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Caught On Video: Gas Pump In Castro Valley Keeps Charging Customer After Filling Tank

CASTRO VALLEY (KPIX 5) -- Gas prices are falling across the Bay Area. But if you've filled up in Castro Valley lately, you might want to check your receipt, after a couple discovered an overcharging pump.

After working 13 hours at their Berkeley bar, The Daily Pint, Jon Chu and girlfriend Lindsey Ward stopped for gas late Monday night at the 76 station on Castro Valley Boulevard and Redwood Road, when something unusual happened at Pump No. 2.

They recorded video of the gas pump continuing to charge them after they completed filling up.

"It clicked saying it was full. So we pulled (the gas pump) out, and yet it just kept ticking. It went $10 over," Ward told KPIX 5.

"Literally, it was charging me without me even pumping gas," Chu said.

The pair told the station attendant about the phantom pump charges.

Chu said, "He came out and he kind of chuckled and he said, 'Not his problem, call the company.' I said, 'What company?' And he goes, 'The gas station.' I looked at him and I was like, 'So you can't refund me or reimburse me or take care of your customers?' He said, 'No, you have to call the company.'"

The couple stopped by again Tuesday night to see if the problem had been fixed and recorded a second video of the pump overcharging.

Chu complained to Alameda County Weights and Measures and 76 corporate. That's when he got a call from the station owner promising to fix the problem and reimburse him.

KPIX 5 completed its own test Friday night and we found the problem on the pump was indeed repaired. We also spoke to the owner who said the pump got a new hose Monday, and his attendants didn't tell him about either of their complaints.

But, he still estimates nearly 450 gallons of gas were sold out of the overcharging pump while it was busted.

"We didn't get those three gallons, three and a half gallons of gas," Ward said.

The station owner told KPIX 5 that he fired the two attendants who didn't tell him about the problem.

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