A man who visited a Tesco petrol station was left "gobsmacked" after £120 was debited from his account. He had put just £15 worth of fuel in his car and paid at the pump.
It comes after another driver was left "absolutely fuming" after she noticed the same amount had been taken from her account after visiting the same petrol station. However, it seems that Tesco does warn customers that this will happen.
The first driver, named Scott, visited the Esso Tesco in Ardwick Green, Manchester this week, and used the pay-at-pump option. But after checking his account later that day, he was shocked to find £120 had been taken.
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Unable to contact his bank, Scott decided to return to the petrol station. He claims it was only then that he spotted a sign inside the shop warning customers about the charge.
The sign at the cash desk said: "Please note, paying at pump with your card will automatically charge £120 then refund the difference back to your account from your fuel total. The policy is being rolled out at forecourts across the UK due to the rising cost of fuel, and is intended to stop people driving off without paying for fuel, or filling their car with more than they can afford.
But the move has been slammed by drivers across the UK. Speaking to the M.E.N, Scott said law-abiding customers shouldn't be penalised.
"I was gobsmacked, the financial implications of this are huge," he said. "They shouldn’t be putting this in in the first place.
"Have more security at pumps if that is the issue. What if there was a family filling up on their way to Tesco and only had £120 left in their bank and then went to try and do a food shop and couldn't pay?
"It is crazy. The sign is inside the shop so how is someone supposed to know about it if they pay at the pump?"
Scott said it was the first time he had used that particular petrol station, and only topped up £15 as his petrol light had come on, and he didn't have time to find somewhere cheaper. He said: "I went to the pump where it’s pay at the pump only.
"I did the normal stuff and didn’t see any signs. I just put £15 of petrol in the car."
"Around an hour later I was checking something on my internet banking and I saw that £120 had been taken out by pay at pump Ardwick. I couldn’t get through to my bank so I went back to the store and asked to speak to a manager.
"I spoke to a security guard who asked me if the amount was £120. When I said yes he said it was normal and that it should go back into my account shortly.
"I had a look around and that’s when I saw the sign inside the shop. I spoke to a manager who was brilliant but there wasn’t a lot he could do.
"He said it could take up to three days for the money to go back into my account but most people need that money now. It’s not a couple of quid, it’s £120."
Some Tesco petrol garages still only take £1 from accounts, but the new £120-checking system will be rolled out to all of them by the end of the year. Tesco explained that the fee is in line with with Mastercard and Visa requirements.
The company added that the money should be released back to the account immediately. If this does not happen, customers are advised to speak to their bank.
A Tesco spokesman said: “We’re really sorry to hear about this. The funds that are reserved whilst a customer refuels at Pay at Pump should be immediately released back into the customer’s account. If this has not happened, we would recommend that the customer contacts their card issuer to resolve the issue.”
The system only affects pay at pump transactions – if you pay in the kiosk, you will still just be charged for what you have bought.
Mastercard told The Sun: "Although customers may notice in their banking apps an initial transaction for a higher ‘pre-authorised’ amount than the fuel they bought, this is very temporary, as almost immediately after the sale is made the exact value of fuel dispensed is withdrawn from their account, and any remainder of the pre-authorised amount is released for use. Should cardholders experience any issues or have any questions regarding this new process they should contact their bank."
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