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Thread: Shell Fuel Rewards Network comes through

  1. #1
    I had a problem yesterday (Monday, December 15) buying gas at a Shell gas station in San Gabriel: the pump's hose connection to my car was leaking. I stopped the gas purchase after "buying" about 1.8 gallons but I am sure a lot of the gas went on the ground.

    I immediately notified the manager at the station -- Rosemead Fuel Corp at 7280 N. Rosemean Blvd., San Gabriel -- who challenged me and said I shouldn't have used the pump because he put a sign on it. Well, there was no sign. So he came out and put a sign on the pump and said "someone must have removed it." Really -- who would removed a warning sign?

    Then I told the manager that I used my Fuel Rewards Network discount card -- and this was a FRN station. I asked him to get me a refund of the 50-cent per gallon credit because the credit could only be used once and it was a terrible waste since I purchased only 1.8 gallons and a lot of it was on the ground. He said he couldn't help me. I showed him my card and the phone number and asked him to call -- and he said he wouldn't.

    So I went back to my car, pulled it away from the pumps so it wouldn't be in the way of other customers and I called the FRN myself. I spoke with a customer service representative in Texas who identified herself as Martha. I explained the problem to Martha and she said if I sent in a photo of the receipt showing the small purchase the appropriate FRN department would give me a credit and I would be able to use the 50-cents per gallon discount on another purchase. Martha said it might take several days for this to happen.

    I told Martha my tank was empty (it's best to use the discount when the tank is empty) and I wanted to buy gas immediately and use the 50-cent per gallon discount immediately -- and not in several days. I asked for a supervisor.

    After a few minutes Martha said a supervisor would not be able to talk to me but she did obtain an immediate "fix" and my 50-cents per gallon discount was restored. I drove to another Shell station which was relatively close and on my route, and made my purchase with the 50-cent per gallon discount.

    It gets better: I paid for the initial gas purchase using a $100 Shell Gift Card from the Caesars Great Gift Wrap Up and when I got to the second Shell station I found that the $4.53 spent at the San Gabriel station with the leaky pump was refunded -- and at the second Shell station the full $100 was available on the card.

    I should also mention that the credits on the Fuel Rewards Network discount card come primarily from casino play at Caesars properties.

    While a complaint has been filed against the manager at the Shell station in San Gabriel -- I want to commend the FRN rep Martha and their operation for fixing the problem.

    By the way, near the Shell station in San Gabriel where I had the problem, one of my client's has a business. Later Monday I told him what happened and he told me that gas station management has a very poor reputation for rudeness and he and his employees will not buy their gas there. I certainly won't buy gas there again.

    Photos of the receipt below.
    Attached Images Attached Images     

  2. #2
    Complaints to Shell about individual stations don't have any teeth. Nothing is done.

    I agree that you got nice service from FRN to restore your 50 cent per gallon discount.

    Not sure who refunded your gas card the $4.53, because FRN lacks the power to do that.
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  3. #3
    FRN has sent to me an email with a case number for my complaint against the service station. I will update this if I hear more.

  4. #4
    Hey Alan,
    I live up the street from this Shell Station, near Arcadia/Santa Anita Track.
    Where is the other Shell Station you ended up using?

    Thanks

  5. #5
    Lpang I think it's near Mountain and the 210. I'm not really familiar with the area and few stations use the FRN.

  6. #6
    Correction: FRN did not refund the first purchase. I was mistaken. I made the error because I gave the second Shell station a second gas card that I had in my wallet. I discovered the mix-up tonight when I was checking the balance before I gave it as a gift.

  7. #7
    That makes sense, as FRN does not have control over Shell stations or their gift cards. It only controls its own system.
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  8. #8
    Has anyone else used this signature experience offer ? If so, please share your experience.

  9. #9
    Alan used it, and had a bad experience with it.

    It's a mess.

    Basically they put a one-time-use, $4 discount up to 20 gallons on your FRN card. They do this for 12 consectutive months.

    What if your tank isn't 20 gallons, or if you need fewer than 20 gallons when you use it? Tough luck. You lose the rest for that month.

    What if gas is less than $4/gallon? Again, tough luck. You only get 20 gallons max, and again just one fill-up max.

