Love’s Travel Stops, a gas station and convenience store with approximately 370 locations in forty states across the U.S., is the target of a recent proposed class action lawsuit alleging that the company places excessive and undisclosed holds on customer credit card accounts.
Plaintiff Kevin Thompson says he purchased $14.75 in fuel at a Love’s Travel Stops in Tennessee using his Visa card. The next morning, Thompson states that he checked his credit card balance and found that Love’s had placed a $125 “hold” on his Visa account, an amount that was nine times more than his purchase. The hold was not removed until approximately 72 hours later, according to Thompson.
The plaintiff claims that he questioned the manager at Love’s Travel Stops where he made his purchase about the credit card hold and the manager told him that “Love’s Travel Stops ‘don’t do that’ and that ‘we don’t own the machines.’” The lawsuit states that passenger vehicles pumping gas have holds ranging from $100 and $500 for customers driving semi-trucks who pump diesel fuel.
The suit claims that when customers make a purchase with a Visa or MasterCard credit card via a pay-at-the-pump machine at Love’s Travel Stops, the company issues a credit card hold to secure payment in full for fuel purchases. However, these holds placed by Love’s are without the customer’s knowledge or consent and the amount of the hold exceeds the actual cost of the fuel purchase by a great deal, the plaintiff claims.
“However, not only are these ‘holds’ exerted by Love’s Travel Stops without notice to, knowledge of, or consent by customers, but the dollar-amounts of these credit ‘holds’ significantly exceed the actual costs of the fuel purchases,” the complaint reads. “Moreover, the undisclosed ‘holds’ result in damages to Plaintiff and Class members, i.e., the loss of access to their credit for several days.”
The plaintiff alleges that Love’s credit card holds constitute violations of state deceptive and unfair trade practice acts across multiple states, breach of contract, fraudulent concealment and claims the company has unjustly enriched itself.
Thompson and the proposed Class seek damages, restitution, injunctive relief, interest, attorneys’ fees and the cost of the suit and are demanding a jury trial. The amount in controversy in the lawsuit exceeds more than $5 million.
Two related potential class action lawsuits were filed earlier this month against Pilot Travel Center, another gas and convenience store chain. The allegations in these lawsuits are similar to the one against Love’s and state that excessive holds are placed on credit cards used at pay-at-the-pump machines and does not inform customers that these holds will be placed.
The plaintiff is represented by Gordon Ball of Gordon Ball, PLLC, Thomas C. Jessee of Jessee & Jessee and Lance K. Baker of The Baker Law Firm.
The Love’s Travel Stops Class Action Lawsuit is Kevin Thompson v. Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores Inc., Case No. 3:16-cv-00143, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Northern Division at Knoxville.
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25 thoughts onLove’s Travel Class Action Alleges Excessive Credit Card Holds
Lives put a 125 hold on my card THEN overcharged me $60. I put $40 of gas in my car. My car can’t even hold $100 worth of gas in its tank! Its helpline did nothing for me. I’m trying to dispute charges with my bank. Lives social media team said I was trolling and they would ban me from Facebook because I kept commenting that the company stole my money and wouldn’t return it. Thieves! I’ll never go to Loves again. Shouldn’t they be able to look up receipts and videos??? They won’t though!
Have a $175.00 hold on my card for $25 worth of gas. Thought something was wrong and then saw this! Ugh!
How does one join this class action suit? $175.00 hold on a $32 purchase is definitely excessive. I always buy gas from the same Loves. Used my debit card put $1.00 hold 4 days prior, used my Discover and they put $175.00 hold. So when did they change their holds? Now I’m afraid to use my debit card for gas.
That’s both your credit card company and Love’s travel stops if you have a low available balance and you overdraw then both makes money the truck stop and your credit card company for overdraft fees interest rates and so on so do not stop at love travel stops shop at circle k’s mom and pop stores solve the problem.
Update on 7/2/2023 My Discover statement shows $23.75 gas purchased at LOVE’s #653 EADS….I pumped 0 amount of gas and went inside and paid cash for my gas purchase….I will never go to LOVE’S station again and I will inform everyone I know not to go there…I have emailed the corporate office but have got no response….I am bewildered that this company can get away with this devious practices. There is still a $175.00 hold showing on my Discover statement..
Today, June 29, 2023 I went to Love’s #653 to fill up my tank. I went to the gas pump and put in my discover card but something was wrong with the pump …so I went to the next gas pump and put in my discover card…next thing I knew discover informed me of a $175.00 hold on my credit card. And then another hold popped up for $175.00 hold…The man at the counter of” LOVES” informed me that the credit card company does this. But, the credit card company informed me it is LOVES. I was flabbergasted…this should be illegal
Made a $68 purchase with a debit card and it’s put a hold of $243 on my statement and I had no idea. Absolutely ridiculous.
Made a $57.27 regular gas purchase last night at Love’s and just looked at my bank account and saw I there was a hold of $175 from them. This is absurd something needs to be done immediately!!!
I just freaked out big time thinking someone stole my card. I almost cancelled it thinking it must be stolen until I looked this up. This is crazy. I knew I didn’t spend 175 dollars at a gas station!
Bought gas $35.06 and held on credit card $175. Sign sticker by pump says $1-125 possible hold. I complained to cashier, said the manager isn’t on duty they can’t do anything. I took pics of it all and here we are traveling out of state for vacation using this card.
THEY PUT A HOLD FOR $125 then $175 for a gas purchase of $27. COYLD NOT USE THE CARD FOR THE REST IF TRIP .