St. Charles customers of BP gas stations can file a claim for the "bad gas" the company sold throughout the region from its Whiting refinery in Indiana.

Some of the symptoms of the "misformulated" gasoline are "starting hard, stalling, rough idling," according to a story in the Chicago Tribune. The story says repair bills usually are in the range of $300 to $1,200.

In a press release Wednesday, BP said it has posted an interactive retail site list at www.bpresponse.com for consumers who suspect they purchased off-specification gasoline in Indiana, the Chicago area and the Milwaukee area during the past two weeks.

All gasoline now shipped from the BP Whiting Refinery and its network of storage terminals has been tested, meets BP’s rigorous quality standards and is authorized for sale. Calls into BP’s dedicated claims center are trending lower than last week.

Of the 8,600 claims being processed, 64 percent are from Indiana residents. Illinois residents have filed 28 percent of the claims, and Wisconsin residents have filed 5 percent of the claims.  An additional 3 percent of claimants are believed to have traveled through the three-state region when the off-specification fuel was in circulation.

The company also has started a print and radio advertising campaign to try to reach as many potentially impacted consumers as possible.

BP has begun paying claims and expects payments to accelerate throughout the week as claimant receipts begin arriving by mail. To speed up the payment process, BP is accepting sales receipts, credit/debit card records and repair bills electronically. The company now has 159 call center operators and 140 claims adjusters in place to serve consumers.

Any consumer who purchased off-specification fuel and needs to file a claim should call 1-800-599-9040 to speak promptly with a claims representative. Consumers also can access information and submit an online inquiry at www.bpresponse.com.

"BP sells more than 50 million gallons of quality gasoline in the United States every day and we guarantee every gallon we sell," the company said in a statement. "We are committed to working with every affected BP consumer to make good on our guarantee."

The following is a list of area BP stations that sold the gasoline. The Lincoln Highway BP is the one most associated with Geneva, although it is officially in the St. Charles city limits.

To file a claim: 

You may call 1-800-599-9040. There are 80 representatives accepting calls and completing consumers claim intake forms. If you report a claim, a claim number will be provided and subsequently you will be contacted by a claims adjuster. The Claim Intake Center is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week until further notice. 

You also may download a claim form here (PDF). The form can be printed, completed and emailed to BP at bpfuelclaims@bp.com or mailed to BP Fuel Claims, P.O. Box 1148, Hammond, LA  70404

Further Information: BP Claims
Phone: 800-599-9040
Email: bpfuelclaims@bp.com

SOURCES: BPresponse.com, The Chicago Tribune