Pilot Travel Center faces two potential class action lawsuits stemming over allegations that the gas and convenient store chain engages in a credit card scheme by placing authorization “holds” on fuel purchases that are significantly greater than the actual cost.
Lead plaintiffs Laurie Anderson and Chase Mosely both of Tennessee filed separate, but nearly identical Pilot Flying J class action lawsuits yesterday, claiming that Pilot intentionally conceals its credit card “holds” from paying customers.
Anderson and Mosely say they used a “pay-at-the-pump” machine to purchase gas at different Tennessee Pilot Travel Center locations only to discover that the company placed a hold on their credit card that caused a portion of the plaintiffs’ credit line to be artificially frozen for several days after.
The Pilot class action lawsuit states that while a typical credit card hold is $75 for a passenger vehicle, Pilot routinely holds onto $500 for semi-truck customers who who use their stations to fill-up.
According to the lawsuit, Pilot does not warn its customers of the impending holds on their credit cards despite the ample opportunity to do so. The plaintiffs point to the actual fuel pumps which are “littered” with signs, stickers and video screens which advertise various products. They believe Pilot could have used those machines to inform customers of its “hold” practices, but they do not.
“Little does the average customer know, however, that behind the scenes, as he or she stares at the ‘authorizing’ message on the card-reader on the pay-at-the-pump machine, computers are already imposing a ‘block’ or a ‘hold’ on their credit accounts – reserving a substantially larger portion of their available credit card balances than necessary to complete their fuel purchases,” the Pilot class action lawsuit states.
Anderson and Mosely accuse Pilot of fraudulent concealment stating that the gas station chain has a duty to inform customers of its credit card hold policy because the details are only known to them. The plaintiffs also bring claims of breach of contract and unjust enrichment.
If approved, Anderson seeks to represent a Class of Tennessee Pilot Flying J customers who purchased fuel using a Visa or MasterCard who were not informed that Pilot would require a preauthorization hold in an amount greater than the actual purchase of fuel. Mosely also wants to represent a Class of Tennessee residents who used an American Express credit card at Tennessee Pilot locations.
Both Anderson and Mosely are represented by Gordon Ball of Gordon Ball, PLLC; Thomas C. Jessee of Jessee & Jessee; and Lance K. Baker of The Baker Law Firm.
The Pilot Flying J Excessive Credit Card Holds Class Action Lawsuits are Laurie Anderson, et al. v. Pilot Corporation, et al., Case No. 24663 in the Circuit Court for Jefferson County, Tennessee and Chase Mosely, et al. v. Pilot Corporation, et al., Case No. 16-cv-137 in the Circuity Court for Sevier County, Tennessee.
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING
Top Class Actions is a Proud Member of the American Bar Association
LEGAL INFORMATION IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE
Top Class Actions Legal Statement
©2008 – 2024 Top Class Actions® LLC
Various Trademarks held by their respective owners
This website is not intended for viewing or usage by European Union citizens.
61 thoughts onPilot Travel Center Faces Credit Card ‘Hold’ Class Action Lawsuits
Caught 2 $150 charges from Pilot on my trip . How do i join this suit?
got charged $151 outside of las vegas at the maverik gas station so beware of getting as there.
These bastards. NEVER EVER EVER use the LOVE GAS station outside of Las Vegas, going north or south. They put a $151 hold on your debit card for days. If you have little cash in your bank account, you will be as mad as me. I am still waiting for these bastards to clear and apparently they only do it on weekdays so your hold will remain if you put gas on a friday. How they get away with this is ridiculous and I hope that thousands of people sue them as there is class action lawsuit going on. I am going to design a website with proof to expose these scammers for everyone to see.
we were moving from New Mexico to Washington, stopped at numerous Pilots and other gas stations along the way, our moving truck drivers went ahead, had gas cards prepaid/purchased for them to fund the trip.
Both my husband’s card and one of the movers’ cards had $151 holds on them, one ended up being $84.80 for gas (not taken from the ‘pre-auth’d’ amount), my husband had the same hold but only spent $26.00 on gas. Neither transaction was reduced from the hold amount. And it only happened in Oregon, two different Pilots on two different days.
I called Pilot (another nightmare) and they told me it was the credit card company putting the hold on the card (not true). Another pilot person told me the stores can independently choose to do this and the amounts vary.
Both tied up funds we’d set aside for moving, caused both cards to be denied for gas/purchases.
Very sketchy practice! We nor the truck drivers ever were informed nor did we see anything posted letting us know it was happening.
What the heck is happening? I spent 25 in gas and 65.10 is still not back in my bank account. I use a debit card so this is my personal cash. And it’s not a pending transaction it’s a credit! I’ll never ever use Pilot again.
We had the same issue today at a Pilot in Midway FL. I checked my credit card statement tonight and found one charge for the $30.57 in gas and then another $151. I contacted my credit card company and was told that Pilot puts that hold on everyone’s card. As my credit card company was helping me, I googled Pilot and see that there is a class action suit against them. Last time I’m using Pilot.
My husband purchased $15.46 worth of gas last night along the I-5 in California. The charge cleared today but the $150 hold is still pending.
this happened to me today in Boron California, 151$ held for 31$ in gas.
I’m so pissed! They charged me $151 at the pump after I gave them $40 for my fuel. I used my debit card! What the hell, Pilot?! I tried calling their customer service line after confirming with my bank that I wasn’t a victim of fraud and had to leave a message. We have semi trucks, so now we will be double checking our accounts to see if Pilot is charging those $500. If so, I will never go there again. They would have screwed over not only a customer, but a fleet of semis. Hope it was worth it. ?
This just happened to me in Warrenton, MO! I charged $18.14 on a visa credit card and it just did a pre-auth for $151as well… even though the credit already came out. This is ridiculous! I am traveling across the US and now a potion if my set aside travel money is on hold.