Local garage charging when you go slightly over

RoboRat

Having a discussion about this on another forum and would like to get the views of drivers.

Basically my local garage has started charging if you go slightly over, ie I put in 80.02, gave them 100 and got 19.98 in change. Personally thought this was petty so tried it again the next time and put in 70.01 and got 9.99 back from 80. The pump dispenses really fast so its quite hard to get it exact plus I spend over 3500 a year in fuel alone in this place. I often buy food and leave the cent, 2 cent with them to counter anytime I go over.

I have never come across this practice before and I have no issue when I m paying by card, I just don't want a pocket full of coins. I have stopped using this garage since. What are your views? Would this piss you off? I am being told on another forum that I am completely unreasonable with this attitude but I don't think I am - I have never encountered this practice in another garage?

guil

whats the problem? you paid for what you got

lotmc

Next time just put €79.98 in and stop. Give them €80 and dont accept the change

lomb

Their till needs to add up at the end of the day. Simple solution is go 79.99 and tell them to keep the change:)

166man

How is it petty that you pay for your fuel in full and they give you the exact amount of change each time?

User Friendly

very petty of them to start this penny pinching,i believe the profit margins are only a few cents though........... i think

RoboRat

My problem is that no other garage has ever been as petty, I don't want a pocketful of change and I more than compensate throughout the year for the odd occasion that I go over.

Their till needs to add up at the end of the day. Simple solution is go 79.99 and tell them to keep the change

That makes no sense, it still doesn't add up as its over now.

If it is such a big deal then why do all other garages I go to not have the same problem? Its generally accepted that people go slightly over on occasion and its a given.

Max Power1

Its always a test of manhood how far you can go over without paying.

I know it takes about €80 to fill my golf. If its 80.01 - 80.05 I will walk in to pay, slap 80 notes on the desk and walk out.

CamperMan

these days in business every cent counts!

User Friendly

Max Power1 wrote: »

Its always a test of manhood how far you can go over without paying.

I know it takes about €80 to fill my golf. If its 80.01 - 80.05 I will walk in to pay, slap 80 notes on the desk and walk out.

:D

snubbleste

I'm expected to pay what's being charged and I am most upset.

RoboRat

these days in business every cent counts

But not in every other garage? I go to another garage to spend my 3,500 plus a year so its not good business. Most times I pay by card so its not an issue, I just think a bit common sense is called for.

Anyhow, clearly I am wrong in my thoughts but I will continue to go to the new garage who seem to have a similar viewpoint as I do.

colly10

RoboRat wrote: »

Having a discussion about this on another forum and would like to get the views of drivers.

Basically my local garage has started charging if you go slightly over, ie I put in 80.02, gave them 100 and got 19.98 in change. Personally thought this was petty so tried it again the next time and put in 70.01 and got 9.99 back from 80. The pump dispenses really fast so its quite hard to get it exact plus I spend over 3500 a year in fuel alone in this place. I often buy food and leave the cent, 2 cent with them to counter anytime I go over.

I have never come across this practice before and I have no issue when I m paying by card, I just don't want a pocket full of coins. I have stopped using this garage since. What are your views? Would this piss you off? I am being told on another forum that I am completely unreasonable with this attitude but I don't think I am - I have never encountered this practice in another garage?

Agreed, I just would go elsewhere, you leave them a few cents sometimes without giving it a thought, they shouldn't be so petty over a cent. If you were 5 cents over I could understand them not letting you away with it

Nonoperational

I think 1 or 2 cent over it's not unreasonable to be let off... 1cent on € 80 is about .0001% so it's more a courtesy than anything. Saying that if they were under instruction to charge people I'd expect they'd ask me do I have a cent or two cent instead of giving me back €19.98. Wouldn't really have a problem then.

RoboRat

Thats the thing, they know me and I would often go in and buy milk, bread or a sambo and not think twice about waiting for my cent or 2 or five. I would have a credit if I was as petty to add it up. Yes there is going by the books and there is common sense, the garages used to operate on common sense but this seems to have gone out the window!

RoboRat

Saying that if they were under instruction to charge people I'd expect they'd ask me do I have a cent or two cent instead of giving me back €19.98. Wouldn't really have a problem then.

