Why would a dive shop want to buy my used tanks or not?

[Eric Sedletzky]

I'm a little perplexed. Do LDS buy used tanks or are given them for pennies?

Long Story
I went in to my LDS to get hydro done on a HP80. I was selling it for 150 + hydro covered by buyer. The dives hop said they'd buy it in a heartbeat at that price. I let them know I was about to start selling a lot of my tanks HP80, HP100, LP85s, LP95s. They said they were interested and could work out a deal. Like swapping for cash, dive gear, etc.

So I called them and confirmed they were still interested in HP80s, HP100, LP85s, LP95. They said bring it all in and they were interested. So today I did and they looked, but were not interested in the LP85s or LP95s at all. For the HP80s and HP100s they were interested. But they offered $300 of air fills and boat tickets for 1xHP80 and 2xHP100.

I can easily sell HP80s for $150 and HP100s for $200. So that's a $500 value at minimum. They said they could buy the HPs new for the same price I'm offering... So I brought the 8 tanks in for no reason... I suspect they were trying to get a really good deal on them to rent them out. Using store credit/cash allows them to get a "discount" on what I'm offering. However, at the very beginning the $150 for a HP80 they said they'd buy that in a heartbeat. And now not so much... I'm so confused on why they wasted my time for no reason.

Any thoughts would be helpful

It sounds to me like they were a little vague and slippery about it and borderline con artist.
You also have to realize that a shop isn’t going to pay a used retail price for tanks, they will pay a wholesale used price so there is some markup otherwise it’s a no money maker waste of time for them. The perk is that you don’t have to deal with the people and the tanks are out of your life. I would have insisted from the get go that you were only interested in a cash out. Trading retail prices on goods and services from them to pay wholesale to you is a little shrewd too IMO, but you went to them, they didn’t come to you.
But they should have been a straight up about it from the first contact and more professional IMO, and not wasted your time. Did you talk to the same person when you went in that you spoke to on the phone? That could be part of it.

 

[napDiver]

Did you talk to the same person when you went in that you spoke to on the phone? That could be part of it.

Each instance was talking to the shop owner... If I was to put look at it from his side, maybe he had no idea what the tank prices are that he buys them for / sells them for / rents them for. And finally looked right before I came by. Then realized it wasn't worth it. EIther that or he's slimy

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Occam’s razor says the latter. A dive shop should understand the current value of steel tanks, at least approximately.

Bait and switch.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

He knows what they go for.
I think it’s just a case of slimebaggery.

 

[Cabg]

+2 for slimey
We all know ball park price for steel tanks
If you own a shop and don’t know, your an idiot