Pumping Out Lies

(I’m visiting my family in a fairly rural area. I’ve rented a car for the trip, so I don’t know all the specifics of the car. I’m running low on gas as I’m driving around running errands, and see a gas station with low prices. I pull in to get gas, but they don’t have the option to pay at the pump, so I go inside.)

Me: “Hi, I’d like to fill my tank on pump three. Can you process that in here with a credit card?”

Cashier: “We can take credit. How much do you want?”

Me: “I’m not sure how much it will cost to fill the tank. Can I just fill it and you charge my card when I’m done? I’m willing to leave my card with you at the register.”

Cashier: “No can do, honey. Give me a specific amount of gas you want.”

Me: “Okay… I think it will take about $30 to fill the tank. If I can’t fit all that in there, can you refund me for the difference?”

Cashier: “Sure, we can figure that out. $30 on pump three. You’re good to go.”

(I go out to pump my gas, and lo and behold, the car only holds $27 and change in gas. I go back inside.)

Me: “Hey, me again. My tank is full on three and it didn’t hold the full 30 dollars. Can you refund the last couple of dollars?”

Cashier: “Oh, sorry, I can’t do that, honey. I see that you’re stuck on $27 and change. Maybe you can pump the rest into your spare can?”

Me: “I don’t have a spare can. Maybe I can just get a couple of sodas and we can work out the difference? It looks like two sodas would be just over $3 and I have a bit of change on me?”

Cashier: “Sorry, honey, I can’t move cash between the pumps and the store. You can either use the last couple dollars of gas or let it ride.”

Me: “Well, it would have been nice to know that upfront rather than being told you could settle the difference if I couldn’t fit all the gas, but, whatever. It’s less than $3; it won’t break me.”

(As this conversation was happening, a man walks out of the back room, listens discreetly, and then speaks up.)

Man: “[Cashier]! Get into the office!” *to me* “Sorry about that. Would you like cash back for the gas you couldn’t use, that amount refunded to your card, or to buy something else in the store?”

Me: “Um, well, I stand by my offer to grab a couple of sodas and settle the difference. It should be about $.50, and I have that in cash. Plus, we could really use the caffeine!”

Man: “Go take the sodas and don’t worry about the difference. This is the third time I’ve caught her refusing to settle with people who paid for more gas than they could use, and she always pulls her car around and pumps the excess into her own car. Our policy is to give the customer cash, credit, or purchases back if they overpay, as she stated when you came in here the first time. If it didn’t cost so d*** much, I’d install the readers at the pump. Sorry for your inconvenience. Have a nice night.”

(When I mentioned this to my family, they knowingly nodded and said “oh yeah, don’t go there unless you want to be ripped off… Glad the manager is finally stepping up!”)