Gas station scam today.

[lv2dive]

I had read about several scams and thought I knew what to watch out for. On one trip, I got hit with one I had not heard of previously so I will recount it here.

I always get 200 pesos of gas - that way I get a good feel for how much that puts in the tank so can protest if it's not all there. Right after I had changed a couple hundred dollars into pesos, went to get gas (200 pesos). I went to bathroom while dive buddy watched gas process. Gave dive buddy a 500 peso bill to pay for gas. When I came back, dive buddy asked for another 150 pesos - the attendant told dive buddy he only gave him 50 peso note (both the 50 and 500 are in the redink family). I was sure I had given him 500 but my dive buddy wasn't positive so we paid another 150 and went back to hotel, Where I counted the rest of our money that we had literally just exchanged that morning. The only money we had spent was on gas so it was fairly easy to do the math and figure out that the gas attendant had scammed us.

We went to the pool and were talking to some other divers about what happened and they said the same thing had happened to them at that Pemex station. Well, that did it for me. I got the keys from my dive buddy and drove back to the station and confronted our attendant. Although I speak only the most rudimentary Spanish, I managed to communicate to the attendant that I was going to go to the police if he did not give me 450 pesos (extra 150 he charged me, plus original change due). He paid immediately.

What worked in my favor:
- I KNEW they had ripped me off so I was confident
- Luckily only an hour or so had passed since we had been there so I was able to find the same attendant. Through gestures and a few key words in Spanish I made no bones about the fact that I knew where the police station was and was headed over there immediately if I did not receive the money I was asking for
- I think the attendant was also very concerned with getting rid of me quickly before his manager figured out what I was asking about.

I think if I had asked for an extra 200 for my troubles the attendant would have given it to me. Honestly I was really torn about whether to report him or not I know I should have but I didn't . I had already gone diving that day and then gotten ripped off and then settled getting ripped off. I don't speak Spanish so trying to explain it was going to be a challenge so I just let it be

When I got back to the hotel and rejoined my dive buddy and our new friends (that we had met at the hotel) at the pool, none of them could believe I got the money back!

 

[DandyDon]

I always get 200 pesos of gas

Such doesn't work when you're supposed to return the rental car full. I was glad that I asked Margarita at Isis for her gas station advice. No problems. I even tipped the guy, and I am not much of a tipper.

 

[lv2dive]

I do agree that getting trusted advice for good stations will reduce risk exposure. Because it just takes one bad apple (even at a "good" station), I find it helpful to use multiple strategies to protect myself/hedge my bets .

Re the 200 MXP - of course there are exceptions to prove the rule, and you bring up a good one. 200 MXP doesn't always work perfectly for me, either, but it does give me a baseline. After a couple of stops at the petrol station, I have a good idea of how 200 MXP moves the needle (literally! as measured by the fuel gauge ). Since I haven't (yet!) lost the ability to do simple comparative math, I personally find this approach helpful. YMMV, of course.

Some part-time residents suggested the strategy discussed in my original response to this thread... when I relayed the scam story to them, they chided me for not following their advice to the letter: Get 200 MXP worth of gas, then pay with a 200 bill!

Such doesn't work when you're supposed to return the rental car full. I was glad that I asked Margarita at Isis for her gas station advice. No problems. I even tipped the guy, and I am not much of a tipper.

 

[ggunn]

After a couple of stops at the petrol station, I have a good idea of how 200 MXP moves the needle (literally! as measured by the fuel gauge ). Since I haven't (yet!) lost the ability to do simple comparative math, I personally find this approach helpful. YMMV, of course.

My car's gas gauge response to volume isn't linear. The second half of the gas in the tank as shown by the gauge goes a lot faster than the first; when it says half full the tank is really more like a third full.

 

[scubafanatic]

As I would never dream of driving myself in Mexico, I'll admit I'm unfamiliar with their gas station 'technology' (or lack thereof). Is there any particular reason they can't utilize 'normal' gas pumps, like those in the USA ? What's all this nonsense about 'having to zero out the pumps' ???

 

[northernone]

As I would never dream of driving myself in Mexico, I'll admit I'm unfamiliar with their gas station 'technology' (or lack thereof). Is there any particular reason they can't utilize 'normal' gas pumps, like those in the USA ? What's all this nonsense about 'having to zero out the pumps' ???

Fairly standard pumps. I've not worked at a gas station but I'd likely manage the scam in the states on any pump that doesn't have integrated payment as well.

By 'zero out the pump' I mean making sure I'm not paying for the previous customer's gas plus my own.

I learned to drive in Montreal. Cozumel is pretty calm for driving styles.


Cheers,
Cameron

 

[scubafanatic]

Fairly standard pumps. I've not worked at a gas station but I'd likely manage the scam in the states on any pump that doesn't have integrated payment as well.

By 'zero out the pump' I mean making sure I'm not paying for the previous customer's gas plus my own.

I learned to drive in Montreal. Cozumel is pretty calm for driving styles.


Cheers,
Cameron

No worries, I already understood the 'zero out the pump' concept, I just didn't realize they were still using museum pieces to pump gas. I've seen too many stories of how gringos are easy meat for numerous traffic accident scams to ever get behind the wheel there.

 

[lionfish-eater]

I step out of the car first, walk over to the pump and make it a point look under the cover to make sure the pump starts at zero then ask for a specific amount and watch the attendants hand on the nozzle.

The first few times I asked to "fill it" and sat in the car, I was ripped off.

 

[ggunn]

I haven't driven or bought gas on Cozumel in years, but since my experience on the Yucatan, I get out and I stand by the pump watching the numbers roll.

 

[Zman96]

The newer station is the one that tried to play games with us too. I watched everything he did from right next to him and was waiting for some kind of BS, finally he asked us to check the gas gauge because I did ask to fill it up and as I pretended to look down, I saw him add 400 pesos to the total. My 6'5" worth of Irish went up and I bolted around the car at him yelling in my basic Spanish, he got the point. Needless to say the amount changed quickly. I had 5 people in the car and they were laughing as we pulled away claiming the guy turned whiter than me as I charged at him yelling about the rip off.