Self service garage putting hold on double money ......

clockend1

Hi folks just wondering if anyone has the same problem I'm having ...... I live in Donegal but make a daily commute to Sligo where one self service garage is offering diesel @ 150.9 per litre which is the cheapest I've been able to find only thing is that it takes out twice the amount in euros ..... It debits the amount I've paid in diesel from my account within a day or two but puts a hold on the second amount for at least ten days ........ This is the second time it's happened and the banks are unable to free the money ........ Why is this ????? And why when they actually take the amount that I've used do they hold onto to the second amount for soooooo long ......

Mint Sauce

clockend1 wrote: »

Hi folks just wondering if anyone has the same problem I'm having ...... I live in Donegal but make a daily commute to Sligo where one self service garage is offering diesel @ 150.9 per litre which is the cheapest I've been able to find only thing is that it takes out twice the amount in euros ..... It debits the amount I've paid in diesel from my account within a day or two but puts a hold on the second amount for at least ten days ........ This is the second time it's happened and the banks are unable to free the money ........ Why is this ????? And why when they actually take the amount that I've used do they hold onto to the second amount for soooooo long ......

Does said garage still have an attendant on duty to assist customers (they did have an attendant after opening), have you asked them why this is happening.

Although my understanding of these pumps is you first need to key in the amount that you wish to buy, this is the hold amount, it then charges your card the actual amount taken, ie, if your fill is less than the hold amount requested. The hold amount is not actually charged and should be freed allot sooner I thought.

Delphi91

I think what clockend means is that when you use the automatic pumps, you insert your card and "lock" in a figure that you think you'll need e.g. €80 worth of diesel. Now lets say you then fill the car and only need to buy €60 worth of diesel. Your car is debited with the €60 but the original €80 is still "locked". So, for up to 10 days after you buy the diesel, you're effectively down €140 until they "unlock" the €80 and release it back to your account.

Is this correct??

clockend1

That's exactly it ..... There is no attendant on duty and I've contacted the car garage to which the pumps are attached but they said that the pumps nothing to do with them and to contact them . Which I done but was informed that this was the system involved the first time I noticed it I put in my card "locked" in €80 max fill but the pump didn't work so I cancelled the transaction and moved car to a different pump inserted card again only to be told I'd " insignificant funds" but I knew I had €100 in card at this time ..... I selected a different card locked in again € 80 but amount used was only €70 . When I checked first account later I discover the diesel supplier had a hold on the €80 even tho I had cancelled transaction due to pump not working ..... Upon checking next account I discovered €70 had been debited (grand as this is what I owed/used) but there was a hold on €80 euro . So at this time the diesel company had actually put a hold on €160 of my money and I'd only used €70 of diesel and they had received this amount ....... It took ten days to be able to access this money ..... I figured this maybe a once off but I've used again and the same thing happened €80 pending on account and 59.02 debited !!!!!! Needless to say even tho this company is about 4 cent cheaper per litre I cannot afford to use them again !!!!!

Mint Sauce

Delphi91 wrote: »

I think what clockend means is that when you use the automatic pumps, you insert your card and "lock" in a figure that you think you'll need e.g. €80 worth of diesel. Now lets say you then fill the car and only need to buy €60 worth of diesel. Your car is debited with the €60 but the original €80 is still "locked". So, for up to 10 days after you buy the diesel, you're effectively down €140 until they "unlock" the €80 and release it back to your account.

Is this correct??

I understand that is what he/she means, but also there should be an attendant there that explains how the system works. There is only one self station in Sligo that I know of (other stations have self service pumps in addition to their regular pumps) and they did have an attendant employed when they first opened, not sure if this is still the case, or the hours he/she is present.

Have seen this explained on the motoring forum before OP, not sure when though.

clockend1

I usually use this pump early in morning or after eight at night have never noticed any attendant on duty and when I called the "car garage" attached they stated that the pumps were nothing to do with them and where completely under the charge of the fuel company ....... I would be interested to know if this topic has been discussed before ......

loki7777

It's the one on Ford forecourt. If you are about 8am/pm you can always use topaz(open till 10pm) or the second one beside it.

clockend1

Yeah they are handy options just that one was cheapest ....... Still we live n learn I was just surprised that they could actually put a hold on ur money for so long after their payment has gone through ......

Mint Sauce

loki7777 wrote: »

It's the one on Ford forecourt. If you are about 8am/pm you can always use topaz(open till 10pm) or the second one beside it.

Does the self service pumps at that one work when the shop is closed? Remember driving around the town at about 8pm on Christmas Eve, looking for an open petrol station with a less than quarter tank, and about 250km of driving ahead of me before St Stephens day morning (honestly thought it was open till 9pm). Felt like Mary and Joseph trying to find an Inn for the night.

clockend1

Yes them pumps open 24 hours but there also a texaco one up past mall coach road ( think it the old Dublin road) and that 24 hours with a shop that's pretty much it then till u hit letterkenny .....

clockend1

Just make sure U've plenty of money in ur account !!!!!!! And don't need to access it any time soon after purchase if you use self service one on main road ��

Kristopherus

clockend1 wrote: »

Yeah they are handy options just that one was cheapest ....... Still we live n learn I was just surprised that they could actually put a hold on ur money for so long after their payment has gone through ......

What card are you using?

clockend1

It was a laser but now it visa debit ......

AgileMyth

irish-stew wrote: »

Does the self service pumps at that one work when the shop is closed? Remember driving around the town at about 8pm on Christmas Eve, looking for an open petrol station with a less than quarter tank, and about 250km of driving ahead of me before St Stephens day morning (honestly thought it was open till 9pm). Felt like Mary and Joseph trying to find an Inn for the night.

Yeah they're 24 hour pumps alright. Shop closed at 7pm on Christmas Eve but you'd have got fuel on a card at the outside pumps.

AgileMyth

clockend1 wrote: »

That's exactly it ..... There is no attendant on duty and I've contacted the car garage to which the pumps are attached but they said that the pumps nothing to do with them and to contact them . Which I done but was informed that this was the system involved the first time I noticed it I put in my card "locked" in €80 max fill but the pump didn't work so I cancelled the transaction and moved car to a different pump inserted card again only to be told I'd " insignificant funds" but I knew I had €100 in card at this time ..... I selected a different card locked in again € 80 but amount used was only €70 . When I checked first account later I discover the diesel supplier had a hold on the €80 even tho I had cancelled transaction due to pump not working ..... Upon checking next account I discovered €70 had been debited (grand as this is what I owed/used) but there was a hold on €80 euro . So at this time the diesel company had actually put a hold on €160 of my money and I'd only used €70 of diesel and they had received this amount ....... It took ten days to be able to access this money ..... I figured this maybe a once off but I've used again and the same thing happened €80 pending on account and 59.02 debited !!!!!! Needless to say even tho this company is about 4 cent cheaper per litre I cannot afford to use them again !!!!!

Its a security function on the pump that it has to debit your account before you start to fill (if using debit card, different with credit). Theres no reason it should take 10 days for it to refund though.

clockend1

Whoo hoo money released on day eleven .......