Scam or not?! Not paid for petrol?

[finleysmummy]

Today I received a letter in the post from a company called QDR solicitors claiming they are acting on behalf of 'British Oil Security syndicate ltd'.
The letter states that I failed to pay for fuel on a certain date.
Details such a name and car reg are mine and I do indeed use the petrol station in question fairly regularly on my way to work. However, I have NEVER driven off without going in to pay for my petrol.
Reviews for this solicitor are nearly all negative, but some reviews state they had wrong car reg or sometimes petrol stations no where near where they live.
Because the details are mine and it is a petrol station I use I can only assume perhaps my card didn't go through at some point however, they would almost certainly make me aware of this at time of purchase.
Has anyone else had anything like this before? I'm reluctant to pay, one because it is saying I owe an extra £18 on top but also that many of the reviews state that even after payment the company continues to contact them saying payment hasn't been made.
It's worrying me that this £20 non payment of fuel letter will go against my credit history and appear as debt or is it a scam that is preying on people feeling as I do!?

And please note that QDR are debt collectors. Helpful link here.

https://creditaction.co.uk/debt-collection/companies/qdr/

The cashier kept your money when you didn't have a penny.
Go to the petrol station and ask for proof of non payment

Look through your bank statements and see if the amount went through on the date in question. Edited: sorry I hadn’t read entire thread.

Plates can get cloned any time

Cloned plates is always a possibility but seems rather unlikely in this incidence: given it’s a day OP fills up, at a place she fills up, and an amount that she recognises…

Thanks for all of your advice.
I managed to get over to the petrol station this afternoon and they were really lovely about it.
The letter was real (although they said be wary as they have had people coming in and it hadn't been their details or car etc).
They had additional paperwork there that had photos of me filling up and the another photo of me paying. It said payment was attempted but the card had not been processed.
I paid in the petrol station, without the additional fee the solicitors were asking for.
They even gave me a free coffee whilst I waited for paperwork to be gathered by manager and for inconvenience.

A driver enteres the petrol station and pulls up at a petrol pump, say pump 3.
They lift the nozzle of pump 3.
The till in the shop beeps in some way and pump 3 flashes on the screen to indicate someone is wanting to buy petrol from that pump.
The sales assistant authorises the transaction thus unlocking the pump allowing the customer to use it.
When the customer has finished and puts the pump back the total will show on the till screen saying pump 3 £20
This will stay on the screen until the customer pays it.
Most screens have a facility on the till that highlights if a petrol transaction hadn't been paid after a certain amount of time. Normally 30 minutes or so.
The sales assistant then checks a car is still at the pump indicating the customer may still be in the shop.
If there is no car there this is classed as a drive off and CCTV is looked at to see what happened.
The CCTV is able to follow the customer from the petrol pump and see them putting petrol in the car.
They can then watch what the customer does next, do they just drive off or do they enter the shop.
If they enter the shop they are watched until they reach the till and the transaction takes place. If they have not paid for the petrol then the police are informed and they can trace the customer through CCTV

I have just received the 2nd letter in 6 months from QDR solicitors. I am a 49 year old professional who has never not paid. The first time it happened I panicked and paid. This time I’ve asked for the CCTV. The only thing I can think may have happened (as they’re saying I paid for other items and not fuel) is either I haven’t filled up or despite my advising which pump I was on they didn’t include the fuel I didn’t notice. I am never using that petrol station again.

I am a 49 year old professional

😂😂

It's not a scam.
The petrol stations log non payment on a system called BOSS then QDR solicitors chase non payment.
However if payment was attempted and failed, the garage should have noticed this. It's not your fault.
In future, always ask for a paper receipt and keep it.
You should also consider reporting QDR to the appropriate regulator.
I'm helping a relative with a case involving QDR, which appears to be down to cloned plates as the garage concerned is miles away.
Unfortunately the owner of the car died recently and QDR are now refusing to submit evidence until the car's ownership has been transferred and will not speak to the new owner (the husband of the deceased) in the meantime.
The people who run BOSS will not even confirm whether their "evidence" relates to a car of the same make and model.
This means that the person running the vehicle with cloned plates cannot even be reported to the police.

Hi I've just had the same letter and think it's a scam. What was the verdict with yours

I ended up going into the petrol station in question and it was legitimate. They had the corresponding paperwork in store. They were lovely about it, said it happens quite often when it takes a while for a card payment to go through.
Sorted it out there and then and made sure I got a receipt (they also gave me a free coffee!!)

I have exactly the same issue. Unpaid fuel bill to British Oil Security from QDR. Checked my account, no indication of paying there. Checked date and time, it is possible, I do use that service station, it is a tight fit for where we were an hour or so previously. Think I will check with the service station. Certainly not in the habit of driving off without paying. This garage doesn't do pay at pump, don't use it often but well aware I need to go into pay.
I suspect somehow or other I didn't complete the transaction but it is a bit odd.

After demanding CCTV evidence the second time this happened to me, many months later my case was closed and I was advised they didn’t obtain the CCTV. My advice to anyone this happens to, where you know you always pay, is always get a receipt and demand the CCTV showing you filling up. It’s obvious too many innocent people are being made to suffer for other people’s criminality because of errors in the petrol stations systems. I’ve never returned to the petrol station that did this to me twice.

I had a situation where I went into a petrol station where I often stop to use the Greggs but 'never' buy petrol there because it is expensive. I went in to Greggs as usual one day and was stopped on the way out by the Manager who said I had not paid for petrol one day the week before. I was absolutely adamant I had never bought petrol there and certainly never not paid. he showed me the CCTV and sure enough there was me and my car. I generally pay at the pump but this garage doesn't offer. As soon as he showed me the CCTV I remembered I had put £20 in that day because I didn't think I'd have enough to get home. I presume that my muscle memory assumed I had done pay at pump and just filled up and drove off.

You really can't say you would never not pay or similar because we all do daft things. Absolutely be wary of scams but also be aware you may do things you wouldn't expect.

To helpful person,

I absolutely can say I would never not pay for petrol and whilst I agree occasionally sensible people do daft things - this petrol station accused me of this twice. It didn’t happen either time.

To anyone who has been accused,

Stick to your guns and demand the CCTV. Maybe you did do it by mistake like the helpful person or like me you didn’t and the petrol station has made a mistake.

Does the petrol amount make sense OP? Eg I only ever fill up from empty so I know what amount that would be. I would also ask to see what evidence they have. Reg details don't prove anything.