Zero ing pump at Fuel station

cyclonebri1

Pumping of diesel etc has real risks, as said auto ignites under the correct pressure and very little heat. We used to pump diesel for fire pumps, they had to be specially restrcted pressure wise;)

david29dpo

Does anyone know why it is only petrol and diesel that is sold by tenths of a penny? You dont see cat food priced at 48.9p?

DaveMacD

Probably the same reason it used to be that M&S used to sell things at £X.99.

I suppose you could also argue that due to rounding errors, someone is losing out somewhere....

Katie-Kat-Kins

When more places install pay at pump these problems will be completely extinct.

Asda already have unattended automated fuel stations, brilliant and so much quicker.

My pet hate is people who fanny about queuing in the shop while there is a massive queue of people waiting to fill up behind them and they are on a pay at pump dispenser. grrrrrrrrrrrr

Ezmondino

hewhoisnotintheknow wrote: »

good god, lifes too short, put it in dont pull the trigger

better than viagra that's for sure.

lfc321

Used to work at a petrol station, so have seen this from the other side.

1. The OP is worrying about nothing. When you lift the pump it alerts the person behind the counter who will then authorise the pump to start. That sets it back to zero - you won't be able to draw fuel without them zeroing it first. I can't see how it could possibly happen.[OK - someone may be able to say that it happened at a country garage 50 years ago. I'm talking about the modern systems that are in use in probably 99.9% of garages].

2. Someone paying for the wrong pump does happen occasionally (more often through an honest mistake than deliberate IME - if you're going to nick fuel you'd be more likely to just drive off than go into the shop to pay for someone else's). It shouldn't be beyond the wit of the staff to sort this out.

3. I didn't personally insist on the nozzle being in the car before I authorised the pump, but I can see why someone might (and it might be company policy and therefore not the fault of the person on the till). Why does it matter to you anyway - it doesn't sound like a great hardship? Petrol stations are in the business of selling dangerous liquids and have safety rules for obvious reasons. Even if you don't think diesel is flammable it makes a hell of a mess when its all over the forecourt, and someone has to deal with that. You would be amazed at the idiocy of some drivers - smoking while they filled their tank, wanting to use tupperware boxes instead of proper petrol cans etc.

4. Where I worked the system would hold one transaction in its memory, so I could authorise the next person to fill before the person before them had paid. That might explain DaveMacD's point. Certainly that's what I would have done if he's filled his car, put the pump back and then picked it up again to fill a petrol can - kept the bill for filling the car in the memory and then authorised it again to fill the can. When he came in to pay the two would be added together.

5. Whenever people owe £10.01, £50.01 or whatever they always insist the extra penny has mysteriously appeared while they were walking in to pay. It hadn't, although I heard it alleged thousands of times. And yes, shaking out the last few drops can move it on a penny.

6. The reason fuel is charged in 10ths of a penny is obvious. Nobody buys a single litre of fuel, so it adds up to pennies. Margins are very small on petrol retailing and competition is fierce, so those pennies matter.

Premier_2

KatP wrote: »

When more places install pay at pump these problems will be completely extinct.

Asda already have unattended automated fuel stations, brilliant and so much quicker.

My pet hate is people who fanny about queuing in the shop while there is a massive queue of people waiting to fill up behind them and they are on a pay at pump dispenser. grrrrrrrrrrrr

My pet hates are:

1. People fannying about at pay at pumps, working out how to use them.
2. Pay at pumps rejecting cards already used that day at that chain. Some of us drive alot, and sometimes in many different vehicles in one day.
3. Automated pumps that fail to give a receipt because they have run out of receipt paper. We're not all MPs, some of us have to justify our expenses.

Katie-Kat-Kins

Premier wrote: »

My pet hates are:

1. People fannying about at pay at pumps, working out how to use them. If you can read them there isn't much fannying about to be done, unless the person in question is just a useless fanny fart at the best of times - and they are annoying ALL THE TIME
2. Pay at pumps rejecting cards already used that day at that chain. Some of us drive alot, and sometimes in many different vehicles in one day. Never had that, but fair enough, though to be honest that will be the credit card company not the petrol station. So shouldn't make a difference whether you are at the pump or at the till.
3. Automated pumps that fail to give a receipt because they have run out of receipt paper. We're not all MPs, some of us have to justify our expenses. All the ones I've come accross tell you this before you start the transaction, poor design if they don't

Not saying pay at pump is perfect but it could save so much queuing, I drive a lot and fill up alot and hate sitting in my car while another vehicle is blocking the pump but not actually pumping fuel. :mad:

I've watched people filling up and often two people can fill up and pay at pump in the time it takes one person to fill up and go in and queue and pay and come back. :mad:

I also hate fuel stations that don't have space for you to go past a car to get to the pump infront. And people who look at you like you are the devil incarnate if you go past to get to the empty front pump! :mad:

Can you tell I hate petrol stations?? :rotfl:

cyclonebri1

Don't know if they still do it but Esso used to have a "helpyourself to the odd penny" plate on the counter.

Boy the look when you took 3p and slapped it on the counter, priceless, well, worth the extra 2p
:rotfl:

rev_henry

KatP wrote: »

Not saying pay at pump is perfect but it could save so much queuing, I drive a lot and fill up alot and hate sitting in my car while another vehicle is blocking the pump but not actually pumping fuel. :mad:

I've watched people filling up and often two people can fill up and pay at pump in the time it takes one person to fill up and go in and queue and pay and come back. :mad:

I also hate fuel stations that don't have space for you to go past a car to get to the pump infront. And people who look at you like you are the devil incarnate if you go past to get to the empty front pump! :mad:

Can you tell I hate petrol stations?? :rotfl:

That reminds me, a few years ago now my dad filled up with petrol then moved the car (which was towing a boat) out of the way before going to pay as it was blocking both pumps. The guy at the till was very grumpy about it and said they have a policy of assuming anyone who moves before paying is going to do a drive off. And I stayed stood on the forecourt whilst he moved the car for heaven's sake! It would save so much time if people were allowed to move forward before going to pay...