Gas Station Scam - Watch That Meter!

Post by **Landsnark** » June 15, 2008, 10:04 pm

I was passing through Udon and stopped to get some gas on the road that connects the airport to the Udon->Nong Khai highway.

The tank was nearly empty, and I asked for 500 baht of 91 octane. There were two kids pumping gas - one pumped the gas, and the other stood in front of the pump so I couldn't see the meter. I was talking to a friend who was in the front seat, and didn't notice the scam until she was done pumping.

The fill-up seemed a bit too quick, so I asked to see the meter, but she had flipped it back to zero by then. I turned the car on and looked at the gas meter, and it has barely moved above full. She probably pumped about 200 baht or so. I asked her how much she pumped, and of course she smiled and said 500 baht. >:( Not much I could do at that point.

I know for sure she didn't pump 500, because I bought 500 baht today when the tank was empty and the needle went up to between 1/4 and 1/2 full - much higher than when I filled up at the scam gas station.

Anyone else ever get burned like this? Is this a common scam? I am going to watch the pump a lot more closely from now on.

I didn't get the name of the place, but it's the first one on the left if you are driving away from the airport toward the Udon->Nong Khai highway. The station was an off-brand place with no convenience store.

Post by **Roy** » June 15, 2008, 10:12 pm

I am not really sure you were scammed Landsnark, with the price of fuel at the moment I can put in 500b and as you say the needle hardly moves.
It depends on how long you have been running on empty, if the light has just come on then I would expect it to move but if the light has been on sometime then it barely registers.

Post by **stattointhailand** » June 15, 2008, 10:26 pm

It's an old scam Landsnark. I got caught about 3 years ago at one of the stations on the Udon/Nong Khai road, and two of my friends have been 'DONE' since (one on the Udon/KK road and one near the airport.

Post by **jackspratt** » June 15, 2008, 10:33 pm

Agreed - an old scam.

Don't reset the meter after the last customer, and you pay for what they got.

There is a servo in Ban Dung which will try it on every time. Just wait till they have pumped 20 or 30 baht into the motorbike, and then tell them to reset the meter.

Post by **panick** » June 15, 2008, 10:41 pm

Saint and I have both been caught at the same Gas sataion over a year or so

Yes it happens all the time and not just to farangs

They rip off the Thais as well so don't feel too persecuted

Try to buy from the bigger companys...PTT, Caltex,Esso, Shell etc. The smaller ones are the ones that tend to try it on!, Park where you can see the pump, and if they stand in the way ....... get out'a the car and look!
TIT.........Turned-over in Thailand

Post by **izzix** » June 15, 2008, 11:05 pm

will they still do the same with gas ? LNV or CNG ?

Post by **Irish Alan** » June 15, 2008, 11:31 pm

I make a point of going to the same one (Caltex) each time. I get out, lean on the side and watch them pumping. (Sounds like a porno).

My shrink used to say I had acute paranoia... I just told her I had a nice pair of balls too.

Be careful out there.

Post by **stattointhailand** » June 15, 2008, 11:45 pm

With all the extras that Caltex put in to clean your engine, your probably only getting about B400 petrol for every B500 anyway Alan

Post by **ISSAN_NISSAN** » June 16, 2008, 12:11 am

I can't for the life of me figure out why one would only buy a little gas/diesel when you pull into a service station.

Just fill it up.

It is also a good time to get out of the car/truck and check the tire pressures and oil level.

The above posts offer good advise as well....get out and watch the pumper...errrrr attendant reset the pump before He/She sticks it in the hole.

If you are trying to save money, look for the self service stations and that way you pay before you pump and always get what you paid for.

I also would not let the attendants check the oil level. Which reminds me of another scam.

The attendant sticks the oil measuring stick about 3/4 of the way in and withdraws it showing you are 1 or 2 quarts low.

Then sells you a couple of quarts/liters of oil which overfill the crankcase and after a few miles of driving with way to much oil in the crankcase, you blow an engine seal.

---Not a good thing to blow a seal--- unless of course....oh never mind.

Gad, I almost got a woody writing this post. Yeah I know... I need professional help.

Post by **Irish Alan** » June 16, 2008, 12:23 am

No way would I let one of those dodo's check my oil.

Blow a seal? Has that anything to do with penguins in Arizona?

