Does anybody use *removed for legal reasons* supplier?

[Hood]

If it's the one other company I can think of, I've had one of their cylinders about five years.

I don't think there is an issue with that.
If having to get via a carrier then there is no incentive to return a cylinder, if your refund has reduced to zero due to the length of time you have had it, because you have to pay for the return. Why pay for no reward, seems a strange business model to follow but then again .... well I better say no more

 

[Nick DV]

SGS 20L bottle from a local supplier, RH Davey. Really helpful and nice people

 

[gordon stephenson]

Well, Thanks chaps, as usual a good balanced reply to my original query, And as usual came to the correct conclusion, I shall definitely avoid the unmentionable firm if I do decide to move to a new supplier,
Thanks again. Gordon,

 

[bricol]

I tried to buy a rent free bottle, as I don't use much gas at all, but the guy in the shop, I forget the company, couldn't seem to work out what he was talking about. He gave me a price, about £170 I think, to buy a bottle of mixed welding gas, but when I asked about refills the guy just fell apart and waffled on about selling the bottle, getting refunded, adding VAT, buying a new one, deposits, returns etc etc.

All I wanted was the cost for a 'refill', how much it would cost me every time I emptied the bottle and wanted new gas, but he seemed to have some mental lock, or he just didn't know.

I left in exasperation and just went to BOC, with the Volkswagen discount deal printout grasped in my paw. I used them year ago, dead simple and straightforward, but I'm stuck with £50 or so a year rent.

Pretty much the same for me - local agent, although he's usually closed by the time I finish work on a Friday afternoon, but there's another 5mins from work, so a quick trip out at lunchtime and sorted.

I looked on the 50 quid a year as easily paid from cancelling first Sky (left over from the ex - 90 quid a month!) and then Virgin Media who replaced them ((70 quid a month) - and as I enjoy welding more than watching the telly, I'm quids in

 

[Hood]

Pretty much the same for me - local agent, although he's usually closed by the time I finish work on a Friday afternoon, but there's another 5mins from work, so a quick trip out at lunchtime and sorted.

I looked on the 50 quid a year as easily paid from cancelling first Sky (left over from the ex - 90 quid a month!) and then Virgin Media who replaced them ((70 quid a month) - and as I enjoy welding more than watching the telly, I'm quids in

Cancel yer telly licence and that will save you a further £13 a month
Throw the telly in the skip and that will save the electricity it burns
Best thing we ever did, after a few weeks you don't even miss it, been 7 years now and even the TV Licence people have stopped sending letters out

 

[seanc]

I don't think there is an issue with that.
If having to get via a carrier then there is no incentive to return a cylinder, if your refund has reduced to zero due to the length of time you have had it, because you have to pay for the return. Why pay for no reward, seems a strange business model to follow but then again .... well I better say no more

ive had a bottle of co2 from them for ages that i used for brewing, as you say when the deposit has dropped to 0 there is absolutely no incentive to return

 

[8ob]

I think Bee Owe Sea must be listening to some of this

Found in my junk mail where it belongs


Your new rental price tariff and free gas on low use cylinder(s)


At BOC, we like to make sure that you find value in the products and services that we offer. This is why we have reviewed your account and we are pleased to confirm that you have qualified for our Low Use Tariff.

Your rental rate on the Low Use Tariff

The Low Use Tariff is specifically designed for customers who only need to refill their gas cylinders infrequently, and this means that the rental rate which is currently due on the qualifying cylinder(s) that you hold will be at least 6% lower than our standard rental tariff for the next 12 months.

Free Gas Refill

In addition, as a thank you for your business, we are offering you a free gas refill* - this can be redeemed at any of our Gas & Gear or Agent outlets in the next 12 months and, what's more, we won't even charge a collection fee when you pick up your gas.

There are no hidden charges - your refill is absolutely free.

The list of applicable products can be found in the voucher below and within our terms and conditions. Rental will still be charged.

Please note: the Low Use Tariff has automatically been applied to your account for the next 12 months - you do not need to contact us to accept the new rental rate.

If you have any questions about the Low Use Tariff, you can click here to visit our FAQs page, email us at custserv@boc.com or call our Customer Service Centre on 0800 111 333.

Kind regards,

Kieron Philpott
Business Manager, SME
BOC


Note: This email is not your BOC invoice and this will follow shortly.

 

[hotponyshoes]

The free refill with boc is genuine. I had 2 of them before I changed.
One was no problem, the other one they did charge for but a phone call sorted it out and they gave me a refund for it.

