Anyone else have "See Cashier" issues with Shell?

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Originally Posted By: SLO_Town
All:

Thanks for the replies. Once again, I am using a Wells Fargo credit card (not a debit card or Shell credit card).

The whole point of a POS device on the pump is to make my purchase as fast and easy as possible. Having to pay cash or go inside to deal with this defeats the whole purpose of a POS device on the pump.

From the replies it's obvious Shell has a problem. I've always used Shell or Chevron (and occasionally Mobil), but Shell is more or less out of the picture at this point. Because we drive almost 45K miles per year, we're talking significant business.

Today I let my BMW get more empty than I like (14 miles to empty). After my second attempt on a second pump, I went inside and bought $1 worth just to make sure I could make it to the Chevron station.

Thankfully, Chevron wanted my business. Case closed. That was easy.

Scott


NO! That was not easy. Its... irrational. The entire thing. I'm sorry.
 
I normally don't go to Shell. But I've had this happen frequently at Arco, going back probably 2 or 3 years now. When it happens I just use another machine and then it works. I once asked the cashier about it and (I think) he said they'd heard a lot about the problem, they'd had the machine looked at and the problem remained unresolved. I'm not sure they'll ever fix it.

Nowadays I prefer to use a credit card and Arco doesn't take those, so I usually get my gas at a different station. That place never has an issue.


Going back around 15 years ago, I remember noticing a pattern where some smaller merchants' card machines would reject a card while the same card would always work at busier places like grocery stores. I presume that busy retailers invest in the best equipment and most reliable network service. Valid cards would fail at little mom and pop stores and motels, sometimes coupled with accusations that the card was overdrawn/overlimit.

It all seemed to imply that network connection or card reader problems would lead to ridiculous and insulting conclusions being made at the merchant's end - they didn't just see it as "fail to connect" or "invalid number". I grew to hate motels that would sit on your card info and then decline it 2hrs after you called, then you show up at 1AM and find out they gave your room away. I still don't trust motels.
 
Many of the problems with credit cards and the pumps in Canada have disappeared with most pumps switching over to accept the chip cards. I embraced pay at the pump when it was first introduced and things have only gotten better with the chip.

armos: I think your comments are spot on. Some merchant providers are simply garbage. I use Chase up here at one of my businesses. Their customer service is second to none and they are reliable. If the internet is down, it reverts to dialup. So, it takes a pretty wicked set of circumstances to not be able to run a card. And, if a terminal fails, they'll have me up and running in under two hours, with someone actually bringing a terminal and not leaving until he confirms it working by actually testing it.

Olas: Unfortunately, there are situations that make that difficult at times. Some jurisdictions require prepaying, and some people don't want to leave a fistful of cash with the person at the till. Years ago, before cards gained popularity, some places would just let you give them your driver's license until you paid, but with cards being more common, most won't bother with that any longer. The last time I prepaid for gas with cash, the buffoon finished my transaction as soon as I shut the pump off. I got my change, of course, but my opportunity for my rewards points was over, and I'm not waiting around to have a transaction redone for that. Using my card of choice, it's done my way, then.
 
Originally Posted By: bvance554
So you think Shell specifically has skimmers on the machines? Shell is skimming your credit card information? Whew can't wait to see what Shell has to say .


That's what I thought possible at the time, but given the number of people who have the same issue, I seriously doubt that's the problem now. Instead, I think it is caused by some design error in Shell's POS data processing "path". I have never had this problem with anyone but Shell.

After further consideration about one person's comment about the individual station owner's ability to set security parameters, no, it doesn't work that way. Shell does not invest hundreds of millions of dollars in POS devices and computer infrastructure just to defer basic security mechanisms to the station owner. No way.

Lastly, I'm not a rebate kind of guy (yes, foolish I know), but I now remember reading threads about Shell stiffing people on rebates. Nothing ruins a customer relationship quicker than issues like that. Years ago Norton anti-virus did that to me twice (they were infamous for stiffing people on rebates). I've never done business with them since, nor will I in the future.

Business underestimates the free choice ability of the consumer.

Scott
 
Originally Posted By: raytseng
Originally Posted By: KD0AXS
Sounds like this problem is the only occurring when paying at the pump? Why don't you just pump your gas then go inside and pay?

hahahhahah, how quaint. because it's the 2000s and not the 1990s.

And yes, often time debit cards will trigger you to have to go in to preauthorize versus a regular credit card

Hey, the gas stations were insisting you go inside to pay in the Seventies -- about the time gas soared to $1/gallon and the self-serve stores were seeing a lot of drive-offs.

You can always go inside, leave them more cash than you'll need to fill up, go back out and pump, then return for your change. But I don't recall the last time I could pull up, pump my gas, then walk inside and pay.

I normally don't use Shell; they're the most expensive, along with Chevron, in my area, and I've never seen the need to obtain a Shell card. Chevron mostly gets used when I travel.
 
I saw that message recently, but I didn't notice that they changed the interface on their pumps. I'd previously just swipe my fuel rewards card, and get promoted for my credit/debit card. Now the pump wants me to press a button to say I want to use the fuel rewards card, then swipe that, then swipe my credit/debit card.

Seems less intuitive to me, but not a big deal I guess.

--Matt
 
Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
Originally Posted By: raytseng
Originally Posted By: KD0AXS
Sounds like this problem is the only occurring when paying at the pump? Why don't you just pump your gas then go inside and pay?

hahahhahah, how quaint. because it's the 2000s and not the 1990s.

And yes, often time debit cards will trigger you to have to go in to preauthorize versus a regular credit card

Hey, the gas stations were insisting you go inside to pay in the Seventies -- about the time gas soared to $1/gallon and the self-serve stores were seeing a lot of drive-offs.

