Tesco Fuel Holding onto money

[crumbledog]

Does anyone else experience Tesco fuel holding onto the £120 reserves for petrol for days on end ?
I put £30 of fuel in on Sunday, its now Tuesday and they're still holding onto the money. .
I have tried to pay in the shop since the first time it happened, but can't always do that.
First time round my bank explained it as a glitch and the money should have gone straight back into account once the transaction had been completed, but it happens every time I pay at the pump now.
On the pumps there is a disclaimer from Tesco blaming the banks for holding onto the money. The bank blames Tesco.

Yes you’re right of course and it is annoying. Does the same thing happen if you pay in the kiosk? I’ve no idea. I just use a credit card and pay it off monthly.

It's happened about 3 or 4 times since I originally spoke to them and they explained it was a glitch.
I generally, on the advice of FD staff since it first happened, try to avoid using the self service, but can't always be helped.

It my money. Why should I be jumping through hoops to stop them holding onto it for no reason.
I'm not charged £120 when I walk into to Tesco to buy groceries, in case I shop lift, so why am I being charged it on the off chance for fuel.
Also. Another poster has already said she experienced the same with Halifax, so would seem to be common practice.

No. Its the self service pumps.

It my money. Why should I be jumping through hoops to stop them holding onto it for no reason.

You would hardly be jumping through hoops to identify a problem and use your other debit card. Honestly I really don't understand the issue. You let yourself go overdrawn and unable to buy groceries rather than transfer the money you needed over to use the other debit card. It's stubborn and unnecessary.

I stopped using Asda for this reason. I go to Sainsburys and pay in the kiosk. I am not in a position to have funds held back (which did happen to me at Asda) and they don't have a kiosk, it's all pay at pump.

Ah - is it always the same branch?
My (and other PPs) answer that it is definitely the bank’s issue was predicated on the petrol station using the Pay At Pump payment system that has been rolled out across the UK. Is there any chance that this particular branch of the petrol station is not doing that? Have you tried it elsewhere?

No it was a different one this time, but in the same town, so maybe they are linked ?

Very odd, but FD could help by lifting the pre-authorisation for you - I wouldn’t take no for an answer tbh - ask to speak to someone with the authority to do so, they’re generally pretty good.

I've not phoned them every time it's happened, only last summer, but they claimed a Tesco at fault.
I will phone them later and see what they say. Its happened multiple times since then, but unsure who was at fault after initial experience of it.

This made me look at my recent transactions as I purchased fuel from Tesco the other day.

Before then I haven't put fuel in the car since I don't know when, DH normally sees to it, and when I did I always used the same pump, pay at or in kiosk, kiosk being the lesser of two evils for me but now they've made most of them pay at pump only.

Must confess putting fuel in the car is the one job I seem to get panicky at and as I've never used a P at P before it totally threw me when the £120 appeared on the screen, felt like getting in and driving off again, but being blocked in by other cars I had no option but to crack on and pop my pay at pump cherry.
Fortunately I'd only been debited for what fuel I bought.

This can happen with all sorts of debit transactions. It’s just one of the many reasons I don’t have a debit card.

just use a credit card and pay it off in full every month and you will never have this problem. Plus it will help your credit score.

And does it happen every time you use the pay at pump at those particular branches of Tesco?
Have you used any other company’s pay at pump? If not I’d be tempted to do so and see what happens - help you narrow down who/where the issue is happening.
But in any case, as I said, Mastercard is quite clear - your money should instantaneously be returned, no question, if they’re using Pay at Pump, so ask FD to lift the pre authorisation (it is within their power to do so - they just have to warn you that if Tesco were to go ahead and debit the £120 then you would be debited).

@MandyMotherOfBrian I mostly try to go into the kiosk to pay after the first time it happened, but yes I mostly use the same place to refuel, just last Sunday used different branch.
Thanks for the information, that is what I was looking for FD didn't mention this when they where blaming Tesco.

Just stop paying at the pump, unfortunately that’s all you can do because there’s no way round it and it’s not changing any time soon.

This is why I won't use sains unless have cash

It's annoying

I have paid before on credit card then see £120 come out and say £80 for petrol

Does take a few days to re jig it

So if I do use cc I pay for it on that. Then imm transfer the £80 from current account to credit card so it's basically zero again

But yes annoying and why I won't use sain

I use Tesco and Asda for fuel and never experience this. So I think it's definitely the banks issue! I use Starling and no issue.

Although, I'm not actually sure what you can do about it since it sounds like you've already raised it with them

I have worked for Tesco Fuel. Pre-payments are nothing to do with Tesco or any other fuel provider - it's all to do with the credit card agencies who demand the pre-authorization when you pay at pump. The only way to avoid it is to pay in the kiosk