Almost Tricked by Caltex Woolworths Attendant

urandack on 11/10/2014 - 22:09
Last edited 12/10/2014 - 13:41

I'm sure that most OzBargainers are using WOW Gift Cards to purchase petrol at 5% off at Caltex Woolworths. This is a word of warning of a potential scam.

Today, when I went to fill up at a Caltex Woolworths in the Hills District, I tried to pay with my gift card. Apparently, it did not have enough to cover the transaction. I could not remember how much I had left on the card, but I was pretty sure it should have been enough. I was told by the sales person that it only had $XX.00 left (about half of what I expected). I trusted him, and paid the rest of the balance by credit card. He asked me if I wanted the apparently worthless card back, and I said no, just throw it in the bin.

When I got home two hours later, I thought it was a bit strange that my card had an exact round number dollar value left. I checked my gift card, and it still had money on it! I returned to the petrol station, and politely enquired whether I could get my gift card back from the bin. (Fortunately the same guy was still there.) The salesman went to the back room and then came back out, pretended to look through the bin, and pulled out my gift card.

Here's the flaw in the system: when you use your WOW gift card at Caltex Woolworths, the remaining balance does NOT appear on the docket. When you shop at Woolworths, the balance does appear on the docket.

General Discussion

Related Stores

Caltex / Star Mart
Caltex / Star Mart

Comments

  • Davo1111 on 11/10/2014 - 22:27
    +43

    Should probably let customer service what is going on. It sounds like fraud to me.

  • cypher67 on 11/10/2014 - 22:31
    +28

    I wouldn't say Caltex scammed you, this could happen to anywhere that uses those gift cards. Its more clerk was the one pulling a swifty

    • urandack on 11/10/2014 - 22:55
      +12

      Yes, it's true that it isn't Caltex per se. However, the problem is that the balance isn't printed on the docket at Caltex. For Woolworths (not sure about Big W etc.), the remaining balance is on the docket, so the attendant cannot try this trick.

    • [Deactivated] on 12/10/2014 - 20:23
      +9

      yes, the clerk is Caltex.

      In the same way if you were a corporate customer buying fuel by the truckload, and an accountant in the head office was pulling a swifty… that is also Caltex.

      Don't let his minimal wage fool you.

  • cloudy on 11/10/2014 - 22:47
    +29

    Its not the company who is scamming you, it is the attendant. Maybe you should change ur sensationalist heading.

    I had a shifty pulled on me at subway once, the attended "pretended" to drop $2 of my change, and give me the rst, thinking I won't count my coins and walk off.

    I counted the changed and called him back from making his next sandwich, and he pretended to say it fell as he picked it up.

    People canbe dodge , s llook after ur own interest.

    End of story.

  • p1 ama on 11/10/2014 - 23:23
    +15

    Come on, Caltex is not scamming you.

    You got done over by a dodgy attendant, report him to Caltex if you want. Has nothing to do with Caltex as a company.

  • [Deactivated] on 11/10/2014 - 23:29
    +14

    I always take my empty cards with me just in case there has been an error.

    I had a look at my last petrol docket. The remaining balance of my Wish card is listed on the receipt. The petrol station I went to was a Woolworths/Caltex rather than a Caltex/Woolworths. I'm guessing it's hard to tell the difference these days. I'm guessing the stations mostly owned by Caltex don't have full access to the gift card database.

    • jonno82 on 11/10/2014 - 23:46
      +3

      Kudos that, I do the same, always take the card with you, I even take it despite the on screen prompt says balance zero and check at home to verify, people can be dodgey so better be careful.

    • kabigon on 12/10/2014 - 13:29

      What's the difference between a Woolworths / Caltex and a Caltex / Woolworths?

      • Tal_Shiar on 12/10/2014 - 14:06

        there is Woolworths the supermarket, Caltex petrol stations and a Caltex Woolworths partnership servo I believe…

  • acai on 11/10/2014 - 23:57
    +5

    Strange. When using WOW gift card at Caltex Woolworths the remaining balance for me shows on the docket.

    • urandack on 12/10/2014 - 13:39

      Maybe it depends on the specific branding of the shop? The one I went to was still a "StarMart".

    • [Deactivated] on 12/10/2014 - 14:06

      ..

