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What is the solution for fuel drive offs from garages?

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A police chief says petrol stations should make motorist pay at the pump first. But the owners say they will lose money when customers don`t come in to the shop and spend there while paying for fuel. They also say it would cost about 20k to convert the pumps for deb/credit cards.

 

Would steel exit barriers work. You can`t drive out of some car parks without paying prior to leaving, and there is usually less money involved than a fuel purchase. I suppose a fuel thief could always fill up then reverse out if there were barriers on the exit. What is the solution?

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46094938

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Guest makapaka

Prepay at the counter in the shop - pump stops working when you get to the amount you have prepaid for?

 

Wasn't even sure it was that big an issue?

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I genuinely don't care, thats for the service stations to sort out - do they want to lose spending in the shop or lose a bit of petrol. Afterall they're insured why shouldn't they be treated in the same way that many insured householders and car owners think they're being treated.

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A police chief says petrol stations should make motorist pay at the pump first. But the owners say they will lose money when customers don`t come in to the shop and spend there while paying for fuel. They also say it would cost about 20k to convert the pumps for deb/credit cards.

 

Would steel exit barriers work. You can`t drive out of some car parks without paying prior to leaving, and there is usually less money involved than a fuel purchase. I suppose a fuel thief could always fill up then reverse out if there were barriers on the exit. What is the solution?

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46094938

 

Depends how big the problem is...

 

The solution of barriers may cost a lot more to install and run than it would save in terms of petrol theft (also factor in motorists who will use other petrol stations becasue they don't like being held up by barriers).

 

Don't see how it's a problem for the police though; it's surely a business decision for the petrol stations to make? Imagine the police are just concerned with the cost to them, of recording and investigating pertrol theft crimes?

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I genuinely don't care, thats for the service stations to sort out - do they want to lose spending in the shop or lose a bit of petrol. Afterall they're insured why shouldn't they be treated in the same way that many insured householders and car owners think they're being treated.

 

You care enough to respond ;)

 

It does not affect me Willman as I pay by deb card at the pump and get double points. It`s a forum, for debates that`s all.

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The solution suggested by the police to make all pumps pre-pay at the pump misses out on one large group of petrol users- those that pay by cash.

 

If you have the cash in your hand for a tank of petrol but don't have the money in your bank account, what then?

 

A tank of diesel costs about £70 for me at the moment, and if that money is in cash in my purse then I know I can't go into the Asda station at Manor Top, for instance, or any of the stations that close apart from pay at the pump at night because in order to pay by card that also entails a visit to my bank to pay in that money in order that a direct debit doesn't bounce. That's convenient for the petrol station but now involves a whole load more work for me.

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What happens when a barrier comes down to prevent a motorist driving off as someone else is leaving?

 

Prepay? What if I dont put enough fuel in. How a refund going to work. Thats a bit tricky. No way am I going to leave a card with the cashier. Cash - then I need a receipt first... more paper to faff about with...

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I'm not sure how big an issue it is. Fuel can't be dispensed until the guys in the shop give permission, and I would assume that that would include some mechanism for registration plates to be caught on camera.

 

If someone does a runner for £40 worth of fuel, it would be easy to track them down.

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You care enough to respond ;)

 

It does not affect me Willman as I pay by deb card at the pump and get double points. It`s a forum, for debates that`s all.

 

I care enough about the topic but not about the supermarkets. It is a forum and that was my opinion.

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I'm not sure how big an issue it is. Fuel can't be dispensed until the guys in the shop give permission, and I would assume that that would include some mechanism for registration plates to be caught on camera.

 

If someone does a runner for £40 worth of fuel, it would be easy to track them down.

 

I think that's why it's the police suggesting this...it'll mean less "small time" offences to have to deal with,although I would hazard a guess that if they caught the person who has stolen the petrol then they'd also find a driver with no licence or insurance/tax etc.etc. I suppos ethere's also the possibility of cloned plates..

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I think that's why it's the police suggesting this...it'll mean less "small time" offences to have to deal with,although I would hazard a guess that if they caught the person who has stolen the petrol then they'd also find a driver with no licence or insurance/tax etc.etc. I suppos ethere's also the possibility of cloned plates..

 

The police do this sort of thing for essentially 'non-criminal' oriented offences like speeding 1 mile over the limit on Penistone Road, so it doesn't seem a stretch to assume the same can't / shouldn't be done re theft of petrol.

 

let's be serious; the criminal mentality that prompts someone to drive off with £40 a petrol (a clear and cynical theft) is vastly different to someone who accidently finds himself at 32mph driving past Hillsborough. If you have the balls to do the former, there is a strong likelihood there are other issues to look into.

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I'm not sure how big an issue it is. Fuel can't be dispensed until the guys in the shop give permission, and I would assume that that would include some mechanism for registration plates to be caught on camera.

 

If someone does a runner for £40 worth of fuel, it would be easy to track them down.

 

I think a driver would have to be quite dumb to drive off with correct plates on his own car. It will invariably be the crims that drive off.

Edited by Janus

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