To think we shouldn't have been treated like criminals?

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DP and I use the local petrol station nearly every day for bits and pieces, since there is a small supermaket attached. As such, all the staff know us fairly well and we'll make friendly small talk with them whenever we go in.

We went down to get petrol before getting our DD from preschool and we were already running a tiny bit late. DP went in to pay for the petrol but came out not long after saying the card had declined (it shouldn't have, need to look into thay but it's a separate issue). I immediately panicked since I've already had a terrible day and say we can go home and get my other card once we've picked DD up.

DP goes in and explains this but one of the less friendly members of staff said that this wasn't the "correct procedure" and would have to put it through a debt collectors, adding a £6 fee, and taking a photo of him (!) and the car. He tried to get this debt collection thing to go through for a long time (all the while I am in the car going out of my mind with worry) and DP keeps reminding him that we need to go and pick up our DD. The man woulf not let us do that until it became evident this debt collection thing wouldn't work. His colleague meanwhile was saying the whole time "They're regular customers! They wouldn't be trying it on!"
Anyway when this "correct procedure" was evidently not working, he finally agreed that we could just bring a different form of payment later. We were 15 minutes late picking up DD. (I am very anxious about timekeeping)

So AIBU to think this kind of officious, bureaucratic nonsense was not necessary?

You called the pre school and told them you'd be late right?

He has to follow procedure. He didnt treat you like criminals. He treated you like people whose payment had been declined and he needed to make sure they would get the payment.

Sorry YABU. If the attendant hadn't followed the correct procedure, he would have been risking his job. You being a regular customer wouldn't have made any difference.

Another one who thinks YABU unfortunate as it is that's that man's work place he has to follow proper procedure.

Yes we rang ahead and said that we would be late.
I agree they need to be sure they secure payment, however the staff member saying that he didn't need to use the procedure on this occasion is a manager there and I really object to the photo of DP being taken. They also took a photo of the car but I understood that part.

I once realised I'd left my credit cards at home when I went in to pay for petrol at our local Shell garage. I was mortified. Fortunately all I had to do was fill in a form with my details and then dash home to get my credit card.

It would be interesting to know which is the more common experience. I'm not sure if YABU or not terribly helpful

I agree with the others - the attendant would probably be in trouble if he hadn't followed the process.

YABU. You can guarantee the assistant would get a bollocking if he hadn't followed procedure.

The few people I know this has happened to just had the form to fill in. maybe that petrol station has issues with people regularly not paying?

I forgot to put my card back in my purse once and the garage just kept a note of my reg no and let me come back later. I was back within ten minutes and he seemed amazed. No idea how long people keep him waiting normally!

I'm afraid I don't think the attendant had any choice either.

YAB a little U, he's probably been fleeced by dozens of customers previously pulling this game.

We get our petrol at a tiny little local station, the chap in there gives the DCs sweets (out of date, bit manky, seems a kind chap though) and once when I forgot my purse he went "pay for it tomorrow, no rush" and that was that. I think if it's a big company the paperwork is probably much more meticulous though.

I've done this once, left my purse at home, I had to fill in a form and they said they have some sort of computer system that records number plates of cars when filling up anyway so if someone tried to do a runner the details can be passed on. This was a big supermarket chain one tho - maybe it's different for smaller stations?

I don't blame the lad for wanting to follow procedure. Taking a picture of dh is totally understandable imo.

I do feel for you though!

I should clarify maybe - it was a Spar - so I can see where you're all coming from.

I don't think the attendant had a choice

it's the sort of thing I'd do - if my boss wanted to take the non-official option, I'd keep schtum but she's more senior than me and therefore less likely to lose her job as managers all band together

when you are at the bottom of the hierarchy, it's even more important to follow official rules to avoid getting the sack.

My husband filled up and went to pay but was informed that his car had been flagged up as a drive off previously! Never did get to the bottom of that as they were unable to produce the cctv of the alleged offence.

Maybe he's had someone promise to come back and pay before and then didn't turn up. Or maybe he's just a stickler for the rules, or afraid he'll get in trouble if he didn't follow procedure.

Horribly embarrassing when it happens though! I once tried to pay for a taxi and my card got declined, had run out of money, and was very embarrassed but luckily the taxi driver was nice and told me to just go to the taxi office later with some money (got some cash off my OH). OH forgot his card once at the shop and the shop lady told him to just pay the next day, though as we left he realised his card had been in a different pocket the whole time. And he almost forgot to go back the next day to pay!

This all seems like a reasonable process to me.

I shouldn't say this, but my mate worked for one with a small supermarket and if this happened ppl would just drive off and her manager used to make her pay it out of her wages (well dodgy)
I'm sure no one thinks you are criminal, but you are not friends with them either

YABU.

They don't know you. You have had a service that you haven't paid for.

I've been in that situation with the garage at the bottom of my road. It was an independent one and I was a regular customer so offered to leave my phone with him as a form of insurance that i would be back and he was fine with it!

This happened to me in Sainsbury's and I was asked for driving license and then filled out a short form and told I had to return in three days with payment.

I didn't have a mugshot taken like your DP. Will they use it to mock up a 'wanted' poster if you don't return?

I've filled in a form when card got declined. Was mortified!!

The attendant probably had little authority to deviate from procedure.

That said - why not just leave your husband there as "ransom," go and get your daughter, grab the other card and drive back? With him there chatting to an attendant who knows him, waiting for you, they probably wouldn't have had to go through all of those formalities and considering you lost a lot of time anyway, he might as well just have waited there for you to make the trip in the first place.

I agree. I would have just left an adult at the petroleum station and collected DD and the card.