Gas Station Experience

Well whenever stuff like this happens it makes me a little sad but then again I know how blessed I am and how my life is so good compared to many who do have to struggle to survive day to day so I get over it but I will be more cautious next time.

So we went to fill up gas on the dutch side a week ago and it was great. it was the station right before the round about that goes up the hill on the way to Phillipsburg. It is on the left as you approach the round about and near some auto dealers. The gentleman was polite and showed me how he did the conversion without asking him and I tipped him a couple of dollars.

Yesterday it was rush hour traffic and my husband noticed we were almost on empty so I asked him to just stop at the first station we saw. There is a Sol station before you hit the bridge that goes to Simpson Bay coming from the airport so we stopped there. It was busy and I got out of the car and the guy quickly came over and started to fill it up.

He said $55 and I saw that it was 89 guilders on the pump. So I made a very nice comment with a huge smile something like 'I though the exchange rate was a little different than that so is that correct?' The attendant was very gruff and yelled yes and that we better pay and get going because it was very busy etc. I knew we were being taken but at that point what do you do? I am not going to argue with a man who is larger than both my husband and I and who seemed angry at the world. My husband and I didn't want any troubles on vacation so of course we paid and left and told him to have a nice day with a big smile. My husband was pretty upset about it and I was too only from the standpoint that we are nice and generous people and we were sad to be treated like that.

I thought I would post in case anyone else has had these issues or just to let people know that maybe that gas station is not the best.

Oh well we are still on vacation and enjoying the island.

If the conversion was way off... there would have been no pay. A phone call to the police would have taken place.

Have learned not to "fill it up" but to order in $20 increments. The gauge should read 35 guilders for $20. Make it obvious that you are watching the pump even if you have to stick your head out of the window.
You paid almost $5 too much.

I have used that station all the time with out incident. Go inside, give the attendant a deposit, pump your own and pay the difference or get change back.

I would never have thought of this had I not been reading TTOL. Great tip!

Now, why in the world would you do that first? If I were going to make a complaint, I would make it to someone inside the store. I'm not sure that I wouldn't do just as the OP did and just let it go. But to call the police would certainly NOT be my first reaction.

The Guilder to dollar ratio is 1.7. You may have overpaid by about $3. But honestly, that seems to be the averaging of how these gas stations work on the island.

Think about it this way, if you boycott them the next time then you come out ahead. The will lose considerably more than the $3 difference.

Rob

Why ?? Because the person that had this happen to said the gas station person was gruff and said pay up then leave. Going in the store would be a waste of time. If the person acts that way.. you have basically bought the dog.

89 guilders is exactly $49.72.

We do the same. We state the amount we want to pay and my husband always gets out of the car to watch the pump.

Why not just pump your own?

Calling the police is a waste of their resources. It's as silly as the idiots in the US who call because they felt they didn't get enough fries at McDonalds.
Going inside to complain is reasonable. But $3-$5 is worth police response? I don't think so.

Exactly.

WE do exactly the same. At some stations you really do have to watch and I have heard before that the service station mentioned is one to monitor closely.

Yeas, if you Google the conversion of 89 Netherlands Antillean Guilders to US Dollars it comes up $49.72, which is very close to another source I checked. So the $55 is about $5 too high.

Funny that the rate of conversion at gas stations gets discussed every few months. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" />

http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/s...part=1&vc=1

LOL

What do you do? Well first you don't give in and then come on a chat board and complain. I don't care how big or gruff the gentleman was, if you felt you were getting screwed you ask for the breakdown, and have them show you how they came to that number. I'm pretty sure they have calculators. He's an employee, if that doesn't work, you walk into the store and get it resolved. Isn't that how you would handle it at home? Why would on vacation be any different. Could have been a simple math error, or he was trying to take advantage of you for 5 bucks.

You figure if he makes five bucks off of every American customer who doesn't know any better, he's making a pretty good haul, in addition to his paycheck. Personally, I wouldn't get into a heated discussion with anyone over $5, and he's counting on most people being the same.

We also always get either $10 or $20 worth, and know what the pump should say. We've never had a problem doing that. It does help if they can see you're watching the pump.

