Broken petrol pump mechanism

omasa4

Hello - I went to fill my tank in a Shell petrol station and the full tank indicator on the pump was not working, so when my tank was full it gushed petrol out everywhere all over my clothes and onto the floor. When i went in to complain to the attendant, he said his manager was not in and there was nothing he could do. If i wanted to complain i would need to contact head office. Given how expensive petrol is, and the amount of petrol wasted (i reckon about £10), is it worth contacting Shell about this. Will they take me seriously? Or is it a waste of time? Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

Barneysmom

I'd be more inclined to contact trading standards, it's a bit of a fire risk isn't it.

forgotmyname

Could you not hear it bubbling?

£10. Thats getting on for 2 gallons... It would take more than a few seconds
to dispense that much.

It may seem like a lot But was probably less than a pint.

Maybe a call to the local firebrigade to warn them a pump is not shutting off
and the idiot behind the till wont shut it off.

Shouting rather loudly whilst in the shop. Make sure he hears you.

mattyprice4004

A tenner? That'd take at least 10 seconds to be dispensed. How can you not notice fuel ****ing everywhere for 10 seconds?!

arcon5

Yes it's worth contacting them about this.

It's also worth paying more attention when dealing with carcinogenic and highly flammable substances.

colino

So the pump was broken so you thought best thing to do was use it and wait until your wellies were full before shutting off the (by-passed auto cut-off) pump? Well done that man, Darwinism at its best.

Mrs_Imp

I had a similar problem a few years ago at an Asda petrol station.
The automatic shut-off failed and I got covered from the waist down in petrol. I let go of the nozzle as soon as it splashed out, and the attendant came running out shouting at me that it was my fault and I 'shouldn't just ram the nozzle in and leave it' I'm guessing she'd never dispensed petrol in her life, as that's not how they work.

I wrote to Asda and got a very nice apologetic reply offering the cost of cleaning my clothes, or replacing them if needed, and assuring me that they would be immediately reviewing the training of their staff at that petrol station. Job done

After that, I've always stood to one side when filling with petrol, so that if it happens again I'll not get covered!!

Stooby2

Regardless of whether the OP could/should have heard gurgling, or realised the tank was getting full, the pump should have been in proper repair and clicked off the the instant the tank was full.

And £10 is nearly two gallons - a ridiculous amount and I think the staff are pulling a fast one. Two gallons would make a sizeable and dangerous puddle on the floor and if the staff did nothing about it, there's good reason to complain. It was more likely no more that a litre or two - which is easily enough to soak you in fuel.

Contact Shell immediately in writing and complain !

http://www.shell.co.uk/home/content/gbr/footer/contact_us/#subtitle_1

Crabman

pacific4130 wrote: »

God almighty...

How do some people manage to survive the trials and tribulations of everyday life... A piece of mechanical equipment broke, you spilt a bit of petrol (£10! more like 500ml), and you let the attendant know the pump was broken. What else is there to it?! The attendant probably popped out and stuck one of those plastic 'out of order' covers on it.

Not sure that tone is necessary.

The outstanding issues include refunding the cost of the spilt fuel (even if it wasn't necessarily £10 worth), reimbursing the customer for any loss/damage caused as a result of the spillage and ensuring the same fault does not affect other customers.

omasa4

Thank you crabman and mrs imp - i have just signed back in to view all the helpful replies from the the nice people at MSE and i was shocked to see people being so mean! I might have been a bit distracted while filling in the pump but that doesnt make me stupid. "Darwiism at its best" is a slight overreaction. I'll contact Shell and let you know what happened.

[Deleted User]

omasa4 wrote: »

Thank you crabman and mrs imp - i have just signed back in to view all the helpful replies from the the nice people at MSE and i was shocked to see people being so mean! I might have been a bit distracted while filling in the pump but that doesnt make me stupid. "Darwiism at its best" is a slight overreaction. I'll contact Shell and let you know what happened.

People being mean and belittling people, etc etc, is very common on these boards these days. It's a shame.