Chevron to pay over $140,000 for gift card redemption violations

Chevron was ordered this month to pay $141,355 as part of a settlement stemming from a complaint alleging the gas corporation had consistently failed to pay out gift cards of $10 or less.

Under California law, Chevron is required to pay in cash or check upon request to customers who have gift cards with balances under $10. The district attorneys for Yolo, Contra Costa, Riverside and Santa Cruz counties alleged that Chevron did not do so, and it also failed to charge cash prices instead of credit card prices for gift card users, as required by law.

Undercover district attorney inspectors randomly surveyed 55 Chevron stations across the state to check their gift card exchange compliance, according to a news release issued by the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office.

After Chevron was notified of the violations and, without admitting wrongdoing, agreed on Dec. 3 to the settlement, which will be split between civil penalties, restitution and costs, according to a news release issued by the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office.

Additionally, Chevron agreed to launch a compliance program that will include instructing employees to notify customers how they may exchange their gift cards for cash or checks and posting signs with that information at registers, online and on gift cards, according to the Yolo County release.

Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig lauded the result of the complaint for “protecting consumers and ensuring they are able to obtain benefits.”