Oregon Jury Finds BP Debit Fee Unlawfully Charged

Class action suit claims BP didn’t adhere to proper notice requirements in assessing a 35 cent charge to customers who paid for gasoline with a debit card.

February 04, 2014

PORTLAND – A Multnomah County jury has found that BP West Coast Products wrongly charged 35 cents extra to Oregon consumers who paid for gasoline with a debit card at Arco station and ampm minimarkets, the Associated Press reports.

Plaintiffs in the case alleged that BP didn’t adhere to Oregon notice requirements in alerting customers of the charge, with many consumers unaware of the fee until the gas was already pumped.

Last week’s decision allows consumers who purchased gasoline between January 1, 2011, and August 31, 2013, to recover as much as $200 for BP’s violations of the Oregon Unlawful Trade Practices Act.

BP said it plans to appeal but in the interim will no longer charge the 35-cent fee while it reviews “options and alternatives.” BP emphasized that the debit card fee is not a fee on the prices of gasoline.

BP spokesman Scott Dean said the company “continues to believe that the debit card fee is a reasonable method to cover bank transaction fees and is not part of the price of gasoline or goods offered at ARCO retail locations.”

A statement from the office of lawyer David Sugerman, who brought the lawsuit, said nearly 3 million people are covered by the class action suit.

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