Pre-1989 AL tank exchange program

[Web Monkey]

So instead you would rather piss a customer off and potentially lose their business. My suggestion above does not cost the shop anything except some time. Also there is huge diference between charity, taking a loss and doing things to keep your customer base.

They didn't make the tank, why should they take a hit when you want to replace it?

When my water heater died, Home Depot didn't jump up and offer me a new one at cost.

Terry

 

[do it easy]

When my water heater died, Home Depot didn't jump up and offer me a new one at cost.

Those greedy B*****!!! Imagine that- they would prey on the unsuspecting home owner, who happens to be addicted to hot water, and that they would try to STEAL his hard earned cash, right at the time when he is down and out. :no

If I were you, I would keep shopping around until you found a retailer that was willing to give you a water heater for free. (or at least somewhere near the market price )

 

[Scared Silly]

They didn't make the tank, why should they take a hit when you want to replace it?

When my water heater died, Home Depot didn't jump up and offer me a new one at cost.

I do not want to replace the cylinder - IT IS PERFECTABLY SERVICABLE!!!!!


Perhaps this will make sense:

The gas company says your water water heater is 20 years old they will not give you gas for it cause there is a "chance" of failure. Or how about this your refrigerator is 20 years old and is too inefficient so power company is not going to give you electricity.

 

[royalediver]

and my 87 Escort won't start, will Ford give me a new one?

 

[wedivebc]

So instead you would rather piss a customer off and potentially lose their business. My suggestion above does not cost the shop anything except some time. Also there is huge diference between charity, taking a loss and doing things to keep your customer base.

BTW yesterday I walked into one of my local shops to have some hose gaurds put on some replacement hoses. They got one of the fancy tools that makes it much easier than DIY. The hoses I did not buy from them though the gaurds I did - years ago. I asked them what I owed them for their time they did it for free - little things like that go along ways.

Most customers recognise that both time and material is worth something so if a customer walks away pissed off because I didn't give them something for nothing then so long...
I think it is every dive shop's perogative to refuse to fill whatever tanks they wish and if they are willing to offer replacement tanks that their cost, good on them.
I don't see a scam being pulled here at all.

 

[Scared Silly]

what you are suggesting is pretty much what Mike was offering.

I'm amazed how many people thought he was pulling something, he sure wasn't.

Chris,

As others have pointed out a new Luxfer is $130 with trade in it is $120. So they are giving $10 for a cylinder that you can probably get $15 for it as scrap. So the bottomline is that in reality it is not costing them anything. In fact, they might even be making more off the customer.

I know the margin on cylinders is very low and I would not doubt that $120 is near the cylinder cost plus the shipping. All shops like Mike's needs to do is dropped the "nominal fee" to the near the zero cost level and return the nonservicable cylinder the customer and they would meet my challenge. After all this is for the good of the community ...

And hey if customer wants the shop to dispose it for them by all means but hopefully the shop is honest enough tell them that they could get $15 at a scrap yard. As not propigate misinformation like:

"For the safety of our fill technicians and the diving community in general; We will no longer fill aluminum tanks that were manufactured prior to 1989."

The lack of safety is in not properly inspecting cylinders.

 

[Scared Silly]

Most customers recognise that both time and material is worth something so if a customer walks away pissed off because I didn't give them something for nothing then so long...

I don't see a scam being pulled here at all.

Who is asking for anything free? All I am trying to do is get my recently hydro's, VIP, and eddy current tested 6351 cylinder filled will a little gas.

It is the shops that are trying to take my cash by saying my cylinder is "dangerous" and then sell me a knew one. That is the scam. (Especially because their "nominal fee" fee costs me more than scrapping it my self).

The last time I bought a cylinder the shop offered a VIP, to installed a valve, and to fill it all for free. (I declined cause I was getting on an airplane). Seems most shops offer this when you buy a cylinder. So what is the shop really losing?


BTW I do not own a 6351 but I have filled them.

I think it is every dive shop's perogative to refuse to fill whatever tanks they wish and if they are willing to offer replacement tanks that their cost, good on them.

Absolutely and it is every mfg. right to refuse to sell them cylinders. And if I was working for Luxfer or Catalina I would be reviewing my sales with such shops. And if I was feeling really testy I would give a call to my legal counsel if I thought the misinformation was damaging enough.

 

[tridacna]

It's all in the language. NES portrayed their "offer" as nominal. A" service" to help us out. BS. It's a business deallain and simple. I don't mind anyone making a profit. Just call it like it is. Cut the crap.

You have an old cylinder. We'll sell you a new one. And scrap your old one. Finis.

Instead they couch the offer as an act of kindness. Hooey.

 

[fringefan]

The only tanks to my knowledge are the Luxfer tanks that had this problem and there have been 13 tanks world wide that blew up. From what I have been told Luxfer also owns the rights to the equipment for the eddy current testing and lobbied the DOT to change the regulation on the testing for these tanks. In my mind they hedged their bets so they could profit from their own mistake at the costs of consumers.

If you think about it; they not only profited from the sale of these tanks and prevented a recall but they also had a hand in the tight scrutiny of these tanks which they will also profit from.