‘Cash is king’: Fuel chain overcharges customers by thousands

People who fuelled up or shopped at a major servo chain have been charged more than 100 times for one transaction after a nationwide error.

Customers who shopped at Reddy Express stores across the nation are being urged to check their bank accounts after a system fault caused some people to be charged more than 100 times for one transaction.

An unlucky group of customers who filled up or bought goods from the petrol station and convenience chain on Saturday, May 31 with a debit or credit card have checked their statements to find they have been grossly overcharged.

Sydneysider Steve called into the 2GB breakfast show and shared that his wife was looking through their bank statements when she noticed a whopping 134 payments of $106 had been made.

Reddy Express said a technical issue led to the error. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

“Well, she was just having a look – I don’t really keep an eye on my bank details and how much I’m spending, I just like to earn it – she just sort of had a bit of a look on there and noticed that I’d had a pretty good time at the Reddy Express there,” he told host Ben Fordham.

“First of all I called the Reddy Express in Blackwater there and they were very helpful. They gave me a number to call, they said there was a nationwide issue.

“I called the number. Basically it’s just an automated message and it said they’re aware of the issue and you’d be refunded the money within two to seven days.

“I called my bank, Westpac, and they had not been made aware of it.”

Reddy Express has since issued an apology to customers via a statement on their website, blaming the error on a “technical issue”.

“On Saturday (31/5) a technical issue led to intermittent EFTPOS errors affecting some guests paying by credit or debit card at Reddy Express stores,” the statement said.

“In some cases, this has resulted in guests being charged more than once for their transaction.

“We are working to reverse any duplicate transactions as quickly as possible. In most cases, people should have seen the refund appear in their debit or credit card accounts by now.

“If you have not yet received a refund or have not yet contacted us, please contact us now via our customer service office [e-mail] or call 1800 656-055.

“Reddy Express sincerely apologises to any impacted guests.”

In a statement issued to 2GB, which Fordham read on air, the company said that people in difficult financial situations should get in touch with the Reddy Express customer service team to have the process fast-tracked.

Reddy Express convenience stores are often co-located at Shell fuel pumps Picture: Ian Currie.

Another listener, Angelo, phoned in to 2GB to share that his daughter Dominique had also been stung by the technical glitch.

“She went to the Reddy Express on Saturday and I think she spent $6.44 and bought a drink and chocolate, and the next day I think she realised that basically they had charged her 104 times for that transaction,” he said.

“So she actually went back there to confront them and ask them about it and they gave her the number.

“The challenge for my little daughter is she’s going overseas in a week and a half … and she doesn’t want to wait several days for the money maybe to come.

“I said to my daughter, ‘That’s why cash is king’.”

Reddy Express stores were formerly branded Coles Express before the chain was acquired by Viva Energy Group from Coles Group in 2023.

Viva Energy Group is the exclusive supplier of Shell in Australia, and the companies are in a long-term brand licence agreement until 2029.

Originally published as ‘Cash is king’: Fuel chain overcharges customers by thousands