A family from Blackburn say they were barred from more than 1,000 petrol stations for 19 months after being falsely accused of fuel theft. Amjad Khan and his wife Nasim were told they owed £20.01 for fuel they claim they paid for in cash at an Esso station in Manchester in July 2023.
VARS Technology, which provides automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras and debt recovery services to one in eight UK petrol stations, added a £30 admin fee, demanding £50.01. The company operates at over 1,300 forecourts, including those of Asda, EG Group and Valli Forecourts, leaving the couple unable to refuel their car.
Nasim described the experience as “embarrassing”, saying an alarm triggered like an “armed raid” whenever they drove onto a forecourt with VARS’ system. The couple feared visiting their son in London, worried they would be stranded without fuel. Amjad requested video evidence from VARS but says he never received it.
Debt recovery firm DCBL later demanded £140.01. At a mediation hearing, VARS presented a still image of Amjid dispensing fuel and a handwritten note claiming he drove off at 10.28pm, while the ANPR image showed him at 10.31pm. Amjad said the timeline “made no sense”. VARS discontinued its court claim just before a hearing in February 2024.
Other customers have reported similar issues. Angela Binns was accused of theft at an Esso in Leeds despite having a bank statement proving payment. Her husband said VARS “steamrolled on to debt collection” and they paid to avoid stress. A former VARS employee told the Guardian the ANPR software is “terrible” and known to be problematic since 2023.
VARS Technology refuted the claims, calling its system “market-leading” and dismissing the former employee’s statement as “false and unsubstantiated”. The company said it is trusted by the industry.
