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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:
Catforaheadrest · 29/10/2020 13:18

@BishBashBosch

It's possible that he just has got in the habit of pressing the 'amount correct' button for customers because it speeds things up, and when I said I wanted to start agan it annoyed him and he didn't want to back down.
I think you’ve nailed it here. And you did the right thing.
popcornlover · 29/10/2020 13:19

YANBU he was being rude. You should complain about him as staff should be sensitive about handling other people’s cards.

Summerfreeze · 29/10/2020 13:32

He should say ‘Could you just check the amount and press enter, and then put your pin in please?’

It’s not hard. What he did was rude and poor practice.

Also, all the people saying YOU were rude are part of the reason people get scammed so often in the U.K. because they don’t want to question anything or seem impolite. Of course you should see the amount before you pay. Of course! How is that even in question?!

Legoandloldolls · 29/10/2020 13:35

There is a national chain garage near me that scam people regularly yanbu

DailyCandy · 29/10/2020 13:38

I know someone who was ripped off at a chain of petrol stations that was lifting PIN numbers. Go with your gut akways.

12frogsincoats · 29/10/2020 13:39

I think it's strange that put the card down on the counter as if expecting him to do it for you, and were then surprised when he did it for you.

Waspnest · 29/10/2020 13:39

YANBU definitely. The only time I've ever had my card cloned was at a Shell petrol station in our local town.

You should never have to hand your card over, no decent employee should expect it and who on earth would put in their PIN without checking the amount?

Plussizejumpsuit · 29/10/2020 13:47

Petrol stations can be franchised so if it was the franchisee then they could scam you. I think it ls not odd to want to confirm the amount. Most shosp they say confirm the amount and enter your pin.

But I think you should have just asked him the amount rather than asking to start again. I'm not likely to think people are trying to scam me as it is actually rare. But you're within reason to want to know an amount prior to entering a pin.

SunshineCake · 29/10/2020 13:47

Scamming at petrol stations are well known. I wouldn't go there again and I would report to the police.

fashu · 29/10/2020 13:48

If the card machine belonged to the petrol station the amount is going to the petrol station not his own pocket. I don't know why you think he would steal for Shell or who ever it was.

rosesandcashmere · 29/10/2020 13:50

I had my card cloned at a national chain petrol station a few years ago so I don't think you were wrong to do this, but you shouldn't have put your card down. That was confusing.

Onxob · 29/10/2020 13:57

It's possible that he just has got in the habit of pressing the 'amount correct' button for customers because it speeds things up, and when I said I wanted to start agan it annoyed him and he didn't want to back down.

I imagine it was exactly this. He wasn't scamming you. Assuming he's not the owner of the shop and it's a national chain as you said, then no he wouldn't have been able to pocket any extra money.

He was rude and should have indulged your nonsense request but I worked in retail as a student so can understand. I would inwardly snigger at the crazy ways people reacted sometimes! I remember I was about 16 and on my first day on the job I accidentally put in 6 punnets of satsumas instead of six individual ones. Clearly a mistake. The older gentleman realized and made such a fuss it was actually mortifying at the time but very comical looking back. I apologized profusely and called my manager to void the items. He was enraged. My manager had to tell him to calm down, it was my first day and I wasn't trying to rob him by virtue of satsuma subterfuge Grin he was such a dick about it. Genuinely thought I was out to get him! The guy in the shop is probably just pissed off with nonsense like that and lost his manners at what he thought was a daft request.

Hailingfrequenciesopen · 29/10/2020 13:59

Same as PP has mentioned there was a Shell garage near me that was copying folks cards and selling the info to be scammed later. I also had my card cloned in Boots once. It's the only transaction I had in a few days and suddenly I had new transactions for two vodafone top ups. Apparently they do these small transactions to see if the card is valid. I am defo more careful when using my card in shops.

Good for you for asking questions.

Meatshake · 29/10/2020 14:05

For the smaller franchise places, you put £30 fuel in, get charged £50 on card, don't notice and leave.

This can later be balanced out with a refund out the til, or putting it against £20 of goods.

By the time you're found out doing it you've left the job anyway.

Audreyseyebrows · 29/10/2020 14:05

I wouldn’t enter my pin without seeing the amount either op.

