Fuel station scam in France with damaged banknote?

[MalvernWanderer]

Feels like we just had a narrow escape in Hyere, Provence. Our LPG gas guage is malfunctioning, as a result of which we suddenly found out this evening that we had run out of gas - because the fridge went off (we don't need hook up, so we rarely bother to pay the extra for mains, we just run the fridge off gas). To avoid the fridge contents going off overnight, we made a hurried dash to the nearest 24 hour LPG station, Intermarche in Hyeres (thanks, MyLPG.eu app). We got there about 10 and had just filled up when a battered car with a rough looking couple stopped at the next pump. The woman got out and showed me a torn EUR5 note, saying that the machine would not accept it because it was torn, and asking if I would take the note and use my credit card to put EUR5 of petrol in her car. In the meantime, her bloke was wandering around the back of our van. We were still in a bit of a tizz because of the late night emergency dash, but it didn't smell right so I just said no and we hurriedly got into the van and drove off - in the meantime another very dodgy car had pulled in behind us in this otherwise derserted fuel station - a shiny black BMW with two sinister looking young men in it. We just legged it back to our nice safe campsite. It might all have been totally innocent, but it certainly didn't feel it. I have googled and searched here to see if any similar scams are common, but haven't been able to find anything. Does this ring any bells with anyone? Even if it doesn't, be very wary if something similar happens to you.

 

[dosser]

Doesn't matter where you are here or in Europe. If you feel uncomfortable try and get away ASAP.
Hope you enjoy the rest of your trip.

 

[Lenny HB]

May have been innocent but you did the the right thing. Better safe than sorry.

 

[meanders]

Similar scam is sometimes used here. They will ask if you can change a £50 note for a parking machine or similar. One of our children got caught at a railway ticket machine. If you only have half that, they still take it, but then the note proves to be a dud.

Given it was only EUR5, it may have been genuine, but you had no way of knowing.

 

[Dutch 68]

Where is Gus eh when you need him

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[CAB96]

They say they will only put €5 in, but it's not you holding the nozzle, is it!

 

[Wildbill]

Thanks for the heads up always worth taking things like this on board
I tell my grandkids stranger danger one of the Sade to me it can apply not only to children grandad.
Be careful out thare folks but crime of that kind doesn’t happen every day
Just stay alert
Wb

 

[Emmit]

And, just for your info.
If you run out of gas at whatever time in the evening, no harm will befall the contents of your fridge if you keep it closed overnight.

 

[Richard n Ann]

The pumps don't take cash anyway from what I've seen

 

[steve69]

If it was dark when this happened, it definitely looks suspicious and yes, I would have shifted toot sweet also.

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[The Coops]

Do as I would do. Ask them to attend the nearest Gendarmerie, they have a similar set-up as the UK, a relative will deposit cash at one station, then the station where they are at will hand over the same amount may be a bit too much trouble but never stranded. I suspect the words *attendees le Gendarmerie SVP * would have them suddenly finding enough cash for fuel! Sorry for French grammar!

 

[eurajohn]

The pumps don't take cash anyway from what I've seen

A lot of French supermarket filling stations have the facility to take notes, you put the money into the machine and in return it gives you a receipt with a code on it which you enter into the pump.

 

[gus-lopez]

Where is Gus eh when you need him

Advantage of carrying cash.I'd have swopped the note for another.

The pumps don't take cash anyway from what I've seen

There are far more stations in France now were you can pay with cash. I know of two where they used to be card only & now have a remote cash machine some 50m away.

Most spanish standalone unmanned stations have always had the cash facility as well.

 

[funflair]

If this was a scam my guess is it wasn't over 5 euro so possibly they use your credit card to authorise the pump sale and then don't put the nozzle back correctly and fill the BMW as well.

 

[Lenny HB]

Realisticly who is going to put as little as €5.

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[Phill D]

Realisticly who is going to put as little as £5.

Exactly my thoughts, it was to get access to the card.

 

[Nanniemate]

Realisticly who is going to put as little as €5.

 

[Mikey RV]

100% a scam. They would have filled both cars or distracted you and taken card etc. You did the best thing to get out of there.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

They say they will only put €5 in, but it's not you holding the nozzle, is it!

That's the more probable scam.oops my hand slipped and tightened on the nozzle.

 

[maison]

The contrary story.

When in Italy some 25 years ago our towed motor scooter was virtually out of fuel so, after pitching on a campsite, I rode around looking for the nearest filling station. By the time I found it the tank gauge had been showing empty for some time.

Shock, horror, the station was unmanned and credit card only. I had left my cards in the motorhome.

I had to sit and wait for a car to arrive and ask the driver to use his card to obtain fuel and I paid him cash for the amount.

Not carrying my own card was stupidity on my part but the request for help was totally innocent.

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[Jim]

I had to sit and wait for a car to arrive and ask the driver to use his card to obtain fuel and I paid him cash for the amount.

Not carrying my own card was stupidity on my part but the request for help was totally innocent.

No matter how many horror stories, I always say to anyone worried about it, that as a traveller in Europe you are countless times more likely to be a victim of kindness than crime. .

 

[chaser]

No matter how many horror stories, I always say to anyone worried about it, that as a traveller in Europe you are countless times more likely to be a victim of kindness than crime. .

I have often told this story on here, when we started out we weren't on here or any other motorhome thing and didn't know all this security stuff and that , we just went and made it up as we went along.
Various stories but for this thread, I'll tell this one.
We were somewhere in Spain and stopped at a filling station come lorry stop and didn't understand the pumps so we were messing about looking at stuff, doors wide open and all the things you apparently shouldn't do .
Anyway while we were messing about two rough looking blokes in a black Merc rolled up and started talking to us and showing us what to do at the pump, could have been anyone but we let them fill us up and then decided to stay the night on this lorry stop.
Well iv never seen this anywhere else but this roadhouse cafe on there at 8 o'clock turned into a bistro, so we decided to go for ameal in there and load behold who should be in there but these same two guys, and it turned out they were really nice blokes at we drank with them all night with a Swedish lorry driver interpreting all night, one of the best nights we have had on the road.
BUT if we had known then what we have since read we would have been very wary of these two blokes and would probably have rushed back into the van and left and missed one of the best nights.