Italy Car Scam
 

BEWARE! This is evidently a common rental car scam in Italy. First, all rental cars in Italy are marked with a neon yellow sticker on the gas cap cover telling you what gas to use. So, you're marked as a tourist as you drive around. Here's the scam: Man # 1 comes up behind you on bike or scooter & slashes your rear tire. Then he acts "helpful" & tells you the tire is flat. You pull over & he stays with you. Tries to tell you that it's not safe there, you can't park there, etc., & you have to go with him to a closeby "garage." DON'T do it. They take you to an isolated area & rob you at gun point. We refused & started trying to repair the tire with our inflation kit. Then Man # 2 comes along to be "helpful" & also tries to get you to go to the "garage." They're casing your car & belongings. Once they get a second, one will distract you & the other will steal what they can. In our case, they got my husband's passport. The police can't do anything. The rental agencies all know about this but don't warn anyone. Milan does have a US Consulate if you need another passport. They state that this is the # 2 scam against tourists right now in Italy. So be forewarned! & stay safe out there.

Too bad it happened to you.
It happened to me in Belgium whilst I am Belgian.

Thanks for this, also known in Portugal and Spain, plus a motorway version where a car points at your read tyre. I guess rental agencies do know about it but it has been around for a fair few years (at least 30 in my memory) so maybe they just think it is normal.

I rent cars in Italy some 6-7 times a year and I have never had a car with yellow stickers. Ever.

I guess the yellow stickers are with Enterprise rentals. & hey... don't anyone get scared & not travel. My intent was only to warn folks so we can all travel safer. We certainly won't stop traveling or renting cars. We'll just be smarter in the future.

I've heard of this in Florida, as well. A similar one (also in Florida, but I've heard of it in Europe, too) was driving close to you and then accusing you of knocking off their mirror.

hi mojo, that some of us know about this thing does not mean you not are very kind to tell ALL of us about it. Every year a new flock of tourists arrive and these reminders are important.

Thanks again, and ttt to highlight the issue.

:-)

or even "are not"

hugs

This is not a scam.

In Europe (Italy included) diesel cars are quite prevalent - especially in France and also Italy. The sticker is quite obviously used to warn renters to use the correct pump. Americans are less used to diesel cars.

This gives me the opportunity to raise an issue I have experienced in the US. When returning a hire car I wated to return the tank full but have often found gas stations which do not allow you to fill the tank but only allow you the fill a certain amount of gallons or dollars. At a gas station at La Jolla I had to fill the tank 5 times before I got a near enough full tank.

How do you do it because the assistant at the cash desk was unable to help.

Hi nochblad,

As far as having limits, either in gallon or dollar amounts at US stations - the only time I haver seen this situation was many years ago when there was a gas shortage nationwide. This was a long time ago and was due to either war, or trade embargo or some such political situation at the time.

Maybe there was some short term situation in La Jolla at the time. I cant imagine what it would have been. Perhaps just at that station or station chain. When was this?

This is definitely not the norm anywhere in the US.

Dayle - you misunderstood my request.

At the pump I had to prepay for the amount of gas I wanted as there was no option to fill the tank and pay afterwards.

If one wants to fill the tank how does one do this in the US?

Noch:

Either use a credit card to fill your tank (pay at the pump) or if a cash transaction, give the cash attendant two twenty's and let that person refund the excess after filling the tank. I know, pain in the butt, trust is a fleeting thing these days. It used to be one twenty but the price of gasoline has risen. I remember the days when people would buy a dollar's worth of gas and drive all week, oh well!)

H

Nochblad,

Ah, I understand. Huggys answer is correct.

Thanks.

I still find this "solution" incredible. Unless the service station is "out of hours" when everything is automatic, in Italy everyone fills up and then pays.

I always thought that America was more honest than Italy.

Nochblad, the solution suggested by Huggy is only necessary at self-service stations in the US, but this is practically the only kind of station that exists any more. In Italy, self-service stations also require prepaying an exact amount or using a credit card to fill the tank. The difference is that in Italy, if there is a human being at the station, you would be able to get service. In the US, the human being sits at a desk, or stands at a cash register in a convenience store, and doesn't pump fuel.

I used to live in New Jersey, where totally self-service stations were not permitted. As a result, I always found myself in difficulty when I had to buy gas in another state. I had no idea how the self-service systems worked.

