3 Newark Gas Stations Accused Of Overcharging Customers

NEWARK, NJ — Five gas stations in Essex County, including three in Newark, have been accused of overcharging some of their customers by selling them “regular” fuel as “premium,” authorities announced Monday.

The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said the five businesses have reached a settlement agreement for more than $138,000 with the state Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA). They include:

They include:

• Newark – KP Fuel, 864 Mt. Prospect Avenue
• Newark – BK Fuel, 108 Bloomfield Avenue
• Newark – Power Service Center, 456 W. Market Street
• Belleville – Millennium Fuel, 113-119 Franklin Street
• Belleville - DS Fuel, 605 Washington Avenue

The DCA Office of Weights and Measures and Office of Consumer Protection carried out unannounced inspections at the gas stations between July 31, 2019 and Sept. 25, 2020. The investigation concerned alleged violations of the Consumer Fraud Act; the Weights and Measures Act; the Motor Fuels Act; the Regulations Governing the Retail Sale of Motor Fuels; and the Scales, Instruments and Devices Regulations.

The total settlement of over $138,000 includes $114,200 in civil penalties and $24,319 in investigative costs and attorneys’ fees. Under the terms of the consent order, $27,519 in civil penalties are suspended and will be automatically vacated after a year if the respondents comply with the terms of the order, prosecutors said.

In addition to making a monetary payment, K.P. Fuel Corp., BK Fuel, Inc., DS Fuel Corp., Millennium Fuel, Inc., and Harb and Parm, Inc. d/b/a Power Services Center, and their owner Sukhdev Singh of Belleville, have agreed to display the accurate price of any motor fuel they offer or sell and not to misrepresent one grade of fuel as another, prosecutors said.

Under the terms of the consent order, the five gas stations also agreed to maintain weighing and measuring devices in proper operating condition, to exhibit all required documentation for inspection and examination, and to comply with all state and federal laws and regulations.

Prosecutors added:

“The majority of cars on the road today run on regular gas, but some vehicles require premium, which contains higher levels of octane and typically costs about 50 cents more per gallon. Regular gasoline in a vehicle designed to use premium can self-ignite. This can lead to a persistent knocking sound in the engine and, in severe cases, can cause significant engine damage such as broken connecting rods, melted pistons, or other damaged components.”

“New Jersey drivers should be able to fill their gas tanks without getting taken for a ride,” Acting Attorney General Andrew Bruck said. “Gas stations are on notice that we won’t stand for them cheating their customers.”

Prosecutors said that consumers who believe they have been cheated or scammed by a business, or suspect any other form of consumer abuse, can file an online complaint with the Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting its website or by calling 1-800-242-5846 to receive a complaint form by mail.

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