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I think my local gas station is robbing people. (Now with Math!)

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Interesting.. I am in NJ and the highest price I saw for premium is $ 3.

But this is what happened to me at one of the local gas station few weeks ago. I put $ 40 with Plus @ about $ 2.70. So, it was roughly 14.8 gallon. I know my car good enough that this was correct amount (also, the pump said the 14.8 gallon). When I received the receipt, the receipt somehow said 13.8 gallon of Premium @ $ 2.90 and total was $ 40. So, the total was $ 40 no matter what, but it was only the receipt that showing wrong detail. I, of course, didn't care as I know 14.8 gallon was put.

What happen was that Credit Card machine is set up this way: The machine and pump are not linked, and you have to manually enter the total amount. And then you enter what grade it was, then it calculates gallon automatically and prints on receipt. Attendant didn't care much about the grade and just pressed "Premium" instead of "Plus". Therefore, it printed the receipt showing the total amount of $ 40 with Premium @ $ 2.90 and automatically calculated volume of 13.8.

It probably was what happened to you by looking at fairly higher per gallon price on receipt. They were lazy and not updated the price. So, in their machine, the price is set up @ $ 3.419 for Super. Attendant enters $ 50.02 and chose Super. Machine prints the receipt with outdated price for Super and wrong volume.

Of course just my guess 🙂
 
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Some stations just have higher prices. especially if they are the only gas station on the block. There are 2 Chevron stations in my city that are on opposite ends of the city, but both are the only station in their immediate area and both are 30 cents higher than the average for the Metroplex. But people are still lined up to get gas at them.
 
A couple years ago an elementary school girl did a science fair project testing gas pumps. She used a 1 gallon plastic gas can filled it to "full" then recorded the gallons dispensed on the pump. I can't remember the exact results but several service stations were identified as dispensing less than the sale amount, the state department of weights and measures quickly responded by testing the service stations in question and found that all were acceptable by their standards. The department of weights and measures concluded that the gas can the girl was using for her science fair project wasn't a high quality stainless vessel calibrated to hold exactly 1 gallon like the container they use, they cited her gas can as being the cause of the inconsistency.

According to the newspaper article I read, the department of weights and measures most often finds pumps dispensing more than the measured amount. Of course that's exactly what I'd say if I had employees who weren't doing their job correctly and it was costing consumers a few cents a week.
 
Marlin1975 said:
Problem is they only take 1-2 gallons out to test. Many have shown to test badly the more gas you take out.

So the only thing that sticker proves is that if you get a couple gallons you are ok. Over that and not really sure.
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Actually, the proofing cans they use calibrate with 5 gallons, not just 1 or 2. Pretty much the standard for the industry. I know this, because I used to do it, for the federal government, up until recently (when I changed jobs), and had about a dozen dispensers I had to calibrate every year. Believe me, when the darn dispenser doesn't want to calibrate easily (or when you screw up, on the old ones, and turn the dial the wrong way, then have to do it again!! 😳 ), walking up the stairs to the top of the above ground tank can be a real bitch!!

What's really cool is the 500 gallon (trailer mounted) proofing can that we used to calibrate our big fuel meters (on the loading stands that fill the refueler trucks). We had a "master meter" that we calibrated with that, and then used to calibrate the rest of the meters with, since we were paying a company to drive up from Dallas to cal the master meter (usually ~$700 cost each year). 😎
 
I remember reading an article about a gas scam in the NY/NJ area a few years ago. The station attendants had a remote that would trigger the pumps to meter out gasoline accurately for calibration checks and people filling up graduated cans, or change them to read high when people were filling up vehicles. Sneaky...
 
knowing your posts I am thinking your are one of the snowbirds we have down here that jams there gas cap in in such a way the pump doesn't turn off.

meanwhile you just fucked the 5 cars behind you while whipping boy throws down the gas pads to mop the mess up.
 
alkemyst said:
knowing your posts I am thinking your are one of the snowbirds we have down here that jams there gas cap in in such a way the pump doesn't turn off.

meanwhile you just fucked the 5 cars behind you while whipping boy throws down the gas pads to mop the mess up.
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No. Once the pump clicks off I stop. No need to stress the float in the tank.
 
alkemyst said:
knowing your posts I am thinking your are one of the snowbirds we have down here that jams there gas cap in in such a way the pump doesn't turn off.

meanwhile you just fucked the 5 cars behind you while whipping boy throws down the gas pads to mop the mess up.
Click to expand...

Jamming the gas cap in the handle to hold the pump on should not affect the auto shut off. Would have to be a defective pump, I believe.
 
They do something...It's freaking common to see someone shooting gas everywhere, yet the next person that uses the pump has it shut off correctly.
 
The pump should shut off even if you never release the handle.

It could be that they do not have the nozzle all the way in and that would make the auto shutoff fail to detect the fuel backing up in the pipe. It would also let fuel go everywhere.
 
According to the receipt you posted...

you got 14.62 gallons at a price of $3.419 per gallon = $49.98
The receipt says $52.22 .. so at the very least.. you got overcharged by $2.24

assuming i'm reading it right.
 
alkemyst said:
They do something...It's freaking common to see someone shooting gas everywhere, yet the next person that uses the pump has it shut off correctly.
Click to expand...

I've never seen this. Maybe it's just you. If you like, I can teach you how to fill your car. I had to teach my GF a few years ago when she started driving, so don't worry you'll catch on just fine.
 
Mike Gayner said:
I've never seen this. Maybe it's just you. If you like, I can teach you how to fill your car. I had to teach my GF a few years ago when she started driving, so don't worry you'll catch on just fine.
Click to expand...

hasn't happened to me, I just see it happening. I used to think they were snowbird Canadians, but now perhaps with the comprenhesion level you show; they were actually New Zealanders.

Don't worry though I know how to fill your gf up. I was the guy that taught her stick.
 
OP, buy a one or 2 gallon gas can, use an accurate measuring cup from your kitchen and mark off with a sharpie exactly one gallon is. Empty out water, leave off top and let can dry completely then take to the gas station in question and test, now you will KNOW for sure if you're getting ripped off...
 
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