoses that coil across the floor of the pump. But these days I've seen some pupms in Trivandrum and Chennai where the nozzle and the hose hang from the roof. The attendant just pulls it down and sets the quantity of fuel needed and off it goes. I guess this kind of dispensers are better for making sure that all of the fuel you've bought enters the tank. The jerky start-stop trick is the most common kind of scam I've seen in most petrol pumps across the country. I guess the only way to avoid is that by being attentive and making sure you are not tricked. I also agree that it's better to pay for fuel using a debit card or credit card instead of cash. Not only is it less of a hassle, you also get reward points in the case of credit cards which you can later claim for fuel or air tickets depending on the card you'got.

[URL="http://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/589"]Maheshy1[/URL] You can easily buy one of those 1-litre or 2-litre graduated plastic mugs, that people often use in the kitchen and ask them to fill a litre of fuel in that before pouring it into your car. That way you can check the accuracy, but at the end of the day, it is your word against theirs. Or in this case, your can against theirs! You could also check the accuracy of their measuring can (if they have a 1 litre or 2 litre one) by filling it in yours and then pouring that into their can to see if it is the same.

[URL="http://www.zigwheels.com/forum/profile/6"]Roshun[/URL] Thanks for this informative post. I've been tanking up from a fuel station from the moment it was inaugurated. While initial top ups were leading to good FE, lately, on one occasion, the dude filled up 36 litres in my car. I already had at least 2 ltr in the tank before and my tank is rated at 35 L. I checked for official seal in the pump and it was intact. I just took a receipt. Even if I want to check the quantity of fuel, they'll just fill up a 5 L can that they say is "certified" by weights and measures lab. I'm sure that is going to fill up to the brim. I can't ask them to fill up in my container as it might have some error. What can I do to check for accuracy down to the ml?

Thanks guys ,for the info. I have seen these things happening in Mumbai, i take care about checking The meter and distractions and also the fuel pricing but will check on the fuel hose and billing!

[QUOTE=KPR;n11583]What is the adulterant that is added to diesel in petrol pumps?[/QUOTE] Usually diesel is adulterated with kerosene. For petrol, they usually adulterate it with naphtha. Fortunately adulteration has come down in recent times at least in metros - although in remote pumps, rural areas, you still get adulterated fuel.

What is the adulterant that is added to diesel in petrol pumps?

Here's a video of a tampered fuel dispenser in Punjab. Notice how the meter is running, but no fuel is coming out of the dispenser? Now that is pretty ingenious! [video=youtube;F-Dkwa341ag]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-Dkwa341ag[/video] Wait, there's more. Here is a video (in Hindi) of a larger scam, again in Punjab, of electronic chip devices used to tamper the digital fuel dispenser meters. Some people will go to any length to cheat customers. [video=youtube;b-KTYzu4qLo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-KTYzu4qLo[/video]

'The Diversionary trick' is also common at some of the fuel pumps in Delhi. Happened to me once at the Indian Oil Petrol Bunk on MG Road. I caught the other pump guy trying to divert my attention and immediately turned towards the meter only to notice the other guy trying to mock up the number. What happened after this is better not spoken about, but it left a very bad taste. Especially considering it was a 'Company Owned, Company Operated' outlet!!

Some fillers pretend that there is power cut and continue filling the remaining amount (a part of THE DOUBLE START TRICK)

