This story was sent as an email to my colleague and we all had a number of stories to share on the below mentioned content. This may be useful for you as well… Be aware…
I would like to bring to your kind attention the “Great Indian Petrol Pump Fraud” happening all over Bangalore (and I believe all over India).
Today in the morning, I saw the fuel gauge of my car touching the “Empty” sign, so I thought that while on my way to office, I will fill petrol worth 1000 Rs in my car. When I reached the petrol pump at 9:30 Am today(24th April 2008)(BP petrol pump near Richmond road) I showed the crisp 1000 Rs note to the attendant at the petrol pump and told him to fill 1000 Rs. I repeated 1000 to him 2-3 times so that he registers 1000 Rs in his head fill the petrol for 1000 Rs. I repeatedly told him because of the past experience whenever I had asked him to fill petrol worth 1000 bucks at different gas stations(i.e. for eg. at Advaitha Gas station, near udapi garden BTM to name one of them),the attendant always filled 200 rs of petrol and said “Sir your 200 rs of petrol is filled” . I used to say I asked you fill 1000 Rs of petrol not 200 worth. He would look at me like an innocent kid and would start filling the remaining 800 Rs of petrol.
But this procedure of 200+800 didn’t stop at one petrol pump but gas attendants at all the petrol pumps followed this weird ritual. I could sense something fishy but not before losing money to this procedure 3-4 times. So coming back to Today’s incident I asked the “Honest” petrol pump attendant to fill the petrol,While filling the petrol my attention was diverted towards the pollution check centre at the same petrol pump but when I looked back at the meter indicator, I was shocked to see the familiar “200” mark at the petrol pump meter. I told him again why didn’t you fill for 1000 Rs. He said that he heard 200 Rs. So I told him to fill 800 Rs of petrol also. After he had filled the petrol, I got in the car and started towards my office. While on my way to office, I observed the fuel gauge in my car. It had moved from
“Empty” first to half and then little further. But from my past experience that when I used to get 1000 rs of fuel filled in the empty fuel tank, It used to come to certain level but today it hadn’t come till there. So I thought SHOOT….I got duped again.After reaching office I checked the Internet for same Frauds which had happened before my case. I was shocked to find that many other people also faced the same problem of 200+800 and some bikes of 40+60 bucks (these petrol pump attendants don’t leave anybody).I spoke to my boss and a colleague of mine at office they told me of the same incident. I was like … this problem is not only with me but with people all over Bangalore. Basically people all over Bangalore (maybe all over India) are getting cheated in this ingenious fraud which is promoted by our friendly neighbour hood petrol pump owners and their honchos gas attendants.
The ingenious technique these people follow is discussed below in italics
When asked for diesel worth Rs. 500. The attendant filled up only Rs. 100. noticing that I told him to fill for Rs. 500 but by that time he is done with 100 so the attender said he will fill up for remaining Rs.400…that is when he did a trick of as though he is resetting by playing games of hurry burry and continuing to fill and when he is done for Rs. 400 he asked for 500 (100+400) but in reality he only filed for 100+300 as he is not really reset the machine to zero even though it appears as he reset it.
So after reading the messages on the website I went back to the petrol pump ,parked my car in middle of the petrol pump called the attendant and told him that you have cheated me of 200 rs of petrol instead of filling petrol worth of 1000 Rs you have filled the petrol worth only 800 rs ,I told him I am going to sue your petrol pump and I want to write a complaint against the same .He got frightened said “Sorry Sir By mistake i have not reset 200 rs”. He didn’t ask me any more questions and directly filled 200 Rs of petrol.
I wonder that BP, IOC, HP talk about going in losses and hence they ask govt. to increase the price of diesel and petrol but in reality petrol pump owners are helping us save lots of oil by asking us to pay 1000 rs but giving us petrol worth 800. What a brilliant way to conserve oil and make profit for petrol pump owners. I guess people should know about the ingenious way in which petrol pumps owners helps us. (Pardon me for the sarcasm) 🙂
I don’t know the name of the person who actually wrote the initial mail, it is very descriptive on a number of ways that people may get deceived. Even I have noticed many such incidents a number of times across various petrol pumps. Be careful my friends, I know you too would have a similar experience in your neighborhood petroleum pumps. If you noticed anything different from the above mentioned, feel free to share it. This helps others to know what to do when they go for fueling next time!
nikith says
Please dont not step into the Petrol bunk near st.Johns hospital. they deliberately try to distract you when they start filling the petrol. cheatersssss. I love shell petroleum.
