Potomac Chevron

User Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

This station is a joke! I used to be a regular customer of this place. The other day, my car's battery unexpectedly died after I had filled up my tank, so I asked for a jump. The mechanic I spoke to said he "wasn't qualified to authorize that" (ha!) and suggested I talk to the owner. The owner asked if I wanted to buy a battery (again, ha!). He carried a portable charger out to my car, hooked it up and asked for the keys. As he did this -- again, after the car was already hooked up -- he says, "You know, I usually charge $35 for this." "You're kidding!" I said. He shook his head. Well, my car is '07...two years old...still under warranty. I told him, as a form of consolation, if it turned out my battery wasn't covered I would come back and buy a battery from him. I asked him if I turned off my car would it start again...he said no. I thanked him again for the assist and was getting in my car as he headed back to the garage. He turned and looked at me..."Well?" he said. "Well, what?" "Well, aren't you going to pay?" (Big ha!). I followed him into the garage and said "I thought you weren't going to charge me?" "No," he said. "Are you a AAA station?" I asked. "No." "Well, that's just ridiculous! You said you 'usually charge $35 for this'...and you said it AFTER you had hooked up my car! I have NEVER been charged for having my battery charged before!" He smiled: "Well you have now!" "You know what?" I said, "I'm not paying you!" "Good luck!" he said. As I walked back to my car and drove off.

Remember, I'm a regular customer at this station...though I've only bought gas there...haven't used the garage.

Remember, I had JUST filled up my car to the tune of over $70 (it's an SUV).

The station was crowded when I had pulled in so the way my car was parked for the fill-up would have made it difficult for another car to access the pump in front of me...once the car that was there had pulled out. What would he have preferred...that I essentially take up TWO pumps while I called and waited for AAA to come and give me a FREE charge? Which is exactly what I would've done if he'd told me BEFORE HE CHARGED THE BATTERY that he was going to charge me $35 (I repeat THIRTY FIVE DOLLARS!!!), for charging my car.

By all means buy gas here...though I wouldn't give them the business if I were you.

I'm telling EVERYONE I know to avoid this station like the plague. And I've told plenty of folks about their usually reasonable prices. But this kind of extortion and attitude are not acceptable, should not be tolerated, and should not be rewarded with future business.

What kind of mechanic needs "permission" to pick up the portable battery charger and assist a customer?

What kind of owner/manager would charge a loyal, repeat customer who just paid $70 for a fill-up exactly half of that sum to charge a dead battery? The whole procedure took less than 3 minutes...

Today I went online and bought my own port-a-charger will I will charge regularly and keep in my car so I won't get caught again. And so I can do for others what this unscrupulous merchant was unwilling to do for one of his own paying customers...lend a helping hand.

It's not like gas station owners could use the bad publicity either...a news crew with a hidden camera would probably find quite a good story "under the hood" at this place.

What kind of times do we live in?

What have people turned into?

If this station is any indication...it doesn't bode well for us as a society.

Hopefully they're the exception and not the rule.

If I were you, I would avoid Potomac Chevron at ALL COSTS!!!

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