Can someone please let me know how I can contact Esso as on 29th August I got diesel from un unmanned garage and a pre-authorisation amount of 93 euros was taken out my account to pay for my transaction and then another 93 euros was taken out of my account on the next day. I have yet to receive my refund for the first transaction. How long does this normally take? Who can I contact plse?
I think you need to talk to your bank first, as the pre-authorisation(s) should be refunded within 24 hours, though apparently it can take up to 10 days (no idea why). They will be able to see the transactions while Esso probably won’t - most petrol stations are not owned by the petrol company whose name is on the big sign but by independent operators.
A preauthorisation should expire within a given number of days (varies by country and other things), if the following completed fuel purchase transaction did not use the same code issued in the pre authorisation.
I’d call the bank as if it’s only a preauthorisation it should have expired by now. Money should not have been taken on it if the 2nd transaction didn’t use the code identical to the preauthorisation - and it appears it didn’t hence the second trasnsaction.
Car hire companies used to do this and it was annoying having the original pre-auth taking up credit limit as well as the real transaction. But the pre- auth did drop off unused eventually But yours has gone on too long.
Yes I had that with a hotel booking in Rouen a few years ago - they reserved about a hundred Euros on my Wise card, and then didn’t release it after I paid the bill at the end of my stay (which was only one night!)
I contacted Wise who said it would (as you say) “drop off eventually” - IIRC correctly it took about 10 days.
Annoying, as I don’t keep a big Euro balance in my Wise account, and I needed to pay for petrol and other expenses with it while I was in France. But there it is. I didn’t chase it in this case as I was able to cover my expenses OK.
In this case as it’s been 15 days then as Karen said give your bank some grief and get them to sort it.
I must admit that I’m wondering why there would be any pre-authorisation at all. I have never experienced such a thing and have been using both debit and credit cards to pay for fuel at automated pumps for longer than I care to remember.
All unattended self-serve pumps do it. Depending which fuel type for higher or slightly lower amount presumably to ensure they’ve got valid means of payment before you fill the tank and it’s too late.
You wouldn’t normally notice unless either
(1) the normal pre- authorisation amount is higher than your available balance or credit limit. Pumps pre-authorise quite a large amount whether you only intend to take 5 euros worth or a full tank.
When you seat the nozzle firmly back after filling the amount of fuel actually taken is billed. It’s supposed to automatically use same ref. code as was issued when the pre-auth was approved by card issuer. In that moment you’re only left with the true value of the transaction on your card as the pre-auth is overwritten by the real transaction value.
(2) very ovcasionally it goes wrong or a bug creeps in anf the original pre auth code iissued when pre auth is approved, is not used to bill the real amount. Then the actual amount of fuel taken becomes its own transaction, and you get stuck with the pre-auth still taking up your credit limit till it expires.
In UK IMO that’s 7 days, in F it seems to be more perhaps 14, and I’ve got a nasty feeling can go.up to 30.
2 Likes
I suppose that I must have been lucky that it has never happened to me. I presume that must be why the pump says that you can have up to say €130 worth of fuel. Must admit that I’d thought it was just to prevent someone filling up a whole line of vehicles with one transaction. I’d never really thought of it as a pre-authorisation from the bank but rather as a petrol station imposed limit to any individual transaction. Thanks for explaining.
2 Likes
It’s to prevent “drive-offs” at self-service stations. If they have your money up front then filling up and driving off without paying is no longer possible.
You always have the option of paying in the kiosk if you prefer not to have a pre-charge applied to your account.
Very few manned kiosks these days
Maybe at French supermarkets that’s true, but on autoroutes you often have to do the pre-pay thing in the shop and queue up with people buying snacks. 
Also you have to know how much fuel you need in litres which is irritating especially on a bike where it’s hard to judge and the quantity is small.
In the UK I would say almost all petrol stations have kiosks as there is almost always a shop where they make their real profit.