Nashville Man Charged $84,000 For $30 Gas


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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Imagine filling your gas tank and finding you were charged more than $80,000.

That's what happened to a customer at the Mapco station in Donelson last week -- and the story just keeps getting crazier.

Ray Crockett filled up Friday at the Mapco gas station on Donelson Pike.

"I stopped here because they had the cheapest gas at the time," Crockett told NewsChannel 5 Investigates.

His receipt shows he paid $30 for that tank of gas. But, his bank statement tells a different story.

It shows more than $84,000.

"$84,522.54 to be exact," Crockett said.

Crockett had no idea he had been so overcharged until he went to buy lunch and his debit card wouldn't work. When he checked his balance, he discovered he was $84,000 overdrawn.

What was he thinking?

"That can't be right," Crockett said.

But it was right.

Not only was Crockett charged $84,000 for gas, but Citibank said it sent the money to Mapco -- even though Crockett said he didn't have that kind of money in his account.

"It is crazy," Crockett said.

And it gets even crazier.

Mapco insists that it never got the money, while Citibank insists it paid it.

Now Citibank has locked Crockett out of his own bank account, telling him he won't be able to get to his own money until he gets the $84,000 from Mapco and repays Citibank.

NewsChannel 5 Investigates asked a Citibank customer service representative, "Why doesn't Citibank contact Mapco and get the $84,000? Why are you sticking Mr. Crockett in the middle of this when he had nothing to do with this?"

"Because this is his account," the employee answered.

Now that deal Crockett thought he was getting on gas doesn't seem like such a bargain after all.

Mapco gave Crockett a $100 gift card to get through the weekend. But, several days later, he's still locked out of his account.

In addition, Mapco told Crockett on Monday there was nothing else they could do for him.

But after NewsChannel 5 made some calls Wednesday, Mapco sent us a brief statement saying they were aware of the problem and are now working to get it corrected.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Imagine filling your gas tank and finding you were charged more than $80,000.

That's what happened to a customer at the Mapco station in Donelson last week -- and the story just keeps getting crazier.

Ray Crockett filled up Friday at the Mapco gas station on Donelson Pike.

"I stopped here because they had the cheapest gas at the time," Crockett told NewsChannel 5 Investigates.

His receipt shows he paid $30 for that tank of gas. But, his bank statement tells a different story.

It shows more than $84,000.

"$84,522.54 to be exact," Crockett said.

Crockett had no idea he had been so overcharged until he went to buy lunch and his debit card wouldn't work. When he checked his balance, he discovered he was $84,000 overdrawn.

What was he thinking?

"That can't be right," Crockett said.

But it was right.

Not only was Crockett charged $84,000 for gas, but Citibank said it sent the money to Mapco -- even though Crockett said he didn't have that kind of money in his account.

"It is crazy," Crockett said.

And it gets even crazier.

Mapco insists that it never got the money, while Citibank insists it paid it.

Now Citibank has locked Crockett out of his own bank account, telling him he won't be able to get to his own money until he gets the $84,000 from Mapco and repays Citibank.

NewsChannel 5 Investigates asked a Citibank customer service representative, "Why doesn't Citibank contact Mapco and get the $84,000? Why are you sticking Mr. Crockett in the middle of this when he had nothing to do with this?"

"Because this is his account," the employee answered.

Now that deal Crockett thought he was getting on gas doesn't seem like such a bargain after all.

Mapco gave Crockett a $100 gift card to get through the weekend. But, several days later, he's still locked out of his account.

In addition, Mapco told Crockett on Monday there was nothing else they could do for him.

But after NewsChannel 5 made some calls Wednesday, Mapco sent us a brief statement saying they were aware of the problem and are now working to get it corrected.

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It is for things like this that Citibank should go bankrupt. They are not only greedy but they have the worst customer service.

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Update:

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/19023663/company-says-16-mapco-customers-affected-by-glitch

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- NewsChannel 5 has learned that the problems experienced by customers using debit cards at Mapco was even bigger than was first known.

Our investigation first revealed how one Mapco customer who was overcharged more $84,000 for a tank of gas. Then, two more customers came forward saying they too had their bank accounts essentially cleared out after buying gas at area stations.

Now, oil company BP, Mapco's business partner, tells us that 16 customers here all had the same problem in the last 10 days or so. BP processes debit card transactions for Mapco.

We first learned of it on Wednesday when we talked with Ray Crockett who bought $30 worth of gas at a Donelson Mapco and ended up being charged more than $84,000.

