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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:
ChikiTIKI · 29/10/2020 12:42

It's right to be cautious at petrol stations.

My brother worked for a bank, people called up when they were frauded etc. First thing he would ask is when they last went to a petrol station.

I am also extra cautious where I live because trading standards and police have been involved many times in dealing with people being robbed by the pumps being rigged (so someone puts 30 quids worth of fuel in and their fuel level has barely changed at all). I drive a petrol car but due to the abovementioned theft, diesel fuel was not allowed to be sold at a few petrol stations near me for ages (all owned by same person I believe).

WhereYouLeftIt · 29/10/2020 12:43

YANBU, and I would have been very suspicious in the circumstances.

ChikiTIKI · 29/10/2020 12:44

I've also had loads of time on the card reader "do you want to make a £2 donation to charity?".... It doesn't even say which one!! Dodgey.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 29/10/2020 12:44

I wouldn't have done it either. A number of people living locally to me have been scammed by a petrol station doing exactly this. They think they're paying for £30 of fuel, then it appears as £50 or whatever on their bank statement. By that time they usually can't remember, don't notice or think it's not worth the aggro to complain

Yep.

YANBU.

SoupDragon · 29/10/2020 12:44

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.

Isn't the issue not so much that he put the card in but that he'd pressed the button to say the amount was OK so the OP couldn't see what it was?

Original poster
BishBashBosch · 29/10/2020 12:44

But at that point I didn't register the machine; I just saw there was no card slot available to me.

OP posts:
viques · 29/10/2020 12:46

This is why I always use the pay at pump option. And it’s quicker , stops me picking up munchies, keeps me away from other potentially infectious people and for all I know earns me brownie points in heaven.

MrsClatterbuck · 29/10/2020 12:53

Years ago when in Dublin I bought some products in the Body Shop. There was a special offer on plus donenof the stuff was for my mum. Bill was €65 approx. Used my debit card and card put in machine and I entered my pin. Given 2 receipts one for purchases and one for the debit transaction. I just put them in my purse and gave them no further thought. A few days later looking at my online banking I noticed a debit for £5 approx for the Body shop. Checked but out and receipt for products ok but debit card receipt was incorrect like they had moved the decimal point plus amount had now been converted to stg. Unable to go back I got a lot of stuff for a fiver

Kalula · 29/10/2020 12:56

Yeah, I don't get why you put the card on the counter. Normally you wait until they process it on their computer, they present the EFTPOS thing to you, and then you swipe. Or tap or hold. At no stage does the card need to leave your hands. Putting the card on the counter suggests you expect him to do it all. You should not put your card down anywhere, even if the machine is on a cable, they will turn it in your direction so you can swipe.

Though this reminds me of an account by someone I read on a retail worker venting site (could have been either The Customer Is Not Always Right or Customers Suck) where they were whingeing about customers putting notes and coins on the counter to pay, and the cashier had to pick up the coins and notes themselves (ever tried to pick up coins off counters you'll know what I mean, it is more work than having the money put in your hands) and that is a pet hate in the retail industry because they think am I not good enough for you to place it in my hand? or something. I'm rambling off on a tangent, but maybe he was annoyed you put the card on the counter instead of in his hands first of all (even though there was no need for the card to leave your hands, but, anyway.....).

LindaEllen · 29/10/2020 13:00

I mean, YANBU for wanting to check the amount before you put your PIN in, but YABU for not just explaining that to the guy.

vanillandhoney · 29/10/2020 13:00

I wouldn't be putting my card down anywhere - even if there was no machine there. YANBU not to want to see the amount, but next time, keep hold of your card! There's no reason for anyone to be taking your card off you in a petrol station.

PatriciaPerch · 29/10/2020 13:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

VampireVicki · 29/10/2020 13:00

Anyone I know who has had some kind of card scam has traced it back to have originated in a petrol station.......

HarrietOh · 29/10/2020 13:01

Amazed at the amount of people who are saying you'd see it on receipt/bank statement! You'd just your PIN number into a card machine without seeing the total about to be charged??

Also in many places they have taken card off me and put into machine, but then the machine usually displays the amount to be charged so I can check. Not sure why people have issue with OP handing card over.

OP YANBU.

romeolovedjulliet · 29/10/2020 13:03

not necessarily in your case but there are some posterson here who come across as a bit naive or trusting, you weren't entirely polite but that was that, he didn't need to get arsey and i wouldn't type in a pin before checking the amount.
no wonder scams are on the increase, some people are too trusting and as for the poster who called you paranoid up thread, well, that's dickish for a start as they don't know you irl. the only person i trust 100% is me and dh 99.9 %.

DimidDavilby · 29/10/2020 13:03

YABVU and a bit insane.

MeridianB · 29/10/2020 13:04

Who cares if you 'made a fuss'? Why shouldn't you if you had even the slightest concern that you were being incorrectly charged at best or scammed at worst?

Always better to speak up at the time rather than deal with a nasty problem later. If he had nothing to hide, he had no reason to be aggressive in response to a reasonable request.

romeolovedjulliet · 29/10/2020 13:05

@DimidDavilby

YABVU and a bit insane.
in relation to the thread this is nasty, obvs has no concept of what insanity actually is
chatwoo · 29/10/2020 13:05

I can only assume a lot of people are paying without checking the amount is correct, and probably then not ever checking their bank statements. Both of which are basic fraud protection mechanisms.

I'm with you OP. Maybe just verbalise "I'd like to see the amount before putting in my PIN" Grin

GnomeDePlume · 29/10/2020 13:06

YANBU, without seeing the value you could easily miss a mistake by the cashier (keys in £300 rather than £30).

With the value out of sight and a 'sorry the till isnt giving receipts' you could have find you have paid for cigarettes which you didnt buy. Easy enough to do if you have the front for it. Cashier then has free packets of cigarettes to sell for cash.

keeprocking · 29/10/2020 13:08

@Halliehallie9828

Why would you even pass your card over? That’s odd to start. The amount comes up on the same screen you enter your pin on. If it didn’t you would if got a receipt anyway straight away. You made a fuss over nothing.
I've never handed my card over to either tap or put into the machine, everuwhere I've been it's left to the customer to interect with the machine for a card payment.
Triskelline · 29/10/2020 13:11

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1041833/Village-scammed-Garage-worker-emptied-hundreds-bank-accounts-cloning-neighbours-cards.html

This was our closest petrol station, owned by someone trustworthy who lived in the village the station was in, and who had no idea one of his employees was cloning cards and scamming people out of a total of nearly £200000. Admittedly in 2007, so one assumes card machine security has been tightened up since...

loobyloo1234 · 29/10/2020 13:14

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

The only time ive ever had my card cloned and my bank account cleaned out - was a petrol station. A national chain petrol station ...

DottyCharlotti · 29/10/2020 13:14

@DimidDavilby

YABVU and a bit insane.
For Shame! Be Kind Sad
murteplod · 29/10/2020 13:15

I used to hate when customers put money or their card on the counter. Just hand it directly to me ffs