Argon pricing???

[performance]

Well, after about 12 years with an account with Airgas, my lease bottles came up for their yearly renewal. I have 4 full size cylinders, and 3 of them are on the same renewal cycle. I expected it to come this month and it did, but when I opened up the bill, I saw a 500.00+ charge. I nearly fainted, then got angry and called them up. A new kid, somewhat ill informed, told me the lease prices had risen considerably. I told him not more than DOUBLE last years. He said he'd get the boss on it, and said knew it sounded a "Little" high but not that high. I told him if the boss confirmed it, they could come and pick up my bottles (their route runs right by my shop), and I'd go with the guy just down the road who was a little higher, but NOT that HIGH. That sort of upset the kid. The boss has been there for some time. Mind you they have always treated me fair. But to even think that all the business and relationship meant so little just burned me. I repeated the "if it is even 80.00 it is too high and you can come pick them up" to the kid. About an hour later "Bobby" the store manager who has always been fair gave me a call with a new price...just under 70.00 bucks each for the year. Which is about the same as what I paid them last year... He apologized. Apparently the main office had made a mistake or something and "doubled" the price of everyone's bill. They had to go in manually and back out all the prices at the local store and mine was one that got sent out before that could be done...or something to that effect. I am not sure what really happened, but they have my business for another year.

[Rambozo]

My LWS used to offer free 30 day lease with every fill. For shops that killed a bottle a month or more it was always a great deal. Now they were bought up by Praxair, and they decided customer service wasn't something they wanted to offer anymore.

[youngnstudly]

Apparently the main office had made a mistake or something and "doubled" the price of everyone's bill. They had to go in manually and back out all the prices at the local store and mine was one that got sent out before that could be done...or something to that effect. I am not sure what really happened, but they have my business for another year.

It's nice to see how they treat longtime customers! I guess I have something to look forward to now with Airgas. You didn't happen to get a letter from the main office like the one below in regards to the mistake, did ya Mark?

"Dear Mark,

We are SO sorry you got charged double, and we fully agree that is completely outrageous and out of line! Please except my personal apology for next year's triple price hike at this time as well! It's another one of those pesky computer glitches that happens to work very well in our favor even before we send out the bill. We only meant to screw over the guys that can't badmouth us in a way which effects business greatly, and you just happened get on that list entirely by 'mistake' (read: greed)! Thank you again for your business and please tell your friends about the pleasant experience you had with us!

Your trusty Airgas Main office,
(enter name here)"

[everlastsupport]

It's nice to see how they treat longtime customers! I guess I have something to look forward to now with Airgas. You didn't happen to get a letter from the main office like the one below in regards to the mistake, did ya Mark?

"Dear Mark,

We are SO sorry you got charged double, and we fully agree that is completely outrageous and out of line! Please except my personal apology for next year's triple price hike at this time as well! It's another one of those pesky computer glitches that happens to work very well in our favor even before we send out the bill. We only meant to screw over the guys that can't badmouth us in a way which effects business greatly, and you just happened get on that list entirely by 'mistake' (read: greed)! Thank you again for your business and please tell your friends about the pleasant experience you had with us!

Your trusty Airgas Main office,
(enter name here)"

That is funny. I have only went in AirGas twice, but it sounds like the guys I met in there.. I have hear other than swear by them. Not me.

[Jason]

Man a 150CF for over $300... I paid $273 out the door for my 300 from airgas. This store also gives the first fill free when you buy the bottle. So for $273 I got a 300 bottle of argon out the door. They are doing away with the 150CF tanks and if you have one or lease one, it is only filled to that of a 125. My 125 was only like $70 cheaper. Its for my MIG and I did not want to lug another 300 around for that but it runs out too fast, he said he would allow me to upgrade it. Praxair wouldn't sell me a 300. They said the largest they will sell is the 150 and that it was $300. This is what initially sent me to Airgas.

[DaveO]

I've been keeping a watch out for customer owned bottles on CL. The trick there is to look not only in the For Sale area, but also in the Garage Sale section (someone mentioned that earlier) because when a search does not look in the Garage Sale section.

But that still hasn't helped me, and I found a site called http://www.freetoolshopper.com/ that allows you to search nationally by city and state. Didn't find anything for my area at that site either, but when a search yields no hits in your area it gives results for the entire nation... and my search for "argon" in VA yielded results in SC, CA, GA, AZ etc... which is say, locations of other members on this board. So it may be worth a look.

