ID & Licence requests at Service Stations

Splottboy · Senior Member

ID & Licence requests at Service Stations

Mike Harding · Guru

Thank Goodness you made this post!

I just realised my driving licence expired a few days past - thankfully I haven't been driving since then.... [insert slight cough here]

However I shall now hang on to the old one for service station purposes.

dave48 · Senior Member

Ha Ha Ha Mike. Just shows even the best of us can be caught
Dave

outlaw40 · Guru

never come across that before and i would be refusing. only person that gets my licence is a cop

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

I guess with up to or over 300 litres ? It prevents drive away without paying . Other countries you have to enter credit card first . Yes sign of the times ! The good pay for the few idiots out there !!

Delta18 · Guru

Employ driveway staff, there weren't drive-offs when an attendant fuelled your car & took the payment.

Gaylehere · Guru

This is quite common in different parts of Australia, usually in remoter parts where a drive off can be very expensive for the service station owner.

Joe50 · Guru

Had to do that a month ago at the Auski Tourist Village on the edge of Karijini NP in WA's Pilbara, they want either a credit card or your licence while you fill up. I'm surprised more servos don't do this up here in the Pilbara/Kimberley with the current price of fuel.

the rocket · Guru

Splottboy wrote:
During our last 12 months of travelling we have sometimes been asked to leave our driving licence while the Motorhome is being filled up. Luckily I have a seperate ID card that I got from the Ballina RTA/Service NSW so can leave this rather than my licence. The other option is to leave your co-driver/partner at the desk while you are filling up.

Neve4 been asked that.

SouthernComfort · Guru

Ridiculous practice. No one other than an appropriate authority is entitled to demand that you hand over any piece of your formal ID. Why on earth would you let your CC or licence out of your sight? Does the age of identity theft or misuse of your CC's mean nothing? An outback servo may a low risk, but holding you to ransom with such a demand is pushing the boundary. If they won't trust you with their fuel pump, you shouldn't have to trust them to hold your ID or CC, unsupervised. Of course, they can refuse to serve you, that's their right. If I was desperate for fuel at one of these places I might consider handing them my keys while filling up, or offer prepayment of an estimated amount to be adjusted at the end of the fill. It's time these businesses mitigated their risk by installing pre-payment pumps if they're so concerned.

-- Edited by SouthernComfort on Tuesday 3rd of July 2018 09:07:46 AM

Grandad5 · Senior Member

Southern Comfort I generally agree with your entire post but feel I must point out that the cost of putting in prepayment pumps at many of the smaller regional servos may just not be feasible.
Handing them your car keys or having your wife or husband stay at the register (as suggested by the OP) while you fill are both are both very viable.
I've been told drive offs are no longer being followed up by the police.
A 300 litre loss could break some of these smaller operators.
Jim

wal1 · Veteran Member

Outlaw and SC

Regarding handing over ID, try to buy spirits in Coober Pedy your licence is scanned, pick up a parcel from the Post Office they want to see your your licence, sign up for a mobile phone plan, or go as a visitor to some RSL clubs scan your licence.

Our drivers licence has become the defacto Australia Card, with the state rego authorities having agreements with commercial organisations and local and federal authorities to access the rego database.

Wal

outlaw40 · Guru

See your licence for id is one thing taking it from your possession and scanning it is another. As for coober pedy they should only need to sight licence for proof of age. If not i dont need alcohol that much.

SouthernComfort · Guru

wal1 - It's a matter of degree, some authorised institutions of course use the drivers licence to identify you. That shouldn't mean you have to capitulate to every Tom, Dick or Harry who wants to hold your ID or CC unsupervised.

Grandad5 - I agree that in practice pre-payment pumps may not be viable for small remote operators, but they just have to think laterally. With a bit of common sense everybody's interests can be protected with these suggested alternatives.

I've been a victim of CC fraud and a friend of mine had a narrow escape with attempted identity theft. It toughens your views PDQ!

