A Tesco shopper has been left "gobsmacked" after noticing £120 was taken from his bank account after visiting a petrol station - despite only filling up £15.
The driver, named Scott, had visited the Esso Tesco in Ardwick Green, Manchester this week, and paid at the pump. After checking his account later that day, he spotted that over a £100 had been taken by the retail giant.
And the MEN reported that another driver experienced a similar issue the week before. Scott later drove back to the petrol station and saw a sign inside the shop warning customers about the charge.
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It 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."
Tesco's policy is being rolled out at forecourts across the UK due to the rising cost of fuel. It is intended to stop people driving off without paying, or filling their car with more than they can afford.
But the move has been slammed by drivers across the country who accused the supermarket giant of "robbery".
"I was gobsmacked, the financial implications of this are huge," Scott 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? I’m lucky that I have access to funds until the money comes back into my account but it’s the principal."
Scott said that despite being assured the money would be refunded to his account quickly, he had been left waiting over 12 hours and still hadn't received the funds.
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 Mastercard and Visa requirements. The company added that the money should be released back to the account immediately but 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.”
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