"$84,522.54, to be exact," Crockett told NewsChannel 5 Investigates.

Other customers then told us they bought gas from Mapco stations in Murfreesboro and Hermitage -- and the same sort of thing happened to them.

All three customers used their debit cards and were shocked to discover that their banks paid the tens of thousands of dollars in charges and then froze their accounts, leaving them with no money or any way to get any money.

For two days, Mapco refused to tell us how widespread the problem was.

Finally, when we talked with BP late Friday afternoon, we were able to verify that this was a bigger problem than originally thought.

BP tells NewsChannel 5 Investigates though they now believe they've found what caused the glitch.

They say it was a technical issue with their debit card processing system. They tell us they have a new point-of-sale system that apparently had some bugs.

But they insist the problem has now been fixed.

BP apologizes for any inconvenience this has caused customers.

A company spokesperson said they are still working to get things resolved with two of the 16 customers.

Two of the customers that we've talked with say their banks are still working to sort things out, but they do have access to their money now finally.

BP wouldn't tell us just how much money in all was charged to the 16 customers.

However, the three customers we talked with were charged a total of $227,000 for less than 20 gallons of gas.

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I'd say that's more then a software glitch. I know nothing about programing, but how hard (or easy) would something like this be to create? Could it be a transposed number or letter, or an extra character?

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I had this happen to me but for only something under 50$. The account in the bank show it sent money...the other company said they never recieved it. It was never resolved. Bank said it was my issue. company said it was bank issue. sucks. I hope he is able to fix it.

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Yeah and the moment it's fixed, close the account, go elsewhere, find out who is responsible, and sue them.

Such a typical American statement.

I agree with the first bit but this whole sue-culture is awful. Our car insurance prices have gone up massively due to people suing other people. Fair enough if you have a leg chopped off, but if you get a bad neck for a week, man up and move on.

While it isn't the banks fault, I would have just gone in and told them I wasn't leaving until it was sorted. Unless they signed an agreement to re-imburse you for any charges, like the UK Bank Natwest has had to do recently.

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Such a typical American statement.

I agree with the first bit but this whole sue-culture is awful. Our car insurance prices have gone up massively due to people suing other people. Fair enough if you have a leg chopped off, but if you get a bad neck for a week, man up and move on.

While it isn't the banks fault, I would have just gone in and told them I wasn't leaving until it was sorted. Unless they signed an agreement to re-imburse you for any charges, like the UK Bank Natwest has had to do recently.

I'd say this is 100% the bank's fault. I know I have a $500 a day debit limit, and it is impossible to "overdraw" my bank account. If I have a debit purchase of $100 and i have $8 in the bank, I would get a "funds not available" or "request denied" on the debit machine.

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Such a typical American statement.

I agree with the first bit but this whole sue-culture is awful. Our car insurance prices have gone up massively due to people suing other people. Fair enough if you have a leg chopped off, but if you get a bad neck for a week, man up and move on.

While it isn't the banks fault, I would have just gone in and told them I wasn't leaving until it was sorted. Unless they signed an agreement to re-imburse you for any charges, like the UK Bank Natwest has had to do recently.

I think this is a little more severe than that, I don't quite know how you could man up when you lose nearly $85,000 and have to struggle with the bank who is dodging responsibility until a NEWS CHANNEL! had to get involved.

Not only that, but lose access to your money, not being able to pay your rent, bills, groceries and so on.

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Such a typical American statement.

I agree with the first bit but this whole sue-culture is awful. Our car insurance prices have gone up massively due to people suing other people. Fair enough if you have a leg chopped off, but if you get a bad neck for a week, man up and move on.

While it isn't the banks fault, I would have just gone in and told them I wasn't leaving until it was sorted. Unless they signed an agreement to re-imburse you for any charges, like the UK Bank Natwest has had to do recently.

I was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he was being sarcastic with that, but apparently not O_o

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My problem with this is why the **** did the bank pay 80+ thousand dollars when he DID NOT HAVE IT IN HIS ACCOUNT. It would have been so much easier for them to deny it in general instead of this colossal **** up, and then make him fix it. I know why they did it, the dumbass $40 NSF fee they charge every day the balance is under 0. Not only do you have to pay the NSF fee, but you also have to pay the crap to get you back over 0, so if you buy something that's $2 you only have 20 cents in the account, every day your under 0, its $40. They don't notify you for 7 days, so you going over by $1.80 just cost you $281.80. I understand banks have to make money to stay around, but ****. When does it stop? Integra already went out of business because of this ****, the rest need to also. And before anyone chimes in, credit unions are doing the same thing now.