YES! Exactly, if she had said it I would have put it on the card. Still would have thought it petty but thats their choice.

Neilw

Why not go in to the shop first and pre-pay for the amount you want that way you won't go over.

colm_mcm

Neilw wrote: »

Why not go in to the shop first and pre-pay for the amount you want that way you won't go over.

How many places actually have this facility?

Radharc na Sleibhte

It bolix.
Ever been in a shop where what you buy comes to say 25.03 and they ask for the three cent so as not to give you a fistful of change?

I reckon, as far as fuel goes, there should be a five cent grace either side.
19.95 = 20.
20.05 = 20

The fceking things are so sensitive now and until everywhere has the ones where you can type in the amount you want, its gonna happen.

When I was younger I used to work on a forecourt and am fairly nifty at getting it bang on, but now its near impossible because no matter how lightly you dispense it, the price rises in .02 and .03 in some places.

m.j.w

Radharc na Sleibhte wrote: »

It bolix.
Ever been in a shop where what you buy comes to say 25.03 and they ask for the three cent so as not to give you a fistful of change?

I reckon, as far as fuel goes, there should be a five cent grace either side.
19.95 = 20.
20.05 = 20

The fceking things are so sensitive now and until everywhere has the ones where you can type in the amount you want, its gonna happen.

When I was younger I used to work on a forecourt and am fairly nifty at getting it bang on, but now its near impossible because no matter how lightly you dispense it, the price rises in .02 and .03 in some places.

If that was the case people would start giving out that they put 20.06 in and they got charged even though they only went 1 cent over the 20.05. You pay for what you get! If the garage is decent enough not to charge you fair play to them but if they do they are well within their rights. Why not just but 19.95 in and take you 5c if you cant get right on the 20. Also if they short changed someone by 1 or 2 cent im sure alot of people would be giving out so you cant have it both ways. Imo its petty to even give out about it, you took x ammount of petrol and you paid x ammount.

keithclancy

Pre-Pay pumps are great that way.

Whack in card, brim it, get a receipt and drive off.

I haven't paid cash in a station in god knows how long, the reason being my online banking takes all of the fuel I buy and puts it into my yearly financial planner so I can see how much fuel I'm buying month to month.

Cicero

I always pay by card so this never occurred to me...I really don't see the issue...lots of items cost uneven amounts of money ....why should they not charge you the price...besides, most people working in petrol stations are employees, not owners...they have no discretion in this matter...

BrianD3

m.j.w wrote: »

If that was the case people would start giving out that they put 20.06 in and they got charged even though they only went 1 cent over the 20.05. You pay for what you get! If the garage is decent enough not to charge you fair play to them but if they do they are well within their rights. Why not just but 19.95 in and take you 5c if you cant get right on the 20. Also if they short changed someone by 1 or 2 cent im sure alot of people would be giving out so you cant have it both ways. Imo its petty to even give out about it, you took x ammount of petrol and you paid x ammount.

And what if he accidentally puts in 20.01 and only has a 20 euro note on him. It's not like buying an item in a shop, you can't leave your fuel back if you discover you haven't the money for it.

Edit: forget that bit, I overlooked the bit about getting 5 cent back

If garages want exact amounts let them have pre pay pumps only or a keypad to type the exact amount.

I'd be interested to know the error associated with these pumps At 150.9 cent per litre, 20.00 euros = 13.25 litres. 20.01 euros is 13.26 litres. if the pump says 20.01 and the customer is not allowed pay 20.00 can the garage guarantee that the pump dispensed at least 13.26 litres and not 13.25 litres or less.

stovelid

The garages don't make much on the petrol iirc.

Letting off hundreds of customers every year with a few cent can add up.

Just get a bag of small coins from a bank or collect them at home and keep them in the car. Then again this would require foresight and effort on your behalf instead of simply blaming a business.

corktina

you have to remember that any shortages in the till have to be made up by the staff member. 2c might not seem a lot but mulitplied by a few dozen customers, it can be a consideration to someone on minimum wages.

You also have to remember that some smart arses do this on purpose all the time.

stovelid

corktina wrote: »

You also have to remember that some smart arses do this on purpose all the time.

Some even admit to it on this thread.