Post by **westerby** » June 16, 2008, 2:33 am

Irish Alan wrote:Blow a seal? Has that anything to do with penguins in Arizona?

No, it's something that British servicemen get up to after six months in the Falkland Islands

Post by **saint** » June 16, 2008, 7:04 am

isaan, i was pulling the dipstick routine when i was 14 years old and worked in a gas station at weekends. my boss told me one day, for every pint of oil you can sell i will give you 1d , needless to say i sold a lot of oil. even at that age , my phylosophy to the customer was, if your too lazy to get out of your car, you deserve to be scammed. as for the original post, avoid that susco service station like the plague .

Post by **BKKSTAN** » June 16, 2008, 8:20 am

I was getting great service from the Esso station around the corner from the complex!The attendant was checking my oil and excited that i reall needed some,showing me the dipstick!

So ,I got out of the car,opened the trunk and pulled out a bottle of oil!He decided to check again!''Oh,sorry,full''!

laphanphon · Post by **laphanphon** » June 16, 2008, 10:33 am

also usually use the same station and always fill up. always newer pump, handle hanging up and resets when switched on. too easy.

one time, at station closest to steve's in town, still there. scammed for about 100 baht, 700 baht charge, at the time, the car would barely take 600, as i always let get to near empty then filled up, and never broke 600, but usually almost. guy says 700, literally impossible, it was full, by gauge in car, but he already cleared the pump for next motorbike behind me. needless to say, i stopped going there, unless emergency. that's how long ago it was, 13 baht a liter. 2003.

then for a while i did the same, got out of car and watched the pumping action

then they started updating all the pumps to electronic, much harder now, unless attendant is standing there when you pull up with hose in hand. obviously ready to scam.

Post by **jetdoc** » June 16, 2008, 1:46 pm

Last time I filled up, (48L) I gave the guy 2000bt and he gave me 20 back, probably correct but seemed like a scam.

Post by **BKKSTAN** » June 16, 2008, 1:53 pm

Thats the problem I have had a couple of times.They clear the pump for the next guy before I see the total!Feels creepy,as sometimes when it happened,I left with that unsure feeling!

Post by **beer monkey** » June 16, 2008, 3:40 pm

I would never get someone in a petrol(Gas) Station to check my oil, its a simple task that should be done weekly, takes less than a minute...it won't give you a true reading in a petrol station unless you have been stationary for a while to let most of the oil go back into the sump.

As for the pumps, i always look at the start and finish of the pumping process, even if it gives you a pain in the neck, if in doubt just get out of the vehicle, but make sure you are wearing long trousers..lol

Post by **Aardvark** » June 16, 2008, 4:36 pm

First Servo on the left after Macro, pulled in there back in April. Told the guy fill her up "Bht2200" . One week later pulled in and asked, fill her up ! the man said to my wife " I remember you, first time ever say fill up " While the Tank was filling he washed everything with a huge smile on his face and guess what ?? Bht2100 for the fill. Honest poeple are out there you just have to find them and make yourself a regular.

Post by **polehawk** » June 16, 2008, 5:16 pm

Yeah, you gotta watch those guys. Just tell them "dim thung, khap" and watch their faces. They will know you've been around the block a time or two. Just DON'T say "dim thoong, khap" like I did one time. Guess the latter one tells them to fill up your pocket.

Always get out of your car at the petrol/gas stations BEFORE they start the pump. They don't want to talk to you but they will know you're wise to the little tricks.

Post by **Brian Davis** » June 17, 2008, 8:30 am

Personally I think you're daft if you don't check the meter (and hope that it is correctly adjusted, but that's another issue). I always get out of the car. It's no secret and a sad fact that there is corruption everywhere and a petrol station is a good place to put some baht in your back pocket from a trusting customer.

Back in Phuket, Patong, a friend of mine popped into the station shop whilst the tank was being filled. He knew on return that less gas had been put in than what he was being asked to pay- he has a Fortuner, so there's the extra 'computer' info on the dashboard.

He can speak fair Thai, argued away, police called. The latter hardly helpful, suggesting he had to get the gas thingy checked out by Toyota THAT day. It was already 2100 hrs!

I couldn't help feel there was an organised scam operating here, perhaps with police involvement. It always amazed me, also, that there was only one proper gas station in busy Patong and 'strings were being pulled' somewhere.