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I was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he was being sarcastic with that, but apparently not O_o

Yeah, I tend to ignore anything that has the words 'typical American' in it. Like they (and the country they reside in) never **** up.

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Yeah, I tend to ignore anything that has the words 'typical American' in it. Like they (and the country they reside in) never **** up.

Well, I meant Azies' initial comment--but that too, I tend to ignore any blanket stereotypical statements.

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Such a typical American statement.
I'm not from the USA, and this is the bank's fault. The guy from the news, as well as the others, as a contractual limit set. The bank breached the contract when they (1) surrendered a sum that the client did not have available (2) clearly surpassed the said limit.
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I'd say that's more then a software glitch. I know nothing about programing, but how hard (or easy) would something like this be to create? Could it be a transposed number or letter, or an extra character?

there is a big difference between

int topay=calculategas();

//int a=80000000-calculategas();

int a=80000000*topay;

That simple error (its a stupid example) can make huge mistake.

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I'm not from the USA, and this is the bank's fault. The guy from the news, as well as the others, as a contractual limit set. The bank breached the contract when they (1) surrendered a sum that the client did not have available (2) clearly surpassed the said limit.

Overdraft laws in the US work differently. Before you had no way of turning off overdrafts and banks could charge you as many times in a day as they want. Obama passed a law that said you had to be given the option to turn off overdrafts, and if you had it on you can only be charged a maximum of 3 overdraft fines a day.

There is no contractual limit. It changes depending on what the bank thinks is appropriate. Hell you can select No I don't want overdrafts to be authorized and if its a recurring charge, the bank can allow it to go through or if its a charge that the bank deems as important (mortgage payment, probably even gas) the bank can allow it to go through.

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Something most people don't realize happens....

When you swipe a card then gas up.

Most gas stations put 100$ on hold....

then request the funds from the hold...

Most of the time the remainder goes back into your account right after the transaction.

I have had it take 24 hours for it to release that remainder which thank goodness I had cash on me for the other things I had planned to buy. Note -- Just for this example so you understand....

bal= 124$

gas up expect to use card and get 10$ gas--

get put on hold 100$ ( gas up)

normally at this point the remainder is put back in -- but does not happen.

go to grocery store = Try to purchase 40$ worth of goods...

Card is declined -

(note up until this point you had only Bought 10$ worth of gas...and tried to get 40$ worth of groceries which makes 50$ total)

In the mean time a 40$ bill tries to come out but is declined also.

Which in total you spend if things had been put back into the way they were supposed to there would be money left in your account because you only spent 90$ of the 124$.

I have had an experience like that-- an was told that some times it takes up to 3 days for that hold money to go back in.by my bank.

I was told at my bank that it is best to-- Go inside and tell them to - Pre-Pay for 10$ of gas, that way the gas station only charges you 10$

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On the bright side, after this **** is done he will get a nice sum of money in the lawsuit he will undoubtedly file against both Citibank and the gas station's owner (company).

And this has nothing to do with being American, I'd sue the **** out of both of them for creating and maintaining this mess.

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Wow this is completely ridiculous. For them to lock him out and for that to even happen is just crazy.

Moral of the story IMO, don't use DEBIT cards @ gas stations... well really anywhere that is risky...

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'd say this is 100% the bank's fault. I know I have a $500 a day debit limit, and it is impossible to "overdraw" my bank account. If I have a debit purchase of $100 and i have $8 in the bank, I would get a "funds not available" or "request denied" on the debit machine.

I would assume the guy in question doesn't have that sort of feature to his account. However when the report says:

"They [The petrol station company] say it was a technical issue with their debit card processing system. They tell us they have a new point-of-sale system that apparently had some bugs."

... then I would presume it is the petrol company's petrol station systems which are at error.

Yeah, I tend to ignore anything that has the words 'typical American' in it. Like they (and the country they reside in) never **** up.

We're all the same :p However I see a lot more of it out of the US, but to be fair, you have many more people than us :D

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Moral of the story IMO, don't use DEBIT cards @ gas stations... well really anywhere that is risky...

I wouldn't use a debit card anywhere. The only use it has is for withdrawing money. Stick to credit cards. You can back charge, etc and not get screwed out of your money.

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I wouldn't use a debit card anywhere. The only use it has is for withdrawing money. Stick to credit cards. You can back charge, etc and not get screwed out of your money.

and use major brand gas stations like chevron or shell.

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