Also in Italy, I tend to avoid self-service pumps, as does my husband. I gladly pay more to avoid getting fuel on my hands or my clothing, and I'm happy to be contributing to the useful employment of the attendant. In most of the US, it's impossible to avoid self-service pumps.

bvlenci - I thought the US was a service economy but as far as gas it seems to be a self-service economy which in terms of filling the tank seems to be a retrograde step.

Is there an App which can tell you of a service station which actually provides service?

I believe that I am correct that only the states of New Jersey and Oregon require the owner (or their attendant/representative) to pump gas into your one's car. So it is illegal to pump one's own gas in those states.

In all other states, good luck in finding someone to provide that service for you.

However, the good news is that you can be served a latte or cappuccino in Oregon without leaving one's car. However, you must pay for it.

I have never heard of the US being referred to as a service economy, not sure what that means. If anything, I'd think some poor countries where labor is dirt cheap would be. We have self-service registers in a lot of grocery stores nowadays and those have been around quite a few years by now in many stores (I hate those, actually, as 9 out of 10 people are really really slow at using them), for example.

I don't get gas on my hands when using a pump and don't mind at all pumping my own gas, but a lot of menial jobs no one wants any more. I actually would rather they have real people at grocery stores than gas stations, and I think grocery store clerk is more of a desirable job. Let's face it, most people would rather have cheaper gas than pay more to employ gas jockeys. At least they used to check oil and clean windshields, also. They started disappearing when gas started getting more expensive and people were more sensitive to its cost.

There are hardly any service stations that provide real service anywhere, so I wouldn't look for them unless you really need them. I think New Jersey and Oregon are the only states with regulations that forbid it. NJ passed that law due to their usual strongharm businesses and politicians who can be bought, the gas station lobby pushed it through to increase their own revenues.

If you need service because of a disability or something, go to a station with a service bay as more people will be working there. Some stations have signs that say you should honk if you need service. I think in my state, the station has to have an employee pump your gas if you request it and are disabled, of course, without charging. Some pumps also have buttons with a disabled icon on it that you can push if you need help. If you just don't feel like pumping your own, I wouldn't try that.

The US <b> is </b> considered a service economy, which essentially means that not much is manufactured there any more. However, the kinds of service that predominate are the more lucrative services. Anything that can be automated has already been automated.

At many stations in Italy there is a choice of service (with a higher pump price) or self-service. When there is no staff many stations a fully automatic and you pay either with cash or by card.

Obviously paying by cash you get exactly what you put in the machine but if you pay by card you can fill the whole tank and your card is only charged the exact amount. Is this how it works in the States?

"The US is considered a service economy, which essentially means that not much is manufactured there any more."

Not sure where this poster is getting her information, but she's wrong. There have been plenty of changes in manufacturing, but manufacturing industries in the U.S. are far from dead.

I pulled this quote from a Washington Post article:
"The U.S. is manufacturing more now than it ever has, but much of that work can be done by machines — which don’t require salaries or health care coverage."

Nochblad:

In states other than New Jersey and Oregon, most stations are primarily self service but usually have an attendant on duty to accept cash payment. If purchasing fuel by cash, you usually must enter the station and advise the attendant of that. If you advise you want $20, he sets that amount in the pump electronically and you get only $20 worth of fuel. If you want to fill up, you must provide cash in excess of that amount and at the conclusion of your transaction, you are refunded the excess amount in cash. (I know, it does not make a lot of sense, but remember, I stated earlier, trust is a fleeting thing. There is somewhat of an issue with drive-offs, those whom fill their tank and drive off without paying.)

If you are using a credit card, you insert that card in the pump, choose the fuel grade that you desire and fill the tank. At the end of the transaction, you are offered a receipt if you so desire and you simply drive off to return your rental car. Sometimes, the clerk at the rental location wants to see the fuel receipt but usually not.

Clear as mud?

It is now very difficult to find a "full service" station in the US. My father owned a retail general store (foodstuffs, hardware and fuel). Either the customer filled their own tank, entered the store and advised my father of the amount of purchase or he pumped the gas himself, checked the oil level, offered to wash the windows and fill the tires with air. Of course, gasoline at that time was an outrageous 25 cents (US$) per gallon (US measurement.)

