Gas and dash

[Big Shooter]

Re: Gas and dash

Agreed, I also use Esso Speedpass most of the time.

Strangely, SHELL cancelled their "Easy Pay" tag last year (?)

[BowmanvilleJim]

Re: Gas and dash

I don't have an issue with the gas retailer deciding to use a Pre Pay system. I do have an issue with the idea of our provincial gov't writing it into law. We don't need more laws. This is a knee jerk reaction to a very unfortunate situation.

[hookminor]

Re: Gas and dash

I agree that the pay-first idea is not a big deal.
I was actually quite surprised by how many people that submitted comments on the article that I read were completely against.
There was one person who felt like he was being treated like a criminal. I didn't really get that.
I used to use the SpeedPass that Shell offered and was surprised when they discontinued it. I still use the Esso EasyPass, though.
The biggest complaint will certainly be by the retailers as they will lose the foot traffic into the store, and will likely lose out on revenue from confectionary sales. However, they complained about this when gas prices really started to rise, too.

[goshawk]

Re: Gas and dash

I don't have an issue with the gas retailer deciding to use a Pre Pay system. I do have an issue with the idea of our provincial gov't writing it into law. We don't need more laws. This is a knee jerk reaction to a very unfortunate situation.

I'm with you Jim. No need for a new law on the books. All it takes is for the stations to institute the pre-pay into their station procedures with the cashiers. If they don't want to invest in the credit/debit card readers on the pumps themselves, it means a trip into the kiosk.....otherwise, no gas. Pretty simple IMO. If they don't want to institute the pre-pay procedure, they're accepting part of the responsibility of getting robbed....or worse.

[Ignatius Reilly]

Re: Gas and dash

I'm with you Jim. No need for a new law on the books. All it takes is for the stations to institute the pre-pay into their station procedures with the cashiers. If they don't want to invest in the credit/debit card readers on the pumps themselves, it means a trip into the kiosk.....otherwise, no gas. Pretty simple IMO. If they don't want to institute the pre-pay procedure, they're accepting part of the responsibility of getting robbed....or worse.

They're also accepting the chance that some young kid they barely know might get killed.

This is why we have laws like this. Because if left up to the owners, some of them would rather risk others' lives than have to pay a new expense or change procedures. There'll always be another kid who can get minimum wage for working the night shift.

[FATZ]

Re: Gas and dash

My only gripe with prepay, since I prefer paying inside due to debit card issues with fraud linked to pump pay is this;

How do I know in advance with today's whack fluctations of gas price how much my fill up will be?

When Id prepay at the pump I would select $60, and fill up would ring anywhere from $40-$56 depending on gas price and fuel level.

That's the only gripe. Pre-Pay is annoying when you don't know exactly what you need yet.

Ever had an attendant not set the prepay levels? Like prepay $50, he doesn't set it all of a sudden you are over? I have, and was harassed to pay the extra, when it wasn't my error. He threatened to phone police if I did not pay up even with his failed pump setting... I threw him the $2.01 in random change mostly pennies. And called his manager who seemingly couldn't care less.

Robbery happens. Does GT ask you to prepay grips and services? Before the product is rendered and total is applied?

Seems fishy to me, how on earth do I know I am not being cheated a few litres?

[BowmanvilleJim]

Re: Gas and dash

Seems fishy to me, how on earth do I know I am not being cheated a few litres?

well maybe you haven't noticed but there is a digital read out right on the pump that indicates both the amount of fuel pumped and the value of the fuel pumped.

There is also a law that dictates the accuracy required by the pumps.

Back the real issue is we don't need a new law to address an issue that has only happened a couple of tmes. some might argue that this new law would protect the attendant from being fired for refusing the reimburse the owner for the lost gas. The fact is that there are labour laws that make the owners actions illegal but we want to create a law that will prevent a business owner from breaking another law. Why not just use the laws we have ?

[sunshiNee]

Re: Gas and dash

You don't need to know the how much it costs, just Pre-Auth $100 dollars like I do, which is often the default at the pump. For example you can Pre-Auth up to $100 dollars, and if it only takes you $55 dollars to fill up they only charge you the $55dollars. As stated before, most Petro Cans are like this now.

How do I know in advance with today's whack fluctations of gas price how much my fill up will be?