    • ATTS on 12/10/2014 - 14:10

      yes when i use WOW gift card at Caltex Woolworths the remaining balance for me shows on the docket aswell .. but i never ever got petrol at 5% off at Caltex Woolworths? even when i been using WOW gift cards for over 2 years now? how do i get this 5% discount? usually i buy fuel costs around 50-70$ and i use a $20 WOW gift card to pay $20 then the rest cash.

      • [Deactivated] on 12/10/2014 - 14:23
        +2

        Get Wish cards via Entertainment Book or one of the Auto Clubs like RACV and get a 5% discount.

  • plmko on 12/10/2014 - 06:39
    +4

    Here we go, more liberal use of the word 'scam', apparently nowadays any accounting, system, human error is a scam.

    • cloudy on 12/10/2014 - 07:54
      +20

      I feel scammed by jkhit9 into reading this post due to misleading title.

      • urandack on 12/10/2014 - 13:37
        +3

        Edit: Title edited.

  • [Deactivated] on 12/10/2014 - 08:04
    +2

    OP, can you please tell us specifically which Caltex this was? I live in the Hills District and fill up at various Woolworths Caltex stations all across the Hills District.

    I'd appreciate knowing which one has a dodgy assistant behind the counter. PM me if you'd rather keep it private. Cheers.

  • RockyRaccoon on 12/10/2014 - 08:12
    +9

    Very Simple - REPORT it to Caltex.

    The simple fact that they said there was NO money on the card is wrong.

    Their system tells the staff member if there is NO money left on the card, in this case the staff member would know there was money left on it. Its simple.

    You have the receipt, you have the card showing only part of the money was paid out. They have the camera footage showing you received the card back.

    At least it will alert them to this staff member maybe doing dodgy things. If they continue to rip people off they will be caught.

  • SKiZO on 12/10/2014 - 09:44
    +5

    Hang on, how much are we talking here? You never mentioned? Was it 25c? $10? $100?

    • urandack on 12/10/2014 - 13:36
      +1

      The amount was not insignificant - it was around $60. Essentially, they can relieve you of whatever is left on the gift card. The only reason why I post this is because it is harder to keep track of virtual money on gift cards. It is a lot easier to see if the attendant has short-changed you $2 or $20.

      • Ughhh on 12/10/2014 - 13:52
        +3

        If the card has been used before but there is a balance, always write what ever balance is left on the card with a texta before going shopping.

  • c2k on 12/10/2014 - 13:17
    +2

    Its not just gift cards, cash also. Attendant sometimes short change you when they think your not being alert.

  • urandack on 12/10/2014 - 13:40

    The other thing is that I don't know why the transaction didn't go through in the first place, when there was definitely enough to pay for the petrol. Maybe the attendant was systematically checking everyone who paid by gift card, to see if they knew their own balance. Maybe I just put in the wrong PIN, and the attendant saw a chance.

  • kosh52 on 12/10/2014 - 19:35
    -2

    poor guy clearly not getting paid enough. this is his way of getting 'tips'

  • SaberX on 12/10/2014 - 19:40
    +4

    Simply just report him so he can receive the karma he deserves and some other poor soul doesn't get cheated.

  • wtfnodeal on 12/10/2014 - 21:42
    +1

    Happened to me years ago but the other way round which I got more change back than what I should get. I went back and told the attendant she tried to fix it by giving me even more I should get. Ended up I gave her back and kept only the right change myself without alerting the manager as I could tell she was not capable of returning the right change with simple maths and worried the manager would find out and fire her.

    • bargdebarg on 13/10/2014 - 21:06

      Lol that's gold. I'd given it one day before the till was down quite a large amount and she'd be on her arse.

      • wtfnodeal on 14/10/2014 - 01:09

        If so I hope she gets a job does not require counting cash or involves simple maths. When comes to managing her own money i hope other people won't take advantage of her either.

  • Syd Bargain Girl on 12/10/2014 - 21:43

    Curious to know which Caltex store this is….

  • IanC on 12/10/2014 - 23:10

    OP shold be very careful with headings like that.
    This is a police matter with possible criminal charges,
    Caltex and Woolworths will be all over it,

  • tunzafun001 on 13/10/2014 - 00:51

    How did the attendant establish how much you had left if its not printed? I was always thought they had to do a null transaction so the balance prints out and then go from there.

  • coolsteps on 13/10/2014 - 10:06
    +1

    it should display on the screen the balance. i always ask for my cards back so i can double check the balance online

  • Vhope07 on 15/10/2014 - 09:17

    What is this 5% of gas you speak of? i tried to use my wish card once at caltex woolworths - it was refused.

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