Like they would like to lose a couple of cents every few minutes of every working day from their own wage packets.

mikemac1

corktina wrote: »

you have to remember that any shortages in the till have to be made up by the staff member.

No they don't
And it's a rogue employer who forces that

But if the till is constantly out then the employee can certainly get warnings and be fired

Carstuck

I know what the OP means one or two cents isn't going to make much difference for a shop. Yea sure it all adds up but at the expense of loss of customer loyalty. It's not like shops aren't going to recover it in another way I.e. Increase the price of another product by 1c. Already the shop lost the op's custom, which would take 350,000 one cents!

Danco

I used to work in a big name service station, worked there for a few years. Two things about it that I remember; the money made on petrol sales keeps the place running, everything that's sold in the shop is basically profit, and unbalanced tills were not a big deal.

The main thing at the end of the day / week was that petrol sales added up correctly, so if we'd had a drive off or an under-payment for petrol that missing money was made up by transferring cash from other sales areas (sandwiches say). Staff NEVER had to make up for tills that didn't balance and I'd say that's extremely uncommon practice, if it happens at all.

Basically petrol stations make a killing on anything that is sold inside the shop so to be pinching pennies from regular customers (or any customer who buys anything beyond fuel) is scabby in the extreme.

OP, you're totally justified to think the management are being petty here, and taking your business elsewhere is the only thing to do.

Voodoomelon

I never put in less than €120 and always get charged the 2 or 3c over. Does it bother me? Why would it, they only make 3c on the litre anyways, they'd be selling a litre with zero profit. Not a great business model really is it to make no profit.

corktina

the point is maybe MANAGEMENT are being petty but its not the perogative of the (possibly part time schoolgiirl) on the till to make the decision not to charge the extra 2c.

What if the guys petrol bill was €20-02 BUT he also bought the Examiner and a creme-egg (as you do)...should the garage then knock off the 2c? What if he didn't buy petrol at all but his breakfast roll with red sauce and coffee came to €5-02...should they then knock off that 2c?

AgileMyth

corktina wrote: »

you have to remember that any shortages in the till have to be made up by the staff member.

What sort of place has a policy like that? I work in a petrol station and would quit on the spot if they started doing that.

Actually if the till is over do they give the balance to the employee? I could live with that!

corktina

so what happens if you a fiver short then? Great job if you can put a fiver in your pocket everyday no questions asked!

AgileMyth

corktina wrote: »

so what happens if you a fiver short then? Great job if you can put a fiver in your pocket everyday no questions asked!

If your till was consistently short questions might be asked.

corktina

AgileMyth wrote: »

If your till was consistently short questions might be asked.

wouldnt it be consistently short then if you knocked the odd 2c off everyones bill all day?

PS if my bill is 2c over I always make a point of dredging up the 2c from the bottom of my pocket somewhere as I wouldnt want anyone to think I was a tight arse deliberatly wringing 2c extra petrol out of the filling station!

AgileMyth

corktina wrote: »

wouldnt it be consistently short then if you knocked the odd 2c off everyones bill all day?

A lot of people leave change behind them and while most of it goes in the charity boxes a good bit ends up in the tills too. The till will never balance exactly but you're going to be fairly close most days.

barura

I wish I was the sort of person that never had one or two cent coins in their wallet.

Having said that, when I do go over, I always cop a look at the crisps section, for some reason there is always a few one or two cent coins on the little ledge in front of it. Always cracks the teller up when they realise what I've done.

pajo1981

If you buy €80.02, pay €100.02, and you'll get back your €20 note - I see this all the time in shops.

Max Power1

pajo1981 wrote: »

If you buy €80.02, pay €100.02, and you'll get back your €20 note - I see this all the time in shops.

Actually imo the majority of times its the below:D

Max Power1 wrote: »

Its always a test of manhood how far you can go over without paying.

I know it takes about €80 to fill my golf. If its 80.01 - 80.05 I will walk in to pay, slap 80 notes on the desk and walk out.

I worked in a busy station years ago when in college, you'd clock up a few grand back than easily, that was in Irish pounds when fuel was relatively cheap compared to now, as folks have mentioned it would be very rare that you're till would be bang on, humans make mistakes and with so many transactions over the course of a shift a 2c will find it's way into the 1c, someone will throw a ball of change at you for a paper, you'll run out of 1 cents or 2 cents etc etc.