Arzun says
If a “Digital Fuel Indicator for dash Board of vehicles (wich can show Ltrs and Mil.Ltrs like 5.260 Ltrs) ” is available then we could prevent this fraud. Isn’t it?
Sneha says
This has become a big menace in all petrol pumps across bangalore. Recently i was about to be duped in a similar way explained here. Just a caution of word, be careful everytime you fill your tank. Cons are waiting for their preys all over.
anonymous says
Hi,
When I had the same situation, I simply told the attender “Yes. I only asked for 200. Thank you!”
I was able to make out that that guy was disappointed that he couldn’t cheat me 🙂
This incident happened while ago in the petrol punk @ Padmanabhanagar.
hemanth says
what hp petrol bunk does is i have been cheated many times if i ask them to fill 150 rs they says we can’t fill petrol like that sir there is no option i will fill 50rs first and them 100 rs first we fills 50rs here is the trick they distract you and meter continues from 50rs to 100rs and he says sir i have filled 150 rs here how it works first 50 again 50 =100 but he makes you believe 50+100 =150 be carefull guys
vinay says
I believe i might have also fallen for this trap. Once, i asked the attendant for 500 rs of petrol, he showed me zero mark, then came in front of the meter in a way that i was unable to look at the meter, and then he started telling that we fill nitrogen gas here, even though i wasn’t interested, and suddenly when i look at the meter now its on 100, i am pretty sure i didn’t hear any petrol falling into the tank. Then i told him that i demanded for 500, he then shows me the zero mark and fills for 400, i was convinced with the second transaction, but i am pretty sure that he messed up with the first transaction.
I lodged an informal complaint with the owner, and told him how such acts will create bad impression for his pump.
I will be very cautious the next time i go to any petrol pump.
Fool me once shame on you, Fool me twice shame on me.
Solgy says
ANOTHER SHREWD INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED TO ME IN THE BP FUEL STATION IN MYSORE ROAD. (FUEL STATIONS ON THE LEFT ONCE WE GET OFF NICE ROAD TOWARDS MYSORE).
I ASKED THE GUY TO FILL DIESEL FOR Rs.1000. HE STARTED TO FILL, THEN ANOTHER ATTENDANT CAME BEHIND ME AND TOLD AIR PRESSURE IN MY TYRES IS LESS. BY THE TIME I LOOKED AWAY FROM ALL TYRES, THE GUY WHO WAS FILLING STOPPED AND RE-SETTED TO ZERO SAYING HE HAS FINISHED. FROM THE FUEL GAUGE I KNEW HE HAS FILLED FOR Rs 500 ONLY, BUT HE WAS ADAMANT IN SAYING HE FILLED FOR 1000 – AND THATS IT. NO PROOF.
SO NEXT TIME BEWARE ANYBODY DISTRACTING WHILE FILLING. ESPECIALLY IN FUEL STATIONS OF THAT AREA.
Raj says
Nowadays the bills are printed on the machine, I think it should show you the correct amount dispensed. It should not be possible to falsify the bill on the machine. Let me verify this next week on my weekly highway trip.
ash says
Where to logged a complaint about it , this is happened with me several times
abhijeet ashok says
d same things r happening in puna also. but is there any way 2 punish such petrol pump boys.?
Prabu says
My experience is slightly different, pump attendants got smarter. whenever you open the tank and you have mentioned Rs.400, there will be 2 guys 1 holding the gun (petrol gun) and the other staring straight into your eyes. this is a well coordinated robbery of sorts.. exactly a split second before the meter starts, the guy staring at your eyes asaks “Sir, casha carda??” split second you look at this guy the guy with the gun have already started pumping into your tank. Trick is, the guy with the gun hadn’t reset the previous reading. good luck
Arzun says
Wearing Helmet is also one of the advantage of attendants to make fraud like this (which is happened to me).
Rajiv says
@Ankit Rs.5,94,00,600/50000= Rs.1188
Here 50000= no. of petrol bunks in karnataka.
