A family from Blackburn has been prohibited from using more than a thousand petrol stations across the UK for 19 months, following a bitter dispute over an alleged unpaid fuel bill of just £20.01.
The Disputed Transaction and Immediate Fallout
The controversy began when Amjad Khan was accused of driving away from an Esso petrol station in Manchester without paying for fuel worth £20.01. The family, however, is adamant that they paid for the petrol in cash at the time. Despite their protests, the security firm VARS Technology, which operates automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems for forecourts, pursued the claim.
The company demanded payment for the fuel plus a £30 administration fee, bringing the total demanded to £50.01. When the family challenged the accusation, they found themselves barred from a network of over 1,000 participating petrol stations. The family has described the experience as deeply embarrassing and labelled VARS Technology's approach as "intimidating, aggressive and having zero customer support".
Wider Complaints and Company Defence
This case is not isolated. Other drivers have come forward accusing the same security company of issuing what they call "false" fuel theft debts and proceeding aggressively to debt collection. One affected individual stated the process caused significant stress, leading them to pay the disputed debt to a collection firm, DCBL, simply to "just move on from it".
They criticised the firm's tactics, saying: "They just steamrolled on to debt collection and should have stopped the process as soon as they received the appeal." The emotional toll was severe, with one person's wife reportedly unable to discuss the situation without becoming highly stressed.
In response, a spokesperson for VARS Technology defended its systems. "We completely refute the suggestion that our market-leading ANPR system is unreliable," they said, attributing such claims to a "false and unsubstantiated claim from a former employee".
The company emphasised that its technology holds Police Preferred Specification accreditation and is trusted by thousands of stations, often small family-run businesses, to combat drive-offs which threaten their viability. They acknowledged that incidents like the Khan family's are rare and stated they aim to resolve them "promptly and fairly".
Lasting Impact and Unresolved Conflict
For Amjad Khan and his family, the ban, which lasted from the incident in 2024 until recently, has been a source of ongoing inconvenience and distress. The dispute highlights the powerful role of private ANPR security networks and the significant consequences for drivers caught in their processes, even over relatively small sums of money.
The case raises questions about the balance between protecting retailers from fuel theft and ensuring fair, transparent processes for motorists who dispute charges. With the family still maintaining their innocence, the row over the £20.01 fuel payment continues to cast a long shadow.
