“Assembly fee” after vis

[tridacna]

Perhaps the charge was for the 0.1ml of Christolube on the O-ring?

 

[Brojas]

Perhaps the charge was for the 0.1ml of Christolube on the O-ring?

I dive Atomic regs. My wallet shivers at the thought of them servicing the first stage

 

[Bob DBF]

I'd have a chat with the owner, and hope it wouldn't have to go downhill from there.


Bob

 

[tridacna]

I dive Atomic regs. My wallet shivers at the thought of them servicing the first stage

I have a B2. I too shudder at the thought of the cost of sealing that beast.

 

[Brojas]

@rhwestfall yeah, I’m just confused as I’ve gotten a few certs from them, and was very satisfied with my instuctor. I haven’t really purchased gear from them, as the price hasn’t been competitive enough. It seems like they do a decent amount of classes, and sell an ok amount of mask/snorkel/fin packages. To nickel and dime a repeat customer has me scratching my head

 

[noj3333]

We’re they also O2 cleaned?

Yes... what's 'typical' cost for 02 cleaninng and a Visual inspection?

The valves we both purchased brand new (sellers cost), so did they even need 02 cleaning??

 

[guruboy]

Yes... what's 'typical' cost for 02 cleaninng and a Visual inspection?

The valves we both purchased brand new (sellers cost), so did they even need 02 cleaning??

$100 for two tanks O2 cleaned is cheap.

 

[tbone1004]

Perhaps the charge was for the 0.1ml of Christolube on the O-ring?

if they lubed the o-ring then you need to go somewhere else asap as those are not supposed to be lubed. You can lube the threads, but you don't lube the o-ring.

@Brojas for your regs, send them to AirTech, won't be disappointed.

new tanks come O2 cleaned from the factory, no need to "reclean" them.... More importantly, if that charge was for any of this stuff, then it should be itemized as such not put in as an "assembly fee". Fee of $25 implies at least 20 minutes of labor which is more than a total duration of a VIP so they are definitely gouging you for something and I would very much recommend you specify the dive shop so others won't get ripped off.

 

[tridacna]

if they lubed the o-ring then you need to go somewhere else asap as those are not supposed to be lubed. You can lube the threads, but you don't lube the o-ring

That was my bad attempt at a joke.

 

[stuartv]

$25 for a viz, per tank? Shown on receipt as "assembly", but he asked for, and presumably got, a VIP (i.e. including a new, current VIP sticker). That doesn't sound unreasonable to me, at all.

It seems like the only thing they might have done differently, MAYBE, is tell him "these are brand new and don't need a VIP" and saved him that money. But, since he brought them in with the valves off and they had to put them together (as trivial as that is), I can't see faulting them TOO much. Especially if he got a new, current shop's VIP sticker on each tank. And especially since maybe the only way they could be sure of saying "these don't need a VIP" is by ... visually inspecting them....

Personally, I would have put the valves on and then just taken them in and asked for a fill. Given what the OP says he did and asked for, $38 per tank for a VIP and a fill sounds pretty normal, to me. Not knocking the OP at all, by the way! He AND the shop both sound pretty reasonable in their actions, I think.