Back-2-Bassiks

Im on my way home from work today and the car needs gas, so I stop at the neighbourhood Esso I always stop at. I use my debit card to pre-pay for $16, because thats all I have in my one savings account Im about to close. So after the $16 pumps into the tank I replace the nozzle and go to finish filling up the car.

So I try to fill the car on the same pump, it says "Begin Pumping" then suddenly "Transaction Cancelled". I though there was something wrong with the pump so I back out of the stall and into another one, try to begin pumping but the same thing happens, try again same thing when it says "Begin Pumping" it suddenly changes to "Transaction Cancelled". I tried a total of 3 times, so I went inside to ask if the pumps are broken.

I stand in line and when I get to the clerk I ask if the pumps are broken and he says that its pre-pay,okay no problem some gas stations are pre-pay I understand that. So I give him $60 cash to more than cover what it will take to fill my car. So I walk back to my car, an older man was on the other side of the pump filling his car, so I ask if he had to prepay, he said no not at all. So I ask the guy filling on the pump across from me same thing he never had to prepay and I ask the others that are filling and no one else had to prepay but me.

So I fill my car up and go back inside to get my change since I never used the total $60 I gave him, and I ask the clerk who is also the Manager/Supervisor why I had to prepay, he told me everyone had to, then I told him I talked to older guy beside me and he didnt have to, the clerk said "he's here every day, we know him" okay fair enough, then I ask him about the guy on the pump across from me and that he didnt have to pay same answer "he's a regular we know him".

So I call his bluff and say "no one else had to prepay but me and I'm here filling up every 3 or 4 days so how come I'm not a reglular that doesnt have to prepay??"

He says this to me "Some young guys, like you stole $94 in gas in one week"

So I said "what the hell man, thats discrimination! Why do only I have to prepay??"

He says "because young guys like you stole $94 in gas"

I lost it, but I never swore or called him anything I stayed civil and just said thats discrimination and he seen I wasn't cool with what he just said and offered me a free slush,I want to know why I'm being put in the same category as criminals?"

He then told me I was making a scene and asked me to leave the store, I wasn't yelling, I wasnt being disrespectful I was just looking for an answer. So as I was walking out I stopped at the door and told him "I dont know where you come from, but where Im from thats discrimination and thats Bullshit"

So I got home and called Imperial Oil and lodged a formal complaint and it turns out the guy who told me "young guys like me" stole gas is the manager and they are looking into it. I'm also going to write a letter to the regional managment and pursue my formal complaint.

Anyone know any other avenues I can take in resolving my complaint??

I can say this Esso has lost my wife's and my business.

DeepSeaDiver

That's not right, total discrimination. How old do you have to be to not prepay? I doubt the complaint will do much, but it's worth a shoot. Good Luck.

trk2loud

ya that sucks but there is little that you can do about

you just happen to fit into the profile of the person/s stealing the gas. Now it is discrimination agaisnt you. But if he is only doing that to you and there are other younger people getting gas there and not having to prepay then something is really wrong.

Just do what you said you would. there are plenty of other gas stations.

Dukk

Why don't you just give back the gas you stole?

Prolifik

iTrader: (7)

lol this is like filing a complaint with tim hortons head office over a coffee that was less hot than your desired temperature.

Blinddemonz

So he was watching you from inside and everytime you went to pay at the pump (pre at the pump itself) he would cancel it on you to force you to come inside?

How is it possible to 'steal' gas when you've just paid at the pump prior to pumping the gas? Most if not all gas pumps when paying by debit at the pump will stop automatically when it hits the price you selected. Is that manager completely retarded or just a little ?

SQ Civic

iTrader: (3)

I understand your anger, The attendant isn't stoping you from buying any gas, he's just making sure you don't steal it, (not that you were, just as mentioned it does happen), this is quite common, just usually it's later at night when that policy is enforced. (after 10pm for example) this is no different than the local convinience store making the school kids leave back packs outside while they go into the store and buy stuff, because they don't want them stealing all kinds of stuff.

I agree that it's bull, and you shouldn't do any business there if that's how they are going to treat you, but if you think that you, or your wife not buying anymore gas there is going to Hurt Mr Esso's wallet, I hate to burst your bubble but I don't think so.

If it wasn't for jerk-off's doing this it wouldn't be an issue, if it wans't for the same losers breaking into cars, or stealing them, my inssurance would be lower; unfourtunately this is the price you have to pay for other people's attitudes, but it's not like it's every gas station's policy, so if you don't like the way you are being treated, it's your right to go somewhere else.

regards, Mark

SQ Civic

iTrader: (3)

try reading it again. he pre-paid for the 16 bucks, and then tried to fill the rest of his tank without pre-paying for the rest of the gas, and the attendant made him prepay for that as well.

regards, Mark

Sassmaster

iTrader: (2)

IN the US it's very common to make everyone pay in advance for gas.

and if you have an Esso credit card, you waive the right to sue them for anything that happens on their property (it's part of the card agreement). So if you're on their property and the pumps spontaneously explode, you have no right to sue for any reason, but the guy paying cash next to you can sue them for millions.

SQ Civic

iTrader: (3)

I bet they don't make it a point to dwell on that when signing application..

regards, Mark