A recent article in the newspaper noted how often credit card skimmers (devices are very quickly put in the gas pump that copy credit card info and provide it to crooks) are being found in local gas pumps. Evidently the pumps are only checked when they need a fresh roll of receipt paper.
I would think it would improve business for the stations - gas is gas - if they advertised that they check the pumps for skimmers every day. I'd buy there. No such ads though. Seeing any in your area?
that's why I prefer the convenience of cash
Cash might be illegal before to long, the way government is cracking down on people carrying cash.
Police used to arrest you for not carrying money, they claimed you were vagrant. Now they claim your using it for illegal activities.
snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:
You may just be right. Those credit card slots on the pumps are just so handy I hadn't thought about it. I'd prefer to use a check though - I carry very little cash. I'll have to see if my usual gas station has no objections. Probably not.
As most credit card companies refund the money I still like the cards. If paying in cash you have to go inside and give them some money and pump the gas. If too much money , then another trip back inside. That can make for a trip over 100 feet each way or more at some stations. Hardly convenient for me.
I also get back 3 % on the card I use at the gas station. That is worth it. As most everything I buy is put on the card it really ammouts up over a years time. I pay the cards off every month on the computer by transfreing the money from my bank. Think of it, if you spend $
20,000 a year and only get back 1 % that is still $ 200 per year and some cards are 3 to 5 % on some items.I think I will take my chances with the cards. While not very likely if you carry cash you could loose it or get robbed. I found that when I exited my truck with certain paints on, my billfold would come out and lay on the ground. I had it hapen to me twice before I started checking on it every time I left the truck. Just lucky that I discovered it both times and no one had picked it up.
I don't link those "pay in advance" (assumption of guilt) things.
However it it's unavoidable, I don't fill the tank but pay a certain amount which will be less than that. For example, I may decide that $20 is enough but not too much (requiring another trip to get the change).
[snip]
Me too . I like the convenience of a credit card. but I have been skimmed several times. Never lost any money but I find it impossible to believe this is not preventable. I am 99.99% sure the employee at the gas station is in on it.
The police in a nearby city have begun a program to deal with this. They're getting the local gas stations on board. It's called SkimStop.
SkimStop - a program created by the Eagan Police Department, is a partnership between local law enforcement and a business to safeguard your account information when you use your credit card at a gas pump. A business that participates in SkimStop agrees to check their equipment daily and place security tape on all the credit card terminals to prevent skimming devices from being used. Businesses are held accountable with daily logs that can be checked by law enforcement. SkimStop greatly decreases the possibility of the use of skimming devices, but consumers should always monitor their credit and debit cards for unauthorized activity as even the best efforts are open to error.
In order to prevent these skimming devices from being temporarily installed inside pumps, stickers are placed on the outside. If a thief tries to remove the sticker, text appears on the tape with the words "open" and "void."
Hi Ken,
I do PCI (Payment Card Industry), a.k.a. credit card security consulting. It is worse than you think. This is what they are suppose to do
1) the pump is "suppose" to have an alarm that goes off in the office if the pump's door is opened2) the employees are suppose to visually check the pump inside and out of the door for tampering at least once a day.
It is anyone's guess if they do or don't. (Ha ha ha ha, what a stupid question I just asked.)
Here is an article that shows the skimmers and how they are used:
Note that some of these devices are internal and some are external. And, they are used on ATM machines too, not just gas pumps.
Since starting PCI consulting, I use cash everywhere I can. I only have one customer that actually takes PCI seriously. The rest's grandchildren will need lawyers when they get breached and the anal probe finds they pencil whipped the questionnaires.
And, yes, this is a law enforcement issue. The cops need to get off the asses and stop with the speed traps and start going after these ass holes with reckless abandon, then this will stop. As it stand, even when they are caught, virtually nothing happens to them. Maybe when some sleazy politician figures out a way to make more money off these ass holes then they do off of speeding tickets.
My professional advice. Just use cash.
-T
Explain to me how cash is more convenient at a gas station when compared to pay-at-the-pump. I'm not asking about security, I'm asking about convenience.
I find it annoying too. Some stations don't though. Look for them.
I usually find it annoying, but not so much anymore. And I really need the exercise, so I speed walk. Every little bit helps.
And not all stations do this. There is one in our town that doesn't. He overflows with customers.
Sad, but true.
Even more sadly, one hasta guess those laws are being partially driven by banks and credit institutions. Banks no longer like cash money and are doing everything they can to discourage its use.
Cash is too hard to handle. Armored cars, vaults, labor. Even credit cards --even the one's with the "chip"-- are already obsolete. Let's not even get into personal checks and paper statements! They want everyone online and paying by cell phone. No checks, no plastic, no labor, jest profit. 8|
nb
You still have to be careful. An attendant on the NJ Turnpike tried to skim me when I have him a 20 for an 8.50 fill up. He was going to give me change for a 10 but I saw him switch. That was when you could get a fill up for that little.
Many stores won't accept checks, nor would I. Too much fraud and bounced checks to chase.
I use cash for most anything under $100 as it leaves less information to be stolen from the store where I used plastic.
I use a full service station that is cheaper than most self serve. I get good service because I always tip too.
I can't answer for Ken, but I find it more slightly more convenient, though not life changing. You hand over the money and done. No signing, pin to enter, deductions if you use a debit card, checking transactions on a statement. Probably saves an hour a year.
Sometimes it is wise to follow the advice of a professional.
Hand over the money to who? If you mean the clerk behind the counter, how is walking from the vehicle into the store, possibly waiting on line to pay and then walking back to the vehicle more convenient than inserting a card at the pump and entering a pin?
What deductions for a debit card? I have never been charged a deduction when paying at the pump with a debit card. Are there places that charge less when you pay cash? Yes. Have I paid cash for that reason on occasion? Yes again. Was it *less* convenient? Yes once again.
I thought Goober wooda solt the fillin station an retired by now.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.