Tip Shakedown

[bobpbx]

I posted this on Facebook. Wonder if any of you have experienced this lately.

On the outskirts of Medford at the Sunoco station heading east, on 70 and Hartford Road, I got gas last night. While there, the attendant washed my front window. When the tank was full, he took out my credit card from the pump and receipt and held it at my window, but did not immediately give it to me. He held it away from me, and he said (accent), do you like the window wash, do you want more? He clearly wanted a tip. He did eventually give the card back and was pleasant, but I could not help feeling this was nothing more than a shake down for a tip. This is something I have never experienced at a gas station in NJ before. Anyone else subject to this? Don't give in to this, or it will become the norm.

 

[46er]

Never. The only 'tip' I'd give would be to tell him to get a better paying job. Must have changed, was a Petro station. Try posting your question on the Sunoco FB site.

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

 

[Jon Holcombe]

When the tank was full, he took out my credit card from the pump and receipt and held it at my window, but did not immediately give it to me.

For some reason (I assume it's about allowing gas stations to charge more), both Christie and Sweeney have come out against self-serve gas pumping. The other 49 states allow it. The law is stupid and should be repealed. I am usually in a hurry and can do it much faster than an attendant. I also don't trust handing my credit card to an attendant because of illegal credit card skimmers that are very easy to install inside of a gas pump.

 

[Boyd]

I agree, not allowing self-service gas in NJ is ridiculous. Nobody has ever tried that with me, but I get just about all my gas at Wawa. Do "credit card skimmers" work with the new chip cards? I didn't think so. Any fraud attempts should be easy to spot with instant alerts on your phone now whenever you charge something.

 

[Jon Holcombe]

Do "credit card skimmers" work with the new chip cards?

From "PC" website: "Classic skimming attacks are here to stay, and will likely continue to be a problem even now that banks have made the shift to EMV chip cards according to ...a security researcher at.... Even if the cards have a chip, the data will still be on the card's magnetic strip to be backwards compatible with systems that can't handle the chip... ...some merchants still require customers to use the magstripe."

I chopped up the quote, hopefully it's okay from a copyright standpoint.

 

[old jersey girl]

I get around this when I buy gas by getting out of the car, removing the gas cap, and telling the attendant "twenty dollars of regular, for cash". I then tell them that I will put the gas cap on, and hand them the cash. I hang up the pump handle when done.

They don't have to come back to get paid, and I don't get a cross-threaded gas cap or bent cover door.
Since I usually gas up at a local Sunoco where they know me, this is pretty quick.

I don't buy gas at WaWa anymore since a discussion with my mechanic about the low quality of their product and the desirability of "top tier" gas. He will not use WaWa or other off-brand gas in his vehicles.

What was the reason for no self-serve here anyway?

 

[manumuskin]

I have trouble with most gas stations pumping my gas because the pumps always click off way before I"m full and of course the attendant has already walked away at that point.I get out and restart it myself.So far no one as said anything to me.I"ve seent hem restart it three times and walk away each time.It needs to be backed out and put on the slowest setting.Wawa is the worst for the clicking off phenomena but in Wawas defense I read an article once that claimed many stations were charging more per gallonthe advertised.Their pumps were not adjusted right so I did an experiment and went to six different stations and fiour of them were over charging according to my calculator by eight to nine cents per gallon.The two Wawas were spot on. Mots of the sheater stations were claiming to under sell wawa by one or two cents bit they were lying.

 

[lj762]

I have trouble with most gas stations pumping my gas because the pumps always click off way before I"m full...

Can't resist... Public service announcement: Clean Air NJ - Stop at the Click Campaign

 

[Teegate]

As does Old Jersey Girl, I have always exited my vehicle when getting gas. I watch everything that goes on. I guess it comes from pumping gas for 4 years at a Sunoco. It is just good practice.

 

[RednekF350]

I drive a diesel pickup and I have never had fuel pumped for me in NJ in 17 years of owning this truck.
Fortunately diesel is not prohibited from being pumped by the driver in this State .

This weekend I was in a backwoods Dandee in Rome, PA and I wanted to put diesel on my card because I needed the cash that I had. They had an old pump without a card slot for the diesel. I knew it was going to take at least $50.00 so I tried to pre-pay $50 on the card at the register in the store. The nice but somewhat stubborn girl at the register said I had to leave my card in the store while I pumped it and that she would ring it when I was done. I wasn't crazy about that because she could just photograph my card and security number for future online shopping sprees but I trusted her wholesome looks.

So far, no unexpected charges at the Tractor Supply in nearby Wysox or Fulmer's Gun Shop.

 

[old jersey girl]

I drive a diesel pickup and I have never had fuel pumped for me in NJ in 17 years of owning this truck.
Fortunately diesel is not prohibited from being pumped by the driver in this State .

