Just got off the phone with Consumer Affairs re gasoline price gouging

[no_hypocrisy]

I was advised (and passing it along to you) that you should take a calculator along when you gas up. Apparently there is a sporadic practice of the internal pump/gauge not matching the numbers on the outside, and you end up buying less gas than you pay for. Just do some quick division of the # of gallons into the # of dollars paid just to make sure the price per gallon matches what's on top of the pump (or on a marquee). I don't believe this is isolated to northern New Jersey, so just watch out.

[snappyturtle]

1. Thanks for the "heads up"! nt

[TAPat]

2. Thank you for that info - K&R for all to see! nt

[rurallib]

3. And then who do you pass this info on to?

The guy at the station is probably an hourly worker with no power to do anything.

[peekaloo]

6. each pump should have a number posted for a State Rep./weights and

measures inspector.

I hope I didn't misidentify any titles associated with those who should penalize any violators. :dunce:

[no_hypocrisy]

7. Contact the same proverbial agency I did: county consumer affairs

agency, ask for weights and measures division. They will send someone out to investigate.

[madokie]

4. I think every one should read this

:kick: & :thumbsup:

[sabbat hunter]

5. this is a typical scheme

i have heard of this scheme before, the station operator always claims innocence but the only way these things happen is by deliberate manipulation of the pumps by station management. contact your local bureau of weighs and means if you suspect a problem. they will send someone out undercover to check and will take corrective action against stations that are doing this.

[CabalPowered]

8. It's called chipping

and it happens more than you think. Pretty easy to do, just switch out a IC chip in the pump with a not-so-hard-to-get "black" chip.

[RoyGBiv]

9. Small problem ...

When this scam is implemented by someone intentionally by chipping the pump (mentioned by another poster), the calculator method of catching it doesn't work very well unless you know the precise volume of space available in your gasoline tank at the time of your purchase, to withing 1/100th of a gallon, and knowing that is basically impossible for an average person just pulling in to fill up. That is, you have to know the volume you pumped independently of what the pump is telling you. If done properly, the manipulated pump reports the volume pumped incorrectly, not just the price, e.g. the pump says you got 10.1 gallons, but you actually got 10.0, and you're charged for 10.1.

What you can do yourself is use a 5 gallon gasoline container (need to pump more than a gallon to get an accurate reading) and fill it precisely to the 5 gallon line and then do the calculation. This is basically what the inspectors do when they check a station's pumps.

This kind of thing is really hard to spot for the average consumer who doesn't intentionally try something like the above. What *does* happen a lot is that people figure the price they should be paying based on the gallons pumped, and they forget to include the fraction of a cent that is present with most ppg in most states. The marquee reads 2.59/gal, but in most places it is actually 2.599. So, what happens is someone pumps ten gallons exactly, sees they were charged 25.99 for the purchase rather than 25.90, and if they don't remember the fraction, they get POed and report a problem where there isn't one. Obviously, the larger the volume you pump, the greater the variance people will accidentally calculate. And this causes a problem for the state regulatory agencies because they end up sent on wild goose chases.

[cascadiance]

10. I would think going to a place like Costco would prevent this too...

Costco's a good blue company, and I doubt would ever allow this sort of practice from happening.

I was also able to stave off for one more week the first time I've ever had to pay over $3.00 a gallon. Had to pay $2.9999 instead! :P Don't think I'll be as lucky next week...

[loveandlight]

11. pick and choose which gas stations to visit

I only frequent a few gas stations that I know are reliable to avoid a host of gas station problems like this. Once a short time ago I forgot I was low on gas and had to stop at an unfamiliar station. I know where the gauge on my car was and I know how much gas I usually take when it is that low. This station pumped in 10 1/2 gallons to my car, supposedly, where no other gas station since has pumped more than 9.9 or 10 at the very very most. I know it was a rip off, I said so the clerk at the station, knowing that doesn't do any good, but I was pissed. I paid the money, but of course will never ever return to that station. I have a station near my house I stop at and several near my work that are fairly low in their prices and don't rip me off like that. That is my personal solution. I have found that to be needed in many ways when dealing with businesses these days. More and more people are trying to get the most they can and push the limits of what is legal or fair. It's a bad economy coupled with the greed mentality of this culture that just makes it harder to avoid getting cheated, sad to say.

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. One thing you can look for:

I started pumping gas at one gasoline station and I didn't feel the hose doing the usual jerk dance until it was up to $5.00.

There must be all kinds of ways to steal gasoline. These pumps may have been doing it for quite a while, but nobody was paying attention before now.