Consumer Alert

[Ronniedawg]

This happened to a friend who sent me an email three weeks ago somewhere in Ridgetown on their way to Kingston. The pump should have totaled @ $38.00 (and change). When the receipt was printed, and she checked it was $ 47.00 (and change).

My friend got mad, went inside the store, asked for a calculator and let them

do the math. They refunded her. She told them that if they cheat, they

had better make it right. Normally, her husband would skip printing the

receipt.

We saw on the news the other night that this is happening everywhere.

Brian pumped exactly one liter of gas. The price did not match the cost

of one liter. It was higher. He went inside and complained, got a refund.

There is also a number on each pump that you can call and complain.

This is a true story, so read it carefully.

On March 24, 2009, I stopped at a gas station in Chatham. My truck's

gas gauge was on 1/4 of a tank. I use the regular grade, which was priced at

$0.885 per liter. When my tank is at this point, it takes somewhere around 45 liters to fill it up.

When the pump showed 45 liters had been pumped, I began to slow it down.

Then, to my surprise, it went to 50, then 55. I even looked under my

truck to see if it was being spilled. It was not. Then it showed 60 liters on

the pump. It stopped at 62 liters. This was very strange to me, since my truck has only a 65 liter tank. I went on my way a little confused, then on the evening news I heard a report that

1 out of 10 gas stations had calibrated their pumps to show more gas

had been pumped than a person actually got.

Here is how to check a pump to see if you are getting the right amount:

Whichever grade you are using, put EXACTLY 10 LITERS in your tank, then

look at the dollar amount. If the dollar amount is not EXACTLY 10 times

the price of the fuel you have chosen, then the pumps are rigged.

In my case, as I said, the mid-grade was $0.885 per liter; my dollar

amount for 10 liters should have been $8.85 . I wish I had checked the

pump. It doesn't matter where you pump gas, please check the 10 liter

price. If you do find a station that is cheating, contact the MTO, and

direct your comments to the Commissioner, the info is on the gas pumps.

Please don't delete this until you have sent it to all people in your

address book. We need to put a stop to this outrageous cheating of

customers. The gas companies are making enough profits at honest rates.

[Walter]

Thanks for the "heads up" on this - I don't put ANYTHING past the people in the gas business these days!

[redrum]

Don't you guys have a bureau of weights and measuers up there?

If you do then give them a call on the thieving pricks.

[jimmie ray]

At least most people are in touch with what goes on with their vehicles, so that this type of thing would be hard to pull off consistently. How many pay attention to their heating system, as closely? I have an in ground oil tank, which doesn't have a gauge. I have to measure the height of the oil with a stick, then correlate to a gallonage on a chart. Most people wouldn't bother with this, but I found an 80 gallon descepency on one C.O.D. delivery. The company said they have a meter on the truck, so I left it alone, and just didn't use them again. My coworker told me about an oil truck driver who sneaks small deliveries to "his" discrete customers at half price. Obviously, the meter can be tampered with, but the company gets their payment - so they overlook it...

[redrum]

At least most people are in touch with what goes on with their vehicles, so that this type of thing would be hard to pull off consistently. How many pay attention to their heating system, as closely? I have an in ground oil tank, which doesn't have a gauge. I have to measure the height of the oil with a stick, then correlate to a gallonage on a chart. Most people wouldn't bother with this, but I found an 80 gallon descepency on one C.O.D. delivery. The company said they have a meter on the truck, so I left it alone, and just didn't use them again. My coworker told me about an oil truck driver who sneaks small deliveries to "his" discrete customers at half price. Obviously, the meter can be tampered with, but the company gets their payment - so they overlook it...

I went from oil to wood. The old oil stove kept crapping out with condensation in the line and then the regulator just up and quit. That and the oil just got too damned expensive.

Nothing heats like a woodstove.

[Bong-Man]

I've had three cashiers in the last week give me the old...."Oh, did you give me a twenty ?"......after they gave me change back for a ten.