Short measure at the pump!

**Old man Jimbo** · 14th August 2011, 19:38

What would you do?

Long story short. Went to top up tonight on route to a well known fast-food joint with wife and kids. So pulled in at the local Shell garage to top up as I was just under half a tank on the gauge. So gets out of the car plucks the V power nozzle and go into daydream mode. Thinks to myself "god this pump is slow" and looks up to see £80! **** me that's 56 litres! I stop the pump and go into get the manager.

Well I was basically told there is no manager and pay up and funk off! They made no attempt to look at the pump or switch it off or anything. So I hopped back into my car swearing and cursing started it up and the gauge didn't even go to full! I looked in the handbook and the tank (estate) only holds 60 litres FFS!

To say I'm a little upset and angry would be a slight understatement and I know VXR's are thirsty but TBF that episode works out at £160 a tank.

So in short what would you do? I'd love to rob £80 out of the till but I feel I'd go to jail for that but it seems if you're a garage you just call people liars and kick them out.

Help. I really mean it aswell help!

**meridian9** · 14th August 2011, 19:43

Report it to your local council trading standards department, they'll go out and take measurements from the pump if you tell them which pump it was.

**triple595** · 14th August 2011, 19:44

take a 5 litre can and fill it up to prove it one way or another

**triple595** · 14th August 2011, 19:44

i would also have taken photos as evidence

**Jezzy** · 14th August 2011, 20:59

Should have told the staff "I'll be back".

**Das** · 14th August 2011, 21:34

Trading standards are your best bet. But in the mean time id nip back with a 5lt can fill it up as triple595 said, if it says 10lt id be telling the staff to get the owner of the station down asap!!!

**BoroDave74** · 14th August 2011, 22:47

Please ignore the 5l can suggestions; there isnt a 5l can out there that is 5l, they're all made much larger than that. It'll be a waste of time and effort and only rile you up further. Whilst meant well, it's not a practical solution.

If you wish to complain, call Consumer Direct with the details of your complaint: Where, when, pump number etc they have the script we gave them so they should ask for this anyway. CD pass the info directly on to the TS department responsible for Metrology in the relevant area.

An Inspector of Weights and Measures will go and check the pump for correct measure and correct operation ensuring the seals are correct and it conformd to the type approval. As posted before, the legal accuracy of the measure on inspection must be within +/-1%. The site register will clearly show if anyone has been in between your complaint and the inspection, as would the sealing mechanisms, and no doubt any self-verification notifcation sent through to the LA. The Inspector would normally then contact you to explain their findings.

As for the discrepancy between handbook and pump display that's more than likely to be down to the fact that your fuel tank plus connections and pipe volume is much larger than 60 litres. Fuel tanks are mass-produced and are not volumetrically measured; 60 litres is a guide, as is your fuel gauge - a guide, no claim is made by any manufacturer as to any accuracy, particularly not in comparison with a verified measuring instrument. I know my vec's gauge isn't accurate and I do a fairly similar weekly run and fill up at odd times; but whist the gauge frequently appears random the literage and mileage work out in the end.

It is possible there has been maintenance on the pump and there is a problem with the pulsar or the software, in which case this will be clearly visible in the discrepancy between sales and stocks: you aren't the only person who uses that pump. In which case the operator will reimburse you.

No doubt the staff will have made a note of the incident and will be expecting the inspection. They certainly wouldn't be either trained or expected to touch any of the workings of the equipment. They may out of site policy take that particular pump out of use, until an engineer has been out to check the correct operation.

Honest opinion after 11 years inspecting and enforcing this? You got 56 litres of V power. Whilst not the response you're really hoping for, at least you've got the advice above as to how you can proceed correctly if you wish to complain and what you can expect to happen either way.