    What if there aren't any stations around you that take the FRN discount card? Again, you are out of luck.

    So, rather than "gas for a year", it's more like "one fill-up per month at a station that takes FRN, and no more than 20 gallons per fill-up".

    The really ridiculous thing is that they tied this to FRN in the first place. CET has a good relationship with Shell and has tons of gas cards. They could have just handed each person $960 in Shell gas cards and been done with it, but that would be far too easy, right?
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  10. #10
    Unfortunately I have to use it -- again.

    While you can only redeem it once, the first time I got a "refund" when I complained. But now, I have two Experience Credits that must be redeemed for 2014 and unfortunately the Shell option -- though a bad option -- is my only option.

  11. #11
    Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson View Post
    I have two Experience Credits that must be redeemed for 2014 and unfortunately the Shell option -- though a bad option -- is my only option.
    Haha know the feelin. Guess I'll just have my wife follow me to the pump once a month.

    Another negative is if you have earned any .10 increment discounts through total rewards, it sounds
    as though they are just lost. I'll report back after my first use.

  12. #12
    I buy gas more than once a month, so I can use the "regular rewards" in addition to the 7 Stars reward.

  13. #13
    Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson View Post
    I buy gas more than once a month, so I can use the "regular rewards" in addition to the 7 Stars reward.
    Yes but if you earn regular awards before you use your Seven Stars award, I think you will end up with something like $4.50 off per gallon and it will be wasted.
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  14. #14
    Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    Yes but if you earn regular awards before you use your Seven Stars award, I think you will end up with something like $4.50 off per gallon and it will be wasted.
    LOL precisely

  15. #15
    Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    Yes but if you earn regular awards before you use your Seven Stars award, I think you will end up with something like $4.50 off per gallon and it will be wasted.
    If you're telling me that I might be getting my gas for free -- even if I wasted, for example, 50-cents per gallon of Fuel Rewards credits -- I would say "thank you" and "I'll take all the free gas I can get."

    Let's get real here: one hand of $1 video poker costs more than a gallon of gasoline. Covering the numbers across at a $10 craps table costs $52 or $54 which is a tank of premium gas.

  16. #16
    Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson View Post
    If you're telling me that I might be getting my gas for free -- even if I wasted, for example, 50-cents per gallon of Fuel Rewards credits -- I would say "thank you" and "I'll take all the free gas I can get."

    Let's get real here: one hand of $1 video poker costs more than a gallon of gasoline. Covering the numbers across at a $10 craps table costs $52 or $54 which is a tank of premium gas.
    I think you're missing my point.

    If you already have a $4 Seven Stars Experience discount on your FRN, another 50 cents you "earn" through regular means will do you no good, because gas prices are lower than $4 right now.

    Similarly, if you already had a $4 Seven Stars Experience discount, even $1,000,000 placed on the card would also be useless, as it would disappear after 1 fill-up, and the $4/gallon is already enough to cover any gas station.
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  17. #17
    I am getting the point. It doesn't matter. I am putting thru a half-million dollars to get 7 Stars at a damn video poker machine and you think I am going to blink over $40 of comped gas in a month?

    And the $40 of missed comps becomes an issue ONLY if I play enough to earn the extra fuel discounts in a month. What if I don't play? What if I play only enough to earn a 10-cent discount? Then there isn't much of an issue, is there?

  18. #18
    I'm not saying that the missed gas comps are going to have a major impact on your life.

    I am saying that, in addition to the other issues with the "Gas for a Year" award, you are also losing out on whichever rewards you're earning.

    And it really shouldn't be that way, either.
    Check out my poker forum, and weekly internet radio show at http://pokerfraudalert.com

  19. #19
    Here's a surprise. Total Rewards just told me that they will not allow me to get the gas discount because I used it before... even if I cancelled it.

  20. #20
    Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson View Post
    Here's a surprise. Total Rewards just told me that they will not allow me to get the gas discount because I used it before... even if I cancelled it.

    Hi Alan:

    I am not surprised that CET has "barred" you but I had assumed you would be barred from playing blackjack for "card counting" or craps for "dice controlling," not barred from the Fuel Rewards program for "past participation."

    FAB

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