Comments on: Do petrol pumps pinch my pennies?

By: Alan

Alan — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:42:20 +0000

It just happened to me, I just put £60 of petrol in my car and I 100% know I did as I remember the pump kept cutting out but I wanted to get to a round number (sad yes I know!), anyway I went to pay and I said “pump 9 please” and the cashier said “£60.02″ I said “no pump 9 £60.00″ and he said “yes £60.02″ I pointed out that I know it was £60 dead on but ended paying £60.02. With the fuel companies making Billions of profit it is no wonder!
I agree someone needs to report this higher up as this has happened to me many times and I have seen it with my own eyes.

By: Pat

Pat — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:37:10 +0000

On some old pumps, back in the last century, you could actually choose the amount in pounds, simillar to a cash dispenser, that you wanted the pump to deliver.
With all the modern electronics nowadays surely that would be an easy way to stop being overcharged by these pennies, by choosing the amount prior to delivery.
I found this site after filling at ASDA and having put the nozzle back wirh £50.00 showing on the pump, gone into the kiosk and was asked for the other 2p for £50.02.
Crooks the lot of them. Bring back the Birch and petrol at 31p a gallon…….!!!!

By: Winthorp

Winthorp — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:05:21 +0000

I have the same experience. Often I cannot stop on £**.00, most of the time it will skip to £**.01. However a few times now I filled up in my local Sainsbury’s petrol station and something different also happens. I managed to stop on £64.00 the other day, and when I went to pay at the cashier to my surprise he asked for £64.01..!!! Judging by the amount of times this is reported (internet search shows many cases of this), I think this is either a ploy by the fuel companies to make even more money than they do already, or most fuel station’s pumps need to be recalibrated. I have written to Watchdog about this, and if others do, hopefully some investigation can take place…

By: Ma77

Ma77 — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:06:18 +0000

Today I was proud of myself for landing exactly on 30 squid!
Went to the till and handed over my money! She then said to me “and the 2p?” 2p had been added to my total in the short walk to the till =(

Wasn’t happy! Wasn’t the thought of being 2p down but the principal of the matter!

By: andr3w

andr3w — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:24:32 +0000

Glad to know I’m not the only one with these suspicions, but I think it’s less to do with fuel companies nicking an extra penny of us, and more to do with getting people to try to go up to the next pound again.

By: WS

WS — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:28:40 +0000

YES! YES! YES! i have been saying this for an absolute age….Morrisons and Tescos filling stations being the biggest culprits. The same thing again and again…..19.98….19.99…20.00….little shake (not to glean an extra millionth of a litre, but to stop the last little drip hitting my shoes or trousers) then returning pump to holster ‘click’ 20.01!!….I mean, REALLY??
Over the course of a day, a week, a year, a few THOUSAND pennies equates to A SHIT LOAD OF PROFIT!!
And JC…you’re full of shit!! What I HAVE noticed at the pumps is the counter flies to about 8p before any fucking fuel is delivered!! That accounts for the ‘free fuel’ in the nozzle.
You work in a petrol filling station cos you’re too thick to get a proper job and have been brainwashed by the robbing fucks that you work for!!
I urge everyone who feels as wronged about this as I do to write complaints to petrol stations involved. It is theft!!
And I really do understand the engineering/scientific reasons behind pipe dialation n all that but THEY MAKE ENOUGH PROFIT!! what ever the reasons that penny has not got in my tank!!

By: Jack Rossiney

Jack Rossiney — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:08:02 +0000

A couple of days ago I went to a petrol station which I do not normally use (I had just passed my usual station due to it being full) so I placed just 10.2 litres in the car and I was looking at the litres dial and after 10 litres had gone in I released the handle and it read just fourteen pounds,being mindful of the situation of pumps often putting one penny on I watched the amount of money on the dial as stated above and as soon as I placed the pump back into its holder it clicked and placed 1p on the sale. I commented on this to the person on the till and after informing him of the above he could not give me an answer.How much must they make on this,there is no doubt in my mind that we all need to complain to the
relavant people about this to get something done.

By: Alan

Alan — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 14:53:27 +0000

I have for years suspected a scam at the pumps since I try to copy a Seinfield sketch where he gets ecstatic when he gets .00 at the end of his re-fuelling.
I have long assumed that the pumps must be programmed to add 1p to every sale with the assumption that most punters will be too embarrassed or not bothered about complaining.
Today I was mildly chuffed to score 35.00 on a Tesco pump but on turning round to check the pump number, the reading had jumped to 35.01.
On reaching home I thought I’d Google some key words relating to petrol pumps and pennies and was amazed to find this site.
Now I’m convinced that this scam exists.
What can be done ?

By: Jan

Jan — Mon, 16 May 2011 22:13:03 +0000

I’ve noticed this for weeks and weeks now at my local Shell petrol station. Tonight, I deliberately stopped pumping petrol when it got to £19.99, thinking this scam would take me up to my required £20.00 but oh no… the price jumped up to £20.01. I complained in the shop and asked the girl that surely I can’t be the first to be mentioning this. she replied that more and more people are commenting. I think I shall be contacting trading Standards also…… do these places think we are all morons?

By: mandy sullivan

mandy sullivan — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:47:42 +0000

I had noticed this before but didnt think anything about it,but its happened to me the last two times i put petrol in my car at the local Esso garage,it rerally grinds my gears,dont they make enough bloody money out of us without this!