Have you been scammed at the dive shop on tank service work?

[Eric Sedletzky]

Dive shops don't like guys like me because I always like to learn about tanks and and other scuba equipment and how to service all of it to a proficient level by whatever means available to me, which normally means way more that your average dive shop employee.

The last time I took a tank into the LDS for a VIP and fill, the girl working there looked inside and told me it needed to be tumbled. This was a steel tank BTW, and all it had was a hazing of red, no pits. So I asked her how much to do that and it was something like 60 to 90 dollars, I can't remember exactly.
I said I would take care of it.
I did a little research and talked to a few people and before the day was out I had made two tank cleaning tools that I still use today.
I scrubbed the inside of that tank spotless and took it back.
The sales girl wanted to know what miracle method was used to get the tank so clean so fast. I told her I found a place but I wouldn't tell her anymore than that. I wasn't in a talkative mood.
She slapped a sticker on the tank and filled it for $20.
I did all the work cleaning the tank and she got $20 for 30 seconds worth of work and a fill.
I also mentioned that I had bought the tank there one year ago brand new and they were the only place that ever filled it. At that time I was loyal to them. It was their compressor that put the water into my tank. She didn't have a reply.
I haven't been back since.

I've taken my tanks to other dive shops exclusively and everytime I check them now they are still spotless year after year. That's another thing I look for in a dive shop now is how clean their air is.
Plus some shops short fill which pisses me off, especially when they cop an attitude when I ask to get them topped.

Currently:
I found a place that hydros my tanks for $18. I do all my own VIP's, valve services, and tank cleaning.

 

[eelnoraa]

ZKY, where of NorCal are you at? can you tell me where to do hydro for $18? The cheapeast place I found in SF bay area is $35.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

ZKY, where of NorCal are you at? can you tell me where to do hydro for $18? The cheapeast place I found in SF bay area is $35.

Fire Safety Supply
468 Yolanda Ave.
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
(707) 575-9117

The other place I was going to was Santa Rosa Fire Equipment in Rohnert Park, but I think they are in cahoots with a dive shop because their hydro's went from $20 to $38 dollars. I asked them about it and the only reason they gave me was that (they claim) DOT is requiring them to VIP tanks ($18 additional and no airfill) and slap a sticker on them before they leave.
I asked the other hydro place about it and they said they were full of crap, there is no such rule, they are just trying to get more money for something that they've always had to do and is part of a hydro anyway (minus sticker).
The guy at SR fire also told me that I could go to a dive shop (like the one across the freeway - yeah right!) and have it VIP'd before I brought it in for a hydro and that would suffice. And I'm supposed to believe the dive shop across the freeway didn't get in his ear?
Anybody knows that a VIP (with sticker) is done AFTER a hydro to check for flash rust, not before. The before check is something that hydro facilities do as part of the hydro to make sure the tank is not so badly rusted that it might fail because of a pit.
So hydro places are in on the scam too, be careful.

 

[Mitchell Teeters]

That does sound expensive, are you sure nothing else was needed/done? o2 clean, tumble, valve rebuilt/parts?

Most places here charge around $45, that's hydro/VIP/air fill
And now that I am on prices, vis is usually about $15 bucks, including an air fill, which costs 5 bucks, and you wanna tell me this is expensive??? Once a year??? Give me a break!!!

Of course someone will want to say... well, but if you have an x amount of tanks that's 15 times x, it gets expensive.
More tanks = more time spent = more parts, simple math.

Of course the Viz was included in that. which at $15 is still $35. I met the guys that did my tank last w/e. It won't happen again for sure.

 

[GROBIOG]

...
So hydro places are in on the scam too, be careful...

Be v.e.r.y careful, it's all part of a big conspiracy, aliens, they're watching... I'm outta here man!!! aranoid:

 

[chrpai]

Here in Austin the dive shops seem to charge their cost or add $2 at most. The reason I skipped the LDS and went to the hydro place is a long story.

Going to the hydro place was far easier then I expected. I can imagine pre-internet it would have been more challenging. I found the name of the company on SB, googled them and realized there were just 3 miles from where I work. A quick run over during lunch to drop them off and another run to pick them up and $18 on my credit card.

 

[elan]

The shops suppose to do the VIP before and after the hydro. Before just to see if the hydro is worth doing at all.
I recently thew away a couple of 72 s. with badly damaged threads before sending them to hydro as they wod not pass VIP anyways.
And after to check if the hydro exposed any issues and stamp the stiker. Although a vip is part of the requalification at the hydro facility. So they should not charge anything extra for that.

 

[Skooter]

Fire Safety Supply
468 Yolanda Ave.
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
(707) 575-9117

The other place I was going to was Santa Rosa Fire Equipment in Rohnert Park, but I think they are in cahoots with a dive shop because their hydro's went from $20 to $38 dollars. I asked them about it and the only reason they gave me was that (they claim) DOT is requiring them to VIP tanks ($18 additional and no airfill) and slap a sticker on them before they leave.
I asked the other hydro place about it and they said they were full of crap, there is no such rule, they are just trying to get more money for something that they've always had to do and is part of a hydro anyway (minus sticker).
The guy at SR fire also told me that I could go to a dive shop (like the one across the freeway - yeah right!) and have it VIP'd before I brought it in for a hydro and that would suffice. And I'm supposed to believe the dive shop across the freeway didn't get in his ear?
Anybody knows that a VIP (with sticker) is done AFTER a hydro to check for flash rust, not before. The before check is something that hydro facilities do as part of the hydro to make sure the tank is not so badly rusted that it might fail because of a pit.
So hydro places are in on the scam too, be careful.

The bold statement above is very true! FYI I am a shop owner who does in house hydro/vis for $20, want it filled kick in another $5 and your all set. I cannot believe the stories I hear from other locations across the country about how much bs is spread about cylinder testing. Unbelievably I still have customers complain about my pricing even though we hydro and return their tanks in less than a day.

 

[GROBIOG]

... Unbelievably I still have customers complain about my pricing even though we hydro and return their tanks in less than a day...

If YOU PAY them $20 to have THEIR tanks inspected at your facility, soon they would complain the drive is too far for them to bring the tanks to you.

Less than a day is less than optimal, I'm showing up 10 min before you close and want my tanks hydro/vip/o2 clean and filled, I gotta make a phone call and be right back to pick them up.
What you mean you can't do it????

What is it they say.... you offer them a hand, they demand your arm. Is that right?

 

[DivingIvan]

Tell me if this sounds right. I have 10 tanks total. 5 steel (nitrox), 3 alum 80 (nitrox), 1 alum 63, and 1 alum pony (nitrox) that all need Hydros. I asked a LDS how much to get these hydro and he gave me the standard $47 for the Hydro/vip/air fill but then he told me that my nitrox tanks would need to be o2 cleaned again at a price of $30 each because the valves get removed . That is $77 for the already o2 cleaned tanks each. When I asked him why the tanks needed to get o2 cleaned again and if the valves also needed to get o2 cleaned, he told me that any time you take the valves off, the tank and valve has to get o2 cleaned again because of impurities in the air.

Is this right? I don't recall this being the practice as of 5 years ago when I had the tanks hydro'd last.