Did You Know Gas Stations Can Cheat You? Here’s How.
How often do you go to a gas pump and feel as if you did not receive enough gas in your car? Considering the amount you paid, the gas on your meter seems to be lower.
What went wrong? Have you been cheated? You’ll be surprised to know that gas stations can cheat you. Here’s how to protect yourself from this.
Faulty Meter
Let’s assume you go to a gas station since your car has run out of gas. You tell the attendant to fill up the car and give a certain amount of money to the attendant. The attendant walks over to the pump, hits a couple of buttons, and gestures to you to keep your eye on the meter. You notice the zero meter, and the nozzle is put into your car. Soon after, you hear another tap on the opposite window. You turn to see another attendant asking if he can clean your windshield. When you look back at the ticking meter, it has stopped, indicating that you are good to go.
However, what really happened was that the second attendant was sent to you as a distraction technique. As soon as you looked away, the meter was set to tick faster, stealing gas from you. This only took a split second so that by the time you looked back to the meter, you did not find anything suspicious.
No Click Trick
Most gas stations have the latest technology, including automated nozzles. These come with a trigger lock that, when turned on, stays in place as long as gas is flowing through the pipe and into the car. As soon as the flow of gas stops, the trigger lock automatically turns off. This is a great advancement but can be risky if you are dealing with a greedy gas station owner.
You may go to the pump as usual and check for zero meters before getting your car filled with gas. You keep a close eye on the meter, and within seconds, you are free to leave. However, you do not realize that you may have been cheated.
One thing to pay attention to whether the attendant took off his hands once the auto-lock had been placed on the nozzle. They are supposed to only touch it once to hear the click, showing that the fuel pumping has come to an end. However, a time lag of 3-4 seconds is common from the click to the meter stoppage. During this time, the attendant can manually turn the auto-trigger and the nozzle off so that some gas is left in the tube. This means that you paid for gas that did not actually reach your car tank.
Attendants Double-Checking the Gas You Want
You go to a gas pump and clearly tell the attendant how much gas you want. However, halfway through putting gas in your car, the attendant stops at a random digit and reconfirms the quantity of gas you asked for.
During this time, the meter is configured, and you have been scammed. You may think that you have gotten the gas you had asked for, but there are high chances that you have been cheated.
In case you ever run out of gas while on your journey, immediately call a towing service so that they can either tow your vehicle to safety or deliver gas to you.