Yesternight, I rushed from office at 2125 hrs. I was working with Alok on a bug for the last 90 minutes and had finally cracked the reason, got the flow of the code and the intended functionality. I had modified the code and tested on small pieces of data. We were about to run it for a large set of data, when it flashed in my memory that my bike is running in reserve mode! I had to take fuel and it was almost 9:30. I take fuel from a fuel station in Mayur Vihar, Delhi. The pump is named Image Filling Station. I told Alok about the same and rushed to the pump station with two fears running in parallel mode inside me! One was that the station may be closed by the time I reach (its 15 minutes ride frmo my office); the other that I may run out of the remaining fuel en route!
However none of my fears came true and I reached the pump station well in time with fuel still in my tank. I always take a hichg Octane petrol for my bike. For some time, I am using Indian Oil's Xtra Premium, but before that I used to stick to Speed by Bharat Petroleum.
Anyways, I aksed the attendant to fill xtra premium. I will try to put in conversation mode:
Me: Xtra premium
Attendant: How much?
Me: Tank full
Attendant: I have 5 litres of petrol in a vessel which I had filled just now. Can i use that to fill your tank and then the rest I will give you from pump?
Me: No, I want it from the pump
Another attendant comes
Attendant 2: Sir, we ahve just now taken the fuel from pump and there's nothing wrong with it. Why dont you take that?
Me: I dont want that. Why dont you give me from the pump. Ask someone else.
I was getting annoyed
Attendant: Ok, See zero on the screen
Me: Ya, start filling it
Me: By what time this pump station is open?
Attendant: 2300 hrs
Me: I was rushing to the place as I thought that it might be open till 2200 hrs only.
I was looking onto the meter and it went to read 17.44 litres and cost was 785 ruppees. I clsoed the fueld lid and handed over my debit card to him.
Attendant: I have to charge 585. Isnt it?
I tried to be honest
Me: Its 785 and not 585. Do you wnat to give me a discount of 200!
Attendant: oh ya, its 785.
He swiped the card at a POS terminal lying there but nothing happened. I saw that mahcine from where I was sitting on my bike. It seemed to be unused. The enw attendant who had earlier appeared came over to the attendant and took the card from him and went towards another pump where there was another POS terminal which was active. I could see that it was active as that pump was for 4 wheelers and people were getting slips there. He went and then came back to me flagging the card.
Me: What happened?
Attendant 2: This is not working
Me: Not working! It didn't get charged?
Attendant 2: No
I was not having any cash with me and so I gave him my credit card. he took that and went again. I was amused that how come my debit card was not charged. However I didn't smelled any foul as I havent signed any receipt. I was under impression that unless you sign a receipt for debit card, you are in safe hands. I parked my bike beside the petrol tanker (it was standing there) and reached the place where that attendant 2 was standing
Me: What happened this time?
Attendant 2: This time its done.
He was holding the slips in his hand. I took them and signed and got my card n customer copy back. I came back to my bike. It was 2155 hrs. I started my bike and left. I reached home at around 2230 hrs.
I entered my room. Arjit n Pogo were not in the flat and Vikas's door was closed. I swittched on my PC and changed. I had dinner and by the time I finished it my cell beped. There was a SMS waiting for me. I wondered who may have sent me a SMS at this hour. I had changed my cell number last week and so was not expecting anything at this moment. My Heart thought that this SMS might be hers. I wondered how come whe got my new number? I picked my cell and the instantaneous elation in the heart vanished like anything. The SMS was from ICICI bank notifyin me that my debit card has been succesfully charged for 785 at Image Filling station! I was shocked. How come this happened? It took no time for understanding that I was forged at the station by the attendants. I immediately called on the number listed on debit card. The number was not working! I opened the website of ICICI bank and called on the customer care number. I went for option 4 wherein you can speak to some person on the phone. An automated voice came which notified me that this service is available only from 9 AM to 9 PM. I was helplessly getting frantic! I decided to shoot an email at once to customer care! I opened the site again and logged in my problem. After that, I switched off lights and decided to slip, knowing that nothing can be done now as it was a debit card and the amount in this case is credited at the instant in the other account! Suddenly I thought that the attendant might have given me the receipt for my debit card. I wished it to be true. I checked my wallet for the receipt. It was of my credit card :(
With a heavy heart, I inserted that back into my wallet and decide to call again in morning.
Today I reached office, finished with pending work on that bug I was working on last night. Then at 0945 hrs I called the customer care. The lady on the phone told me that nothing can be done from their side. I told her that I havent signed any receipt! She told me that, signing receipt is just a formality kind of thing for the bank. However, it is a certificate kind of thing for the shop owner that a purchase has been made and this much maount must be credited to his account. The amount is credited instantly! She asked me to fo the pump and argue with them! I was not in a mood to do that.
I am still thinking over that should I go once to the petrol pump and try to talk to the manager or who ever might be managing the pump. I will go in the evening after the office is over. I doubt if something will be done! I even doubt that some honest person will eb there to even listen to me!
I have left hope for the money. It is a lesson for me! Seen otherways, It is a price I paid for being honest in the first place. If I hadnt been honest I would have saved at least 200.
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