Reasons of change

[wooly]

My business partner and I nearly fell for, what we have to admit was, a beautifully executed and very professional scam. Last Saturday we visited the petrol station in Nana at the top of Soi 4 in Sukhumvit Road - also McDonalds. We gave the older lady attendant a 1000 baht note and asked for a thousand baht of diesel. This she acknowledged by saying one and holding up one finger - we confirmed yes. We foolishly remained in the pickup. Having put the fuel in the the vehicle she walked away.

My business partner happened to look back at the pump and notice that it read 700 baht. Next a young boy attendant approached the vehicle and we pointed out that we had given a thousand baht note, but only received 700 baht's worth of diesel. He shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he did not have a clue what we were talking about, and walked away. I jumped out of the cab and stood by the fuel pump. Suddenly the young lad came rushing back with 300 baht 'change'. Interestingly the lady had completely vanished.

Lesson learned get out of the vehicle and stand by the pump to make sure you get what you pay for.

[PattayaParent]

Maybe she just went to get your change?

[PattayaParent]

Double post CAT sucks

Edited March 3, 2011 by PattayaParent

[givenall]

One more thing to be aware is that every time should look at the pump to make sure it is zeroed out. I have had an experience one time they did not zeroed the pump and continued to put gas in my car

[ericthai]

Yes you always need to watch what the pump says. I have heard of this going on all over Thailand from several people.

Remember it's a Thai's job to get as much money out of you as they can, it's your job to watch them and not pay too much or get scammed.

[billd766]

Common sense and not rocket science.

[Sakeopete]

Hmm I have never given money before receiving my fuel. Tell them what you want, check the pump meter is zeroed and pay after they deliver the fuel. Simple

[raylo]

Hmm I have never given money before receiving my fuel. Tell them what you want, check the pump meter is zeroed and pay after they deliver the fuel. Simple

Exactly. Never ever (unless Malaysia) given money before receiving fuel. Sound slike noobs.

Plus if the nozzle is correcly lodged the pump will not start again until the meter is zeroed unles sit has been modified and

that would require an expert.

[craigt3365]

We also fell for that scam also. It was 900B and they asked for 1000. Wifey just happened to look at the pump and then ask them for 100B change.

Lots of scams with regards to fuel pumps the world over.

[Khun Jean]

If everyone always distrusts their fellow men, the world would be a more honest place.

[p_brownstone]

I fail to see how this can in any way be called "a beautifully executed and very professional scam"!

You were simply lazy or careless - or both.

As a piece of advice, all modern Dispensers have a "Preset" function – using which the Attendant, or even you the Customer, can, with a Digital Keypad mounted on the Dispenser, enter the amount (litres) or total value (Baht) of the fuel you wish to load into your vehicle, once that limit is dispensed the Pump shuts off automatically - there is no need to sit and watch the Attendant or the Meter .... or risk loading more fuel than you need (or can pay for!).

Another "scam" which Thais (even, to my intense irritation, my own wife!) will tell you happens “all the time” is that the Meter already shows a Baht total from the last Dispensing operation and that this amount will then be accumulated into the total that shows when you, the next Customer, ends a new transaction.

Usually - almost invariably - this is an "Urban Legend".

As someone else has already pointed out, Dispensers have a cutout specifically designed to prevent this type of fraud. If the Nozzle is returned to the Holder on the Dispenser (as it always should be) when a loading is finished a lever must be raised so that it, the Nozzle, can be seated in the Holder. When a new Dispense is initiated the Nozzle is removed from the Holder and that lever must be depressed again - an action that not only automatically "zeroes out" the last transaction but allows the new loading to begin.

There is even a Timer function which prevents a situation where the Nozzle is NOT returned to the Holder but left resting somewhere else; if loading does not resume within a few seconds the Dispenser will simply not dispense more fuel until the Nozzle is replaced in the Holder - using the procedure outlined above - and a completely new transaction initiated.

I admit both these functions can be overridden by someone who has intimate knowledge of the Dispenser and its Protocols but there are few people like that around - and in any such a case it would quickly be exposed on one of the regular checks which Dispenser Distributors - and Excise Authorities - carry out on Retail Stations, their Dispensers and their records.

Patrick

[jcon]

I didn't want to start a new thread so I pulled up this older one....

Besides what was talked about on this thread about not ''zero-ing out'' etc.... is it possible that some petrol stations (big ones, in Bangkok) are under-filling or misrepresenting the number of litres of petrol actually filled?

I ask because while I normally use a Caltex near my house for benzene 95, I sometimes use a PTT that has benzene 91 for my other car and on more than one occasion I've noticed that I get much less (or what seems like much less) petrol than I get at say, the ESSO up the street. I haven't done any precise measurements, but does this stuff still happen?

p.s. I don't think it's a change in my driving habits that causes the increase in fuel usage. And I suppose I could fill up an entire tank and see, but for that I usually go with the benzene 95 around the corner. I this particular PTT when I'm either lazy or the Caltex is too full.