[Jeffc]

Re: Gas and dash

My only gripe with prepay, since I prefer paying inside due to debit card issues with fraud linked to pump pay is this;

How do I know in advance with today's whack fluctations of gas price how much my fill up will be?

When Id prepay at the pump I would select $60, and fill up would ring anywhere from $40-$56 depending on gas price and fuel level.

That's the only gripe. Pre-Pay is annoying when you don't know exactly what you need yet.

Ever had an attendant not set the prepay levels? Like prepay $50, he doesn't set it all of a sudden you are over? I have, and was harassed to pay the extra, when it wasn't my error. He threatened to phone police if I did not pay up even with his failed pump setting... I threw him the $2.01 in random change mostly pennies. And called his manager who seemingly couldn't care less.

Robbery happens. Does GT ask you to prepay grips and services? Before the product is rendered and total is applied?

Seems fishy to me, how on earth do I know I am not being cheated a few litres?

Prepay usually means you pay by cc or pass in advance. you could get cheated the same way i suppose. I do it all the time, its not a big deal and actually quite convenient.

[Ignatius Reilly]

Re: Gas and dash

well maybe you haven't noticed but there is a digital read out right on the pump that indicates both the amount of fuel pumped and the value of the fuel pumped.

There is also a law that dictates the accuracy required by the pumps.

Back the real issue is we don't need a new law to address an issue that has only happened a couple of tmes. some might argue that this new law would protect the attendant from being fired for refusing the reimburse the owner for the lost gas. The fact is that there are labour laws that make the owners actions illegal but we want to create a law that will prevent a business owner from breaking another law. Why not just use the laws we have ?

A new law deals with the issue clearly and directly.

The current laws may be interpreted as protecting the employee from being fired, but there is still a cloud of uncertainty as to whether or not the employer will be fair or respect the law.

Mandatory pre-pay addresses the issue at hand today explicitly. You can't run a gas station without pre-pay.

It means we don't end up with a similar situation in the future, with another dead kid and an owner expensing a bouquet and sympathy card.

[BowmanvilleJim]

Re: Gas and dash

Well maybe we should enact a law that says all pizza deliveries have to be pre-paid using a credit card or you can't order a pizza. That will save the lives of a few delivery gusy.
How about we create a law that says you can't order alcohol at a bar or restaurant without first pre paying for a cab ride home. How many innocent lives would be saved by this ? thousands a year im sure.

[StanMarsh]

Re: Gas and dash

Well maybe we should enact a law that says all pizza deliveries have to be pre-paid using a credit card or you can't order a pizza. That will save the lives of a few delivery gusy.
How about we create a law that says you can't order alcohol at a bar or restaurant without first pre paying for a cab ride home. How many innocent lives would be saved by this ? thousands a year im sure.

I've never heard of a pizza delivery guy getting killed. Stiffed on a bill? Oh yeah, killed though....??

#2 is a dumb idea as well, not everyone goes and orders a drink with the intention of getting drunk.

[Ignatius Reilly]

Re: Gas and dash

Well maybe we should enact a law that says all pizza deliveries have to be pre-paid using a credit card or you can't order a pizza. That will save the lives of a few delivery gusy.
How about we create a law that says you can't order alcohol at a bar or restaurant without first pre paying for a cab ride home. How many innocent lives would be saved by this ? thousands a year im sure.

Uh, sure, if you think those are decent solutions to real problems.

Although the drunk-driving issue isn't really one of pre-payment. Or do you think it is?

[dekker]

Re: Gas and dash

this is a rare incidence and the hard solution is detrimental to the smooth running of any station. People would avoid any and all stations that would slow down their day.

For an owner to ask an employee to physically intervene should raise a hefty penalty. At the same I highly doubt any owner wants the law to provide the solution.

[golfnguru]

Re: Gas and dash

I've never heard of a pizza delivery guy getting killed. Stiffed on a bill? Oh yeah, killed though....??

Probably happens more than Gas Station attendants being killed.

Do a quick google search.

http://hamptonroads.com/2012/09/pizza-delivery-man-shot-portsmouth-overnight

PORTSMOUTH
A pizza delivery driver for Chanello's called police after being shot while delivering a pizza in the 2000 block of Piedmont Ave. about 1 a.m. today, according to police.
The victim was unconscious when police found him at his vehicle and he was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital with gunshot wounds to the upper body, police spokeswoman Jan Westerbeck said in an e-mail.
His condition was not known at this time, she said.