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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Row in the petrol station

143 replies

BishBashBosch · 29/10/2020 11:54

After filling my car, at the counter, I was told the price and put down my credit card on the counter. They had a portable card reader but it was facing the cashier.

The cashier puts my card in to the reader, presses some buttons, and hands me the reader with it on the 'enter pin' screen. There wasn't an amount visible.

I immediately think that's a bit odd because I should put the card in myself (particularly now), and I don't know what messages he saw when he was pressing buttons. I felt a gut instinct something wasn't right.

I say to the guy "I'm going to take my card out and start again".

The guy gets very annoyed with me. I forget exactly what he said. He took back the machine and asked for my card. I said I wanted to put the card in myself.

It turned into a standoff, him saying "just give me the card", me refusing to. Eventually he gave in and gave me the machine and I did it the way I wanted, but with him grumbling and tutting me the whole time. There was a screen asking if the amount was correct, I don't know what would have happened if I'd pressed 'no'.

Was I being unreasonable? Is there a scam where they change the amount and the customer doesn't see when they enter their PIN?

It was a national chain petrol station.

OP posts:
Original poster
BishBashBosch · 29/10/2020 12:22

The receipt might have shown the amount I agree, but I'd rather check the amount before typing the PIN, than have to try to correct it after I had. Is that unreasonable?

OP posts:
islockdownoveryet · 29/10/2020 12:24

I always say where's the machine as not always visible .
You definitely don't put your pin in without seeing the amount .
Did you get a receipt?

Whatamesssss · 29/10/2020 12:25

YANBU Could have been a cloning scam. This has happened in 2 national petrol station in my area. You did the right thing. Well done for acting on your instincts.

Original poster
BishBashBosch · 29/10/2020 12:25

I think it's most likely he wasn't dodgy, just had his own system to speed things up, and got annoyed when wanted to start again (I wasn't rude, honest) and didn't want to beack down.

I think if he had been trying to steal from me with a different amount he would have just backed down and gone for the next customer.

I also think that given there have been scams in petrol stations involving card cloing and whatnot that they should understand if customers don't want to hand their cards over if they don't have to.

OP posts:
crowsfeet57 · 29/10/2020 12:26

National chain petrol stations don't have PDQ systems that let employees steal

Really? I'm sure the 20 odd people who found their cards had been cloned after using them to pay for petrol in a national chain petrol station near me will be surprised to hear this. I knew some of the victims and also read the accounts of the trial in our local paper. It's why I never pay for fuel by card in a petrol station.

throwaway100000 · 29/10/2020 12:27

There’s nothing wrong with what you did if you were genuinely concerned but your actions were all over the place. Makes you seem unstable/paranoid in his eyes.

You handed your own card over of your own volition. It suggested that you wanted him to insert it himself. Inserting it yourself made no difference to the “scam” you’re proposing happened here, as you’re saying that he input an inflated amount.

If you were unsure of the amount charged, you could have just asked him. You wouldn’t have been charged until you entered your pin and pulling it out is a bit dramatic considering there’s a red cancel button on the card machine.

You didn’t need to see the process on his card reader. The “previous messages” were not interesting nor would it have alerted you to any scam. Your actions could be considered unusual/controlling

You have shown an article from 2006. Very, very old. I’m sure in this 2020, your bank would refund fraudulent charges and it’s unlikely a national chain would be a perpetrator.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 29/10/2020 12:27

Where was the 'row' exactly?

DGRossetti · 29/10/2020 12:27

Since C&P card industry guidelines are that the customer should not let the card out of their hands. (And to be wary of places where it's been designed that they have to).

I've always advised people to obliterate the CV2 (last 3 digits on the signature strip) after memorising them. No one ever needs to see them in person.

Original poster
BishBashBosch · 29/10/2020 12:27

But the 2006 article is about BP, a national chain.

OP posts:
Velvian · 29/10/2020 12:30

Yanbu at all. It is quite common for card scams to happen at filling stations. A BP one near me was the site of one a couple of years ago.

