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| Gamma offers good refill service |
I shelled out a handful of sawbucks for that tank not long ago, as I recall.
Bad news is that my baby tank was now 27 years old, as the embossed 1988 on the side near the top demonstrated.
How on earth did my nice new propane tank age worse than MacCauley Caulkin? (And can you get someone to Benjamin Button-ize it? - Chimples)
Answer. It seems somewhere along the line I brought that new tank in for a refill to a big box store that swaps tanks instead of refilling them.
Such places include Costco, Provisoir and Canadian Tire among many others.
So when I wasn't looking my child tank was traded for a lookalike old timer.
I brought in Shirley Temple and left with Herve Villechaize. (Okay now you're just being stupid- Chimples).
A stamp on the side with the number "11" indicates that my shitty new old tank had been refurbished four years back so was still moderately safe in spite of the rust all over its 27-year-old body.
The big box stores - with the exception of Costco - sub-contract the swap-refill service to another company which is not scared to take your nice new tank and replace it with a grody old oneThis allows the stores to claim ignorance when you complain about the switch.
The green and blue tanks are the worst.
It takes a lot of screaming and hollering and threatening to get your nice new tank back in case you get scammed with such a switch.
This was all explained to me by the excellent guy in the photo whose name I did not get but I have seen around the area many times.
It cost me $18 to fill this tank. It's cheaper - I believe than the swap services and much more honourable, it would seem.
Yeah, I've seen these situations in the past. I've never taken either one of my tanks to a place where I personally can't stand next to the person who fills it up and then hands it back to me. This way I guarantee the tank I get back is the same one I brought in.
ReplyDeleteBut look on the bright side. The owner of that 1988 tank
ReplyDeleteprobably feels like he hit the jackpot when he ended up with
a much more recent tank. One can't exist without the other.
Michael
I don't think it's a scam. The tank swap services are just meant to be fast and convenient. Who cares if the tank is 2 years old or 10 years old? If it works it works. You will probably only have it for a few months anyway. I lived in Florida for 12 years where everyone bbq's 300+ days a year. I never heard of one of these tanks spontaneously exploding while sitting under a grill.
ReplyDelete"The swap" has been happening for ages. I only refill where I can stand there and watch the guy refill it. This INCLUDES the Costco in Boucherville, BTW. No swap happening there.
ReplyDeleteTo my knowledge there is no swap program in place at Costco, and the refills are done on the spot with tank that you provide them.
ReplyDelete