You can always go inside, leave them more cash than you'll need to fill up, go back out and pump, then return for your change. But I don't recall the last time I could pull up, pump my gas, then walk inside and pay.

I normally don't use Shell; they're the most expensive, along with Chevron, in my area, and I've never seen the need to obtain a Shell card. Chevron mostly gets used when I travel.


I stopped by a Shell station I hadn't used in years a few weeks ago and they had a cash price that was much lower than for credit. I had a wad of cash in my pocket, so I strolled in and left $40 with the cashier. By the time I came back, that lady had either gone on break or off shift and a teenaged girl was in her place...immediately, I'm thinking "Oh shoot". She knew about my cash and everything went fine, but I was sure that I had lost $40 for a second or two.
 
Originally Posted By: SLO_Town
Originally Posted By: raytseng
You're off target with your sample size of 3 shell stations. All of these stations are individually operated so its up to the owner to set the processing fraud rules for their credit cards .

So you have your answer for your 3 local shells but that's sll the conclusion you shoild draw from that

Around me its a chevron ststion that has more strict card processing rules and wouldnt even accept any debit cards, and literally just said thank you goodbye and shooed me away for the next customer when they couldn't get it to authorize at the counter


With all due respect, the individual station owners do not set the processing fraud rules - at least it didn't used to work that way. I know this for a fact because some number of years ago I worked for the POS mainframe system provider that handled Exxon Mobil's POS processing. But perhaps it's done differently now, so I will give you the benefit of doubt because I've been retired for the last 10 years (I still do contract work on occasion for this corporation, but in other business areas).

But consider the fact nearly all responders to my post have had similar experiences to what I experienced at Shell.

Given your experiences at Chevron, I suggest you do business with another brand, be it Shell or something else. If Indeed processing fraud rules are set up by individual station owners, I frequent that same Shell station on a regular business and still have problems. I always use the same credit card. Perhaps, then, this individual station owner doesn't want my business. And because the individual station owner is selling Shell, that means I need to use another brand. And because it seems the individual station owner who sells Chevron wants my business - because their POS device is working as intended - that is where I will take my business.

As I said earlier, it's a pretty simple decision.

Scott


Scott with all due respect, attempting to punish the franchiser because the franchisee has a kooky fraud prevention system that is set up to protect you and the owner is petty. Also indeed the credit/debit system is set by the owner of the gas station not the corporate brand the owner chooses to affiliate with.

I have the same issue with a 76 station here in town. All other 76 stations I have visited throughout the state and CP stations all over the nation I do not have this issue.

In other words you are being illogical.
 
I'd agree. Up here, some brands have the same setup from station to station. Not all brands, do, though. We see more differences when stations aren't owned by the oil company. Petro-Canada's setup is pretty much universal. Esso's isn't quite so universal, in comparison.
 
OP here:

For what's it's worth, aside from getting an initial email regarding my "See Cashier" complaint to Shell (Feb 5 2016), I have not heard anything since.

Given Shell's propensity to stiff people on oil rebates, and now their apparent disinterest in my complaint....

Just sayin,

Scott
 
Doing some thinking, what type of setup do they have for preauthorization? It sounds like they've still got it set up as if the pumps are still on dialup and don't do real preauthorizations. Something is set up very, very primitively, by the sounds of things. Most of this stuff has gone away with broadband, but that doesn't mean someone updated the software or set it up right.
 
Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral

You can always go inside, leave them more cash than you'll need to fill up, go back out and pump, then return for your change. But I don't recall the last time I could pull up, pump my gas, then walk inside and pay.



That is how it still is in Germany and a lot of other european countries (as experienced in Spain, Croatia, Poland, Romania...) It always catches me off guard when I have to pay at the pump in advance at some places in Sweden.
 
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Originally Posted By: turboseize
Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral

You can always go inside, leave them more cash than you'll need to fill up, go back out and pump, then return for your change. But I don't recall the last time I could pull up, pump my gas, then walk inside and pay.



That is how it still is in Germany and a lot of other european countries (as experienced in Spain, Croatia, Poland, Romania...) It always catches me off guard when I have to pay at the pump in advance at some places in Sweden.


Service used to be a big factor in how US gas stations competed...I mean, price always matters to some degree, but you used to get your glass cleaned, oil checked, etc. while somebody pumped your gas for you. You'd probably feel better if the guy was in a clean uniform as opposed to somebody smoking in oil soaked jeans and a wifebeater. Now that full serve is almost obsolete in the US and most people feel that gas is basically gas (except for BITOGers and the like who obsess about detergents and water in old tanks), price and location are the most critical factors for gas stations. In such a low margin environment, driveoffs are huge profit killers and really can't be tolerated...with most everybody having credit/debit cards, though, paying in advance isn't generally an issue.
I did pay with cash recently for the first time in years (decades?) at a station that offered a lower price for it when I had some time to kill. Gave the cashier $40, pumped my gas, came back in to a different cashier...I did not like that feeling! It worked out fine...
 
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Originally Posted By: turboseize
That is how it still is in Germany and a lot of other european countries (as experienced in Spain, Croatia, Poland, Romania...) It always catches me off guard when I have to pay at the pump in advance at some places in Sweden.

In Canada, it's kind of spotty. In BC, I believe it's mandatory after a certain hour and/or if the attendant is by himself. Here, it depends upon the neighborhood and the hour. Most stations after a certain hour require a pay at the pump. I like it. Certain credit card fuel reward benefits require you to pay at the pump to take full advantage anyhow.
 
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