A cell phone video showing a problem at a gas station in Hacienda Heights went viral after a customer appeared to be racking up charges without receiving any gas.
"I kind of pulled the nozzle out and noticed no gas coming out," Victor Urena, the customer who recorded the video, says.
The video shows the charges continuing to rise with no gas coming out of the pump, which is commonly known as "meter creep."
Urena says, "I was like, 'What the heck?' I pulled the nozzle back and reached for my cell phone and go, 'I'm going to record this because they're not going to believe me when I go inside.'"
Urena says when he told the attendant what had happened, he was denied a refund. But with gas prices on the rise for a sixth time this week, he decided he wasn't giving up.
Urena posted the video on social media, before filing a complaint with Arco and LA County Weights and Measures, the department that regulates all gas pumps in the county.
Within 24 hours, inspectors arrived onsite. The inspectors said they couldn't find the problem but replaced the hose and nozzle anyway.
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"These are moving parts," Chris Rodriguez, a technician, says. "It's exactly what it is -- wear and tear. It can happen at any station."
Rodriguez adds, "That's typically what causes the meter creep. It's not uncommon."
The owner of the gas station told NBC4 that he just inspected the pumps last week and didn't find anything wrong. He also had a change of heart with regards to Urena's request for a refund.
"They gave me my full refund," Urena says.
But, Urena is now encouraging others to pay attention at the pump.
He says, "Watch when you're pumping. If you feel something is not right, double check it. Record it, because a lot of people don't believe you."
