AIBU to consider fuel tampering a crime police should investigate?

[TamperedFuel]

Changed name since this could identify me.
My car broke down and the garage established that the diesel I put in the car was 'half water' and now need repairs for over 1000 pounds. I always use the same Tesco station and filled petrol there a few hours before the car broke down.

I have a video showing the damange made by the garage. I reported this to the police and insurance. Police said this is not something they will investigate and insurance also preliminary saying this is not included in our (we thought) comprehensive insurance.

Apart from the money, I feel the victim of a crime and this could happen to many others. Either the garage is fooling us or the petrol was tampered with.

What would you do?
AIBU thinking this is indeed a crime?

Here's an example, first result for me when I Google, it is a thing

www.petrolprices.com/news/garage-sells-petrol-diluted-with-water/

There was a thing approx 10-15 years ago where loads of fuel got contaminated and damaged people's engines.

There was a national campaign to get the fuel suppliers to stump up the cost of repairing them and it succeeded in the end.

www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/how-tesco-solving-problems-petrol-14513821

And here, these cases sound like a fault with fuel storage rather than a purposeful crime.

Are you sure someone didn't have access to your car the night before you went to the garage and tampered with it before you even filled it up?

I'd think it would be highly unusual for the fuel at a big-name garage like Tesco to be tampered with - especially as these places are normally covered by CCTV, though I suppose anything is possible.

But the police won't really be interested - if it happened overnight, you have no proof or witnesses, and if it happened at the source, it's down to Trading Standards to investigate it, not the police. You're right that it's a crime but it's not really their place to deal with things like this.

X-post with others, it seems it is a possibility after all!

Maybe ask around to see if anyone else has been affected?

[quote AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair]Here's an example, first result for me when I Google, it is a thing

www.petrolprices.com/news/garage-sells-petrol-diluted-with-water/[/quote]
Wow... so disheartening though.
Did not think this was a normal occurrence at all. Even less that it could be not covered by insurance or anything.
Thks.

@fairylightsandwaxmelts

X-post with others, it seems it is a possibility after all!

Maybe ask around to see if anyone else has been affected?

I don't think anyone is suggesting that the fuel at Tesco was tampered with, just that poor practices as garages leading to water in the fuel is something that happens. Not everyday of course but often enough that people know about it

A few years ago I filled up my diesel car from a diesel pump at a BP station. My receipt confirmed it was the diesel pump I’d put in from.

I broke down literally a couple of miles down the road; got towed to a garage who ran some tests and found my tank was full of unleaded. It cost me hundreds to fix and BP flat out refused to engage with me at all, I was furious at the time. It must’ve happened to others as well but I couldn’t prove it- I like the idea of asking on local social media to see if you can find any others.

Is it possible for you to go and get a 'sample' of the fuel from that pump ( a brand new can and fill it)

Assuming the weather tankks haven't been refilled this morning

That’s bizarre. I never use supermarket fuel but that’s because my dad said it wasn’t as good for my car. I wouldn’t expect it to be watered down though!

@Oldraver

Is it possible for you to go and get a 'sample' of the fuel from that pump ( a brand new can and fill it)

Assuming the weather tankks haven't been refilled this morning

I should have thought about this straight away. This all happened to me a few days back now. It is a great idea though. Thanks

I think there was a problem with asda fuel a couple of years ago. Lots of folk posting on social media about it. Asda denied it, of course I can't remember what the outcome was

There are 2 possible scenarios here, both pretty unlikely but not impossible.

1. Tesco sold you watered down petrol. Report to trading standards. Likely that this will have impacted more than you.

1. Your petrol was siphoned off and replaced with water. Report to the police including where you have parked within the period between filling up and breaking down. Realistically they may not identify a culprit but it might form part of a bigger picture.

Once you have done these steps, your insurance may be more willing to help you.

@AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair

I'm not getting at you but what crime has been committed that the police would follow up and what insured thing has happened?

You are rightly cross and if Tesco is at fault they absolutely need to stump up for your repair, it's their responsibility but theywon't admit it unless you can find others with the same problem and kick up enough fuss

the crime is either OP didnt get what she paid for (and what she got damaged her car) or someone stole from her

@TueWed yes... you explained it better than me. I have got hundreds of pounds of damage for getting the wrong product into my car after paying for the right thing.

Or somehow, something happened to the fuel after I filled in... It has been very very useful to post here.

Is the garage next to a river/ water source? A garage near where I live was on social media last year as water leaked into the underground fuel tanks and damaged some cars!

@JuergenSchwarzwald

I don't think you can siphon off fuel anymore. Trading standards are the right people to investigate this.

Yep, agree with this. Definitely haven't heard of siphoning being a thing for many years so not sure how this could of happened.

In my car the fuel flap locks automatically, so siphoning wouldn't be possible without busting it open.

I would ask on social media and see if others have been affected but you might have to just suck it up.