[QUOTE=Roshun;n11488] [B]3. The diversionary trick:[/B] This happens to car and bike owners. Even if you check the meter on the fuel dispenser and the attendant begins filling fuel, a second attendant or salesperson will walk up to you and divert your attention, on the pretext of selling you some credit card, rewards card or scratch removing polish. All this while, the other attendant has his hand on the nozzle. If you appear to be distracted, they will quickly finish filling the car before it reaches the amount you asked for and reset the machine. So, if you've asked for 20 litres or perhaps Rs. 1000 worth of fuel, they would have filled for about Rs. 950 or a litre less and hung up before you can pay attention again. Of course, if you insist on a bill from the machine (most dispensers now have an electronic bill generated from them, you can detect such fraud). This mainly happens on the older type of dispensers that don't have integrated bill generating facility. [B]6. The continuity trick:[/B] Again something that happens a lot with bikers, who fill small quantities of fuel. A previous biker may have filled fuel for just Rs. 100 and moved on. The attendant then comes to you and pretends to reset the machine, if say you have asked for Rs. 500 worth of fuel. In reality, he continues to fill fuel from the Rs. 100 point without resetting the machine, thereby shortchanging you of Rs. 100 worth of fuel. This is again a diversionary tactic, and something they won't pull if you stay alert and check the meter before refuelling. [/QUOTE] [USER="6"]Roshun[/USER], I have faced these two problems in 2 different cities. 'The continuity trick' is a common practice at some of the crowded 2-wheeler pumps in Pune. While I was living there, I was using my Bullet and there were often long queues of bikers at most of the fuel bunks, the attendant would try to flash the amount filled by the previous biker and tell you that he's filled it in your bike!! And once this turned into a big issue as I objected to it and the pump attendant started arguing and screaming in his native language, to which I could not say anything and had to just move on.

[USER="40"]Praveen[/USER] Shell fuel is of good quality, but doesn't have an outlet in Delhi. I have seen one on the Jaipur- Udaipur highway though. Reliance also serves good quality fuel, sadly all their outlets got shutdown at most of the places. Does anybody know why? Engine feels refined and you get better fuel efficiency with these better refined fuels, and is worth paying that small premium.

[USER="21"]JijoMalayil[/USER] I have seen this happening in South India. [USER="6"]Roshun[/USER] Back when I was in Chennai, I used to avoid such pumps and go to Shell pumps. Their equipment are very well maintained and their service and fuel quality is also good! I used to get 50-55 kmpl on my Dazzler those days! Yes, it is a bit expensive, but only by a small margin. I wonder why there are no Shell pumps in cities like Delhi.

[USER="40"]Praveen[/USER] They still do that? Majority of the pumps have shifted to the automated system of entering the required amount before filling the fuel. Haven't seen this older system for some time now. You better avoid these now.

[QUOTE=Praveen;n11512] [USER="6"]Roshun[/USER] After reading this post, now I feel I might have also been cheated A couple of times, the person at the fuel pump doesn't enter the number. he just resets it and lets it run and manually stops at 99% of the amount asked for.. Does that mean i'm being cheated (Barring the 1%)?[/QUOTE] Why would you want to let go of that 1%? Stop filling fuel in pumps where this practice is being followed. Most dispensers are now automatic. Go to a better pump.

[USER="21"]JijoMalayil[/USER] Yes, I have seen a lot of car owners chill inside their cars while the petrol pump guy fills up their tank. It is quite risky to do that. And I have seen a lot of drivers driving off coolly with their tank lids open! Yes, often the bills have the wrong date and time set. These kind of bills are no good. Who wants a bill printed on 26th August 2211? :p [USER="6"]Roshun[/USER] After reading this post, now I feel I might have also been cheated A couple of times, the person at the fuel pump doesn't enter the number. he just resets it and lets it run and manually stops at 99% of the amount asked for.. Does that mean i'm being cheated (Barring the 1%)? In another instance, I was insisted on giving the bill and somehow it felt like I didn't get the amount of fuel i paid for. I may have gotten distracted when the guy wrote me the bill.

Most of the pumps still don't provide a printed bill. Haven't really thought of these many parameters while filling fuel. I thing i always do, is to get out of the car, and stand next to the guy who fills it. And in my opinion, its plain disrespect sitting inside and asking someone to fill up the tank.

