What to do after refueling with low-quality fuel?

Become a complainer - here's a tip for drivers who have had problems with their car's engine since their last gas station. Because of such a complaint, inspectors from the Trade Inspection may appear at a "suspicious" gas station.

If they confirm that the fuel really sold there is of poor quality, the owner of the station will have to explain himself to the prosecutor's office, and in extreme cases, he may even lose his operating license.

Over the past 3 years, drivers in the Silesian Voivodeship have been rather reluctant to use this mechanism. According to Katarzyna Kelar, spokeswoman for the Trade Inspectorate in Katowice, the institution received 32 complaints about fuel quality last year. For comparison, a year earlier there were 33 of them, and in 2009 - 42. Does this mean that drivers in our region need not worry about what is pouring into the tank?

The answer to this question is contained in a report published a few days ago by the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection. It shows that more than 5 percent of the oil and gasoline at the stations inspected last year (selected randomly or by request) do not meet quality standards. Our region is above the national average - in our country the percentage of low-quality fuel in both these categories (fuel oil, gasoline) exceeded 6 percent (including LPG and biofuels, however, drops to less than 5 percent).

The results of the report show that drivers "smell" a connection between a recent refueling and a car engine suddenly choking. It turns out, for example, in the province of Silesia, almost 13 percent of the stations considered "suspicious" by drivers or the police actually sold substandard fuel (this group also includes "recidivists" who have been punished for similar actions in the past). In this regard, we are at the forefront - only Warmia-Mazury, Kujawsko-Pomorskie and Opole have more shortcomings with station controllers. Meanwhile, as Katarzyna Kelar reminds us, selling low-quality fuel is a crime.

“If we detect such a situation, we automatically transfer the case to the prosecutor’s office,” Kilar says. However, he admits that not in every case, the investigators impose financial penalties on the owners of such stations.

Interview with Agnieszka Maichrzak from the Competition and Consumer Protection Authority

What should a driver do if he suspects that he has low-quality fuel?

If he has a receipt left, he can file a complaint with the station owner. If he does not recognize it, then he can defend his rights in court.

How can you be "incentivized" to conduct an inspection at such a station?

You can report to us about a gas station that sells low-quality fuel using a special form posted on our website. Such signals are also received by the Trade Inspection.

Is there a "complaint limit" that must be exceeded in order for you to take control?

No. There are no strict rules in this regard. For us, every customer complaint is a valuable source of information.