Have you or one of your friends and family fallen for the old gas fill up trick

[elgordo38]

My g/f just told me her sister went to fill up the gas tank it was almost empty. She said 400 bahts please and paid after the fill up. On her way home she noticed the gas gauge had hardly moved. Rather than turn around and complain she continued home fuming. My g/f tells me this has also happened to a friend twice on a fairly new car and the gas station attendant claims her gas gauge must be malfunctioning. She threatened the gas station owner that she would contact the police and he seemed unfazed. Anyone have a similar experience? Is this one method of theft one should watch out for? I know when I drove a car and filled up with gas I always watched the needle climb before leaving even when I did self serve.

[schlog]

Only once at the suxks station on the way to the airport. Paid 1000 and got mabye gasoline for 600.

At all other stations never had this.

[swissie]

The pumps at the gas station display how many liters were pumped and how many Bht that costs.

Cheers.

[onetime]

I heard of this many moons ago. There's another trick up the attendants will pull. Hiding some yaba on your car and alerting the waiting police. You have to get out and watch, or fill it up yourself.

[MaeJoMTB]

Get out of your car and watch the pump.

They only catch out lazy people.

[Gutenberg]

Some at Shell stations around Phuket also tried that with me, e.g. 1000 THB ordered, only 500 filled up. Since then, I always check what the numbers are telling.

Edited December 15, 2015 by Gutenberg

[Lampang2]

Another Classic is to have an outstanding amount already when you arrive so you won't start from zero.

I always get out and watch the pump quickly.

[NickJ]

I always watch them. If I cant see the meter I get out. The motorway from Bkk to Pattaya is the worse for trying to get you to pull into exactly the right spot so you cant see the amount. If they try and direct you to where you know your car should be, just watch out.

Edited December 15, 2015 by NickJ

[nev]

I have fallen for the left on amount at the pump, not much maybe 100 or 200baht as the amount I put in was nowhere near showing the right amount on the gauge.

[kartman]

Just so we have a balanced view on the thread , happens to me if i run the tank out or almost out when refilled gauge does not register comes back slowly or reverts to correct reading next time i restart.

[JaseTheBass]

Not happened to me (yet), but the missus, who uses the car 95% of the time, probably wouldn't tell me if it did happen to her.

[JAS21]

Get out of your car and watch the pump.

They only catch out lazy people.

That's the way to do it ...I always get out. Don't think that I have ever seen a Thai do that.

It's normal to get out in the UK as it's a serve yourself job

[pgrahmm]

Have the opposite problem....One car can take 4-8 liters after the pump clicks off on a fill....They don't like to/won't top it off and it makes a big difference in kpt and changes things on a road trip....It holds 92 liters so sometimes the volume surprises them - but it can be frustrating...

Now I just ask for 2,000b at a time & human nature being what it is they now top it off better trying to get the asked for amount in....

I've not been shorted here → possibly because I've been watching to see how much it takes....

Did get shorted in the Philippines → but that's a place you have to be watchful 24/7 just to stay even....

In California for awhile I was going to a station that had a good price but miles per tank was down.....Started watching and a couple of their pumps zipped instantly to $2 then flowed normally....Stopped going there.....

Edited December 15, 2015 by pgrahmm

[canthai55]

My car and truck both have locking gas caps. Require the ignition key to open. Problem solved.

[Dmaxdan]

I don't look at the pump. I do however turn the ignition on with the key to see if the needle on the fuel gauge has moved to the correct position before I hand any money over.

[Alration]

Sounds like a misunderstanding to me, how many cars with an empty tank as you described fill up with just 400 baht of petrol?

As unlikely as it sounds, I heard a story once where someone claimed to have been scammed on a fill-up but actually had a drink and a little flutter on half the money on the way home.

[Supaluke]

I know I'm going to sound like the 'gas tank half empty sort of guy', have you given thought to the possibility that your gf's sister took your 400 baht, asked the attendant to fill 100 baht, pocketed the balance and then cried wolf.

Wouldn't be the first time it's been done

[cooked]

Seen worse in Italy. (they will be stripping your engine down because they heard a noise if you aren't careful).

