BPme

Question:Guess which business requires as many as 4 pre-authorisations on your credit card before pre-approving your fuel purchase? Answer: BP and their dodgy BPme APP. This has been happening now for months, usually 2 pre-auths ($1 amounts) are incorrectly taken every time I buy fuel, but now the APP has moved to 4 x $1 amounts being taken in rapid fire while I’m sitting in my car waiting for the ‘pump to unlock’. This dodgy business and APP think they have carte-blanch to access your credit card as many times as they want? Yes this is refunded a few days after a fuel purchase but is outrageously incompetent. Also try raising the corrupt issue with BP. They have a long history of ignoring emails. I know the best answer is to just buy fuel elsewhere and I’d never use BP ultimate again, but I have subsidised fuel for work and they insist I use this dreadful business which I then claim back my fuel costs. BP you have a total disdain for your average private customer and lack integrity and care. I’ve written to BP today with my credit card screen shots showing the 4 incorrect pre-authorisations taken from my credit card, my BP card number, last purchase details and service station where this last occurred. I’m not skulking around in the shadows like BP and their APP software engineers. How many other Australians are you hitting up for multiple unauthorised $1 amounts? Check your bank account people when buying fuel because it may be happening to you as well.

App setup was easy. But so far, the app has not been helpful to me- it didn’t find and give any info on the 7 common stations I use, and the 2 it could find can’t or won’t process payment by the app. I think a 10+ character password is ridiculous, why not a 4+? Main concern is the “Store Finder” function in the app does not show any of the 7 BP stations in my region (west Gippsland, VIC) or the one in my parents’ area that I use. (3029, VIC). That was without any search filters applied too. I initially had filters to look for BPme-enabled stations & BP Rewards stations but my stations of interest did not appear on map. I removed the filters and they still did not display. App REQUIRES device’s ‘Location Services’ to be ON in order to complete registration which I do not like- I would prefer to be able to register without Location Services, and then just manually enter a town name, or only activate Location Services manually for search if I was looking for a servo in an unfamiliar region where I didn’t know town name/s to enter. I would prefer the Store Finder map to display ALL stations and just be able to zoom in to the area I was in, rather than having to enter town names or activate Location Services. Also, I was extremely disappointed and surprised that two major stations on M1 Freeway (Officer, VIC) are not currently BPme-enabled! It should be a business requirement than any station on an A-road (fwy/hwy) *must* have BPme facility.

The initial setup process is too long and switches between the app & online. I also made the mistake the first time of filling up before launching the app and then had to wait for the store person to override it before it would process my payment. Made it half way to the register before that happened. There should be an option come up to select whether you have filled up already or not. Used it today for the second time and remembered to open the app first but even though the app says the pump is released and able to be used you still have to wait until the store person releases it before you can fill up. Also massive lag between finishing and the payment being approved. I actually got my emailed receipt before the app showed that payment had been made & I could drive off. It is good to not have to get all of the kids out of the car to pay for fuel but with all the lags it doesn’t actually save much time. Disappointing also that not all places accept the app.