-- Edited by SouthernComfort on Tuesday 3rd of July 2018 10:54:57 AM

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Most RSL clubs photo your licence . The other option is to pay for fuel FIRST ! Besides possibly in the past . They have taken off leaving their spouse behind !! Ahaha

Roving-Dutchy · Guru

At one time it was illegal to ask to see your license unless you were asked by the police, but now you cant get access to a club unless they take a copy of your license.
I wonder if that legislation has ever been repealed.
Cheers
David

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

We've had to leave my licence with the station suppliers before today - mainly in the "Centre" areas - Glendambo, Kulgera where fuel was on the expensive side.
I also had to do it in England at the Bempton Cliffs (www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/bempton-cliffs) when I borrowed a pair of binoculars!

There was a document that came out a while ago in Qld that said a licence should not be used as a general ID but to most of us, it is the only ID we have & banks & other organisations will ask to see it.

As I use gas as well as diesel & often service stations have one pump in one lane & the other two or more lanes across, Pat will often go & speak to the console operator or will stay there while I shift pumps.

diggerop · Senior Member

So how do they work it. Do the turn the bowser off until you go inside and hand over your ID.?

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

We've had to leave my licence with the station suppliers before today - mainly in the "Centre" areas - Glendambo, Kulgera where fuel was on the expensive side.
I also had to do it in England at the Bempton Cliffs (www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/bempton-cliffs) when I borrowed a pair of binoculars!

There was a document that came out a while ago in Qld that said a licence should not be used as a general ID but to most of us, it is the only ID we have & banks & other organisations will ask to see it.

As I use gas as well as diesel & often service stations have one pump in one lane & the other two or more lanes across, Pat will often go & speak to the console operator or will stay there while I shift pumps, often adding drinks for me to pay for too!

Bill B · Guru

diggerop wrote:

So how do they work it. Do the turn the bowser off until you go inside and hand over your ID.?

Yes, first time I came across it was at Camooweal then also at the 3 Ways if I remember correctly.

grahamg · Senior Member

I worked in a secure building, if you required access you needed a signed access form, then you had to leave your license with security, they kept you license until you returned the visitor pass. often resulted in forgetting to collect you license

Bush walker · Veteran Member

I never leave any of my ID or credit cards, if they don't like it then tough I will go else where, even in in small places with only one service station I normally make sure I have enough fuel to go on to the next town

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

I'm sorry Bush walker, that might be ok in areas where the next town is relatively close but could you carry enough to do an extra 300+ kms? These places know that & therefore make the rules (probably been bitten many times before) - as you said, you can always go elsewhere but a jerry can gets heavy if you have to walk a few hundred k's there to buy fuel & back again.

Diggerop, that's correct.

This system may also start occurring in larger towns too soon. Townsville has a problem where kids aged from 9 years are stealing cars, hooning around, pinching fuel & crashing the cars. It's a pity that cars are being made too safe these days! All the State Govt can say is "Naughty, naughty - don't do it again". "People have to make their homes more secure so these kids cannot break in & pinch your car's keys"!!!!!

Roving-Dutchy · Guru

It would seem that the easiest way if you don't want to leave ID is to prepay and collect your change after filling up.
Traveling on the West Coast of America a couple of years back you had to pay at the pump or prepay at the desk, the pumps couldn't accept overseas credit cards.
There was no other way to get fuel.
Where I live at the moment on the Central Coast NSW at the all night servo's it's prepaid after 11pm till 6am this will eventually be around the clock because of drive off's.
Cheers
David

blissonwheels · Senior Member

Gooday,

Have experienced the same in US, pay before you fill, it is very common in most places there, or do like Costco take a $ guess in excess of how much you will need for a fill and then when it is done the pump just charges the exact amount you did use and adds it to the Credit Card.

From memory they do not take cash.

Can see the American system of coughing up before you can get fuel will be mandatory here before too long.

Bush walker · Veteran Member

Hi, Warren-Pat A couple of yrs back We had this at Cadney park in the north of South Australia on our way to Darwin on the way back we filled up at Marla and by passed Kadney park and refueled at Alice Springs We found on that trip we could skip a town in between if we need to as most town's were mainly about 150kms apart we had a4.2 lt diesel, towing a caravan

dogbox · Guru

sign of the times their rules if your not happy with them move along. the id car from the relevant authority would be handy