Petrolstation refused to serve me UPDATED 08/09/2005

[sickpup]

This has never happened to me before where a service station has refused to serve me due to being on a bike. I'm quite used to the blanket pay first in Dalston and stoke newington and it doesn't bother me but never bikes only. So very pissed of letter emailed to Texaco last night.

Dear Texaco



Can you advise me how long it has been Texaco company policy to not serve motorcyclists unless they pay in advance as I was rather rudely advised by William at your service station on Shoreditch High Street EC2 this evening.



I ask as I have been using this service station for the past 13 years and never run into this policy before. Is this maybe because I usually go in riding large sports-bikes as opposed to the classic Vespa I was riding this evening with a full size perfectly legal and legible number plate that has no dirt on it considering it was replaced for it’s MOT 6 days ago.



William refused to give me any details of the management of the station such as the managers name and the phone No. of the premises. He also refused to give me details of your head office. He also refused to tell me when the policy started preferring to ignore me and trying to fob me off on his colleague who didn’t seem to want to talk to me either as he tried to hide behind the tobacco rack. In fact it took me shouting at William to even get him to admit the manager might be available in the morning with the disclaimer that he didn’t know the managers name or when he would definitely be in. I thought being told to give him the money or get out previous to shouting at him was also a little rude as was his suggestion that I was a thief.



I realise petrol theft especially from young scooter thieves is a problem but also know it generally isn’t done by 30+ year old adults in £200 crash helmets on bikes with legal No. plates who have no problem with taking off their crash helmets and smiling at the security cameras. A classic Vespa is also not generally the vehicle of choice for scooter thieves. I would also point out that the Texaco station on City road doesn’t enact this alleged company policy, in fact hasn’t heard of it.



As you can imagine I’m not at all happy with this and would really like to know what is going on.



Yours truly,




Recieved the following at lunch time today...






Dear ..........................



Thank you for your email received regarding the service you received when using this service station.



Unfortunately, Texaco does not own or operate this service station; our contract is to supply the site with fuel only. Although we do not have any jurisdiction over the business itself, we are very concerned with the level of customer service of any facility that carries our brand. This site is owned and operated by our business partner, Somerfield Ltd, who are directly responsible for all equipment, property and staff on site.



However, I have today, forwarded your email directly to Somerfield Ltd. asking them to respond accordingly. Should you wish to contact Somerfield direct the number for their Customer Service department is 01179 356 669 and their email contact is customer.service@somerfield.co.uk



May I take this opportunity to thank you for bringing this matter to our attention and I sincerely hope that this issue will be resolved promptly.



Kind regards,



Katrina Brown

Customer Care Adviser






So should be interesting to see the outcome of this if any...

[kawakid]

Think about it, its a petrol station.

Is a ped. Well in the eyes of someone who doesn't know better it is.

Now to you its a classic, to him, its a ped.

Normaly the number plate readers at forecourts are forward facing, so you could easily drive off.

Plus he could just have been having a laugh with his colleagues at your expense, can't be much fun working at a filling station.

Ignore it, don't go back. Find his car round the back and s&&t on it.
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I've a twin and a 4.

[Annabella]

That is a really nice reply you have had with all the contact details you requested from William originally.

I hope you recieve an apology and a tank full of fuel for your troubles!
I wonder what you would have done had you been very close to empty and unable to get to another service station? That could have been immensely inconvenient to you and put you at risk of having your vehicle stolen
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Avast! Pirates ahoy!
I did Cadwell!
www.bikepics.com/members/bella

[Suzuki]

I'd ask for a verbal appology from Mr William himself!

Would be far better than a tank of fuel!!

Good luck getting this sorted, really interested to see how things pan out.

Think we should write off about your penguin troubles Bella?
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<Simple> no I'm shaven Jon
<Simple> it is a big enough hole.. I'll leave it now
Ride: 1999 Suzuki GSXR600 (yellow/black) IRC: Stats - Relationship Map

[feef]

[Delbwoy]

Can you not claim for compensation for the inconvenience of you running out of fuel down the road while heading for the next fuel station?
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Check my website. look at my profile though as putting it here would be spamming methinks (I worked hard to create it so at least look at it!) Nothing to do with bikes I might add! Might appeal to the more feminine personality.

[Sadie]

A similar thing happened to me several years ago at a Texaco station in St Albans.

I pulled up at a pump and tried to fill up, until the attendant came and told me that bikes were not allowed to use that pump as the camera was broken and couldn't capture the number plate (although cars were allowed to fill up at the pump).

