Gas pumps

[flyingsquirrel]

I just read on another gun site where you should pump one gallon of gas into your tank and then check to see if the price matches the advertized price. I guess there is some stations rigging their pumps to pump less gas. This might not be a problem in Indiana because we all know it takes us 5 years to catch up with the rest of the country. If it's off, call the # on the cert tag and they haul butt to bust em. I'm gonna try it. Dirty bastigies anyway.

 

[jake blue]

I got gas yesterday and the price advertised on the marquee was lower than the price the pump displayed...

 

[schmart]

Why would they not change the pump calibration to only pump a partial gallon, but show a full gallon. Much harder for a typical user to catch. Even if you have a 1 gal can, can you really tell if the pump is off by 3% or is the line on the can just off? Still ends up being a 10c/gal profit for the station at that point.
--Rick

 

[TheGrumpyGuy]

I got gas yesterday and the price advertised on the marquee was lower than the price the pump displayed...

That's against the law in most states; pump price is legally supposed to be lowered before the marquee price

 

[Chalky]

Used to see this some on the old mechanical pumps. My dad used to always check, there were several stations that we would avoid due to this. Remember complaining to the station and they laughed and said call the number on the weight cert sticker. haha. Wouldn't think the new digital/electronic scales would be off or easy to change, guess it's possible.

 

[Leo]

Why would they not change the pump calibration to only pump a partial gallon, but show a full gallon. Much harder for a typical user to catch. Even if you have a 1 gal can, can you really tell if the pump is off by 3% or is the line on the can just off? Still ends up being a 10c/gal profit for the station at that point.
--Rick

when gas is $3.50 per gallon, the chance of stopping it on the exact cent is pretty rare. The penalty for dishonest measures is pretty severe, making it unlikely.

There are department of weights and measures people with calibrated cans that stop by without notice. A gallon better hit 231 cubic inches on the sight glass in his measure. There is a calibrated thermometer in his rig to compensate for temperature. I do not think short metering is a big problem. Since all the modern stuff is digital from counter to the read out, electronic drift is not a problem. People hacking your credit card numbers from gas pumps IS a big problem.

 

[Leo]

That's against the law in most states; pump price is legally supposed to be lowered before the marquee price

I had a Speedway station change the price up a dime a gallon while I was pumping. I noticed this and talked to the manager, who said there is never a time when someone is not running a pump. Then he got a $1.80 out of the register and thanked me for coming in.

With so many stations being run by the Company jobbers, They are already making good margin. It is not like the old days when an independent is making only a few 10ths of a penny per gallon and had to find ways to subsidize the rent.

 

[dieselrealtor]

That's against the law in most states; pump price is legally supposed to be lowered before the marquee price

I see this at the Kroger fuel in Martinsville, they have even put up signs on the door that stated the price on the pump is the price, not the price on the sign.

They are also frequently out of receipt paper at the pumps.

 

[Pepi]

I'm beginning to like it up the ...

 

[CPE1704TKS]

I typically get gas at Speedway and use the rewards card. Using the rewards card will revert the price to the lower price for the day if the price has increased sometime during that day.

 

[El Conquistador]

when gas is $3.50 per gallon, the chance of stopping it on the exact cent is pretty rare. The penalty for dishonest measures is pretty severe, making it unlikely.

There are department of weights and measures people with calibrated cans that stop by without notice. A gallon better hit 231 cubic inches on the sight glass in his measure. There is a calibrated thermometer in his rig to compensate for temperature. I do not think short metering is a big problem. Since all the modern stuff is digital from counter to the read out, electronic drift is not a problem. People hacking your credit card numbers from gas pumps IS a big problem.

Yes happened to me a few years ago. Got skimmed at a murphy USA (walmart) before I knew it they took about 2K out of my checking account. They were buying gift cards and such from Indy to Kentucky along I65.

 

[pute62]

Some people have a hard enough time just pumping gas.

 

[mmpsteve]

Couple years back when my tank was really empty, the pump said I pumped over a gallon more than the specs of my car say is possible. I thought about calling Weights and Measures until I looked at the name on the W&M label. The niece of the well-connected and influential county commissioner. This was in Lake County. I didn't waste my time.

.

 

[Ingomike]

Couple years back when my tank was really empty, the pump said I pumped over a gallon more than the specs of my car say is possible. I thought about calling Weights and Measures until I looked at the name on the W&M label. The niece of the well-connected and influential county commissioner. This was in Lake County. I didn't waste my time.

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All my vehicles take about a gallon some more if driven that low. There is usually some emergency gas not in the figures from manufacturers. Then what is in the fuel system is nor included also…

 

[WebSnyper]

I had a Speedway station change the price up a dime a gallon while I was pumping. I noticed this and talked to the manager, who said there is never a time when someone is not running a pump. Then he got a $1.80 out of the register and thanked me for coming in.

With so many stations being run by the Company jobbers, They are already making good margin. It is not like the old days when an independent is making only a few 10ths of a penny per gallon and had to find ways to subsidize the rent.

Should be based on the pump price per gallon when you initiated the transaction (started pumping). I've definitely seen the price go up at stations while I was pumping but did not impact my in progress transaction, if I had already started pumping.

 

[HoughMade]

Never hurts to check. I'm sure there are unscrupulous people out there who will try what they can, but I don't think modern pumps are as adjustable as what we think they may be. Sure they can change prices and there is likely some sort of adjustment for calibration, but I highly doubt they can flat out adjust the pump to deliver .7 gallons and read 1 gallon, etc.

 

[snapping turtle]

Dateline when gas first got to 1 dollar a gallon.
Place : old convenience store anderson Indiana
Object old mechanical gas pump.
Offender Me

Was told to go to X gas station. Pump as slow as possible. 23 gallons 8 dollars.

Pumps were old and got replaced in a few months. I feel bad about it now but did not when I did it. I did pay what the pump rung up. So at times it can happen in reverse

 

[mmpsteve]

Dateline when gas first got to 1 dollar a gallon.
Place : old convenience store anderson Indiana
Object old mechanical gas pump.
Offender Me

Was told to go to X gas station. Pump as slow as possible. 23 gallons 8 dollars.

Pumps were old and got replaced in a few months. I feel bad about it now but did not when I did it. I did pay what the pump rung up. So at times it can happen in reverse

I worked at a gas station for a couple years before they went digital. The only way to check how much gas was really pumped over a given time period was to stick a long wooden pole with inch marks on it, into the tanks to check level.

Also, the price could be 'adjusted' down to 0.9 cents per gallon. You can imagine the highjinx that young, broke kids making $2.35/hr could get up to on the night shifts. Those same kids are the ones who stuck the tanks at the end of their shifts and computed gallons pumped. The next day shifts didn't always tally exactly.

Other stories to follow ...

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[Lpherr]

I'm beginning to like it up the ...

Wrong thread...

 

[churchmouse]

I worked at a gas station for a couple years before they went digital. The only way to check how much gas was really pumped over a given time period was to stick a long wooden pole with inch marks on it, into the tanks to check level.

Also, the price could be 'adjusted' down to 0.9 cents per gallon. You can imagine the highjinx that young, broke kids making $2.35/hr could get up to on the night shifts. Those same kids are the ones who stuck the tanks at the end of their shifts and computed gallons pumped. The next day shifts didn't always tally exactly.

Other stories to follow ...

.

Worked nights at the "Golden Imperial" (now the Speedway) at 38th & Georgetown Road as a 2nd job in 1971. Mechanical pumps and a CC swiping machine. Pure analog. Some of the ways employees skimmed the till was pretty creative.