This morning, I had gone to the ARCO station and used my Credit/Debit card directly at the pump. Previously, by using the Credit card option, they held money on my account. It ranged anywhere between $20 to $100. This all depends upon how much money you have on your card, it does not matter how much you spend at the pump for gas. Each time, for each different Credit Card transaction, they held money.
Today was OUTRAGEOUS!!! I went to the pump and this time, used the debit feature on the pumps pay-at-pump feature. For using the pumps machine, they charged me. 45 cents for a transaction fee. KEEP IN MIND, this is a Debit/ATM feature, NOT one or the other. It's not a bank, so you're not getting cash-back; but they still get you on the charge.
Upon printing my receipt, it shows it as a debit and it tacked on the. 45 cents to my overall gas charge for using the ATM/Debit option.
I called my bank to check my balance and to ensure the charge for the above amount reflected on my account. It did!
But now, what I thought I had left, the computer said I was short $100.00. But I used the Debit/ATM Feature. What of that???! @#$%^&* ()
Normally, when you use the credit card (aka: Visa, Mastercard, etc.), they will hold money to ensure the charge is good and within 48-72 hrs, they put the money back (THAT MAKES SENSE), some companies do that, like RENTAL Car Companies.
The ONLY Difference with Rental Car companies, is that they WIDELY Disclose what they do. ARCO Am/Pm DOES NOT! They do not have anything posted on their machines at the pumps that state that we as Consumers are SUBJECTED to these OUTRAGEOUS Fees or Credit Holds and it doesn't matter how much you pay at the pump. The credit holds vary, so you should pay VERY close attention, because those fees will not note on your receipt.
CALL YOUR BANK IMMEDIATELY and VERIFY if these machines held your money!!!
So, I went back to the ARCO Am/Pm and they were nice to me and tried to help, but really they could not. They're telling me to come see the manager after 3am. I know what I'm going to be told is that they do not have any control over the company that handles the Credit Card/ATM machines at the PUMPS. ARCO should disclose that on the pumps as well. Not LIABLE would be a place to start.
When I called my bank back, they told me that even though I processed the charge for a Debit and it shows up on my receipt as a debit; my bank told me they processed it as a Credit Card transaction, that's why the money was held. So they still charged me the. 45 cents for using the ATM/DEBIT feature, vs the CREDIT feature.
So I got DINGED TWICE. The charge for the gas was listed, but the credit hold was not and they processed the transaction as a regular credit card through VISA, when my receipt says DEBIT.
So for those of you out there, if you are using ARCO as your gas station, do not pay at the PUMP!!! ARCO will tell you they have no control over those machines. Suggest you pay in CASH, INSIDE. Not at the Pumps or the Island ATM's. They will get you and ARCO cannot control those machines, ONLY the pumps.
I know this sounds ridiculous, but as long as you pay inside, you deal directly with the Cashier and they can manually input the amount you want to pay for your gas.
Now, through all my trials and tribulations with ARCO AM/PM, Unless I am desperate for gas and in a rush, I WILL NOT Use the Pay-at-Pump or the islands, unless I'm paying in CASH. I will go inside and pay directly at the cashier to avoid these outrageous credit holds and such.
It would be a waste of my time and patience to have to deal with a manager that will tell me they have no control over the pumps. They already told me this twice and to be told a 3rd time... I think NOT! It's not worth it.
At least with other gas station pumps, they are legit, they are controlled and they don't steal or hold your money. If ARCO has no control over these pay-at-pump machines, they shouldn't have them, they should just force customers to line-up inside and pay that way to avoid these headaches. They shouldn't even attempt to run the charge without advising the card holder before proceeding to authorize the charge.
These other cashiers or shift managers assumed they were only holding a max of $50, because that's what they were being told— obviously they weren't told the whole truth, by these so-called 3rd Party BANKING ATM companies. It's at the discretion of the banks running those pay-at-pump machines.
It has nothing to do with your bank or the card you are using. They will accept them, but get you from the back-side. Also note, it may be an out-of-state bank, because ARCO AM/PM is a BP Gas company now and they are in the East Coast.
Be very aware!!!
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