Airgas on the Ropes!

[metalbone]

Looks like they are having problems avoiding a hostile takeover...

http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a4B8Zrux1kMs&pos=7

I wonder if this means higher Oxy prices in the future...

[LTD]

Fu$k Airgas. I hate those asshats

[Dom]

I dont know why everyone hates AirGas so much.

They have offered me far better service and prices than my previous "Mom and Pop" Supplier. Oh and much better quality tanks.

I guess its all relative to the area.

[Frankie Hess]

^^^^^^^^^^^ what he said, I love airgas around these parts!!

[Greymatter Glass]

Airgas is an awesome company if you ask me.

They donate oxygen to any public demo event I've ever done, treat me great, and are super easy to deal with when I have a problem.... Sure.. sometimes I get my contract rate deleted by some over-zealous auditor... but it's back the next day.

As for Air Products... they're actually much larger than Airgas and will probably win this fight. But they have some good things too. They're the ones who offer the free 235L digital dewer on a 5 year contract that dials them for a refill when it gets to 10% or so, and they come to you to fill your tank. And their prices are the same or better.

When Airgas Southwest took over Valley Welding from Union Carbide like 10 years ago they kept their employees... I hope AP does the same. I do NOT want to relearn new guys.


My plan when they win the fight is to have my guy at Airgas enter me in on some stupid contract price like $25 a fill and make Air Products honor that when they take over.... sweet.

-Doug

[jes]

Northern Airgas has only done me good :- J

[Uriel]

im an airgas customer too.... yup they rock round here 50% cheaper than my nearest competitior

[CripSkillz]

Me 32,, they do me better than praxair.. and my driver will hook me up if i dont have cash for a week or 2

sweeeeeeeet

[LTD]

I dont know why everyone hates AirGas so much.

They have offered me far better service and prices than my previous "Mom and Pop" Supplier. Oh and much better quality tanks.

I guess its all relative to the area.

They gave me an empty tank, and told me it would cost $75 dollars for them to open the store on a saturday to give me a new tank. I was getting K tanks for $15 in Salem, moved to Eugene area, now they charge me $20 and told me "yeah we don't have to honor your old price, you own your tanks, you don't rent from us or have an account so we can charge you what ever we want."
And they refuse to rent me a liquid tank with out a deposit that is more than a tank costs.... ASSHATS

[brettodie]

ltd. call your regional sales rep and get a account. your lucky your even getting them for $20 they retail at $34 last i knew. get a reciept from a local blower with a price you like call the sales rep and ask for the pricing you would like.the account will get you pricing for everything in the show room. airgas has pricing tiers. gl peace brett

ill be sad if ag gets taken over. ive used them for 15 yrs now and theyve done nothing but treat me good once i learned to play their game.

[Berferker]

I use Mathison in ATX they are cool...might not have locations all over the states.

[Greymatter Glass]

...wait are you upset because they wouldn't open on a Saturday for you? ... Dude... seriously, have you ever worked a regular job? You know how much it SUUUUUUUUCKS to have to go to work on a day off to deal with some snowflake? I mean, sorry you got an unfilled tank, but planning for things like this is on you. Always have a back up. You're lucky they even offered to come in for $75, most businesses would just hang up on you.

And if you don't have an account they're going to chump you every time. Get an account. otherwise yes, they can and will charge you whatever they want. I've seen the guys at my local Airgas charge people $50 for a 150 tank (medium sized tank). I know here there's no "cash/walk-in" account, the counter guys just use their own account, get the best discount, and pocket the difference.


As for price... $20 isnt THAT bad.... especially if you don't have an account. My contract price on 200's (K tanks) is $15 and I've had an account in good standing for 10+ years.

... anyways. Summary:

No one will open on a Saturday for free
get an account they will take you more seriously
$20 is nothing to complain about, you could maybe save $5.
bababooey.

[CripSkillz]

LOL saturday prices sux sometimes,, fo sho..

[MPGB]

I haven't dealt with airgas but matheson is rude to me. They are charging me $300 for "rent fees" and "tanks taken on credit". I always paid cash and when I asked for them to show me the video of me walking out with tanks without paying they refuse. I found a better mom and pops shop and left them. They send me bills but won't pay unless I see video from that day.

Do you think I'm wrong for asking for that?

[FredLight]

I think they need to be showing you invoices that indicate you signed a tank out on credit.....

.....Not their security video.

So, yes, you're going about it the wrong way.

[brettodie]

signed invoices of you getting tanks without payment rendered. take care of it or they will send it to collections and youll owe it anyways.


ive gotten the empty tank gig before i make them check it on the dock before i load now. in the past i got 2 for one when i got a empty to compensate me for my time and gas to go replace their mistake.

[FredLight]

How do you check it on the dock?

Do you keep a reg and a wrench with you?

I'd love to do that as I get shafted on one every few months.

I usually use what's in it, then take it back the next day and demand a full one.

[Greymatter Glass]

I understand mistakes happen.... but if you get more than one empty tank from a supplier...like... ever... that's a bigger problem and I would talk to the store manager and/or plant manager and let them know.

The filling areas should be run like a machine. it MIGHT happen once or twice that a valve doesn't open and a tank doesn't get filled... but they should catch that before they take it off the rack... or by the weight of the tank when they go to move it.

You can check the pressure on the dock, but it is like saying "hey you guys are a bunch of idiots and I don't trust you to do your job"...so do it discreetly. Also, keep in mind that the tanks are filled by volume not pressure, so depending on the air temp and conditions in which the tanks are filled the actual pressure will vary a little bit. I would refuse any tank that doesn't read at least 2000psi, and preferably get them in the 2200-2300 psi range.

-Doug

[kq9ak]

Mpgb you should keep all carbon copies of signed invoices and you will never have a problem. Their is no reason they should have to show u videos. When I sell product to shops I make them sign and also mark their receipt paid w/ payment method, they get a copy and a file my copy. It is up to u to cover your ass.

[Berferker]

Empty tanks really??? I can tell a big difference between full and empty when I load it into my car.

[brettodie]

they check the tanks :) ive gotten half full tanks more then a handfull of times in the last 2 years. since my only pickup day for awhile was friday it posed problems for me so they always check now.

[Sepulworld]

airgas is too expensive, like 2o dollars for a tank. no way!

[elad65]

Empty tanks really??? I can tell a big difference between full and empty when I load it into my car.

Really?

One cubic foot of oxygen weighs approximately 0.0837 pounds or 1.33oz so a 250 cu-ft cylinder (which weights about 115 lbs) is about 20.9 lbs heavier than a empty tank.

A 300 cu-ft cylinders weighs in at 134 lbs and the oxygen inside would weigh approximately 25.11lbs.

Elad

[broken glass]

Im with air products now Had nothing but bad experience with Air Gas their prices were a joke and they treated me like a second class citizen not a customer. Hope air products wins and also hope all the employees in my local Air Gas store lose their jobs.

[metalbone]

I fill my own tanks, but when I do visit the local Airgas, they are pretty cool. Their prices are a tad bit high, but they are close and convenient.

[hippi]

i love my airgas...17$ k tanks all day long