Gas stations short-changing customers

McALLEN — Five Hidalgo County gas stations have been cited by the Texas Department of Agriculture over the past two months for malfunctioning equipment that appears to be shorting customers of a very hot commodity.

Customers of those stations were either receiving 6 to 12 tablespoons less gas than what they actually paid for or were being inaccurately charged.

“If this is true, I wouldn’t come here anymore,” said Jessica Longoria, who pumped gas at Aziz Quick Stop on Nolana in Pharr. “I’m barely making it — and for (Aziz) to do something like that …”

That Aziz location was cited, however, not for any sort of cheating of its customers but rather for having four of its pumps improperly maintained. According to owner Dagoberto Treviño Jr., three of the station’s six pumps had LED bulbs out and a fourth pump was out of service at the time of the inspection.

OUT OF ORDER

Gas station owners are to maintain their gas pumps and are to keep in contact with gas distributors when malfunctions occur.

Though the agriculture department inspects approximately 65,000 fuel pumps once every four years, an inspection could come more often if people complain.

“If we receive a complaint from a Texas resident, we go inspect it right away,” department spokesman Brian Black said.

However, there are only 72 inspectors for the 250,000 pumps throughout Texas, he said.

“Inspectors use what we call a ‘prover,’ which is a 5-gallon tank, and fill it up,” Black said. “The tank knows what 5 gallons is.

“If we’re receiving less, it comes to about 6 tablespoons, and the pump is out of tolerance.”

The agriculture department then places an “out-of-order” tag on the pump until it’s fixed.

The pump is to remain out of service until it is fixed and the agriculture department has returned to inspect it again.

In Edinburg, Mundo Grocery N Meat Market was tagged with one pump that wasn’t working properly.

“One of the pumps had some technical difficulties, so I called Lone Star, my distributor, and he came and fixed it,” said the store’s owner, Raymundo Leon.

“He then sent the papers off, and now I’m just waiting for the Department of Agriculture to come check it.”

Mundo Grocery’s other four pumps are still allowed to operate.

OTHER PUMPS OUT OF COMPLIANCE

Pumps at Basic Shop in Mission and El Tigre in Donna “did not hold zero,” meaning a few cents were already being charged before customers began pumping.

The owner of El Tigre did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Basic Shop, as well as McCook Trading Post in Edinburg, had a “short measure in excess of tolerance,” meaning consumers using the pump would not get all the fuel indicated on the device display, according to the agriculture department.

Gas stations that continually fail to fix malfunctioning pumps could be fined between $100 and $500.

“It could be mechanical problems. It could be manipulation,” Black said.

“We don’t know. We just want to make sure the pumps are working correctly.”

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Julian Cavazos covers general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4474.