Scam attempt at PTT station

[wimpy]

The other day I had to tell the cashier at Global House how many centimeters are in a meter, so she could figure out how much I owed for a meter of sandpaper. Sad. The security guy had fun asking her if she was embarrassed or not.

[stoli]

Yes, I always get out and make sure they know I am watching carefuly. But they still try short changing, as if I don't know the difference between 500 and 100 baht notes.

400 baht

[onthedarkside]

Yes, I always get out and make sure they know I am watching carefuly. But they still try short changing, as if I don't know the difference between 500 and 100 baht notes.

400 baht

555 - I mean the visual difference, as in the color of the money.

[PoodMaiDai]

We had several pizza delivery boys try to short us 100 each time they would give us change for 1000. We let it slide a few times then finally called the manager to let him know what was going on. We got free pizza for a while and we never saw any of those guys again. Never again had that issue.

Land of scams. I swear there is a think tank somewhere where they sit around and think of ways to get one over on everyone.

[mesquite]

We had several pizza delivery boys try to short us 100 each time they would give us change for 1000. We let it slide a few times then finally called the manager to let him know what was going on. We got free pizza for a while and we never saw any of those guys again. Never again had that issue.

Land of scams. I swear there is a think tank somewhere where they sit around and think of ways to get one over on everyone.

Land of scams, good one. But that is the only way they can make money here. They could be the best delivery boys in the country and they still won't make much money, no opportunity to move up. Same goes for waitresses, petrol station attendants, clerks, etc. The rich here make money off the backs of the poor.

[rsokolowski]

In the United States in New Jersey it is illegal to pump your own gas (not sure why, but it is New Jersey). A person I used to work with said that when he was a kid he worked in a gas station and would short change people and pocket the change for extra spending money on the weekends. This is not just a Thailand scam, but something to be aware of whenever someone fills your tank in any country. Good info though, knowledge prevents scams like these from occurring.

[Gsxrnz]

Here's my routine. Pull up with the rear window adjacent to the meter. Wind down both windows on the pump side. Ask the attendant if they accept credit cards "Chai credit card dai mai na kap", while waving the credit card at him/her and knowing full well that they do accept cards but do it to let them know they won't be getting cash. Tell them to fill the tank "dem tang na kap, diesel kap". Make sure they grab the diesel pump for obvious reasons. Watch the meter turning over through the rear window and eyeball the attendant (while smiling of course). When finished, read the meter, turn on the key to ensure the gauge reads full.

Pay by cash if I feel like it, despite implying I'll pay by card. Make sure you have a sufficient range of notes so that you can normally give them the right money to within 20 baht. If you do pay by larger denominations and the cash change is not a simple glance at it to make sure it's correct, tell the attendant to wait "diao gon" as he hands you the change and confirm it's correct before he walks away. Or confirm the credit card receipt with the pump meter, and Bob's your Aunty.

Sometimes I take a 20 litre drum on the back of the ute to fill up with petrol for use on the scooters. I've learned never to ask them to put diesel in the truck and petrol in the drum at the same time. It seems it's information overload. Once a second attendant took the drum to another pump and put diesel in it. So now I wait till the trucks full and then tell them to do the drum so I can see it being done.

Re this sort of scam in general, it's so easy to make it a practice to protect yourself from opportunity. If I pay for something anywhere, be it a bar, a 7/11, a roadside food stall, I hold the note/s up at the person taking the cash and look them in the eye and tell them what I'm giving them. That way they know that YOU know what the change should be. Sometimes I even tell them what the change should be. So many guys pay a 300 baht bin at a bar with a 1,000 and get change for a 500. Some try to argue the toss but rarely win, others just don't notice.

Edited June 16, 2013 by Gsxrnz

[mania]

Re this sort of scam in general, it's so easy to make it a practice to protect yourself from opportunity. If I pay for something anywhere, be it a bar, a 7/11, a roadside food stall, I hold the note/s up at the person taking the cash and look them in the eye and tell them what I'm giving them. That way they know that YOU know what the change should be. So many guys pay a 300 baht bin at a bar with a 1,000 and get change for a 500. Some try to argue the toss but rarely win, others just don't notice.

Reminded me of that movie "The Grifters"

Good movie & that was one of the simple grifts ( petty scams ) that got the guys arm broke

He pulled that show the money in reverse. Showed a $20 or something asked for change at a bar.

But he never said change a $20 just showed one & then

swapped the larger note for a smaller palmed note while getting the change.

Bar Owner was hip grabbed his wrist & baseball batted it with a small bat he had under the bar.

Edited June 16, 2013 by mania

[Benjie]

I always drive the car that the pump counter is beside the passenger window, at the same time I have the tank cap in full view in my side mirror.

It happened not so long ago to me at a Pattaya Shell station, where they have diesel and V-power wich is about 3 Baht more.

I order the attendant to fill with diesel and see in the side morror he indeed graps the diesel pump handle. At the same time another attendant is standing in front of the car and he signals him to take the V-power handle. So he changes and as soon as he points it to the car I shout, with my side window open, " NO " in Thai but the one that was standing in front of the car previously pretends not to understand Thai language anymore.

So I jump out of the car and get to them in full fury, which make them finally stop pumping. At that time there is 120 Baht of V-power in the tank already.

