1. Open your tank yourself

The easiest way to be cheated in a filling station is by remaining in your car while the attendant sells his stuff. Stretching your neck backwards to look at the meter while seated in your car is very uncomfortable. Besides, you could get carried away easily and believe me, most attendants bank on this.

Don't be lazy, get down and open your tank yourself (irrespective of whether it’s opened from inside your car or manually), still get down, it isn't that stressful. Walk towards the attendant, greet him politely, smile and watch him carry out his job alternating your eyes between the meter and nozzle (the nozzle is the long hose he dips into your car). Stay beside him all through and monitor all activities closely, don't get distracted and watch out for those people that come towards the attendant with jerry cans.

And should you need to urinate, urinate before you purchase or after you purchase, not during the purchase.


2. Make sure the pump isn't working before you're attended to

Once the machine is off irrespective of whether the meter is rubbed or not, the machine begins it's sales form zero but if it's on, it begins from the figure showing on the meter. That's one of the reasons why you're advised to get down from your vehicle. And yes, I know, the machine makes a loud buzzing noise when it's running but unfortunately, some are so silent that the only way you know they're on is when you stand close to it.

Let me give you an example; an attendant sells fuel say N200 to a commercial motorcyclist (don't laugh, that's how the "okada" men buy their things, some even buy N50 fuel). Your vehicle is parked beside the motorcyclist and since you're too lazy to get down or too distracted, the guy just dips the nozzle into your car and continues from the N200 he stopped for the motorcyclist and that's it. He's cheated you of N200 and this is the exact reason why you should also insist on the number 3 tip below.


3. Make sure the attendant programs before selling to you

Filling stations are filled with so much conspiracies that we sometimes don't know what to believe and what not to believe. Back then, customers actually told me that I shouldn't program as it shortchanges them. Like I explained in another article: 7 shocking facts about Nigerian filling stations, filling station pumps are not 100% accurate, even when new. It either shortchanges the customer or the seller but I tell you, this amount is negligible (about 0.5%; give or take).

When an attendant programs, the machine restarts all the way from zero and the example I gave you in number 2 above becomes impossible as the attendant needs to stop the machine in order to program it.

A pump can be programmed in 2 ways; "L" and "P". L stands for litre and P for price. Most attendants use "P" since most people buy with price. If you want to buy N2000 fuel for example, the attendant simply puts the machine in "P" and presses 2000. If you look at the small side board where the attendant programs, you'll see "P 2000" (although some machines also show this on the meter board) and if you want to buy 2000 litres, you'll see "L 2000". By the time the attendant starts selling, the meter automatically starts from zero again and must stop working when your sales is complete.

“Stop” here does not only mean the machine would just stop dispensing fuel but it would also stop making the buzzing noise altogether. If it's still making the buzzing noise (that means it's still on), then you're probably being cheated.


4. Look at the meter

What else do I need to say about this? Before purchase, during purchase and after purchase, look at the meter, it's your money, confirm it, don't be shy, no dulling .

After doing 1-4 and you still feel shortchanged, then it means the attendant still managed to outmaneuver you (which is unlikely) or the meter's inaccurate. In the article: 7 shocking facts about Nigerian filling stations, I explained that the likelihood of the attendant adjusting the meter is almost zero as the adjustment is usually a collaboration between the station manager and owner. And no, it's not the filling station with most commercial bus drivers and motorcyclists as customers that has the best meters, that depend entirely on location, nothing else. Where I worked, the meter was bad but we still made a lot of sales due to our strategic location.

To know a filling station with a good meter, take a new 10 litre jerry can (an old one is usually overstretched and bulges by the sides while the 5 litre kegs are usually inaccurate) and buy 10 litres (not N1000 but N970) worth of fuel. If the fuel's almost touching the round inlet, then it means the meter's okay but if it doesn't, it means the meter's isn't. The farther it is from the inlet, the worse the meter is.

I believe you would be able to avoid being cheated in filling stations if you employ all these tactics mentioned above. Besides always buy a reasonable amount of fuel because N1,000 fuel bought on 10 different occasions burns faster than N10,000 fuel bought at once. So stop deceiving yourself.

SOURCE

why arent people allowed to buy fuel themselves, what are the attendant really doing that motorists cant do themselves?

ANY pump dat is not programmed is CHEATING on U. Do u think every little kobo above ur sales is a LOSS? Accummulated kobo should definitely be a loss but if it is, they wont use dat style....... That is a sign dat there is something FISHY about it!

