Tesco petrol station wouldn't accept my credit card

taxiphil

I had a hilarious experience at the Tesco petrol station this afternoon. It really brightened up my day, and I've got to share it with you all.

After filling up the car, I went into the kiosk to pay. The cashier tried, unsuccessfully, to charge my Mastercard several times, and said it was not accepting payment. Apparently this had been happening all day with HSBC Mastercards because of a computer problem. (It definitely wasn't a problem with my credit limit as I checked with my bank afterwards).

I explained that I only had £11 cash in my pocket which wouldn't cover the cost, and that I had no other form of payment on me.

She then suggested that I walk over to the cash machine at the main store, and use my Mastercard to withdraw cash. I flatly refused. I've never withdrawn cash on my credit card in my life and refuse to incur the handling fee because of someone else's mistake (not sure how much it is, but even it was 0.1% I'd have still refused on principle).

The queue was rapidly building up behind me, and people were getting agitated. The tone of the conversation then changed, and the cashier became quite hostile as if the whole problem was somehow my fault! I was made to feel like some kind of criminal who was trying to get petrol without paying for it.

The cashier then filled in a form to say that I hadn't paid for my petrol. I was forced to read out my full name, address and phone number in full earshot of about 15 customers standing impatiently behind me in the queue.

The cashier then passed the form to me for my signature. When I read it I burst out laughing! The wording said:

"This is to certify that I, [name and address], owe the sum of xx.xx to Tesco Stores Ltd, for goods/petrol supplied on 02/09/06 and undertake to repay this amount by 03/09/06." (She had filled in those dates).

I challenged the fact that she'd only given me 24 hours to pay, and she said this was "standard procedure with non paying customers"! Once again implying that all this was my fault!

The store in question was 20 miles from my house and I explained that I had no intention of giving up my Sunday and changing my plans to go on a 40 mile round trip, at my own expense, to pay for the petrol. I said I would do it the next time I was passing, probably within the next fortnight.

"If you don't come back and pay tomorrow, we'll pass the matter on to the police and to our debt recovery department", she said. The police???!!!

Well, if the police come knocking, I'm going to explain that I had the means to pay but Tesco wouldn't accept it. I wrote on the form in big capital letters that all this was the fault of the bank system, and not my fault!

I'm going to send them a cheque for the payment in the post. If that's not quick enough for them, tough luck. There's no way I'll be bullied or threatened into driving all the way back there tomorrow to hand over the dosh.

Has this ever happened to anyone else?

DrFluffy

Blinky Blimey!

I hope you loudly made your point...

iwanttosave_2

Apperently there has been a big problem woday with bank cards, something at the autorisation end of it all where the machine rings to let the card be used after putting your pin in.

I nipped into asda today and they couldnt accept my card, just wouldnt entertain it, I had to nip outside and get some cash and run back in, she said it had been madness all day because of it, massive queues.

DrFluffy

I'd also write to their customer services about how you were made to feel like a criminal and suggest they have more stringent training of staff re: what to do in these circumstances...

Outtathaway

taxiphil wrote:

Well, if the police come knocking, I'm going to explain that I had the means to pay but Tesco wouldn't accept it. I wrote on the form in big capital letters that all this was the fault of the bank system, and not my fault!

You're title and this part here are totally misleading, its not that tesco wouldn't accespt it, its that they couldn't accept it. Its not their fault either. You even state that it was a bank problem and yet you're puting the blame on Tesco.

She then suggested that I walk over to the cash machine at the main store, and use my Mastercard to withdraw cash. I flatly refused. I've never withdrawn cash on my credit card in my life and refuse to incur the handling fee because of someone else's mistake (not sure how much it is, but even it was 0.1% I'd have still refused on principle).

Its not a mistake, its a technical problem, they happen. But it does show that you could have paid by taking out cash, but since you didn't want to incur the service charge they gave you the oppertunity to pay the following day (which they didn't have to do)

stiffnuts69

Its a civil matter which the police would not get involved in. There taking the pee giving you 24 hours. Nothing will happen, and I am starting to think that people at tescos need training on communication skills.

Ivrytwr3

But it does show that you could have paid by taking out cash, but since you didn't want to incur the service charge they gave you the oppertunity to pay the following day (which they didn't have to do)

Are you joking? Why should someone else incurr extra charges through no fault of Tesco's or the OP? I believe common sense should have applied; the OP should have given his name and address and provided ID and gave payment asap (which is what he did). By the time the police finally got out to him i'm sure the payment would have been recieved anyway.

Anyway, what would her other options have been? I hardly think she would have made him put the fuel back.

Outtathaway

ts_aly2000 wrote:

Yet another company reliant on all this wonderful technology..............

Such as credit/debit cards?

Altarf

stiffnuts69 wrote:

Its a civil matter which the police would not get involved in. There taking the pee giving you 24 hours. Nothing will happen, and I am starting to think that people at tescos need training on communication skills.

If you fill up with petrol with no intention of paying it is a police matter. This can be a bit more subtle than filling up and driving off, such as going into the kiosk and pretending not to have any money but that you will come back later with some. The petrol stations have these forms with a specific date to return to pay, so that if you do not come back by that date they can then hand the matter over to the police, with evidence that you had not done what you promised to do. Convictions have been obtained on this basis. Them making the OP read their name and address was to get them on the CCTV saying who they are for additional evidence.

However the store was utterly wrong in going down this route. On their forecourt sites they display the card symbols of which cards they accept. The OP should be able to rely on the display of those signs that Tesco would take the card they held as method of payment. If they were not taking cards, then they should have either taken down all the signs or displayed additional signs saying that cards were not being accepted.

The problem was a lack of management and the member of staff deciding that the problem was a customer with lack of funds, rather than the store having problems processing cards.

KathrynPenguin

I totally agree with the op's stance on this. They have been more than reasonable. I would not, no way get cash off my credit card, not only is there the handling fee but interest from day 1!

I would also have refused to give my personal details out in front of other customers, they would have had no choice but to bring a manager over from the main store, I would have been happy to go to the main store and deal with this in the managers office.

The op had means of payment, could have offered a part payment in cash and Tesco could be a lot more understanding as their staff were fully aware the payment problem was not the ops fault.

I think their petrol station staff are under a lot of pressure, I was talking to the staff in my local Tesco petrol station about drive offs, they are getting much more common apparantly. Conversation started because they were announcing to the guy on pump 2 that he needt to shut his door before filling up. This is now policy that the pump will not be released to operate until the door is shut as people jump in and speed off. Of course the guy on pump 2 must have been 80 and couldn't jump or speed but common sense is not part of the job!

Altarf

KathrynPenguin wrote:

I was talking to the staff in my local Tesco petrol station about drive offs, they are getting much more common apparantly.

£26 million in losses is the estimated figure for drive-offs in 2005. There are an awful lot of dishonest people out there.