Melbourne Motorist Refused Petrol due to Unregistered Plates

[Revolver]

Forgive me if this doesn't work, I'm linking it from the Facebook app.

Melbourne motorist refused petrol at service station because new high-tech sensor cameras incorrectly recorded her registration as being overdue.

www.7news.com.au

https://www.facebook.com/7NewsMelbou...4384888099301/

The quality of comments on the page made me laugh.

I have worked in servos for awhile now, and agree with it, my reasons are below.

For those uninformed. Unregistered plates typically mean: stolen plates, or old plates no longer tagged to a car. The only reason why you have these on your car is to do something wrong. Like commit a crime. Within that is drive off with fuel.

99% of the time this is the case. Take it from someone with over 10 years experience of the front line in servos. I now have a sixth sense about a drive off now. Sometimes I'm wrong. Rarely. But sometimes. Yes I maybe judging, but bet dollars to doughnuts, the white commodore at a pump at 2 am, with lights on, door open, is a very good sign they are about to do a runner.

As for those screaming "invasion of privacy" - it's not. These are public records. Just like phone numberse that are not private. Checking your plate doesn't list your phone number, address, the colour of your underwear, or who you boned last night, it just tells us if it's legally registered or not. Is that a big deal? Anyone can take down your rego and check it. We're just checking it for the right reason. Not writing it down to pay you a visit later with a crowbar for cutting me off.

Why do they check regos? To stop losing money from drive off's. It's the same as stealing from Coles or Woolies. Just because your not physically consuming it, doesn't make taking it right.

More importantly on a selfish note, to stop wasting my time filling out drive off forms and incident reports that I have to sometimes do in my own time because my shift was too busy to do it during. Or they drive off JUST before my shift finishes. Thanks, you inconsiderate, whale-felching, lowlife scum.

Point is, if everyone did the right thing, we wouldn't have to do this. This is the real world, we have to live in.

Anyone else's thoughts?

[Sabantien]

I didn't think this was new.

Fair enough too, I've heard of fake or stolen plates being used to do drive offs. They would want to look into why their system got it wrong in this case. How often does that happen?

[JG66ME]

Originally Posted by Revolver

Forgive me if this doesn't work, I'm linking it from the Facebook app.



https://www.facebook.com/7NewsMelbou...4384888099301/

The quality of comments on the page made me laugh.

I have worked in servos for awhile now, and agree with it, my reasons are below.

For those uninformed. Unregistered plates typically mean: stolen plates, or old plates no longer tagged to a car. The only reason why you have these on your car is to do something wrong. Like commit a crime. Within that is drive off with fuel.

99% of the time this is the case. Take it from someone with over 10 years experience of the front line in servos. I now have a sixth sense about a drive off now. Sometimes I'm wrong. Rarely. But sometimes. Yes I maybe judging, but bet dollars to doughnuts, the white commodore at a pump at 2 am, with lights on, door open, is a very good sign they are about to do a runner.

As for those screaming "invasion of privacy" - it's not. These are public records. Just like phone numberse that are not private. Checking your plate doesn't list your phone number, address, the colour of your underwear, or who you boned last night, it just tells us if it's legally registered or not. Is that a big deal? Anyone can take down your rego and check it. We're just checking it for the right reason. Not writing it down to pay you a visit later with a crowbar for cutting me off.

Why do they check regos? To stop losing money from drive off's. It's the same as stealing from Coles or Woolies. Just because your not physically consuming it, doesn't make taking it right.

More importantly on a selfish note, to stop wasting my time filling out drive off forms and incident reports that I have to sometimes do in my own time because my shift was too busy to do it during. Or they drive off JUST before my shift finishes. Thanks, you inconsiderate, whale-felching, lowlife scum.

Point is, if everyone did the right thing, we wouldn't have to do this. This is the real world, we have to live in.

Anyone else's thoughts?

What happens when you are fueling up a vehicle on a permit with no plates?

[Trump]

Why not just set all pumps to be prepaid 24/7? There'd be no need for cameras...

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by JG66ME

What happens when you are fueling up a vehicle on a permit with no plates?

I assume the permit is physical? Just show the attendant.

[Sorted]

Originally Posted by JG66ME

What happens when you are fueling up a vehicle on a permit with no plates?

They deny you fuel until you hand your drivers licence over or something of value - well that is what they did to me - no issue.

