Super U service station

In June this year, I tried to buy fuel at a Super U fuel station at Andard in the Loire valley near Angers, I inserted my Starling card ( which I have used many times in France) and entered my pin number, the system checked with my card issuer and then declined the transaction, I requested a receipt even though the transaction was for zero euros. I didn't know why the transaction was declined so I tried again with the same card ( I had 358.67 euros credit and about 1000 sterling on the card) , the same thing happened I got another receipt for zero euros. I tried my Mastercard credit card, it was also declined, I then tried my Ulster Bank debit card, it was also declined. I thought the system must be faulty and left the service station. Later that day when I checked my Starling account, I discovered that Super U had requested a prepayment of 500 euros from my account. As my account only contained 358.67 euros it took the full 358.67 euros from my account leaving me with no funds in that account, I would have expected that if the transaction amount was zero, then that's what I would have been charged. I contacted Starling and they told me that when the transaction changes from pending, they will contact Super U. The transaction didn't change from pending, I contacted Starling a few times, and I think, because of the odd amount, they didn't believe I didn't get any fuel. I was able to forward copies of the zero receipts to them and eventually after a couple of weeks, they refunded my account. Now, when I use these unattended fuel stations, I always get a receipt and keep them until I see that the correct amount has been deducted from my account. I still can't figure out why they requested 500 euros, most other stations I have used, request about 100 euros and limit the max fuel you can take to that amount. I sent emails to customer services at Super U, but I still haven't received a response from them. My fuel tank only holds 100 litres which would be a maximum transaction of less than 200 euros. I have no problems with that card at any other service operators. Beware.

No, I don't think it was. There were only cars and only one small white van in before me. It just looked like a normal self service 24 hour Super U fuel services, if I remember correctly, it was very tight squeeze getting in and out I don't think trucks would have been able to use it.

I was shocked that even though there was no diesel pumped, there was a fault in their system that charged my account with a different amount than was delivered, or there was no provision to refund the prepayment automatically if the transaction wasn't completed. I emailed this to their customer services but they didn't think it was important to respond. The transaction remained pending until Starling decided to refund me ( without waiting for authorisation from Super U). After that I only used other supermarkets and had no problems.

Hi Davy, they definitely had an Internet connection, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to take funds from my account. I have worked in IT all my working life, many years spent as a software developer, in my view their software has faults, one so fundamental to buying goods online, that I am now very sceptical that proper software testing has been carried out before going live! So I will always take a receipt if possible, unfortunately I have had instances where the pumps have no paper or don't issue a receipt.

Customer service is shite beyond comprehension since COVID. Especially with digital companies ALL companies and GVT bodies, they just don't seem to care about customers anymore.

Apart from decimating every high street in the world?



Was going to happen anyhow, the high street is dead.

Apparently the high street is bouncing back for fashion, a lot of the online fast fashion brands are in trouble