Investigation Finds Sunmart Gas Stations Cheating Customers
Posted: Wednesday, July 23, 2008
by Asher Ricard
At a time when the American family is struggling to pay for gas, the Texas Department of Agriculture is finding some disturbing acts by local stations. In a news story on the local ABC 13, it was troubling how many local stations were taking advantage of individuals.
In an “Operation Spotlight" investigation, numerous Sunmart gas stations have cheated Texas consumers by giving them less fuel than they purchased, and findings strongly indicate this could have been a deliberate act by the company.
Sunmart is owned by Petroleum Wholesale, L.P. The company operates Sunmart fuel stations in Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Utah and Arizona. Hopefully, those states will investigate the Sunmart stations as well.
The Texas investigation resulted in the following findings:
• 990 of Sunmart's 1,704 fuel pumps cheated consumers (58 percent)
• 47 Sunmart stations cheated customers on more than half of their pumps
• 15 of those 47 stations had every single pump cheating drivers.
• TDA shut down all of the non-compliant pumps.
What I think is most disturbing about these findings is that many of these stations have Mobil and Texaco Signs, so customers would not even be aware that they are Sunmart stations. Add to that the recent stories that gas stations make more money on the products they sell inside the store than on gas anyway and I am losing faith in society. Why would a company feel it necessary to cheat their own customers who pay their bills in the first place? I find this depressing.
Here is a complete list of Sunmart stations that were cheating customers by charging them for gas they never received while pumping.
SUNMART 60% OR GREATER NON-COMPLIANCE - OPERATION SPOTLIGHT
Non-compliance
Facility Name
Physical Address
County
100%
LA MARQUE SUNMART #124
1000 FM 1764 RD # ATI-45
LA MARQUE
TX
77568
GALVESTON
100%
MOBIL SUNMART #447
1130 FREEPORT ST
HOUSTON
TX
77015
HARRIS
100%
PETROLEUM WHSE INC #438
306 STATE HWY 71 W
BASTROP
TX
78602
BASTROP
100%
SUN MART #125
28111 SW FWY
ROSENBERG
TX
77471
FORT BEND
100%
SUN MART #361
9199 NORTH LOOP E
HOUSTON
TX
77029
HARRIS
100%
SUN MART #422
5709 LYONS AVE
HOUSTON
TX
77020
HARRIS
100%
SUN MART #424
9140 EASTEX FWY
HOUSTON
TX
77093
HARRIS
100%
SUNMART #106
926 W I 30 FM 35
ROYSE CITY
TX
75189
ROCKWALL
100%
SUNMART #113
10269 HWY 84 W
PRAIRIE HILL
TX
76678
LIMESTONE
100%
SUNMART #115
2431 COMMERCE W
BUFFALO
TX
75831
LEON
100%
SUNMART #120
14425 IH 10 E
CONVERSE
TX
78154
BEXAR
100%
SUNMART #129
9404 NORTH FWY
HOUSTON
TX
77037
HARRIS
100%
SUNMART #168
I H 35 E/S 600 FT S
GEORGETOWN
TX
78628
WILLIAMSON
100%
SUNMART #169
I 35 AND FM 1304
ABBOTT
TX
76621
HILL
100%
SUNMART #282
2302 CEDAR DR
LA MARQUE
TX
77568
GALVESTON
97%
SUNMART #110
14834 N FRWY
HOUSTON
TX
77090
HARRIS
95%
SUN MART #308
4727 HWY 59
LIVINGSTON
TX
77351
POLK
95%
SUNMART #131
24985 KATY FRWY
KATY
TX
77494
FORT BEND
94%
SUNMART #132
1110 N SAM HOUSTON PKWY W
HOUSTON
TX
77038
HARRIS
94%
SUNMART #135
401 N BROADWAY
JOSHUA
TX
76058
JOHNSON
94%