I didn't go to the news to tell them and have a sook and cry and say I will tell all my mates not to go to that petrol station cause they refused me fuel.

Not the petrol stations fault either for the said lady in this story, it was Vic Roads, would she also sook to the news if she got pulled over by the police for an unregistered car.

Complain about the Vic Roads system, oh but that would not have made a news story and she didn't get her 2 minutes of fame.

Some people need to harden up and get on with more important things in life.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

Why not just set all pumps to be prepaid 24/7? There'd be no need for cameras...

Because they want you to spend $5 in store to save $2.50 on fuel

[PaulXR50]

I had a servo ring the police on me thinking i drove off without paying & all i did was check the air (the air is away from the pumps of course).

I told the police i checked the air, they rang the servo back they only had cameras inside so no evidence of drive off so police rang me back said forget it. I went to servo the next day looking for boss lucky he wasn't there. (thought i would just share).

How would prepaid work if you don't know how much left to fill the tank, lot of times i fill maybe as eg.$32.57 or something odd.

[uniacidz]

Originally Posted by PaulXR50

I had a servo ring the police on me thinking i drove off without paying & all i did was check the air (the air is away from the pumps of course).

I told the police i checked the air, they rang the servo back they only had cameras inside so no evidence of drive off so police rang me back said forget it. I went to servo the next day looking for boss lucky he wasn't there. (thought i would just share).

How would prepaid work if you don't know how much left to fill the tank, lot of times i fill maybe as eg.$32.57 or something odd.

Supposed to pay first then use servo facilities





Sent via HTC Velocity + [HolicsROM v1.3] [SWEEP2WAKE]

[Revolver]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

Why not just set all pumps to be prepaid 24/7? There'd be no need for cameras...

Because they want you in the shop, you'd also have no drive way ammenities, no toilets. Just a big canopy with pumps, a price board, a concrete driveway, and that's it. And there are places like this. Mostly for trucks.

Plus you'd be changing the way that people's have been getting fuel for 50 years. And Aussies don't like that big of a change. Not to mention if you don't know how much exactly it's going to cost if your almost empty....

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Because they want you to spend $5 in store to save $2.50 on fuel

Gotta pay my wages somehow.

[Gee-dog]

Originally Posted by Revolver

Plus you'd be changing the way that people's have been getting fuel for 50 years. And Aussies don't like that big of a change.

Not sure how old you are, but I can assure that getting petrol 50 years ago was a lot different to now - then they cleaned your windscreen, checked your oil, and put the petrol in for you.

[Revolver]

Originally Posted by Sabantien

I didn't think this was new.

Fair enough too, I've heard of fake or stolen plates being used to do drive offs. They would want to look into why their system got it wrong in this case. How often does that happen?

Depends on the site. Location, (suburb), type of site (small or large), traffic flow, if the site is situated on highway, main road, light road, demographics of the surrounding area, so types of jobs, unemployment, and also race. While I wont label out who is better or worse, race plays a big part in it too.

A lot of variables. But some sites are more problematic than others.

As for the system, it's not infallible. Maybe she paid it on the day it was due, and BPay takes 2-3 days to reach the department of transport. Or there was a paperwork stuff up. Experienced that myself. Got pulled over for unregistered and uninsured, went to court, and case got dropped once the prosecution investigated it.

[Revolver]

Originally Posted by Gee-dog

Not sure how old you are, but I can assure that getting petrol 50 years ago was a lot different to now - then they cleaned your windscreen, checked your oil, and put the petrol in for you.

Yep did everything that every car owner should do as part of their preventative maintenance. At home.

But you still payed AFTER you got it right?

[buggo]

Originally Posted by PaulXR50

How would prepaid work if you don't know how much left to fill the tank, lot of times i fill maybe as eg.$32.57 or something odd.

It just pre authorizes your card up to an amount you specify. If you want to fill it, just type in $100 and go to town. If you spend $84.57 filling up, that's all that gets taken out once you put the nozzle back on the bowser.

I try to use the bowser payment whenever I can. I love it and never had an issue of getting ripped off or whatever.


EDIT - Wait sorry mate I think I read it wrong. I think you mean pre paying in cash at the counter? Yeah that'd get annoying, especially going back for $0.65 change. Either way, bowser payment is the way forward

[NTF6]

Originally Posted by Revolver

Because they want you in the shop, you'd also have no drive way ammenities, no toilets. Just a big canopy with pumps, a price board, a concrete driveway, and that's it. And there are places like this. Mostly for trucks.

