This is an email I sent to shell.  I'm about to mail it to them as well, as I have received no response:

I’ve also already called the 1-800 number, but I needed to get this into writing as well:

On Sunday, August 13, 2006 around 11:50am I stopped to get gas at the Shell Station at 7354 Charlotte PK Nashville TN 37209. There phone number is: 615-356-2432. The credit card machine at the pump would not read my card for whatever reason after many tries. So, I start to go inside, but the pump then authorizes. I proceed to pump gas, but it stops at $5.00. So, frustrated, I go inside to pay for the $5.00 in gas with my card. I should point out that the pump doesn’t say pre-pay anywhere. It may have at some point, it didn’t then.

When I get inside, there is an older man already at the counter trying to explain he doesn’t want gas, he just wants lottery tickets. The man behind the counter is having a hard time understanding, but finally catches on when he asks me if I got gas. I reply, yes, I did and I’d like to pay for it. He says hang on one second, and then proceeds to give the man 5 lottery tickets. That man leaves.

I am then next in line. He proceeds to tell me that I must pay in cash. I proceed to tell him I don’t have cash (as I never carry it anymore – that’s what check-cards are for). He tells me that is my problem, my mistake and he wants cash only. I tell him I don’t have cash, I will pay with a card. He then tells me my only options are to pay cash, or use the ATM that charges $2.50 for one transaction. I proceed to tell him “NO,” that I am paying with a card. He tells me I must pay with cash because he rang up the lottery tickets as gas and I must pay cash so he can ring up the lottery tickets as cash (in Tennessee Lottery tickets must be paid as cash).

He then goes out of his way to say it’s my fault. I was “stealing gas.” He belittles me asking if I knew how to drive, or had just begun pumping my own gas, and that it was entirely my fault. I ask how it’s my fault if he is the one of messed up! This goes on for awhile. Eventually, we both call the Nashville Metro Police. The dispatcher asks me if I am serious that the man WON’T LET ME PAY. In the meantime, the cashier continues to call me a thief (among other insults) LOUDLY in front of many customers (at one point at least 12 other people were in the store), he continues to tell customers I am trying to steal gas I am a thief, and an idiot. He also tells me its my fault, and a few other extremely unprofessional and mean things. This continues off and on until the police arrive.

I admit I said a few un-nice things once he really made me angry, such as “we don’t treat people like that in America” and “welcome to America.” And I did yell at him – heck I was beyond frustrated. Keep in mind I was there for a little over thirty minutes with my family in the car (including a 2 year old!). I also continually asked for the Shell Corporate Customer Line and for his Managers name and number. He refused to give both, but continued to call me a thief.

He couldn’t explain why, if I was trying to steal gas, I was still there.

I should mention no time did I ever attempt to drive away – this despite the fact I offered to go to a Bank of America ATM to get cash w/o a fee. In fact, I made the point of staying there until the police arrived.

The Police did arrive. The Policeman (I don’t have the badge number, but can get it) was A. Groves from Metro Police of Nashville/Davidson County. He listened to my story and asked the cashier why I couldn’t pay with my card. The cashier then began the story that a man was trying to buy gas and I stole his spot and refused to pay cash as the man did. All along not explaining why I couldn’t pay with my card. I had to explain to the officer he was making me pay cash because he rang the man’s lottery tickets as gas, and wanted to ring my gas as lottery tickets so it would balance and would show the lottery tickets sold as gas.

I tell the officer the man refuses to give me Corporate or the Managers name/number. The officer asks if the man could call give me the manager’s number. The officer even tells the cashier and me that he was staying until we had a resolution that didn’t require me to use the ATM that was going to charge me $2.50. The man calls the manager; the conversation is extremely short … and guess what. The manager tells him exactly how to fix it. In under 2 minutes. (So, I had been there thirty minutes for a 2 minute resolution?)

During the call, the policeman indicated to me he really couldn’t understand why I couldn’t pay for my gas with a card. That made at least two us, excluding the cashier.

I should mention, when he was told how to fix it, the Cashier rang my transaction as $7.00 and when I pointed that out, he had to credit me $7.00 and then recharge me $5.00. I don’t know if he was trying to rip me off, but it makes you wonder. I asked for his manager’s name he would only tell me Nancy.

As we left, I spoke to the officer who encouraged me to find the corporate managers/name and phone number and to contact Corporate to file a complaint.

I would like to point out if I was trying to steal gas I wouldn’t have stayed for over 30 minutes just to chit chat with a Grade A idiot.

I have all three receipts that pertained to this transaction ($7 charge, $7 credit, and the correct $5 charge).

So, in the end I wasted a little over 30 minutes, was embarrassed in front of many customers who came in, only to have the policeman solve the issue in 2 minutes by the same method I tried – by making the cashier call his manager. I also got only $5.00 in gas.

I don’t even want the guy to get fired, but I would have at least liked an apology – especially after I apologized for raising my voice at him. It would have been nice. Also, it should be noted, I would have filled up if the guy had just turned the pump back on and let me pay with my card. That would have been a $60.00 transaction. I also fill up there quiet often as it’s along a normal route for me. As it is, I’m not inclined to head back to a Shell anytime soon. I headed down the road to the BP and paid inside just to see if they were nice. I’m happy to report the BP cashier was friendly and served with a smile.

The cashier told me the Station was a corporate station. The hotline I called when I got home told me it was privately owned. I don’t care who owns it, it says Shell and I would hope that this kind of service isn’t indicative of the Shell corporate name. At the very least training in Customer Relations and how to properly operate a cash register should be included for all employees.

I’m not sure I expect anything to happen out of this, but someone really needs to know this. So, I will be making sure everyone I know learns of my experience, hopefully they also learn of any apology I can eventually add to my story.