NORFOLK, Va. — The rising cost of gas isn't the only concern coming from the 7-Eleven by Tidewater Drive and East Bayview Boulevard in the Ocean View area of Norfolk.
A woman, who wished to stay anonymous, described filling up about four gallons of regular unleaded gas on the morning of May 27. She recounted what happened just a few minutes later.
"The car started sputtering. All these lights came on on my dashboard. And then, the car just died. I had to pull over quickly to the side and put my hazard lights on," she said. She said the car felt sluggish on the rest of her drive to work.
Her husband, who also wanted to stay anonymous, said they had the car taken to the dealership over the weekend.
"Because we had days and days of rain, they said if the containers aren't sealed properly, that sometimes happens. Sure enough, they sent me photos of the water in the gas when they ran the test," he said.
So far, mechanics billed them $1,104.37.
The couple believes water leaked into the 7-Eleven location's gas containers.
"It's amazing. Four-and-a-half gallons worth of gas cost $1,100. It just shouldn't. That's not right," the woman said.
She and her husband visited the store on Wednesday, where they said a manager helped them out — providing information about 7-Eleven insurance and instruction.
"Everybody makes mistakes, mistakes happen, but how you resolve a mistake is really what tells me if you know a company can be trusted or not. And I really feel like [the manager] was prepared to know exactly what to do to help us," she said.
The couple hopes the company will cover the repair costs.
They said they wanted to share their story to call attention to the situation, in case others may have experienced the same thing.
Additionally, the Norfolk woman described something she is thankful for.
"I kept my receipt, which I don't always take from the gas station but that day, I did," she said. And she urged others to do the same, in case mix-ups or mistakes happen.
The 7-Eleven store manager declined to comment. Requests for comment from the corporate office and have not yet been answered.