Pressing For Cash When Pressed For Cash

(My husband and I stop by a gas station to fill up after picking up my daughter from her grandma’s. I’ve had my card number stolen from this location before, so I decided that I was going to go ahead and pre-pay inside while my husband waited by the pump.)

Clerk: “What’s up?”

Me: “I just need $30 on pump three, please.”

Clerk: “Okay, hold on.” *hits buttons on screen* “Cash or card?”

Me: “Card, please.” *I pull out my card, ready to swipe*

Clerk: “Oh, s***. Yeah, I pushed cash. It’s already gone through. Hold on, let me get my manager.”

(He turns to the side and the manager is just on the register next to him.)

Clerk: “Yeah, um, I hit cash, but it was supposed to be card.”

Manager: “All right, I’ll fix it.” *pushes buttons on screen* “Hey! $4.05 has already been pumped!”

Me: “What? Oh! My husband must have already started pumping.”

Manager: “You have to pay cash now.”

Me: “I don’t have cash because I was planning on using my card. It wasn’t—”

Manager: “You pay cash now!”

Me: “I don’t HAVE cash! I need to use my card! Your clerk is the one who let it go through as cash!”

Manager: “What about your husband? Does he have cash? You need to pay in cash, now!”

Me: “No, my husband doesn’t have any cash. That’s why I was going to use my card! You really can’t do anything about this?”

Manager: “Fine, you do cash back!”

Me: “Well, do you have an ATM?”

Manager: “No, you can do cash back at the register.”

(He sets up the register to do a cash back charge of $4.05, but he adds a $0.25 charge to the total. I assume it’s a fee for doing cash-back only. He tells me to swipe my card for the cash back and I do so.)

Manager: “Okay. Now, how much do you want?”

Me: “Well, I guess $25. Pump three.”

Manager: “Okay, go ahead and swipe card.”

(I swipe my card and it goes through just fine, then he hands me my receipt.)

Manager: “Next time have cash!”

(I take a look at my receipt and it shows the $0.25 charge as a ‘grocery item.’)

Me: “Wait, what’s with this 25-cent charge?”

Manager: “That’s the stupid fee, for messing up our register. Now move; I need to get the next customer.”

Me: “Excuse me? I don’t think so! This all started because your employee hit the wrong button! 25 cents may not be much, but I can’t afford to waste even a penny. Give me my 25 cents back!”

Manager: “Fine.” *tosses a quarter at me* “Now get out!”

(I took my change and receipt and left. I hate that gas station. Too bad it’s the only one in the area.)