"Prepaying" to buy fuel @ quiktrip

[Todd T]

i've been buying fuel from a QT near me exclusively for over four years now. i always make a bomb run to fill up, get a hotdog or two and a soda for the ride back home. this year alone i've bought nearly 3000 gallons from this one place.



well i arrived today to fill up and cant get the pump to start. i look around and see this big stop sign looking signage EVERYWHERE! "avoid prepaying by getting the new QT pump authorization card" I was infuriated.



To start with i had to go to the non-commercial pumps which take twice as long to fill because the truckers were backed up already and i'm sure they dont like me sitting at the High speed pumps for my measly 30 gallons. when they are in line behind me.



I was just like, "you've got to be kidding me". I dont just buy 10 dollars or what ever, i top that puppy off. So I'm getting mad right?



I put the cap back on the tank, pulled my gloves off and hopped back in the truck and went across the street to the Phillips 66. the first time EVER!



I filled using the HS pumps, got my hotdog and soda and was out of there in record time.



GOODBYE QT, you can prepay this!

 

[GP]

Right On!

I bet everyone on here has a similar story. I am sooo sick of getting terrible service everywhere that now I just tell them this is terrible, I'm leaving. Let the good one's know too, a little pat on the back (rare, unfortunately).

The owner of that station needs to know how many thousands of dollars he just lost, from you and all the rest who read this.

 

[Philip]

I would have went in a prepayed for $1. 00 worth.



Then I would have told them If I could have filled up without walking in first. I would have spent $30. Good day I won't be back anymore.



Don't drive off without letting them know of your displeasure.

 

[JeffWhite]

I'm with you guys on this - I know driveoffs are a problem, but I wonder how

many they have had from the diesel pumps? I think we deserve a little better

treatment, especially now that it usually knocks the wind out of a 100 to fill up.

I've been waiting for someone to give me crap about accepting a 100 bill. They

used to not want to take them around here, fear of getting a counterfeit, I guess.

But so far the only trouble I've had was this story:



I pull up to the pump and hang it in the tank like usual, then notice nothings

happening - turn around to look at the building, and dim bulb is motioning me to

come in. I do, and they say I must prepay. Don't like it, but I say O. K. I say

the truck will hold between 30 and 40 dollars worth, I'm not sure (years ago)

I say I want to give her two twenties, and fill up, then I'll come back in for my

change. Reasonable, right? She says "We can't take anything larger than a twenty"

I say no prob, twenties are what I got. She says same thing again, like a parrot.

After several more attempts to explain, same thing. So I say thank you, go

out and lay the nozzle on the ground (still latched on) and drive off, hoping somehow they'll accidentally turn it on now. Never been back to that place.

 

[ACoyle]

Don't have hard statistics, but, Just to give a few points to ponder.



When diesel was cheaper than regular and regular wasn't too bad". Maybe not so many people ran off without paying. Now, as JeffWhite pointed out we're talking better part of $100. oo. Way more temptation to fill and split. When that happens we pay for the fuel.



it is important to tell someone, the right one, that we are not happy. The pump attendant isn't going to do us any good.



My solution has always been an aux fuel tank and the lowest price in the area that has good volume. Probably the lowest prige gives them the volume.



Go to www.gasbuddy.com. find the website for your state and use it. Support the site by logging low prices as you see them. That way the people that are asclping us loose money pver their actions. Losing money talks faster than anything.



Diesel is especially vulnerable. Way bigger fluctions station to station than unleaded.

 

[Bertram65]

What about pay at the pump? All the pumps around here have a credit card reader built in, just swipe and pump.

 

[AggieJustin]

I usually stop at the Flying J in Waco to fill up. Last year sometime they went to pre-pay after 5pm, recently they just moved to pre-pay all the time. I can see where they have problems with drive-offs, there is usually such a line to get to the pumps, it wouldn't be hard to get away. And with prices at what they are... it's a much more tempting proposition.



I'm to the point now, I don't stop unless I can pay at the pump because pre-pay is such a hassle.



JM

 

[DBogo]

it takes so long to fill my ford you cant hold the nozzle all the way or it shuts off you got to hold it at like 1/3 way for it to fill and it takes forever and round here we dont got no pay at the pump diesel only gas

 

[drewRoberts]

the only thing I dislike about the pumps here is if you use a card at the pump it will only authorize $50 at once time. it doesnt matter what station you go to, $50 is the max you can pump at one time #@$%!

