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.
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61 thoughts onPilot Travel Center Faces Credit Card ‘Hold’ Class Action Lawsuits
Same thing with me. I get my gas in New Jersey where someone has to pump my gas for me. Knowing this, shouldn’t the attentant have to tell me about this charge, especially when I’m not getting out of my vehicle to be able to see any signs they might have up? Ridiculous.
Just got screwed in the Hayti Missouri never go to Pilot again
Pilot can go ahead and add 1 more notch for another customer who unknowingly got an extra $151 pending in my bank acct even though they have withdrawn the $22.39 i racked up in gas. Since then, ive been looking around online trying to figure this out (bcz these a**holes dont answer calls) and many places have said to use your debit card since its a real time transaction, but guess what? I did use my debit card! The pump never gave me and option and automatically ran it as credit. I drive an older Toyota Corolla, so it would take me pumping 5-6 FULL TANKS of gas to even get up to $151, so the hell Pilot? I will never do business there again. On the bright side of things, i had to refuel later that same day and stopped at a Chevron…..they’ve got $1 hold on my card, and from previous experience with them, i know the $1 hold goes off before they take the amount i pump in gas. Shame on you Pilot!
Plymouth IN Pilot just had a hold for $151. Absolutely rediculous. Never getting gas at a pilot again.
Please note – this happened to me at Flying J not Pilot. They are the same company just operating under two different names. Hope someone puts a stop to this craziness.
Just happened to me at the retail RV pumps – I was pumping gasoline – NOT diesel and was NOT at the truckers pumps. My charge was $93.01 and they placed a preauth hold for $500. Only reason I even knew was because after I left the station my bank called to confirm I used my card for fuel and to advise me of the hold. Called Pilot customer service & after speaking with a supervisor they blamed it on the bank and then on VISA when i told them I knew better and that pilot sets the hold amount. This was in Joplin Mo. told me there is nothing they can do since it was the weekend. Called the store and they said they’d look into it. The manager at least was sympathetic and told me i could come in and prepay in the future and avoid the prepay hold. UGH
Just happened to me. $151 @ Pilot 00047 in Georgetown,KY. Can’t believe that horsecrap
Wow!! Just got off the phone with my credit card company after getting notification of $151 authorization fee from Pilot. I can’t believe they can get away with this. We were traveling and learned the hard way not to ever use Pilot for gas. What a scam!! My credit card said Pilot does this all the time and can take 15 days to be returned. I’ve disputed the charges. Upset Vols fan!!
Just came across your site after googling Pilot $151. As you can surely guess, I am but their latest victim to the charge. Several hours later and it is still showing up pending on my credit acct. I initially believed I had been scammed when I saw the charge right after pumping at Pilot. I walked in to speak to a store manager and he assured me that this was their normal practice and the charge would be dropped shortly. I was not very happy with his explanation of the situation. It does not seem legal to be able to charge that amount on a credit card without notice. He pointed to a tiny sign on the pump but even the sign failed to State the amount which would be used for the hold. I was visiting a different state and do not have Pilots in my state but I’ll be passing up any future business with them.
Just got nailed at a pilot station in Florence SC. Two pending cc charges one for $20 which is legit and another unauthorized charge of $151! I called my cc company and they said pilot does this routinely. Still seems like fraud to me and apparently the lawyers that filed the class action suits agree! I will never use pilot again!! I hope somebody gets jail and a huge settlement cost.