22.12.2025 21:10
Despite the family's claim that they paid a £20 fuel charge in cash, they have been blacklisted for "fuel acquisition without payment" through the license plate recognition system, bringing to light the grievances caused by automatic monitoring systems once again. The family has been unable to obtain fuel from more than 1,300 gas stations in the past year.
Amjad Khan and his family, living in Blackburn, England, found themselves unexpectedly caught in a legal and digital sanction process after purchasing fuel for only £20 (approximately 1150 TL).
CASH PAYMENT MADE, BLACKLISTED
The family, who stated that they paid for the petrol they purchased at the gas station in cash, was blacklisted through an automatic system under the claim that the payment was not made. In the official notification sent to the family by the station owner company, an additional administrative fee of £30 was demanded on top of the £20 fuel cost.
FUEL BAN AT OVER 1300 STATIONS
While the appeal process continues, Amjad Khan and his family became unable to obtain fuel at more than 1300 gas stations where the company's license plate recognition system is installed. The family, who entered the station with their vehicle, stated that the system triggered an automatic alarm and they could not receive service. A family member, Nasim Khan, explained that this situation seriously affected their daily lives, and they could not visit their son living in London due to the fear of running out of fuel on the road.
CONTRADICTORY EVIDENCE AFTER A YEAR
Amjad Khan requested the review of the station's camera recordings to prove that the payment was made, but this request was not met for a long time. As the process dragged on, the debt amount increased to £140, which is approximately 8000 TL.
During a mediation meeting held about a year later, the company presented an image obtained from the license plate recognition system and a handwritten note kept by a station employee as evidence. However, the Khan family argued that these two documents did not match each other. According to the claim, the note stated that the vehicle left the station at 22:28, while the camera footage showed the vehicle still refueling at 22:31.
LAWSUIT FILED, COMPANY BACKS DOWN
A lawsuit was filed against the Khan family, but it was learned that the company withdrew its complaint when the trial day arrived. After the incident was reported in the media, other drivers who experienced similar grievances also came forward. A former company employee who spoke to Guardian Money claimed that there were serious issues with the company's license plate recognition software and that these problems had been known since at least 2023. However, the company denied the allegations, asserting that their systems are "one of the most advanced solutions on the market."