Hence every petrol bunk is making Rs.1200 per month from cheating the customers.
If 50% is shared by the bunk owners and 50% for the attenders it is Rs.600/month.
which is peanuts.Why would anybody resort to something like this for such small returns.
Most of the people here are only getting confused and feel they are being duped which is not the case.Yes there are a few sporadic cases but 20% is purely exaggerated.
If someone asks for Rs1000 petrol and only Rs.200 is dispensed, please check the electronic dispenser and ask the attendant to fill again starting from 0 to 800, that way you get Rs.1000 worth fuel.
Now the only way you get cheated is if the attendant starts the meter from Rs.200 and goes on to Rs.800, in this case you have got only Rs.800 worth fuel in your vehicle.
There is no way the dispensing units can be tampered to fill only Rs.800 while the electronic display shows Rs.1000..
Be vigilant of the following
1.Ensure 0 zero before filling up,dont get diverted by receiving calls etc.
2.If you feel the dispensing unit is not dispensing correct fuel then ask for a 5 ltr measuring jar, which is calibrated by the weights and measures department check the quantity for reassurance.
3.Fuel indicator in your vehicle is not a yardstick to measure correct fuel, it is only there to alert you to fill up.
4.If you feel the fuel is adultrated, then you can always check the density of the product using the hydrometer and thermometer at the outlet.This is the only way to ascertain the quality of a product, not by smell, colour,texture or any other assumptions.
Be vigilant after all its your money
I hope these tips will help you recover the Rs 6 crore losses in karnataka state alone.
Abhi says
@Rajiv,
Have you considered going back to school? You lack either reading comprehension, or plain simple mathematical skills. The link Ankit posted is about BANGALORE. The city, not the Karnataka state. The figures he quoted are for just bangalore. Are you seriously claiming that bangalore city has 50,000 petrol pumps? Are you high on something? A link [+] I have from 2005 claims that the number used to be a mere 250. Let us assume that it has gone up 10 times, to 2500(I can bet not!!!). Your calculations btw, assume that EVERY petrol pump in the city is cheating its customers. Even so, the figure comes out to a much higher 24,000 per month. And if half of the petrol pumps are honest, then this figure for the cheating petrol pumps becomes a respectable 50,000 INR approx …. half a lakh of pure profit. Now repeat your tall claims once again please?
Babu says
To my understanding, it is not the owner who is earning by this fraud rather the boys who work there. The owner may have his own difficulties to get boys to run the bunk so he may have his own dilemmas to take serious action against the boys as complaint comes. Also, the owner is not losing anything by this fraud. He may get cheep labourers to stand as petrol boys.
What could be done is action by some other anti-corruption agencies. But in India when every politician is looting the country who cares a simple labourer loots few rupees.
By the by…. I was about to be fooled by the Srinivasa Service Station bulk gang near Coffeday shop, Satellite town Kengeri bunk. Even though I was watchful standing between the machine and the petrol opening of my car, a uniformed cheat tried to distract me and poured 347.4 for 500Rs. I have to argue to get back the extra petrol.
Rajeev says
Hi,
I have a simillar experience of attention distraction technique by the petrol pump attendant (Amar Service Station, Marathahalli, Bangalore). When asked to fill the petrol for 1000/- they started with card or cash etc.. and by the time I got the card swipped another guy stopped the filling. I was standing outside and started the car to know that digital meter is not showing the petrol reading correctly. parked the car for air filling and came back to know that, only 724 rupees petrol is filled. I did raise the voice and got the balance petrol filled. Same experience with Bharat Petrol pump in Sanjay Nagar and HP petrol pum in HSR layout in Bangalore. Ofcourse Bharat Petrol pump cheated me one time (I was in a hurry and got 800 rupees petrol for 1000/- , same 200+ 800 technique). For all those who have a dout, ask them to generate the report from the machine. It will show how much petrol you got. Also most of these petrol pumps are online and have another system placed inside the manager cabin which will show how much liter of petrol is filled by each machine (I learnt this after raising the complaint with Bharat Petrol pump and they educated me about this). So before arguing ask them to generate the print out and they will immediately fill the petrol for you knowing that, you know what they did..
Regards,
Rajeev
Hari says
This type of incidents happened to me several times. Now a days if they are filling less. i will pay that much and leave the place.