SoupDragon · 29/10/2020 12:31

Is nothing wrong at all with wanting to see the amount you are being charged before you enter your PIN. It's common sense, surely?

WanderingMilly · 29/10/2020 12:31

You were right to ask to do it yourself. Customers have that right, you shouldn't have to hand over your card and yes, scams can be done with cards being handed over.

You should be able to see the amount on the screen that you are paying.

Scams do happen at petrol stations, I had to deal with one which happened at a BP petrol station in the South-East when I was visiting. An extra £35 was taken out of my account which couldn't be accounted for, I contacted the bank and they traced it to the petrol station and recredited the amount. It turned out several people had also reported the same happening on their accounts after using that particular petrol station.

Emmelina · 29/10/2020 12:32

Not surprised to read ‘BP’. Are they a franchise-type deal?
One of the two BP garages by me have been caught out overcharging by card. They were getting away with it for a while! Everyone gets used to just lashing the button through the confirm amount, charity donation yes/no etc. and a surprising number of people don’t regularly check all is well with their bank.

starfishmummy · 29/10/2020 12:33

if their machine doesn't connect to the till system then he has to input the price after the card goes in so it sounds to me like you're making a fuss over nothing

But you need to see the amount that has been entered.

The receipt would show you how much you paid?

It's a bit late then. The money has left your account. To rectify it, most places would have to do a refund to the card and they usually take several days to reach your account.

Original poster
BishBashBosch · 29/10/2020 12:35

Thinking about it a bit more, perhaps the payment machine was normally set up to face the customer, but for some reason on this occasion had been moved and was on the cashier side.

I don't see the machine, so put down my card. He thinks he's going to be helpful for me by putting my card in and pressing the 'amount correct' button for me.

When I say I'm going to start again he gets annoyed.

Not sure why he didn't say "I was trying to be helpful, suit yourself" at that point. At which point I'd have said, "oh sorry".

OP posts:
LaBellina · 29/10/2020 12:35

YANBU.
Perhaps it would be a good idea to contact the credit company about this?
And keep the receipt as proof.

I wouldn't understand why any petrol station cashier would be reacting so odd and rude and it definetly would make me feel suspicious of him too.

ShatnersBaboon · 29/10/2020 12:36

By passing your card his way, he thought you wanted him to do the part of it that you missed. I can't remember the last time I had to do that in a shop, it just isn't done any more.

He should have told you to do it yourself though, to avoid finding himself being accused or suspected.

MrsMoastyToasty · 29/10/2020 12:37

There was a scam going on in our area (outskirts of Bristol) a few years ago. It was at an BP franchise rather than a supermarket petrol station.

Benjispruce2 · 29/10/2020 12:39

Yanbu

ErickBroch · 29/10/2020 12:39

the receipt and bank statement would show what you paid - I doubt this man was trying to scam you as he is an easy-to-find business owner? Just sounds like a mix-up and he was impatient. Move on.

Original poster
BishBashBosch · 29/10/2020 12:40

Yeah I think most of the machines are pretty much fixed in place now, but this was one of theose ones that sits on a desk and has a cable out of the back.

OP posts:
Benjispruce2 · 29/10/2020 12:40

This happened before at a local franchise(national name) you were right to trust your instinct.

lostandfound55 · 29/10/2020 12:40

The card machine at my work I have to put the card in before I can enter the amount due as pp said.

Clymene · 29/10/2020 12:40

@BishBashBosch

I put the card on the counter because it hasn't always been the case that the machines have a slot you can put in your own card. When I saw it was that type of machine I thought something was wrong.
I asked the question because I don't understand what this means. If you'd wanted to put the card in yourself, you should have waited until he turned the machine round to face you. You put the card down, implying you wanted him to do it, so he did and then you had a go at him.
rainkeepsfallingdown · 29/10/2020 12:41

@BLASTPROCESSING

The receipt would show you how much you paid?
It would also show it as verified by cardholder PIN. How would you dispute an overcharge in that circumstance?