I tell him in my best Thai that I clearly ordered Diesel and will not pay for what they pumped already. So they change to diesel, but at the end when I pay they give me back change and include the 120 Baht V-power.

I simply make them once again aware that I didn't order that and that they can call the police or I will, after which I get back the 120 Baht in seconds.

I don't see why you would be entitled to any more than the difference in cost between 120 baht of Vpower and the equivalent amount of Diesel. Probably half that kids daily wage and it would have been taken out of his wage.

Edited June 16, 2013 by Benjie

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I always drive the car that the pump counter is beside the passenger window, at the same time I have the tank cap in full view in my side mirror.

It happened not so long ago to me at a Pattaya Shell station, where they have diesel and V-power wich is about 3 Baht more.

I order the attendant to fill with diesel and see in the side morror he indeed graps the diesel pump handle. At the same time another attendant is standing in front of the car and he signals him to take the V-power handle. So he changes and as soon as he points it to the car I shout, with my side window open, " NO " in Thai but the one that was standing in front of the car previously pretends not to understand Thai language anymore.

So I jump out of the car and get to them in full fury, which make them finally stop pumping. At that time there is 120 Baht of V-power in the tank already.

I tell him in my best Thai that I clearly ordered Diesel and will not pay for what they pumped already. So they change to diesel, but at the end when I pay they give me back change and include the 120 Baht V-power.

I simply make them once again aware that I didn't order that and that they can call the police or I will, after which I get back the 120 Baht in seconds.

I don't see why you would be entitled to any more than the difference in cost between 120 baht of Vpower and the equivalent amount of Diesel. Probably half that kids daily wage and it would have been taken out of his wage.

Good!

That said, you need to say 'Diesel FuelSave' at when at Shell, which is what they're calling the regular stuff.

But yes, Shell has a nationwide scam going on where they try to put in the expensive stuff without asking. If they then -in addition to scamming their customers- also resort to scamming their own staff out of 120 baht, caused by their own policy then that's even more Karma Goodness coming their way.

I mostly avoid Shell stations these days, especially the one on the Hand Dong road.

Edited June 16, 2013 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Berkshire]

Interesting, OP, and thanks for sharing. I've never had this kind of problem although one time, an attendant tried to short change me.

When I pull into the station, I always tell the attendant to fill-it-up and just pay what's on the meter. I also walk out of the car and stand around, if only because I prefer not to sit around and wait.

[bristolgeoff]

I always watch the petrol being put in,never trust anyone but myself to put gas in or watch if someone they

[Briggsy]

Always carry your nunchucks in the car. Any of this scamming business, use the double X strike on the pump scammers. They will learn their lesson.

[philw]

I never knew it was so hard and dangerous to buy petrol.

Enlightened.

Thanks and I will be aware and alert..........................

[msiddall]

There is a new PTT gas station on Petchkasem Road 5km south of Narathip Road (near The Energy) just out of Cha Am. There is a chubby little cashier there who has tried to short change me by 100 bht on 4 separate occasions (she got away with it the first time, after that I count my change). She makes a show of counting the change, then hands it to the attendant who also counts it and then hands it to me. The attendant scurried off quite quickly yesterday when i began counting my change. The cashier very sheepishly handed over my extra 100 bht. But 4 times is too much. So i called PTT yesterday to complain. The said they would investigate and did seem to be concerned. I will wait and see.

[Sticky Rice Balls]

Think Tank?...a bunch of monkeys picking ticks off each other or the smarter ones checking FB page....

We had several pizza delivery boys try to short us 100 each time they would give us change for 1000. We let it slide a few times then finally called the manager to let him know what was going on. We got free pizza for a while and we never saw any of those guys again. Never again had that issue.

Land of scams. I swear there is a think tank somewhere where they sit around and think of ways to get one over on everyone.

[infernalman7]

My god I didn't know this is such a common occurance

Never thought that for a very simple transaction like this there would be attempted scam.

Always paid with credit card though. Perhaps this would lower the chance of petty scams by the staff (if it's not initiated by the station owners)

[ThaiPauly]

I always ask for 1000 baht's worth.( I know for a motorbike that's not possible) That way there can be no problems with getting the right change.

I always get out of the car these days and watch.

As WTK said I avoid the Shell garage on the Hang Dong Road as I am sure they got me once before I put my new tactics in place.

[DaamNaam]

Yes, I always get out and make sure they know I am watching carefully. But they still try short changing, as if I don't know the difference between 500 and 100 baht notes.

As others, I always get out and watch them.

They must think it's a strange farang phenomena.......Thai's never get out.

I never get out either, but always make sure i can clearly see the meter. Had no trouble yet. Touch wood.

[FolkGuitar]

Paying attention pays off... literally.

The gas station that was most famous for scams (they once 'put' 23 liters into my 20-liter tank) is now out of business (the station on the south side of the moat near the mental hospital.)

[jackr]

The rich here make money off the backs of the poor.

The rich everywhere make money off the backs of the poor.That's how they got rich... mostly.

[Bung]

I've only had it once when one attendant was overly chatty trying to distract me and got short changed. As soon as I noticed and looked to the cashier she immediately gave me the extra 100 baht before I even had a chance to say anything.

Luckily, my new car has the fill point on the drivers side and its easy to see the meter.