In strictly regulated manufacturing industries 100% operator inspection/checks are recognised to be quite the opposite of effective, I can't see how taking in a few thousand over 8 hours can be expected to be perfect to the cent

Any shop manager who expects a till to tally exactly has rocks in their head if it's a busy station.

Common sense should apply on petrol and diesel transactions, 1c or 2c over should be tolerated on a transaction of €20 or above, common sense, it's not as common as you'd expect.

alexlyons

those trays with a hand full of coppers are the way forward

meoklmrk91

There is only one garage that I have ever been to that is a stickler for the 1c,2c,5c etc. that is over and that is one that is cheaper than everywhere else. There is a sign up stating that to keep the price of petrol as low as they have it they must insist that they be paid in full. I think that is fair enough.

Anywhere else and it would be the last time I bought from there, OP you are dead right for taking your custom elsewhere.

coylemj

You are being penalised for the tossers who put €20.40 in the tank, then throw a €20 note across the counter and bugger off.

coup1917

most garages i find are the complete opposite of the op's
ie. if you fill say 50.1 and pay 50 in cash they are fine.
however if you give them a credit card then they'll ring in the 50.1

i must admit the pumps are way more sensitive then they were a couple of years back. just as you get to. 99 the pump will settle on. 01 or. 02. i always wondered how much extra they would be raking in if they take a couple of cent extra from anyone that goes over...

Max Power1

coup1917 wrote: »

most garages i find are the complete opposite of the op's
ie. if you fill say 50.1 and pay 50 in cash they are fine.
however if you give them a credit card then they'll ring in the 50.1

Yeah, thats always been the way - hence cash is king if you are counting the cents!

coup1917 wrote: »

i must admit the pumps are way more sensitive then they were a couple of years back because the price has almost doubled. just as you get to. 99 the pump will settle on. 01 or. 02. i always wondered how much extra they would be raking in if they take a couple of cent extra from anyone that goes over...

fyp

RoboRat

What if the guys petrol bill was €20-02 BUT he also bought the Examiner and a creme-egg (as you do)...should the garage then knock off the 2c? What if he didn't buy petrol at all but his breakfast roll with red sauce and coffee came to €5-02...should they then knock off that 2c?

I wouldn't buy either in a fit but I get what you're asking. The answer is No, if i get petrol plus other stuff I would pay whatever the cost was as its never a round number. My problem is that you are in to get some petrol, just running in to drop the notes and you end up with a fist full of change. If I am paying by card again, I expect to pay whatever the cost is.

Funnily enough a breakfast roll costs 4.95 and I have many times given a fiver and left. I also always tipped the guy washing the car with at least 2 euro.

In regards to pre pay, if the garage has that facility, I would be delighted - I'm not trying to slyly get an extra cent or 2, its just very hard sometimes to get it right.

Basically its a courtesy thing, I find it petty and have gone elsewhere as a result.

Cookie_Monster

Max Power1 wrote: »

I know it takes about €80 to fill my golf. If its 80.01 - 80.05 I will walk in to pay, slap 80 notes on the desk and walk out.

I'd call you back for that. 5 years in retail, you get pretty used to what customers are like, you make sure you get everything off the arrogant/annoying/cunts and let nicer people off with the odd bit of short change.

... Indeed CookieMonster, I used do the same, anything over the two pence and if it wasn't being offered it would be asked for, folks who didn't act the muppet often received a 3/4 pence discount :pac:

lala88

stovelid wrote: »

The garages don't make much on the petrol iirc.

Letting off hundreds of customers every year with a few cent can add up.

Just get a bag of small coins from a bank or collect them at home and keep them in the car. Then again this would require foresight and effort on your behalf instead of simply blaming a business.

Ya but its way easier to just blame the business

lala88

stovelid wrote: »

Some even admit to it on this thread.

Like they would like to lose a couple of cents every few minutes of every working day from their own wage packets.

Ya thats a very common thing on hear. Its always the businesses falt

justme7136

What i really hate is pre pay pumps, they make me feel like a criminal