The attendant asked me to use a pump further inside the forecourt, which I did because I needed petrol.

However, I was irritated at the discrimation against bikers as opposed to car drivers, and I got the contact details from the manager and complained to Texaco.

In fairness, they apologised and sent me a £25 voucher for petrol.

Unfortunately, I had to send it back with a request for smaller denominations of voucher as I couldn't stick £25 of petrol in the bike!
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With experience comes age.

[veeeffarr]

[Davo]

[colin1]

I was told i had to take off my helmet and get off the bike at one place before they turned the pump on. Then when I went in to pay, I had to wait until the guy had finished counting something or other when I think he shd have served me and then resumed his counting.

Im not going there again as there is a tesco near there where you can pay at the pump with your card. Far more convenient.

I wdnt be bothered complaining but it sounds like maybe i shd, as they are gonna lose business without realising why and I might get a petrol token.

I wont tho.
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[veeeffarr]

[iCraig]

Toby, some bikes don't have a centrestand, so if you want to fill it fully then you have to sit on the bike to keep it upright.

Filling up whilst on the sidestand means it fills up quicker and you don't fill the very top half of the tank due to the angle of the bike etc.

[veeeffarr]

D'oh.

[85rob]

depending on what sommerfield say, try to get the cnut sacked that'll learn him

[VTR SP1]

I have only ever been refused once and that was at a TEXACO.
The woman in the shop refused to turn the pump on unless I took my lid off so I went into the shop and asked her if she thought I was going to steal her petrol.

She said it was a company policy but could not provide any evidence of it and said she did not make the rules. Well it turned out she did because when I went back the following day and spoke to the manager the have no anti biker policys.
She promised to deal with the woman and this was another nail in her coffin as she was shite.

You should always complain, us Brits don't complain enough.

SP1
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I rode the Nurburgring backwards.

[Liono]

Just cause them a bit of hassle. If you were picked up on the CCTV then use your powers under the Data Protection Act to request copies of all personally identifiable data relating to yourself, including copies of the security tapes. Address your request to the company's Data Protection Officer, enclose a fee of £10 to cover their processing charges and a description and photo of you to allow them to identify which tapes relate to you. Will cost you a tenner, but might be worth it just to annoy them.

[Bod]

I have this from time to time when I go to pay at the Petrol station, mainly Tesco.....my reply is this......Do you ask muslim women to remove their attire to see their faces when they walk in to pay for petrol???????

This isn't a racist comment just a fact. Usually works and just make a big fuss, I don't feel uncomfortable about saying things and complaining. Just think the khunts are trying to look big.

Bod

[sickpup]

[cagiva gezzer]

Go back when Will is working and pay for £9.76 of petrol for your car in coppers.
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"because one stroke isnt enough and four strokes waste two"

[sickpup]

[zephyrgirl]

If you are really bloody minded and are being treated like some sort of social deviant for putting petrol in your machine, you could always be very naughty.

After taking the abusive shit from the twat behind the 'counter of power' and paying with a smile, go back to your bike, kit up and then procede to remove all pump handles from their 'holsters' on the pumps.

Remove as many as you safely can, leave them dangling, and then remount your machine and ride off.

Then shit yourself for the next week, waiting for the police to knock on your door and charge you with 'endangering lives at a place containing flammable liquids' or some such crap.

But at least you will have the smug satisfaction of inconveniencing that little fuckwit for 5 minutes.
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Fly away on my Zephyr?
I bloody wish.

[cbrbiker]

[cliff]

I am regualarly refused petrol becuase I look so young. It has happened so many times since ive had my bike I get used to it. If they really piss me off, they are sitting in a very flammable postion!

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Sweet reggae music.

[sickpup]

[DEN MONKEY]

Well seems like this is an international thing.
I live literally around the corner from my local servo and am there all too regularly ( need to give up the ciggies). I had filled up the bike whilst sitting on it a number of times before.
One day though they refused to authorise the pump as I was still on the bike. Mind you I had taken my gloves and helmet off and even had the keys out of the ignition and in the fuel cap.
The guy came out and told me they couldnt allow me to fill it while sitting on it.
Again with no lid on and in full view of the camera i didnt see the issue.
I obliged but since I hadnt ran into this before thought it was a saftey issue relating to static or something.
After a little thought I realised it was because they were concerned about a drive off.
I dont really have an issue with it and now wait for the pump to begin, fill it about half way then jump on it to top it right up.