Plus you'd be changing the way that people's have been getting fuel for 50 years. And Aussies don't like that big of a change. Not to mention if you don't know how much exactly it's going to cost if your almost empty....



Gotta pay my wages somehow.

When I was in Italy there were heaps of servos that didn't even have a person in attendance. A bank of pums, swipe credit card, pump unlocks and gives you fuel, then sucks the amount off your card, no pin required. Easy.

[Junkyard-Dog]

Nothing that new. A number plate recognition system was being installed when I left BP a few years back. Would have helped a lot with drive-offs.

btw not joking when I say half the cars that did drive offs were VN-VT Commodores.

[JG66ME]

Originally Posted by buggo

It just pre authorizes your card up to an amount you specify. If you want to fill it, just type in $100 and go to town. If you spend $84.57 filling up, that's all that gets taken out once you put the nozzle back on the bowser.

I try to use the bowser payment whenever I can. I love it and never had an issue of getting ripped off or whatever.

I use it all the time at Caltex in Gisborne. Best thing ever.

[Junkyard-Dog]

Best part about being a servo attendant is telling people off via the loudspeaker.

I remember one night a bunch of P platers in a ~99 Hyundai excel pulled up. Four guys and one girl. They ALL got out to put fuel in but none of them came in the store yet. One of the lads (looked about 17-18, I was only 20 myself) got out and started playing with a lighter about 2 meters MAXIMUM away from the pump WHICH WAS PUMPING FUEL!!!

I stopped the pump and got on the mic straight away. "You with the lighter! If you do that again, I will not only stop the fuel but I will call the police. You have been warned." His mates all looked at him and I could tell they were calling him a DH for it even though most of them had been laughing when he did it. I don't know if they realised how many THOUSANDS of liters of fuel were beneath their feet. It sure made me question their thought process.

It was funny af when they all came in the store, the driver and the girl apologised to me but the bloke with the lighter didn't say a word and wouldn't look me in the eye. I was quite angry and I didn't hide that fact. It was even funnier because his mates wanted coffee, hot food and slushies so he was stuck in the store with me berating him for at least 5 minutes. My boss watched the tape and almost fell off the chair laughing. I thought I'd get in trouble but it was the opposite.

Incidents like that made servo life interesting. I always did the nightshifts on Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sunday. 11.30pm - 8 or 9am so I saw some pretty funny and crazy stuff.

One of the best was when a drive off happened not even 1 minute after the cops just left with free coffee. We got ripped off that much that I used to have a few of the local officers phone numbers so I just called the bloke I had given free coffee to and told them it was a blue/silver VN calais headed south. The cops came back an hour or so later to get my report

Honestly not a bad job working at the servo and I met so many cool people from different cultural backgrounds. /rant complete.

[Trump]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Because they want you to spend $5 in store to save $2.50 on fuel

Let me see, servo owner spends thousands on cameras and subscription costs to stop one, maybe two petrol rips a fortnight. Time to recoup the costs of the cameras, many years.

Implement 24/7 prepay, costs nothing to implement. Time to recoup costs, instant.

Besides, they can still do the "spend $5 to save $2.50" spiel

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by JG66ME

I use it all the time at Caltex in Gisborne. Best thing ever.

I've never tried it and I also use Gisborne Caltex from time to time, would save me having to go into the shop and ending up with the odd pack of Mentos

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

Let me see, servo owner spends thousands on cameras and subscription costs to stop one, maybe two petrol rips a fortnight. Time to recoup the costs of the cameras, many years.

Implement 24/7 prepay, costs nothing to implement. Time to recoup costs, instant.

Besides, they can still do the "spend $5 to save $2.50" spiel

You must have very honest people in your servo my family owned a servo in the 80's-90's we we're getting more than 1 - 2 a fortnight back then, and talking with people we still know in the industry its gotten much much worse over the years the OP has more current knowlege than me but I'd wager it would be more like 1 - 2 a day

as for 24/7 prepay I assume you mean like pay at pump?

What a Massive PITA that would be for your customers AND they wouldn't have a need to come in to the shop to buy things like drinks lollies and the stuff that actually makes the money for the business

[PaulXR50]

Originally Posted by buggo

It just pre authorizes your card up to an amount you specify. If you want to fill it, just type in $100 and go to town. If you spend $84.57 filling up, that's all that gets taken out once you put the nozzle back on the bowser.