Onjnmoeiejducwoapy · 29/10/2020 14:06

YABU for being an awkward customer who failed to communicate what you wanted, and then got upset with him doing what you asked.

I pay for everything by card. I don’t think I have ever handed my card over to someone, or put it on the counter. I have worked in retail, and some lazy rude customers do that in a sort of “you deal with it for me” way. You basically signalled that you weren’t assed with doing the admin of clicking buttons, so he did what you told him to.

Stop handing your card over to people! That in itself is bad fraud ettiquiette. And next time, ask them “oh do you need to put it in or can i?”

It was a communication failure. You were both in the wrong, but you started it

vanillandhoney · 29/10/2020 14:06

@fashu

If the card machine belonged to the petrol station the amount is going to the petrol station not his own pocket. I don't know why you think he would steal for Shell or who ever it was.
That's not how these scams work, though.

The cashier will scan something else through the till (normally cigarettes or alcohol - something expensive) to bump up the cost. The unwitting customer pays and leaves - the cashier then has a bottle of alcohol or pack of cigarettes to sell for cash. The shop stock is "correct" and the till will also be correct.

Until enough customers notice and come back to complain, they'll be able to continue with the same scam.

MissConductUS · 29/10/2020 14:09

You were right to be cautious. There was so much of this type of fraud at petrol stations in the US that the card readers are now built into the pumps. It's been years since I have stepped into the shop or deal with a cashier to buy petrol.

Orangesox · 29/10/2020 14:10

YANBU in the slightest. It's the silly and naïve attitudes displayed further up on this thread that allow fraudsters and criminals to get away with stealing from people in these sorts of circumstances.

Where there's the requirement to put the card in before the amount is entered, the card machines specifically state to hand the machine to the customer to agree the amount prior to them putting their pin number in.

Theo1756 · 29/10/2020 14:11

Sorry to say this, but I would have done exactly the same as OP in this situation. I assume you won’t be going back to this station? If you suspect something is amiss I would encourage you to flag it to the head office/ owner depending on size that they either need to train their staff on best practice of taking payments by card or that there may be a potential fraud going on. As a victim of card cloning myself I know how much damage it can cause.

OldeMagick · 29/10/2020 14:13

A friend of mine had their cards skimmed twice at petrol stations.

emilyfrost · 29/10/2020 14:14

@BishBashBosch

But at that point I didn't register the machine; I just saw there was no card slot available to me.
That’s when you say “I’d like to pay by card please”, hold it, and wait for the machine to be turned/shown/brought to you.

You don’t just put your card down; that’s rude even if you could see the machine.

BrightYellowDaffodil · 29/10/2020 14:18

YANBU.

I had my card cloned in a petrol station (I know where it was because I hardly ever used that card), so it's entirely possible. I think they did it by swiping my card when it was out of my sight momentarily. Now, my card doesn't leave my hand, let alone my sight.

Lilac95 · 29/10/2020 14:18

Having worked in a supermarket and petrol statio, unless he was the owner and has access to the funds coming from the machine, absolutely no way he would steal from you or could steal. Likely he’s just got complacent with entering the amount or is fed up of telling people to check the amount etc. If it’s a
Number entered on the till then he wouldn’t of entered the amount himself you literally press a button to cash out and the payment method, the till sends the amount to the reader so no interference from him. I think there’s been a misunderstanding, you have every right to question him but there’s plenty of times a card machine doesn’t show the amount, especially in the days of contactless. Perhaps you should’ve explained better and also don’t put your card down, it’s a signal you want them to sort it. But equally sounds like he could’ve been nicer with better customer service.

vanillandhoney · 29/10/2020 14:22

Having worked in a supermarket and petrol statio, unless he was the owner and has access to the funds coming from the machine, absolutely no way he would steal from you or could steal.

Of course he could steal. People have shown exactly how upthread.

One example is adding items to the bill (eg cigarettes, alcohol), charging for them and then, as the customer has no idea on the amount they paid, the cashier is free to take those items and sell them on for cash. The shop's stock will still be correct (as the items have gone through the till and have technically been paid for).

You can also overcharge someone (without them realising) and refund the money back on to a different card. The till still balances, but someone else ends up with the refund instead of the customer.