[Big Paulie]

I was quoted $365 for a 150CF tank out the door at Airgas in Raleigh, NC. The woman on the phone did not even know the refill price!

They have a virtual monopoly around here, so the options are limited. I have a friend with a business, and will call and reprice with his account information, expecting a discount as I am only a hobbyist and paying retail, I am sure. Also, will look at a 125cf, if they are truly looking to stop selling 150s.

[zoama]

I was quoted $365 for a 150CF tank out the door at Airgas in Raleigh, NC. The woman on the phone did not even know the refill price!

They have a virtual monopoly around here, so the options are limited. I have a friend with a business, and will call and reprice with his account information, expecting a discount as I am only a hobbyist and paying retail, I am sure. Also, will look at a 125cf, if they are truly looking to stop selling 150s.

That's way high, go for the big tank, a 300+... they cost $300 for 99 year lease and $60 to exchange here in upstate SC.

[DaveO]

I was quoted $365 for a 150CF tank out the door at Airgas in Raleigh, NC. The woman on the phone did not even know the refill price!

That kinda sounds like it was her first day on the job, or first day covering the phones while the knowledgable people were at lunch.

[everlastsupport]

I was quoted $365 for a 150CF tank out the door at Airgas in Raleigh, NC. The woman on the phone did not even know the refill price!

They have a virtual monopoly around here, so the options are limited. I have a friend with a business, and will call and reprice with his account information, expecting a discount as I am only a hobbyist and paying retail, I am sure. Also, will look at a 125cf, if they are truly looking to stop selling 150s.

My guess would be around $40-$50, would be around here on an owner tank.

[youngnstudly]

I was quoted $365 for a 150CF tank out the door at Airgas in Raleigh, NC. The woman on the phone did not even know the refill price!

They have a virtual monopoly around here, so the options are limited. I have a friend with a business, and will call and reprice with his account information, expecting a discount as I am only a hobbyist and paying retail, I am sure. Also, will look at a 125cf, if they are truly looking to stop selling 150s.

That sounds about right for Airgas...I don't remember what I was quoted when I bought my 150CF Argon cylinder from them, but I told the guy that I was a student at the local JC so he would give me the "student discount." He acted like he was really saving me a ton by getting the bottle filled and out the door for just over $300.00! The fill charge was $35 ONLY because I purchased the cylinder at that time, and I recall him saying the normal refill price was either $92.00 or $96.00. I got sidetracked on Friday and wasn't able to make it up there to get it refilled, but I am going to try to make it there early this week.

FYI, the 250CF tank was quoted at $390.00 and the refill price on that one was $108.00! I told him that I thought the price was suppose to go DOWN with the larger amount I was buying, and he told me "No, it is actually the opposite, the more you buy from us, the more expensive it is to purchase." WTF??? What kind of sense does that make?

I bought from them due to the big company name though, since most other LWS in this area have been bought out, renamed, or closed up (and I wasn't about to get stuck with a $3-400 Argon cylinder from a shop that might close up next week!). My neighbor had a hellva time exchanging a bottle that he bought on CL used with his Milller tig, as the company had closed shop up in the 90's and 3 LWS wouldn't accept his tank for trade in. Other prices in this area were all within $25 out the door on the 2 or 3 Argon cylinder sizes I asked about, so they all screw you over evenly across the board.

[Big Paulie]

Just got home with a 150CF tank of Argon, for $229 out the door (Purshased Tank full) Refills are $30. There is a new Praxair here in Raleigh, and they are competitive, compared to the former Airgas Monopoly. Airgas wanted $365 for the same tank! Also, Praxair said larger tanks were not for purchase but can lease a 300CF for $60 a year.

They also offered to upgrade any airgas tank, so I may use the 150 for Argon for now, and then go to a 200 and swap my 150 in for Ar/CO2 for my mig (currently have an 80 for that, and would keep the 80 for portability).

Airgas caters to the larger pro shops and heavy users of gas, and apparently is not interested helping the part timers or hobbyists. Heck, they lost all the materials and equipment business to the internet already, so they assume that they have you hostage for the gas, and will make us pay for our dis-loyalty.