>>Obviously paying by cash you get exactly what you put in the machine but if you pay by card you can fill the whole tank and your card is only charged the exact amount. Is this how it works in the States?<<

Yes. As far as filling up using cash: You go to the attendant, give him or her the cash, tell them you're filling up, and return for the change. Never heard of the situation described in La Jolla so I can't address it.

vincenzo - as I said I was referring to a fully automatic situation without attendants.

So returning to my request - how do you completely fill up a hire car in the US just using a credit or bank card?

Nochblad:

What in my paragraph 2 was not clear?

Huggy - which 2nd paragraph?

Again - So returning to my request - how do you completely fill up a hire car in the US just using a credit or bank card?

"how do you completely fill up a hire car in the US just using a credit or bank card?"

Some experts advise not to use an ATM card for gas in the U.S.

The answer to your question depends on the gas pump you visit and perhaps the station. Some pumps will only let you designate a certain dollar value before you pump. Other pumps will allow you to bypass this "prompt" by pressing "enter" with no amount selected so you can perform a fill-up. Sometimes, it takes an attendant (if there is one) to manually set the machine to fill-up for a credit card customer. You don't really know what situation you have until you're in it or you visit often.

Obviously your solution is just to come vacation in Oregon:) It's a beautiful state with a lot to see and do.

It's true, all of our pumps have to be serviced by an employee. The only exception is some highly rural counties between 6 pm and 6 am are allowed to have self-serve.

The gas lobby tried to get us to overturn this law but we have refused. While the law began because of fire safety, for many of us, our motivations for supporting it have changed. We want our senior citizens and disabled residents to be able to get their gas pumped at any station. Our gas does not cost a lot more than other states; many times we can't tell the difference.

I give up! Good luck with all your travels here in the US Nochblad!

I have never seen a pump that doesn't give instructions. Just read and follow.

For what it is worth, when "paying at the pump" 99.999% of the pumps at US gas stations in about 25 different states (not including the ones in NJ and Oregon) that I've used in the last 25+ years DO NOT have any buttons that restrict the amount of gas you can pump so it's very easy to fill up your tank (in fact in all that time I can't recall the last time I actually used one that had "pre-set amount buttons). I'm guessing there may still be some older pumps out there that have "pre-set amount buttons but if memory serves me correctly they always had a "Fill" button in addition to the "pre-set" amounts.

So, for all practical purposes you simply insert your credit or debit car in the slot and follow prompts on the display screen to enter a pin number or zip code. Then remove the nozzle from the holder, select your fuel grade and pump your gas. You can stop pumping at any time or fill up the tank - whatever your preference. Once you finish pumping your transaction will be processed and there will be a prompt asking you if you want a receipt.

It's all rather simple.

:-)

What RoamsAround said. I've never seen a pump that required you to pre-designate the amount you wanted. I'm sure they exist since others have said they do, but I've never seen that in the U.S.

I have never in my life seen the LaJolla situation anywhere in the US.

Assuming we are still talking about the abysmal state of the rental car industry, here is my latest annoying experience:

Arrived in Austin, TX for the F1 USGP, a Super Bowl scale event. Hundreds of people are lined up to pick up rental cars, but each and every agency has a sign up that says "We have cars available!"

When it's our turn, the agent tells us that because our flight was delayed (by less than one hour!), the mid-size car we reserved is no longer available. He offers us a larger car for more money. I say, give it to me for the same price, he says he can't. He says he has a smaller car, which we agree will suffice for our needs, and I say "the price will be lower then, right? Since it's a smaller class of car." He says no! Claims he simply cannot, the system won't let him, etc. etc.

I argue for a bit, and then accede, stating that I find the so-called policy unreasonable. He then gives me a song-and-dance about how he's a nice agent (he used those words) and would "help us out" (!) if only he could, etc. etc.

Was I "scammed"? Sort of. Should I have dug my heels in? Maybe. But I wanted to get going, and figured that at least I wasn't paying any more than I had planned to, albeit for a smaller car which would have been cheaper when I reserved.

My point is that this type of thing is all too common, and leaves a bad taste in a traveler's mouth.

By the way, many times in the past, in different locations in the US, from different rental agencies, I have been given a larger car at the same price when the one I had reserved wasn't available.

I assume that this agency's sudden adherence to an alleged policy stemmed from the fact that with tens of thousands of visitors streaming in, they felt they could do as they jolly well pleased.