Source: Chron.com
New gas pump sticker added to gasoline pumps that directs motorists to a mobile phone website providing station inspection information and a form to complain if they believe a pump is inaccurate. Simone Sebastian : Houston Chronicle Photo: Simone Sebastian / HC
A new program makes it easier to report gasoline pumps suspected of delivering fewer gallons than they register, and increases penalties for cheating, state Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples announced Thursday.
The Texas Department of Agriculture rolled out a mandatory gas pump decal that displays a website for making complaints, www.TexasAgriculture.gov/fuel.
And a test program will let some buyers with smartphones report suspected violations before they drive off.
Rogue stations will face higher fines than in the past. The penalty for an inaccurate gas pump will be $250, up from $100.
All Texas stations were required to display the stickers on pumps starting Thursday, Staples said in announcing the program at a Houston H-E-B station.
“The old outdated decals didn’t tell consumers what they needed to know,” he said. “Ninety-five percent of the retailers are playing by the rules and giving consumers what they pay for. But with that small percentage that are not playing by the rules, we wanted to empower consumers to protect themselves.”
Smartphones
At H-E-B stations, the stickers also contain QR codes – square bar codes that take drivers to the website when they scan the code with a smartphone.
Staples said the site identifies the location and provides the station’s inspection history.
The Agriculture Department will analyze consumer use and feedback from those stations before deciding whether to expand the high-tech stickers statewide, spokesman Bryan Black said. That decision is a couple of years away, he said.
Drivers said they appreciated the streamlined complaint process and the smartphone capability.
“It’s nice to have that ability,” said Matthew Carrion, 36, while fueling his GMC Yukon. “There’s always that question – are you getting what they’re saying you’re getting?”
But 24-year-old Linh Pham was more skeptical.
“To be honest, I didn’t see it,” Pham said. “I think it’s helpful if people use it. But no one really pays attention. You just want to pump your gas and move on.”
No cellphones?
Many stations, including ones at H-E-Bs, display warnings against using cellphones at pumps.
Black noted that there is no law against using cellphones near pumps but said the department encourages consumers to use the site before or after fueling.
H-E-B spokeswoman Cyndy Garza said in an email that the chain “discourages customers from using cellphones while fueling their vehicles.”