I generally need to stretch my legs when I'm tanking up anyway, 90% of the time at the same two places so no funny business goes on.

[elgordo38]

My car and truck both have locking gas caps. Require the ignition key to open. Problem solved.

I am curious do you get out and unlock the gas cap for the attendant to put in the gas? Do you just give him/her the key. If you just hand them the key I cannot see how it solves the problem.

Edited December 15, 2015 by elgordo38

[burgerking]

Always get out of my car and stand beside the pump before ordering my 95 petrol.

[elgordo38]

Sounds like a misunderstanding to me, how many cars with an empty tank as you described fill up with just 400 baht of petrol?

As unlikely as it sounds, I heard a story once where someone claimed to have been scammed on a fill-up but actually had a drink and a little flutter on half the money on the way home.

She has a small Mitsubichi 400 bahts usually fills it.

[elgordo38]

I know I'm going to sound like the 'gas tank half empty sort of guy', have you given thought to the possibility that your gf's sister took your 400 baht, asked the attendant to fill 100 baht, pocketed the balance and then cried wolf.

Wouldn't be the first time it's been done

Nice try no cigar on that answer. Its her car her money and she is alone. DELETED

Edited December 15, 2015 by seedy
troll / flaming

[Robert24]

don't think this happened to me unless someone has manipulated the litre/baht reading at a pump. Also this is the first time I hear about this.

[saakura]

With all these problems in filling gas at the gas stations, i am glad that i drive a car which uses petrol and i have not come across these scams at petrol stations.

[billd766]

I think I have been caught out once and given the wrong change but a fair way from home. There was a grudging apology and the rest of my change was given to me.

I always get out and log how much diesel goes into the pickup, what the speedo is indicating plus the cost.

Locally and even up to Khampaeng Phet there is no problem but I always get out and tell the attendant roughly how much fuel I will need and I ALWAYS check that the pump meter is a zero.

On the motorbike there is no problem because I get off anyway.

Edited December 15, 2015 by billd766

[Linesy]

Nearly happened to me once, 1000 baht requested and paid. Started the car and moved about 10 feet and noticed the gauge had not moved! I stopped immediately and was about to get out when someone came running over and asked me to back up to the pump and blamed the attendant for making a mistake. My fault for being lazy on this one occasion as I normally keep eyes on the pump not just for the amount but also that the correct fuel is inserted. Was it a mistake or did the attendant notice that I didn't pay much attention? One can only speculate!

[Dellie]

Lol not once have I had this problem in all my years driving around this country. Its pretty simple. Tell them full tank and check the gauge before you leave the station. How hard is it?

Normally I fill up at PTT stations since they almost always have 7/11 or Jiffy. Maybe its a thing at smaller comapny stations. Dunno..

[JoeW]

I usually double check if they are actually pouring diesel in my car.

Guy next to me at PTT near Wang Noi had gasohol 95 poured into his PJS.

[KhunBENQ]

I almost always fuel up at PTT.

I try to park the car so that I can see the meter.

Is it reset to zero?

Did he/she grap the right fuel?

Does the pump meter move?

Has the indicator in the car moved?

Getting out of the car? Never.

I now prefer not to "fill up" but order a fixed amount in money.

Fill up too often resulted in crazy attempts to round up, spill, stinking car.

Also less chance in short changing.

Never noticed obvious cheating.

The spilling and once a "wrong" (but usable) fuel were the only problems in years.

[NanLaew]

I know I'm going to sound like the 'gas tank half empty sort of guy', have you given thought to the possibility that your gf's sister took your 400 baht, asked the attendant to fill 100 baht, pocketed the balance and then cried wolf.

Wouldn't be the first time it's been done

Nice try no cigar on that answer. Its her car her money and she is alone. DELETED

Yeah... that's NOT her brother.

But I digress. I always park the truck so that I can see the meters and lower the window so that the dek pump KNOWS I am looking at the meter before I order. If it is sunny or the LCD display is hard to read, I will get out and stand opposite before saying what I want.

For the life of me, I can't get my head around anyone NOT looking at their own fuel gauge during filling up and before parting with cash, let alone not checking the pump metering.

Edited December 15, 2015 by seedy
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