Woman Goes To 7-Eleven To Fill Up. Then She Learns Why She Only Goes To Costco For Gas: 'Still Being Charged'

When you go to fill up your gas tank, you expect it to be pretty simple: You pump your gas and pay for it and then go on your merry way. But that’s not what this woman says happened when she pulled up to her local 7-Eleven. 

Things got more complicated and made her regret not just going to her tried-and-true Costco for gas. The gas station worker only made matters worse.

7-Eleven Gas Fill-Up Gone Wrong

In a viral video with more than 1.6 million views, content creator Jay Elle (@jay.elle.aye) shared what happened when she ended up with a malfunctioning pump while trying to fill up at a 7-Eleven. 

"This why I usually only go to Costco," the text overlay on the video reads.

In the video, she's shown holding the pump handle with no fuel visibly coming out. Fuel shouldn’t come out while the pump isn’t in the car, but what’s weird about it is that the computer seems to think gas is coming out, and it’s charging her for it. 

In the video, you can see that the total on the display was climbing up, albeit slowly. 

She flagged the issue to an attendee, telling him, "No gas coming out of here, still being charged."

The attendee refused to help.

"Not my issue ... I'm sorry. This not my issue," he said.

"Gas already too high for y'all to still be tryna play in my face, fr. Gas pump not even giving gas out and I'm being charged," she wrote in the caption.

Gallery: Beware Gas Pump Rip-offs Over Labor Day Weekend

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What's Wrong With The 7-Eleven Gas Pump?

This has a name in the fuel industry: "pump jumping." Pump jumping is when charges get processed before fuel actually starts flowing, so a customer pays for gas they never got, Fuel Logic explained. 

A 2025 estimate found roughly 1 in 5 gas stations in Houston had at least one faulty pump exhibiting this exact issue. Other warning signs of a faulty pump include slow or inconsistent flow, a pump that fails to shut off automatically, and leakage around the nozzle or hose. 

The causes range from mechanical wear and sensor failures to electrical glitches, fuel line blockages, and even tampering. If a pump does something like this, the recommended steps are to document everything (photos of the pump number, station name, time, and the display showing the charge), report it immediately to the station manager, and, if needed, file a complaint with a state weights and measures office.

Pump accuracy in the U.S. falls under state-level regulation, often coordinated through the National Institute of Standards and Technology. If a vehicle is damaged or a customer is out money, seeking direct compensation from the station or filing a small claim is also an option.

Federal standards technically require pumps to start dispensing fuel the moment the price meter starts, NBC News reported. But enforcement depends heavily on local weights and measures inspectors, and understaffed offices in some areas have historically fallen short of even annual inspection requirements. NBC notes that a bad check valve doesn't necessarily benefit the gas station since it can just as easily shortchange the retailer as the customer. 

'Void That Transaction And Report Him'

The comments section was full of people sharing their takes and urging her to take action against the 7-Eleven.

"That's definitely his issue,” a top comment read.

“Call the police, get a report and call your bank,” a person suggested.

"File a complaint with your state's Division of Weights and Measures. They will take this very seriously,” another wrote.

Motor1 reached out to Jay Elle via TikTok direct message and comment and to 7-Eleven via email. We'll be sure to update this if either responds.