Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/26/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My husband and I stopped for gas in Fredonia following my doctors appointment in Buffalo. We got $30.10 in gas. We went to pick up lunch when I realized Kwik Fill charged me $175. This immediately caused me enough stress that we rushed back to Kwik Fill to see why we were over charged. The cashier told my husband that you get charged more and after the credit card is cleared the difference will go back on your card.
  I couldn’t believe they were allowed to charge this much more so I wrote to the company and they said this was protocol and it could take up to 7 days. So I will pay interest on this as well. This seems excessive and wrong. So at this point we wasted time and were stressed over this. I have checked my card repeatedly but they haven’t credit my account. Most likely this will take the 7 days.
  I’m sure I cannot be the only one who has gone through this. Is this company making money by over charging their customers? I’m sure the interest on this has something to do with it. It’s very upsetting that they are getting away with this. Any help for myself and others would be very appreciated.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/04/2023

  The customer used their credit or debit card outside at the fuel pump and experienced a pre-authorized hold.  When you use a card at a gas pump when you put the card in the system is checking to make sure it is a valid card and there are funds available.  When the cost of fuel went over $4.00 a gallon a couple of years ago Visa, Mastercard and Discover all responded by raising the authorization limit from $75.00 to $175.00 to ensure those with larger vehicles could fill their tanks without the pump stopping at $75.00.  If the customer does not have that much available, in the account associated with the card they are using, the system will place a hold on the available funds and the pump would stop pumping at that amount.  Each card issuer or financial institution is different in how they release the holds, some release it shortly after the transaction completes and others do not release it until the transaction completes through the banking system.  This is not a new practice, it has been in place for more than 10 years, and it is disclosed in the "Terms and Conditions" individuals receive with their cards.  Kwik Fill has decals on our fuel dispensers disclosing pre-authorized holds, it is blue with black lettering, I have attached a copy of the decal.  I have also attached a copy of the customer's receipt for the purchase in question, it shows the purchase was for $30.10, and I have attached documentation of the transaction showing the "authorization only" of $175.00 being placed on the card at 10:46 am and the transaction completing at 10:48 am for the amount of $30.10.  If the customer wants to avoid the pre-authorization they must go inside the station and request a pre-pay for a set amount then go outside and dispense their fuel.  Here is an example of a pre-pay:  You go inside and ask for a pre-pay of $40.00, the register places a hold on that amount in your account.  You go outside to pump your fuel, if you pump all $40.00 the pump shuts off at $40.00, you can go back inside and get a post-pay receipt that will show the gallons you dispensed and the total amount taken will be $40.00.  Let's say you go out and pump $33.25 and your tank is full.  You will only be charged for the $33.25 on your account, you will not see a credit for $6.75 because the $40.00 was only a hold not a charge.  The hold should remove shortly after the transaction is complete.  If you go inside and obtain a post-pay receipt it will show how many gallons you dispensed and you will see where the transaction completed for $33.25.  

  We are sorry for any confusion and inconvenience this may have caused the customer, but we do not take possession of the funds, they are still in the customers account, and the financial institution will not release the funds even if we request it.  

  Sincerely,

  United Refining Company

  Marsha A. B****

  Customer Relations Specialist