Of Debit Cards and Gas Stations
Oh, you’re gonna love this. So I’m driving to my school and back for my Graduation Rehearsal (yes, my graduation is tonight) and I realize I’m VERY low on gas. Lucky me though, there’s a gas station right near by! I’ve only payed for gas with cash, never with my Debit Card, but I had no cash, so I decided to just get a little gas with my card. I ended up only getting a gallon and a half to tide me over, and printed out a receipt for $6.88. I went back home and about three hours later I had to go to the post office where I had to send out some games for Goozex. So I get there and get everything all set up to be packaged, the total was $6.23. My debit card was declined.
But that’s impossible, I just had money put into it this morning! I should have a good $60.00 in there. I asked her to try it again, declined. They had to hold onto the packages until I could pay for the envelopes I put the games in. I went home to look at my Debit Card’s transactions online to see how much I had. $0.00 on the nose. Looking at my transactions, I realized that Mobil took out all $53.23 in my account! I immediately printed out the page, grabbed the receipt and went back to the gas station to see what was going on.
The gas station attendant was not happy to see me. I began talking to him, explaining my situation, showing him both the receipt and the transaction list I printed out. “Can you come in tomorrow? My boss isn’t in today.” was my immediate response from the person. I explained to him how it was important I get my money back before tonight, as it was graduation night and that was all of my money. “There’s nothing we can do, can you please come back tomorrow when my boss is in?” suddenly this lady pushes him out of the way to talk to me.
“What seems to be the trouble sir?” she asks in that snippy tone that no one on earth can stand. I reexplain my situation to her only to be told “Sir, we did nothing wrong, it must be a problem with your credit card.” I ask her if I can please see any kind of manager. “I am the manager, and there is nothing we can do for you, you have to talk with your credit card company, maybe they can resolve it in a few days.” This was obviously getting me nowhere, I knew they were just dodging the problem and wanted me gone, so rather than prolong anything, I just left.
I called up my credit card company, buncha nice people, really. Their automated phone service was fast and easy, I was on hold in less than a minute to talk to someone, and I immediately got my answer. Apparently, gas stations have decided that because so many people have been paying for gas without having enough money on their card to pay for it, they now take out about $100 at the start of every transaction (or in my case $53.23, as it’s all that I have), that way you can only get as much gas as you can afford. They are supposed to pay you back all of the money you didn’t pump out of the $100, but it takes about 2 buissness days to do so.
This is ridiculous! All of my money is gone now, and I won’t have it back in time for my graduation night tonight. I love how the so called manager of the gas station had no idea what could possibly be wrong, and how they don’t tell you ANYWHERE they charge you $100 at the start of every pump! This is absolutely ludicrous, and it’s not right at all. From now on, I’m never pumping at Mobil again. I warn ALL Mobil customers, DO NOT USE DEBIT CARDS!