Not that I am saying it's ok to scam, but his paycheck isn't much. Minimum wage in SXM is Naf 8.75 or $4.86 an hour.

That rate is based on the big guys like finance or banking corporations. Like restaurants on the French side converting euros, they are always a little off. Have been getting gas at that station for 20 years and it has always been 35 to 20.

if you go back in the posts from around three years ago...the same thing happened to me at the same station.!!!! for a nissan versa, with only a half tank pumped...the idiot there charged me SIXTY BUCKS!!!!! i told him [censored]....but we were on our way back to return the car...and had all our suitcases in the back. i wanted to call the cops...and just sit there, but my wife was getting [censored], and didn't want to be late since we were leaving. i have never returned to that station, and have warned people here and others i know on island, that they should stay away from that station. "fool me once, shame on you...but no way was i going to get fooled a second time''!!!!

You just should have gone inside and paid the attendant behind the window if you thought you were being overcharged. So simple to do if the amount is questionable. I always pump my own gas and pay inside. Have never had a problem at that station doing that.

Just a thought. Was there a SC for having someone pump your gas for you? I know in some states where gas is more at a pump with an attendant than self serve pumps at the same station.

I only posted it as that is how I learn things when I travel from other people's experiences. I have learned my lesson from that one and I do like the idea of just saying a specific amount that helps. I did get out and watch the pump the whole time but this fellow was just plain in a bad mood. Maybe he was having a bad day. It is not the few dollars that matter to me in general, it is just the concept and treatment. I am ok with rounding and that happens any time you use a different currency. In any case just thought I would share and not a big deal.

Sharing your experiences is good and I think you handled it well. As you say, it is not the money, but the manner in which you were treated that is concerning.We can all learn from the experiences of others so thank you for informing us.

What islandgem said. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> We can all learn something from each other's experiences.

I think you handled it well. No sense getting in an argument or calling the police over $5.

The official NAF to USD exchange rate is fixed at 1.79 to 1, but most gas stations do the exchange in their favor at 1.75 to 1. If I get gas on the Dutch side, I ask what the station's exchange is prior to fueling and have never had a problem.

In the OP's case, the gas is in his car and the cash is in his wallet. I would have told the attendant the most I'm paying is $51 and explain why (89 guilders at 1.75 exchange is $50.86). Let the attendant call his manager or the police if he wants. Letting him get away with taking advantage of tourists is just giving him the boldness to keep doing it.

We always say $10/$20 depending on how much we think it will be to get it to the rental agreement level. We never say fill it, etc. Have heard too many horror stories from people who do that, then are unhappy. And honestly when you are in a hurry, trying to return your car and get to the airport, you think about what you could have done differently later on. So sorry for your experience but a good heads up for folks.

Exactly. I'm guessing the guy looks at how you're dressed, the luggage in your car, and makes his decision based on that. We've never had a problem with the $10 or $20, but I can see where an odd amount could easily lead to deception.

We always buy in increments of $20 also. When we bought gas just this morning at the Texaco on the Dutch side going towards Mark's Place from Simpson Bay, there was a sign with the exchange rate (1.75 to 1) on the pump itself and the pump was in US dollars. Ed went inside, handed them a $20, and pumped his own gas. No problems.

I never go that station because there have been numerous reports over the years about them ripping people off. Unfortunately last week right before I left the island for awhile I realized I needed gas. I did not have much time because I had a meeting to attend so I went to that station. I live on the island but I don't think the attendant looked at my plate because when he told me how much I knew something was wrong. I started to question him & I think he realized I lived there so all of a sudden the price went down by $5.00 with him saying "sorry, sorry I made a mistake." I told him I did not believe it was a mistake & that I was going to contact the owner which I plan on doing when I return. I plan on letting the owner read all of the comments here about his station & hopefully things there will change. I know the pay rate is low on the island but that does not give anyone the right to steal from customers. I was really angry & annoyed that I did not have the time to ask for the owner & deal with it right then.... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cloud.gif" alt="" />

Good for you, Sharon! Go get 'em!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

It's difficult sometimes to stay in the "vacation mode" and at the same time not let people take advantage of you. It has happened to us as well. We always fill up the day before we are leaving the island, or go back to a station where we have had a pleasant experience.