So, we moved to Keyfuels a few months before Xmas having had no issues with Shell/BP card and has been continual problems.
Quite a few times the card has been declined and I’ve just paid on my card and insisted I get transferred the money that day rather than with my fortnightly expenses. Bit annoying but hadn’t really been an issue until new boss took over.
A few times I’ve had to chase repeatedly so decided wasn’t going to pay anymore if card was declined before filling. This has been frustrating a few times when I’ve had an easy run and instead ended up taking 10 hours to do what could’ve been 7 hours work due to having to wait for office staff to come in at 9am
I sucked it up and did the work as I like the end client and it’s not their fault, and also because I can’t really moan about a ten hour day, even though it ■■■■■■ me off wasting hours before starting my shift.
Anyway, ended up putting in £400 the other day as had just been paid. Had checked the card already at the usual garage but had to go elsewhere as they’d run out of diesel. The other driver just happened to fill up just before me and card was declined after I’d fuelled up thinking it would work. With a big queue growing behind me I paid and went on my way. Took almost a week to get it back as accountant was on holiday and was starting to sweat about bills as I don’t keep a huge buffer in current account and can’t withdraw from my ISA easily or without penalty.
Anyway, what happens if next time I say company will have to pay and refuse to use my card? Google is saying I have seven days after filling out form but is there any way I can not make myself the liable party. It’s a ■■■■■■■■ if not.
I love the job and get on really well with the end client whose site I’m based at, and I’m paid decently, so I don’t want to leave but this is really frustrating me lately. Boss is blaming Keyfuels but I’m pretty sure he’s just too tight to raise the limit.
Aside from my cashflow being unaffected, it’s not going to be much better a situation if I have to sign a form and then chase my company to pay before I get ■■■■■■ over. Some charge a £12 daily penalty and can just see my boss refusing to pay this and being a knob.
Is the card being declined due to account problems ? Run forest run as you may not get your money back soon
Declined fuel cards are the 1st sign of trouble a head at company
Tell you what mate,.there is no way in hell I’d pay 400 quid out of my money to fuel up any of their trucks, it even grieves me paying for parking at non SNAP sites,.even if I do get it back week after…I don’t do em any favours above and beyond anyway tbh.
Get the ■■■■ s to sort it and leave them in no doubt you ain’t doing it again.
What if it’s an indication that they ain’t too stable,.then next week they go bust, and you are out of pocket…
Nah ■■■■ that for a game of soldiers.
blue estate:
Is the card being declined due to account problems ? Run forest run as you may not get your money back soon
Declined fuel cards are the 1st sign of trouble a head at company
I’m not going to go into too much detail as would rather stay anonymous, but the trucking side is a relatively new subsidiary of a much bigger (medium sized) construction company.
Main company is doing well. Have at least eight years worth of civil contracts ahead and own a lot of rental properties in city centres. The issue is not biting off more than they can chew rather than the opposite.
The main issue is that this is an interim boss who will be replaced as soon as they find another guy to replace my previous manager who decided to set up his own company and steal three drivers (already had operator’s license and small fleet in a different sector).
It was all OK before but this new guy is mainly on the construction side and clearly doesn’t want to be managing us. The Transport Manager is good but is only compliance orientated and quite junior to this guy so won’t do anything.
I’m confident things will improve and I can go back to my old job easily if I need, but until then I need to find a workaround for this.
Once or twice over a lifetime i’ve paid for a nominal amount of fuel myself when there have been card issues, typically on a weekend (company has own fuel etc so only use fuel card maybe once every 3 years or less), but if this is happening regularly then as above no way i’d be filling the tank for them.
Might be interesting to suggest to boss you don’t mind using your own card but want a £500 ‘float’ in advance into your account, his answer should tell you all you need to know.
Yeah, I agree it’s an absolute ■■■■■■■■ but the question is what do I do when I’ve just put £400 in the truck and I’m standing there with card declined?
I’m assuming I can’t just drive off and I’m not happy signing my name to a form.
If it isn’t resolved soon I’ll be jacking it, but the last 18 months have been great and the job is less than ten mins from home so if there’s a temporary solution I’d like to try and find it.
I already know most garages don’t take payment over the phone. What happens if I just refuse to pay?
Tailschwing:
Yeah, I agree it’s an absolute ■■■■■■■■ but the question is what do I do when I’ve just put £400 in the truck and I’m standing there with card declined?
Ring your firm tell them to send the garage a bank draft for the amount,.and that you can’t leave the garage until they do.
When they suggest you pay it, just say …‘‘No’’…
Simple really,.and if it takes a couple of hours, head down in the bunk on 2 hours pay.
Next time you put £400 worth in and the card is declined don’t offer to use your own card / money.
Say you have insufficient funds because of something that is your business only.
Once it’s in your tank make it someone elses problem.
I’ve put say £50 in on occasion to help me out and with prior approval etc, but I certainly wouldn’t brim it unless they transferred me the cash FIRST and if they don’t like that idea they can come up with some idea to get it filled. I certainly wouldnt expose myself financially if it risked me not being able to pay my bills!
Newness and naivety is not an excuse, an engine runs on fuel not on hopes, dreams and goodwill. A few issues they have to sort, and the expense that comes with them, may just be a catalyst to get it sorted once and for all.
axletramp:
Next time you put £400 worth in and the card is declined don’t offer to use your own card / money.
Say you have insufficient funds because of something that is your business only.
Once it’s in your tank make it someone elses problem.
This all day long, card declined ring office & wait while they sort it out.
Had this numerous times with multi billion pound company’s, they always ended up paying over the phone by company credit card.
What next paying for the lorry service? Insurance?
Tailschwing:
Yeah, I agree it’s an absolute ■■■■■■■■ but the question is what do I do when I’ve just put £400 in the truck and I’m standing there with card declined?
Ring your firm tell them to send the garage a bank draft for the amount,.and that you can’t leave the garage until they do.
When they suggest you pay it, just say …‘‘No’’…
Simple really,.and if it takes a couple of hours, head down in the bunk on 2 hours pay.
Sadly I’m on job and knock. Which is why it’s so ■■■■■■■ annoying when I’m sitting around wasting time.
I always said I’d never work for a day rate but it works out well on the mixers as I fairly often do short days (or sat at home on full pay when it’s raining heavily, rather than just getting eight hours pay).
Is declined upon presentation, then I’ll call them and see if they wanna sort it out. If that doesn’t get a result then it’s ‘this is where it’s parked, come and get it’.
I have on two occasions put in my own wedge to keep things moving but that was because I knew the people I was covering for personally.
i did have the same problem with keyfuels card being declined because i wasn’t told there was a £250 limit on it so thats all i put in and never had a problem since but as has been said don’t be forking out yourself FFS just phone the office and tell them to sort it out, 400 sheets out my own pocket ? i don’t think so !
iv been in a station where the person couldnt pay i cant remember exactly how its handled but of course it must happen say youve left your card at home or whatever .I recall you drive away on a promise to pay a special form i saw getting filled in.
Juddian:
Don’t garages pre authorise the cards any more before allowing you to fuel.
They check them but it can say ‘approved’ but not have enough balance to fill a full tank.
If you get them to put it through in advance they can’t refund the difference if you go over/under like they can with a normal bank card.
I don’t think they do check them. At most they just take the card from you before authorising the pump.(I prefer to go to Shell that don’t even need a card first)
You need to go in and tell them you’re not sure if the card works and they can charge it for the £400 say, before you pump the fuel.