Dis Guy: why arent people allowed to buy fuel themselves, what are the attendant really doing that motorists cant do themselves?

The average Nigerian motorist doesn't know how to operate the pump. . . if you can, consider yourself above average

Bonus---> some can't even operate an ATM

why cant we even self service using our ATM card in most of this filling station?

Mobsync: 1. Open your tank yourself

The easiest way to be cheated in a filling station is by remaining in your car while the attendant sells his stuff. Stretching your neck backwards to look at the meter while seated in your car is very uncomfortable. Besides, you could get carried away easily and believe me, most attendants bank on this.

Don't be lazy, get down and open your tank yourself (irrespective of whether it’s opened from inside your car or manually), still get down, it isn't that stressful. Walk towards the attendant, greet him politely, smile and watch him carry out his job alternating your eyes between the meter and nozzle (the nozzle is the long hose he dips into your car). Stay beside him all through and monitor all activities closely, don't get distracted and watch out for those people that come towards the attendant with jerry cans.

And should you need to urinate, urinate before you purchase or after you purchase, not during the purchase.


2. Make sure the pump isn't working before you're attended to

Once the machine is off irrespective of whether the meter is rubbed or not, the machine begins it's sales form zero but if it's on, it begins from the figure showing on the meter. That's one of the reasons why you're advised to get down from your vehicle. And yes, I know, the machine makes a loud buzzing noise when it's running but unfortunately, some are so silent that the only way you know they're on is when you stand close to it.

Let me give you an example; an attendant sells fuel say N200 to a commercial motorcyclist (don't laugh, that's how the "okada" men buy their things, some even buy N50 fuel). Your vehicle is parked beside the motorcyclist and since you're too lazy to get down or too distracted, the guy just dips the nozzle into your car and continues from the N200 he stopped for the motorcyclist and that's it. He's cheated you of N200 and this is the exact reason why you should also insist on the number 3 tip below.


3. Make sure the attendant programs before selling to you

Filling stations are filled with so much conspiracies that we sometimes don't know what to believe and what not to believe. Back then, customers actually told me that I shouldn't program as it shortchanges them. Like I explained in another article: 7 shocking facts about Nigerian filling stations, filling station pumps are not 100% accurate, even when new. It either shortchanges the customer or the seller but I tell you, this amount is negligible (about 0.5%; give or take).

When an attendant programs, the machine restarts all the way from zero and the example I gave you in number 2 above becomes impossible as the attendant needs to stop the machine in order to program it.

A pump can be programmed in 2 ways; "L" and "P". L stands for litre and P for price. Most attendants use "P" since most people buy with price. If you want to buy N2000 fuel for example, the attendant simply puts the machine in "P" and presses 2000. If you look at the small side board where the attendant programs, you'll see "P 2000" (although some machines also show this on the meter board) and if you want to buy 2000 litres, you'll see "L 2000". By the time the attendant starts selling, the meter automatically starts from zero again and must stop working when your sales is complete.

“Stop” here does not only mean the machine would just stop dispensing fuel but it would also stop making the buzzing noise altogether. If it's still making the buzzing noise (that means it's still on), then you're probably being cheated.


4. Look at the meter

What else do I need to say about this? Before purchase, during purchase and after purchase, look at the meter, it's your money, confirm it, don't be shy, no dulling .

After doing 1-4 and you still feel shortchanged, then it means the attendant still managed to outmaneuver you (which is unlikely) or the meter's inaccurate. In the article: 7 shocking facts about Nigerian filling stations, I explained that the likelihood of the attendant adjusting the meter is almost zero as the adjustment is usually a collaboration between the station manager and owner. And no, it's not the filling station with most commercial bus drivers and motorcyclists as customers that has the best meters, that depend entirely on location, nothing else. Where I worked, the meter was bad but we still made a lot of sales due to our strategic location.

To know a filling station with a good meter, take a new 10 litre jerry can (an old one is usually overstretched and bulges by the sides while the 5 litre kegs are usually inaccurate) and buy 10 litres (not N1000 but N970) worth of fuel. If the fuel's almost touching the round inlet, then it means the meter's okay but if it doesn't, it means the meter's isn't. The farther it is from the inlet, the worse the meter is.

I believe you would be able to avoid being cheated in filling stations if you employ all these tactics mentioned above. Besides always buy a reasonable amount of fuel because N1,000 fuel bought on 10 different occasions burns faster than N10,000 fuel bought at once. So stop deceiving yourself.

SOURCE

How come I am just realizing you were a fuel attendant and claiming you were an upstream o and g worker. You almost fooled,me