SUNMART #141
14711 S MAIN ST
HOUSTON
TX
77035
HARRIS
94%
SUNMART #363
333 LUTCDHER DR
ORANGE
TX
77630
ORANGE
93%
SUNMART #403
4031 FM 2920
SPRING
TX
77388
HARRIS
92%
MOBIL SUNMART #231
5716 NORTH FWY
HOUSTON
TX
77076
HARRIS
92%
SUN MART #374
12315 FM 1960 E
HUFFMAN
TX
77336
HARRIS
92%
SUNMART #312
14222 HEMPSTEAD RD
HOUSTON
TX
77040
HARRIS
92%
SUNMART #325
8506 MESA DR
HOUSTON
TX
77028
HARRIS
90%
SUNMART #121
5168 NE IH 10 FRONTAGE RD
SEALY
TX
77474
AUSTIN
89%
SUNMART #493
6615 BERKMAN DR
AUSTIN
TX
78723
TRAVIS
88%
EASTEX SUNMART #457
14049 EASTEX FWY
HOUSTON
TX
77032
HARRIS
88%
SUNMART #196
1520 BARKER CYPRESS RD
HOUSTON
TX
77084
HARRIS
83%
SUN MART #142
9101 CLINTON DR
HOUSTON
TX
77029
HARRIS
79%
SUNMART #123
2100 HWY 36 S
SEALY
TX
77474
AUSTIN
79%
SUNMART #290
6802 CULLEN BLVD
HOUSTON
TX
77021
HARRIS
75%
SUNMART # 139
3200 HOLCOMBE BLVD
HOUSTON
TX
77021
HARRIS
75%
SUNMART #288
2715 STRAWBERRY RD
PASADENA
TX
77502
HARRIS
75%
SUNMART MOBIL #150
1731 FEDERAL RD
HOUSTON
TX
77015
HARRIS
75%
SUPER WAY FOOD MART #459
6839 NAVIGATION BLVD
HOUSTON
TX
77011
HARRIS
71%
SUN MART #436
8559 HWY 6 S
HOUSTON
TX
77083
HARRIS
71%
SUNMART #133
9004 NORTH FWY
HOUSTON
TX
77037
HARRIS
69%
SUN MART #194
660 SAWDUST RD
THE WOODLANDS
TX
77380
MONTGOMERY
69%
SUNMART #322
901 11TH ST
HUNTSVILLE
TX
77340
WALKER
68%
SUNMART #172
6201 S IH 45 AND PARKER HILL
PALMER
TX
75152
ELLIS
67%
SUN MART #155
5795 N SAM HOUSTON PKWY E
HOUSTON
TX
77032
HARRIS
67%
SUNMART #117
3411 FM 1960 E
HUMBLE
TX
77338
HARRIS
67%
SUNMART #138
10611 IH 10 E
HOUSTON
TX
77029
HARRIS
60%
SUNMART #410
5946 E MOUNT HOUSTON RD
HOUSTON
TX
77050
HARRIS
After searching for the exact list just of the ones in my area, I have to admit I am a little outraged. I have been to many of these stations and actually gone inside to make extra purchases. I feel cheated. The amount of the fine suggestion of $100,000 is weak and should be for a lot more.
How long has this been going on and were consumers not aware?When consumers go to the pump they assume that they are not being treated. We trust the American system in that a machine would not give us less gas than what we are being charged for at the moment.The worse part is the timing. Why would this company feel the need to cheat customers at the time when they are suffering the most to be able to pay for gas? I think it is despicable and those in charge should be punished to the fullest extent- a higher fine or even jail time.
To view the Texas Department of Agricultural report in its entirety to see all cities and stations that were found in non-compliance, visit http://www.tda.state.tx.us/vgn/tda/files/1848/stations_out_of_order.html
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Yes. The SunMart Corp should be put out of business. How dare they cheat customers. Everyone is having a hard enough time with the rising cost of fuel. Shame on them!!!!
Not only that Sunmart stores are also involved in rackets that do credit card fraud, like using stolen credit card numbers at their stores. Clearly there is a pattern to criminal activity.
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