Posted: 5/5/2008 4:33:49 PM EDT
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You Might Not Get All of the Gas You Pay For Posted: Apr. 29, 2008 11:04 a.m. When you fill up your tank, are you getting what you pay for? According to a recent investigation, the answer is…sometimes. Perhaps this wasn't a big deal when gas was $1.50 a gallon and an inaccurate pump might cost you a few extra cents. But as the cost of gas rises, the cost of a gas station's mistakes rises with it. The AP explains that a faulty check valve, "a common, hard to diagnose and mostly ignored problem" with gas pumps, can cause the machine to begin charging for gas slightly before it begins pumping the stuff. The check valve problem can cost just pennies per fill-up, "But even if your gas pump works, it can still be off as much as $5 for every fill up. Tests by local regulators allow a pump to charge as much as 6 cents more than the gas delivered in a five-gallon test." And that test itself is a rare event. "Regulators' records show short staffing, particularly for financially struggling counties that try to inspect pumps every six months, but too often don't even meet the one-year requirement in states like New York." Kicking Tires cautions, however, that you shouldn’t "think the guy behind the counter is trying to scam you. A bad valve could freeze the pump, too, giving you more gas than it rings up. If that doesn’t make you feel better, the co-founder of GasBuddy.com says most retailers wouldn’t know how to jury rig a pump if they wanted to." So how can you protect yourself? The Consumerist advises, "Try to keep track of how much gas your pump is actually pumping. If you see the price meter start several seconds before the gas flows, your pump may have a faulty check valve. Additionally, if you've put 11 gallons into your 10 gallon tank, it's obvious that something is amiss. Report any discrepancies to the gas station. Some gas stations are authorized to give recompense if the discrepancy is within $5.00. Also look for a phone number on the side of the pump which you can use to report any problems." Look up your tank's capacity now with U.S. News' car rankings and reviews. |
This goes along with an email I got forwarded to me:
I thought it was total baloney, especially since the person who wrote it didn't include his/her name. It sounded like the start of an urban myth. I checked Snopes and came up empty. In this story, the author can't seem to decide if the pump is showing too many gallons or too many dollars or both. It appears to change a few times. 
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I have found this to be true in the past in Berks County PA. I have not found here in Ga. I the 70's I saw a station owner put water in the under tanks and later found that he would contact the oil company and then the oil company would put additive in to the tank to blend it with the gas. I call the oil company and told them what the owner did and caught him in the act. I have a 2.5 gal. gas can and have it marked at the 2.5 gal. level. So far it was allways right at the mark, but that here in north east Ga. If I would find some one cheating me I will turn them in. Mike |
That's a crappy gas station anyway.........
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