This weekend I was in a backwoods Dandee in Rome, PA and I wanted to put diesel on my card because I needed the cash that I had. They had an old pump without a card slot for the diesel. I knew it was going to take at least $50.00 so I tried to pre-pay $50 on the card at the register in the store. The nice but somewhat stubborn girl at the register said I had to leave my card in the store while I pumped it and that she would ring it when I was done. I wasn't crazy about that because she could just photograph my card and security number for future online shopping sprees but I trusted her wholesome looks.

So far, no unexpected charges at the Tractor Supply in nearby Wysox or Fulmer's Gun Shop.

"Wholesome looks" ?!!

 

[manumuskin]

Can't resist... Public service announcement: Clean Air NJ - Stop at the Click Campaign

How about when I should take 15 gallons and it clicks off at two.Thats the Norm and it will click off every gallo or so till it really is full.I know when my tank is full and when it isn't,The gas pump has nary a clue

 

[46er]

How about when I should take 15 gallons and it clicks off at two.Thats the Norm and it will click off every gallo or so till it really is full.I know when my tank is full and when it isn't,The gas pump has nary a clue

Your tank probably has gas; not the liquid kind. Usually caused by running it low before filling up. The air being displaced by the gasoline can't exit the tank fast enough, causing the nozzle to click off. Filling it slowly, not at full speed, usually helps.

 

[leahey]

That is a notorious gas station for folks in Medford. Check your transactions on your card, as well.

 

[bobpbx]

That is a notorious gas station for folks in Medford. Check your transactions on your card, as well.

Thanks. Makes me want to go back, have him do all my windows, then drive off. What are the stories about him?

 

[1Jerseydevil]

Bob, I usually use 2 local stations, Wawa and Quickcheck. I hand the attendant the credit card, they swipe and immediately hand it back. Even when I sometimes go elsewhere it's the same, I've never had to wait for the card. I'd advise asking for the card if it's not immediately handed back.

46'er is right about the air or the gas itself backing up to trip the shutoff, the solution is to pull the nozzle out a little, I have the same problem.

Al, the stations that are overcharging, you're saying the advertised price is lower than the price on the pump per gallon? Probably most folks don't look at the pump price, or are they cheating on the gallons pumped? In any event, report the station to the bureau of weights and measures.

 

[Boyd]

I usually use 2 local stations, Wawa and Quickcheck. I hand the attendant the credit card, they swipe and immediately hand it back.

Guess you didn't get the memos about "illegal credit card skimmers that are very easy to install inside of a gas pump" or the "low quality" of Wawa gas. Neither did I.

 

[46er]

46'er is right about the air or the gas itself backing up to trip the shutoff, the solution is to pull the nozzle out a little, I have the same problem.

Depending on the age of your car and its mileage, the line from the tank to the EVAP canister may be clogged or the cannister itself may be clogged. All it is, is a container filled with charcoal that is connected between the tank and the intake and located in the engine compartment. Your friends in the goobermint mandated it in, I think, 1970. If your handy around a car, you can clear the line and/or check the cannister. Just may be hard to get to it as it is usually buried in newer cars. Check UTube, probably a ton of vids for it.

 

[leahey]

Thanks. Makes me want to go back, have him do all my windows, then drive off. What are the stories about him?

On the Medford Facebook group, every couple of months he comes up. Without exaggeration. They vary -- from shaking people down for $10 for $5 worth of gas, to harassing women and the inevitable fraud alerts on your card after getting gas there. Some quick quotes I just pulled (of, literally, dozens):

Everyone stay away from the Sunoco station on Rt 70 and Hartford Rd. I went there on Sunday to get $25.00 in gas using my debit card. The guy swiped my card and ran off to service another vehicle. I yelled for him to give me my card back. Monday morning I check my account and there was the $25.00 gas charge and then a separate $12.00 charge from Sunoco right after that. The bank had my file a dispute and shut down my card. The bank said they start off with a small charge and then make bigger ones. Trust me I will go there and confront that piece of trash

...

I suggest that no one goes to the Sunoco on Hartford Road or if they do keep an eye on their credit card. The guy there used my card to pay for someone else’s gas. He walked away with my card and came back and gave it to me. Luckily I thought that was not right and got my receipt and watched my account. Sure enough two charges on the same day. Thankfully my bank has a great fraud department and is on it quickly. I will never go there again! Whether it was that particular employee or not they lost my trust. This happened on 5/16/19. I waited till now to post because I had to be sure the charges went off pending and went to a full charge on my account before I said anything.

...

Has anyone had any problems with gas purchased at the Sunoco on Hartford and Rt 70? We purchased gas there on Thursday and car immediately had problems!

...

I went there and they double charged me! They have a history of doing this and I signed a complaint with the police. They caught the attendant doing it and he has be prosecuted. I don’t think this person is the only one. That place is shady

 

[Boyd]

Wow, that is really bad. About 20 years ago, I was sitting in traffic at the Hartford Road light on Route 70 East when a guy rear-ended me, causing a chain reaction that totaled my car and a couple others. Luckily, nobody was injured. So this sounds like another good reason to avoid that area.