This is a common enough problem most car and bike owners face in India. There are a number of petrol pumps that will try and con you by short-fuelling or shortchanging you when you go to fill your car or bike up, unless you stay alert. I am just collating a list of scams that petrol pumps pull on unsuspecting car and bike owners here. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n11489[/ATTACH] [B]Common tricks to fool a customer[/B] [B]1. The long, long hose trick:[/B] This is not really a trick on the part of the fuel pump, but it's a fault in the design of fuel dispensers itself. Many fuel dispensers have hoses that are longer than needed, and when fuel has been filled in your car or bike, there is still some fuel in the hose, that has already been metered that stays in the hose. It could be as much as 100-150 ml of fuel. Make sure every last drop is dispensed, raising the hose before taking the nozzle out if needed. [B]2. The sleight of hand, shortchanging trick: [/B]This is something that a lot of bikers face, especially those who fill fuel for small amounts and pay in cash. When handing back change for a Rs. 1000 or Rs. 500 note, the attendant will appear to count the correct amount of change, but will sometimes hold back Rs. 100 or Rs. 50. Since most bikers are usually in a hurry to take the change and dash off, they sometimes get short changed. [B]3. The diversionary trick:[/B] This happens to car and bike owners. Even if you check the meter on the fuel dispenser and the attendant begins filling fuel, a second attendant or salesperson will walk up to you and divert your attention, on the pretext of selling you some credit card, rewards card or scratch removing polish. All this while, the other attendant has his hand on the nozzle. If you appear to be distracted, they will quickly finish filling the car before it reaches the amount you asked for and reset the machine. So, if you've asked for 20 litres or perhaps Rs. 1000 worth of fuel, they would have filled for about Rs. 950 or a litre less and hung up before you can pay attention again. Of course, if you insist on a bill from the machine (most dispensers now have an electronic bill generated from them), you can detect such fraud. This mainly happens on the older type of dispensers that don't have an integrated bill-generating facility. [B]4. The double start trick: [/B]If you ask for fuel worth Rs. 1000, unscrupulous attendants will pretend they haven't heard you correctly and quickly stop the machine when it hits Rs. 300. If you point out that you asked for Rs. 1000 worth of fuel he will pretend to reset the machine, while your attention is diverted, and fill until it reaches Rs. 700. You think you've got Rs. 300 plus Rs. 700 worth of fuel, but really, you've lost Rs. 300 worth of fuel in this trick. It takes two people though, and is a variant of the diversionary trick. [B]5. The jerky stop-start trick: [/B]Attendants don't fully lock the nozzle of the dispenser handle when dispensing fuel. Instead, they will keep juggling it as they fill. Each time they press and release it, some fuel is held back due to an air lock, but the fuel is already metered. This could be as high as 150-200 ml for every 10 litres of fuel dispensed. [B]6. The continuity trick:[/B] Again something that happens a lot with bikers, who fill small quantities of fuel. A previous biker may have filled fuel for just Rs. 100 and moved on. The attendant then comes to you and pretends to reset the machine, if say you have asked for Rs. 500 worth of fuel. In reality, he continues to fill fuel from the Rs. 100 point without resetting the machine, thereby shortchanging you of Rs. 100 worth of fuel. This is again a diversionary tactic, and something they won't pull if you stay alert and check the meter before refuelling. [B]7. Dispenser tampering:[/B] Fuel pump dispensers are becoming increasingly difficult to tamper with now fortunately, and that's a good thing. Yet, there are ways in which these dispensers can be tampered with to make their meters run faster than the actual amount of fuel dispensed. Recently, there was a news report of a few fuel stations in Punjab that were found to have electronic devices that made the meters jump a few digits while refuelling, thereby putting in less than what is shown on the display. [B]How can you prevent being scammed?[/B] > Always insist on a printed bill from the dispenser > Fill fuel only at reputed pumps that have the latest model dispensers > Always get down from your vehicle and check the meter before refuelling starts > Stay with the vehicle and keep an eye on the meter all through the refuelling process, don't get distracted > If you are filling for a preset amount or value, get the attendant to enter that on the dispenser, put in the nozzle, press the handle to the lock position and move away from the nozzle. It will automatically stop when the correct amount of fuel has been filled. > If you are still in doubt, you can ask for a quantity check. They will fill 250 ml or 500 ml worth of fuel in a graduated beaker and check against the meter if it's the exact amount dispensed. > Try not to use cash and instead use a debit or credit card for fuel Please share other scams you have come across at petrol pumps in this thread, as it will serve as an eye opener to other car and bike owners.