I try to use the bowser payment whenever I can. I love it and never had an issue of getting ripped off or whatever.


EDIT - Wait sorry mate I think I read it wrong. I think you mean pre paying in cash at the counter? Yeah that'd get annoying, especially going back for $0.65 change. Either way, bowser payment is the way forward

I like the logic there buggo if thats how it would works.

(maybe the owners of 711's know how the employees now feel - another topic for another time)

[Revolver]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

Let me see, servo owner spends thousands on cameras and subscription costs to stop one, maybe two petrol rips a fortnight. Time to recoup the costs of the cameras, many years.

Implement 24/7 prepay, costs nothing to implement. Time to recoup costs, instant.

Besides, they can still do the "spend $5 to save $2.50" spiel

Yes it does. It costs the hardware to do it at the pump, it costs software for those pumps to be linked to the console with the new system, more than likely and upgrade to the physical console program in hard and software. Most probably it will be a full redo, in a nice expensive package.

Or just from the console, software and possibly hardware with that. That's the current problem at my particular servo. We've been asking for it for awhile, but due to the cost, across all sites to interact with head offices systems for stocktake and record keeping is quite expensive.

Or put in hi res cameras that scan plates and also record your face and car really well, which is also really handy for robberies and altercations on site...

You were saying?

[Trump]

Originally Posted by Revolver

Yes it does. It costs the hardware to do it at the pump, it costs software for those pumps to be linked to the console with the new system, more than likely and upgrade to the physical console program in hard and software. Most probably it will be a full redo, in a nice expensive package.

Or just from the console, software and possibly hardware with that. That's the current problem at my particular servo. We've been asking for it for awhile, but due to the cost, across all sites to interact with head offices systems for stocktake and record keeping is quite expensive.

Or put in hi res cameras that scan plates and also record your face and car really well, which is also really handy for robberies and altercations on site...

You were saying?

I'll go away now...

[FG50T]

Originally Posted by JG66ME

What happens when you are fueling up a vehicle on a permit with no plates?

I've filled up a VK Group A and a yellow VL Turbo in the past with no plates (on a permit) Thought it was pretty funny that they didn't think twice about turning the pump on as I know I look like a pretty dodgy character at times But I get pulled up all the time in my new car to prepay

[STINKY NINJA]

Originally Posted by JG66ME

What happens when you are fueling up a vehicle on a permit with no plates?

I was refused fuel when I had purchased an eb ghia with no plates,had a permit to drive though,just went inside and gave them my license till I went in and paid for the fuel after I filled her up. Simple and fair since my car had no plates.

[Mercury Bullet]

Wow, none of this camera stuff in the bush.

I get all my diesel farm delivered but buy petrol from the truck stop.

We have an RTAA next door so lots of trucks fuelling at all hours.
The servo isn't linked to the roadhouse, it's run remotely.

It used to be insert your credit card and the pump would switch on and off you go and fill up, then the cc would be debited a few days later.

Now for some reason that's been stopped and now you have to select an amount. I just enter $100 and usually the total is $60-$80. The whole $100 gets debited but then a week or so later they credit the account with the leftover. So if I only take $60 worth of fuel they credit me back the extra $40.

Not sure why they moved to this method. Most trucks are putting in $2000+

It wasn't done because of drive offs, the roadhouse didn't want to serve fuel 24/7 anymore, so Dunnings came in to do it remotely.

[Crazy Dazz]

I couldn't really tell from the story what the big issue was. Were they refusing to sell her petrol, or simply requiring that she pre-pay?
The local servo I used to use was pre-pay after 7pm. No dramas, I would hand them my credit card and they would release it for a full tank.

[Iggle Piggle]

Originally Posted by Gee-dog

Not sure how old you are, but I can assure that getting petrol 50 years ago was a lot different to now - then they cleaned your windscreen, checked your oil, and put the petrol in for you.

Was that at the Golden Fleece, or Ampol?

[TheInterceptor]

If my front rego plate is muddy and unrecognisable they make me pre pay. I hand over a non pay pass card and fillup, come back, use card, then im on my way.

I live in one of the worst areas in North Perth, servos equipped with basic cameras will make everyone prepay when it gets dark. But somtimes its not as stringent. Guess it depends whos on the shift.