Gas Station Frustration

[MrsLMB]

Today I filled up the car .. a painful event that has unfortunately become all too common for all of us.

This evening we were at Home Depot and picked up a ton of things and when we went to pay the cashier said our card was declined.

I told her to try it again .. once again .. declined !!

While I was getting another card out to pay with, she casually asked if we had purchased gas recently. I said yes that this morning I had done that.

She said that was probably what the problem was. She then proceeded to tell me that the gas stations now put a hold of $125.00 on your card for up to 48 hours when you purchase gas !!!

I had NO clue that this was going to be done and I am really angry right now.

When we got home I went online and checked and sure enough .. there is a $125.00 charge from the gas station. It was 55.03 to fill up NOT $125.00.

Has anyone else run into this?

I am so spitting mad right now I just don't even know where to start so if anyone has an idea for me as to where I might start my contacts - besides the gas station - in the morning I sure would appreciate it.

 

[Andy M.]

This is a practice for gas stations and other vendors too. The gas stations I stop at all have a notice on the pump indicating a hold of "X" dollars. I'm not sure why this is done.

All I can figure is that your card is swiped at the pump before the amount of the transaction is determined so they select an arbitrary amount that would cover the majority of transactions.

I think if you pay inside the gas station rather than swiping at the pump, this does not happen.

 

[MrsLMB]

Thanks Andy.

This has never happened before and I paid the same way I always have.

I just bought gas at the same place and paid in the same way 2 weeks ago, so apparently it's something new here.

There was a sign on the pump but what it said was if you pay with American Express or use any card that requires you enter a pin that you will be charged $129.00.

Since I was doing neither of those I didn't expect what happened.

My receipt only inidicated the actual amount and not the $125.00.

I will take your advice and go inside to pay from here on out.

I really don't like surprises like this one !

Thanks for your input.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

I have had this done too. However as soon as I completed the transaction the purchase was updated to the correct amount. This can be done either by a revised debit or by an initial fee charged and then a separate transaction to refund the difference between the initial amount and the purchase amount.

There is no excuse that this could not be done all in the time that you are on the premises, and the full transaction including any hold amount or refund adjusted by the time you're starting your car and driving out.

I don't use a credit card at a gas station unless it's an emergency. For one, they often charge more for credit over cash. For another, your transaction is complete when you drive off. You have your gas, they have their cash, everybody is satisfied and there's no quibbling when you're gone.

 

[buckytom]

call your credit card company and dispute the charge. it'll take the credit card company amywhere betweena few days and a few weeks to get around to asking you why you were disputing it. then tell them that the correct amount for the charge that should have gone through. they'll first remove the charge, then after questioning you make the correction, and in the meantime the gas station won't be paid until the correction, and the credit card company will waste resources tracking the problem down.

if enough people do this, the practice will end. credit card companies hate to pay employees to do useless work, and gas stations run on a thin margin so they can't afford too many losses, however temporary.

 

[Aunt Bea]

This has been done for many years. It used to be set at $50.00 and then went to $75.00, now $125.00. Before they raised it to $125.00 people, with large gas tanks, would complain when the pump would "quit" at $75.00 and not allow them to fill up. It is as Andy said just an authorization at the pump because they have no way of knowing how much gas you will actually buy. The same thing is done with hotels and rental cars.

 

[bakechef]

I see it every time I fill up. I am used to it though. Where I get gas if you use a PIN # there is no hold, the actual amount is taken immediately from the account (I don't use a PIN at a gas station though). If you choose "credit" (which I do) there is a hold. because of these holds I always keep plenty of money in the account if using debit. When using a credit card this is a non issue because I am never even close to my limit, because I pay it off every month, and my limit is high.

 

[MrsLMB]

I can understand the deposit thing on stuff like rental vehicles, hotel rooms etc plus you always know that it's going to happen.

But on gas it's completely out of line. They can adjust the amount to the actual cost prior to a person actually leaving the pump as Greg said.

In fact I know that is the way it used to be here because I've gone into my account before right after spending money for the day and all has always been exact and accurate.

If it had been posted that all transactions at the pump were subject to this "depost" then I would not have been caught off guard.

I just think it is so very wrong that they do this without warning.

Lesson learned quickly though ... I go inside to pay from this point forward. Just another inconvenience being thrust upon us due to people who steal gas not unlike the druggies who made it difficult for us to purchase over the counter meds.

I'm still very grrrrrrrrr about this but at least I now understand that it has been going on in other parts of the country and it wasn't some random act of insanity only happening here. And now I also understand that I need to pay inside.

Thanks again for all the input

 

[taxlady]

They do that at some gas stations here, but differently. The gas station I usually go to asks how much you want to pre-authorize for*. Then they get an authorization only. Once the actual amount is known, that amount is charged to your card. I don't know why that don't do that at US gas stations.

As a credit card merchant, myself, I have read in their literature that this can be done at restaurants. I think it is mostly done for stuff that can't really be returned.

*They only do this at night, when there is less staff and a higher risk of someone driving off without paying.

 

[kleenex]

Today I filled up the car .. a painful event that has unfortunately become all too common for all of us.

This evening we were at Home Depot and picked up a ton of things and when we went to pay the cashier said our card was declined.

I told her to try it again .. once again .. declined !!

While I was getting another card out to pay with, she casually asked if we had purchased gas recently. I said yes that this morning I had done that.

She said that was probably what the problem was. She then proceeded to tell me that the gas stations now put a hold of $125.00 on your card for up to 48 hours when you purchase gas !!!

I had NO clue that this was going to be done and I am really angry right now.

When we got home I went online and checked and sure enough .. there is a $125.00 charge from the gas station. It was 55.03 to fill up NOT $125.00.

Has anyone else run into this?

I am so spitting mad right now I just don't even know where to start so if anyone has an idea for me as to where I might start my contacts - besides the gas station - in the morning I sure would appreciate it.

Stop using you credit card so much

 

[MrsLMB]

Stop using you credit card so much

It was not a credit card. I have several bank accounts and it was a credit/debit card for one of my bank accounts. I never use these cards as debit because I do not want to be putting my pin number out there so they are always used as credit.

Update:

I contacted the gas station and was forwarded to their main office. They say that it's the bank's fault and that they required that much of a "deposit". They said they request $1.00 because my card has the Visa logo on it.

I contact my bank and they say that the gas station required it.



I get my gas at that gas station because I get fuel discounts for shopping at the grocery store attached to it. This has never happened before and if the savings on my gas weren't so great I would go elsewhere.

All I know is that I will not be paying at the pump ever again and I should be safe from this problem in the future.

 

[taxlady]

When I first saw the title of this thread I thought the OP was complaining about the gas prices. I don't know about where you guys live, but our gas prices have been on a pogo stick.