Dr. Jay
Contributor
How often does a tank need a VIP?
Say, maybe, a standard AL 80.
Say, maybe, a standard AL 80.
Tanks
- Thread starter Dr. Jay
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OP
Dr. Jay
Contributor
Ok....I knew the answer....just wanted to hear it from someone else. So....here's the story....
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I stop into Divers Direct last Tuesday with FallenMatt, and we drop off 3 tanks to get them filled. I come back on Friday to pick them up, and there's a tag on my tank (the one I bought from Diver's Direct!) in December of last year.
So...I'm a little suspicious when the tag says they replaced the o-ring. I ask the l a d y about the tank, and she looks down at the tag and goes...
"Oh...yeah....your tank needed a VIP."
So, of course I'm wondering, why in the heck are you doing a VIP on a tank I bought from you 6 months ago!
I made this aware to her, and she just kinda blew me off at first. When she rang me up she told me...
"Since we're not sure about the whole VIP thing, I'll give you half off the VIP, and only charge you for 1 tank fill."
Oh...ok...real nice. I find out the charge $16 for a VIP, so I'm paying $7 for an uneeded VIP, and $4 for a tank fill (when I should only be paying $2 for my tank fill with my Diver's Direct card). My bill comes out to like $12.95, when it only should have been half that. Her consolation was "Well, at least you don't need a VIP now for another year". <sarcastic laugh>
I really didn't want to start an argument with the lady, since I was running late for work anyway.
This is Diver's Direct on I-Drive in Orlando, for any of those who have had similar experiences with them
.
-edit:
So, anyone think I got took?
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I stop into Divers Direct last Tuesday with FallenMatt, and we drop off 3 tanks to get them filled. I come back on Friday to pick them up, and there's a tag on my tank (the one I bought from Diver's Direct!) in December of last year.
So...I'm a little suspicious when the tag says they replaced the o-ring. I ask the l a d y about the tank, and she looks down at the tag and goes...
"Oh...yeah....your tank needed a VIP."
So, of course I'm wondering, why in the heck are you doing a VIP on a tank I bought from you 6 months ago!
I made this aware to her, and she just kinda blew me off at first. When she rang me up she told me...
"Since we're not sure about the whole VIP thing, I'll give you half off the VIP, and only charge you for 1 tank fill."
Oh...ok...real nice. I find out the charge $16 for a VIP, so I'm paying $7 for an uneeded VIP, and $4 for a tank fill (when I should only be paying $2 for my tank fill with my Diver's Direct card). My bill comes out to like $12.95, when it only should have been half that. Her consolation was "Well, at least you don't need a VIP now for another year". <sarcastic laugh>
I really didn't want to start an argument with the lady, since I was running late for work anyway.
This is Diver's Direct on I-Drive in Orlando, for any of those who have had similar experiences with them
.-edit:
So, anyone think I got took?
double125's
Guest
Bummer, If it were me I would never set foot in that shop ever again. Even if you have to pay more for your fills I would not give a buisness like that my money. Of course I would speak to the owner / manager first to try and get it settled and find out what there reasoning was.May have been a simple screwup and they will make it up to you. If not go with the other plan.
Was there a chance the cylinder was empty when you took it in? Otherwise they may have done the visual inspections on their inventory cylinders months before you purchased it. Do you know the month and year punched on your previous VIP sticker?
This isn't the first time that I have heard of this shop doing VIP's at the drop of a hat.
Do you happen to know the month that was checked off on your VIP sticker on you tank? Was it a nitrox tank that you were getting an air fill in? They have a 'policy' to do a VIP on any tank marked nitrox that someone brings in to get filled with air.
If its none of the above, go back and complain, in person. Also I would have asked to see the o-ring that they removed and replaced. My Dad taught me that when you ever have work on something done (ie, your car, etc) to ask for the parts that are replaced back.
Do you happen to know the month that was checked off on your VIP sticker on you tank? Was it a nitrox tank that you were getting an air fill in? They have a 'policy' to do a VIP on any tank marked nitrox that someone brings in to get filled with air.
If its none of the above, go back and complain, in person. Also I would have asked to see the o-ring that they removed and replaced. My Dad taught me that when you ever have work on something done (ie, your car, etc) to ask for the parts that are replaced back.
OP
Dr. Jay
Contributor
Well...I'm 100% sure the sticker was up-to-date on the tank when I got it for Christmas last year. They have a method of using a hole punch to punch through the sticker before they put it on the tank.
My best guess is, that somehow someone marked on it with a black marker (and since my tank is black, it kinda meshed with the hole that was punched), and they assumed that it was out of VIP. Hmmm....could have been a little mark made by one of the employees there before...maybe a conspiracy....
You would think they would have gone through a little more trouble to determine the exact expiration for a VIP on a tank that was purchased from them with their VIP sticker.
Anyway, the place does have decent prices for tire air fills, which is pretty much the only thing kept me going back. I need to attach a picture of a diver outfitted with all of their equipment that they have out in front of the store (Hey Wendy, he's wearing a HUB, holstering a Spare Air, got a HUGE knife around his lower leg, etc. etc.)
I guess this is kinda a rant long coming. There's only maybe 1 or 2 cool guys that work in there (if I remember correctly one of them is named Blake or something). It seems every time I go in there it's like I don't exist. You have to stand at the front register for like 5 min. before anyone comes up to you, and the people generally can't tell the difference between a tank valve and a rock.
Ah....nope....the cylinder had about 1200 psi in it when I brought it in...I'm 100% positive cuz I tested it with my BP when I found out the inflator was sticking....but that's another story altogether
My best guess is, that somehow someone marked on it with a black marker (and since my tank is black, it kinda meshed with the hole that was punched), and they assumed that it was out of VIP. Hmmm....could have been a little mark made by one of the employees there before...maybe a conspiracy
....You would think they would have gone through a little more trouble to determine the exact expiration for a VIP on a tank that was purchased from them with their VIP sticker.
Anyway, the place does have decent prices for tire air fills, which is pretty much the only thing kept me going back. I need to attach a picture of a diver outfitted with all of their equipment that they have out in front of the store (Hey Wendy, he's wearing a HUB, holstering a Spare Air, got a HUGE knife around his lower leg, etc. etc.
)I guess this is kinda a rant long coming. There's only maybe 1 or 2 cool guys that work in there (if I remember correctly one of them is named Blake or something). It seems every time I go in there it's like I don't exist. You have to stand at the front register for like 5 min. before anyone comes up to you, and the people generally can't tell the difference between a tank valve and a rock.
Ah....nope....the cylinder had about 1200 psi in it when I brought it in...I'm 100% positive cuz I tested it with my BP when I found out the inflator was sticking....but that's another story altogether
scubasean
Contributor
I would have thought that they would have cleared the extra charge with you prior to incurring it.
On the other hand, the extra cost was under $10....not a big risk there.
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I would have called in later to work and went round and round with whoever was manager and/or gave the tank a visual. It should have been checked when it was dropped off and if it needed a vis, you should have been told then.
If I'm not mistaken this is the same ones that sold a friend a 63 cu ft tank and convinced him that it was the same as an 80 because they were both filled to 3000 psi.
If I'm not mistaken this is the same ones that sold a friend a 63 cu ft tank and convinced him that it was the same as an 80 because they were both filled to 3000 psi.
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