 

[Jumbo Jet]

I ran into that $50 max at a station in Commiefornia while on our 4,000 mile vacation trip. I needed about $70 fuel at that stop. ****** me off. What about the BS now that you have to go inside to get your receipt. Are they just trying to get you in the store or is the printer broke on the pump?



At one other place wife had to go in an give the clerk a $100 bill, get a receipt, then I could pump the fuel. Then she had to get in line behind 3 other people, submit the receipt and then get the $76 in change. Took me about 30 minutes to get $24 fuel. I really just needed change for the $100.

 

[RustyJC]

I don't prepay. Period. I'll either use the credit card at the pump or push the danged truck and 5th wheel to the next station!



If they don't trust me, they don't get my business.



Rusty

 

[Byershome]

It's swipe and go or on to the next station. The 50 dollar mark is a pain though so I try to fill up before then, if not I suppose you could always pull out another card and finish the job. Anyone ever tried swiping the same card again?

 

[Bertram65]

Yeah, once I hit $50 it stops, so I take the reciept and then swipe again and start over for the remaining $20, people in line behind me always seem to enjoy that, lol

 

[Todd T]

I'm with you Rusty!



The station across the street had the exact same fuel prices and a big truck island just like the QT has. I did go to there website and complain.



The next time through if i take more time i will go ask for the manager and show them my spreadsheet which i track all my fuel costs and mileage on. i have an envelope full of reciepts and all entered into my SS I can prove to them the dollars i've spent and see what they intend to do about this.



but like Rusty said, if they dont trust me, they dont get my business.



I always pay in cash and get a soda and a hotdog. if the kids ae along they get candy too. its just a habit i've gotten into, and I'm aggrevated i had to break it.

 

[scootergmc]

It depends on the station. I don't know how much Flying J authorizes to, but it's enough to fill up my truck at $60+... .



And I don't have a problem w/ the prepay. It's inevitable. Are you guys the same people who don't have ATM cards? Ah, just giving you guys a hard time. I have a friend who I just introduced to the "Visa check card" so he can purchase stuff over the phone because he doesn't want to use his credit card...



And speaking of trust, do y'all have a problem with every store you go in watching you with video cameras? It has nothing to do with personal trust. You guys take this stuff WAY too personally.

 

[RustyJC]

And I don't have a problem w/ the prepay. It's inevitable. Are you guys the same people who don't have ATM cards?

Yep, I have a debit card. I also have credit cards, but I pay them all off each month. Hey, I'm so old-fashioned, I don't even believe in being in debt - everything I own is paid for, and if I can't pay cash for something, I don't buy it.

It has nothing to do with personal trust. You guys take this stuff WAY too personally.

It has EVERYTHING to do with personal trust. Prepayment treats every customer like a thief who will drive off without paying unless the merchant has cash in hand. If you want to do business with such an establishment, that's your right. I choose not to.



Rusty

 

[scootergmc]

I've never been treated like a thief at a prepayment place. The Andy Griffith world went bye-bye a long time ago. It's sad, but like I said, inevitable. Do you still shop at stores with video cameras?

 

[RustyJC]

I've never been treated like a thief at a prepayment place. The Andy Griffith world went bye-bye a long time ago. It's sad, but like I said, inevitable.

You missed my point. The PRACTICE of prepayment assumes that all customers are (at least potential) thieves. Insofar as the disappearance of Mayberry is concerned, I still treat people the way I want to be treated and expect others to give me the same courtesy. Something about a Golden Rule... ...

Do you still shop at stores with video cameras?

Yes, but that's passive security versus requiring me to come in and lay money on the counter before I can fuel my truck. If they want to put cameras at the fueling island to catch driveaways in lieu of prepayment, I have no problem with that.



Rusty

 

[scootergmc]

You're right, I'm guess I'm missing the point. The PRACTICE of prepayment is just that, a PRACTICE. It's a business PRACTICE. Businesses don't want to lose $ so they PRACTICE prepayment. Where does it say they have to trust anyone? If I owned a gas station, I would employ a prepayment PRACTICE. Let's just agree that I don't feel the same way.



And not to go off on a tangent, but you're a little off on the Golden Rule. You EXPECT others to treat you the same way? That has nothing to do with the Golden Rule. Specifically, treat others as you would want to be treated. That's it. Expectation of the same courtesy has nothing to do with the rule.

 

[TKingsbury]

It sounds to me that if you go in once and get their no pre-pay authorization card, you don't have to pre-pay. Swipe the card, pump fuel, go pay for your fuel and eats and enjoy the trip. Sounds easy to me.

Travis. .