I'm not so sure about a 6% rental discount though, presumably if they refill your half empty bottle for free they expect to make the cost back out of you on the rental! 6% is a bit low for my liking if you don't use more than a couple of tanks a year

 

[Hood]

I think Bee Owe Sea must be listening to some of this

Found in my junk mail where it belongs


Your new rental price tariff and free gas on low use cylinder(s)


At BOC, we like to make sure that you find value in the products and services that we offer. This is why we have reviewed your account and we are pleased to confirm that you have qualified for our Low Use Tariff.

Your rental rate on the Low Use Tariff

The Low Use Tariff is specifically designed for customers who only need to refill their gas cylinders infrequently, and this means that the rental rate which is currently due on the qualifying cylinder(s) that you hold will be at least 6% lower than our standard rental tariff for the next 12 months.

Free Gas Refill

In addition, as a thank you for your business, we are offering you a free gas refill* - this can be redeemed at any of our Gas & Gear or Agent outlets in the next 12 months and, what's more, we won't even charge a collection fee when you pick up your gas.

There are no hidden charges - your refill is absolutely free.

The list of applicable products can be found in the voucher below and within our terms and conditions. Rental will still be charged.

Please note: the Low Use Tariff has automatically been applied to your account for the next 12 months - you do not need to contact us to accept the new rental rate.

If you have any questions about the Low Use Tariff, you can click here to visit our FAQs page, email us at custserv@boc.com or call our Customer Service Centre on 0800 111 333.

Kind regards,

Kieron Philpott
Business Manager, SME
BOC


Note: This email is not your BOC invoice and this will follow shortly.

How much do you go through a year and how does your current rental compare to the published ones?

Here are the published prices Ecl VAT.

 

[hotponyshoes]

That answers my earlier question, looks like the 3 & 5yr rentals are available again but pretty sure the saving was more than that when I had them.
I also remember getting billed an 'environmental surcharge', maybe they have dropped that again.
I also think the delivery/collection charges are per cylinder rather than per delivery/collection but that might have changed as well?

 

[Hood]

The delivery/collection charge is per delivery/collection or at least is for me.
There is still an environmental surcharge, £2.18 incl VAT for me.

 

[Maker]

I didn't know oxygen was so cheap, wouldn't use enough to justify it from BOC but I might have to check the price from rent free suppliers.

 

[hotponyshoes]

Oxygen has never been that bad. It's the acetylene that's the killer. Hence why so many people use oxy-propane.
I think most of the rent free suppliers do oxygen.
Another source is dive centres, you have to buy the bottle and pay for it to be cleaned/tested every few years but a lot of them are cheap enough for a bit of cash...

 

[premmington]

Oxygen has never been that bad. It's the acetylene that's the killer. Hence why so many people use oxy-propane.
I think most of the rent free suppliers do oxygen.
Another source is dive centres, you have to buy the bottle and pay for it to be cleaned/tested every few years but a lot of them are cheap enough for a bit of cash...

I use so little gas here - it is the rent that is always the problem.

We have:

Nitrogen bottle for aircon testing.
O2 with propane for heating.
Argon for TIG
Argon Co2 5% for MIG
Co2 for MIG


I don't mind paying high bottle deposits - or even high gas prices for a refill. Some bottles sit redundant for a long while here. I just use a local rent free gas supplier. It works for me...

 

[Welderpaul]

Are those BOC list prices £65.49 for a size W Argoshield Universal. We pay about £13.

 

[Hood]

....

I don't mind paying high bottle deposits - or even high gas prices for a refill. Some bottles sit redundant for a long while here. I just use a local rent free gas supplier. It works for me...

That is the sensible way for low use, I have an SGS cylinder of Argon Mix as I never use that but it is handy to have just in case.
The pure Argon that I use all the time I am with BOC but I certainly don't pay the £96.50 that the list price above says for the E33 cylinders, not sure exactly what I pay but probably half that.

 

[Hood]

And there you go, as soon as I post the last message saying I can't remember exactly how much I pay and I get an invoice email from BOC
I am £43 excl VAT for the E33 so indeed about half on the list.

 

[Hood]

Are those BOC list prices £65.49 for a size W Argoshield Universal. We pay about £13.

I imagine you have quite a high usage to get prices that good

 

[8ob]

I imagine you have quite a high usage to get prices that good

You dont need the usage to get big discounts, our local supplier told me to ring sales and do the deal based on quantities, no one ever checks to see if that usage is for real. Basically once set up they keep it rolling.

Bob

 

[Hood]

You dont need the usage to get big discounts, our local supplier told me to ring sales and do the deal based on quantities, no one ever checks to see if that usage is for real. Basically once set up they keep it rolling.

Bob

To be honest I am quite happy with the deal I get. I looked up the list price and worked out with the amount I used, not massive but not a little, that I would be cheaper going to the BOC than SGS or similar and half the price Air Products were charging me.
I went to get a cylinder and signed up for the account and the agent said it is X amount for the cylinder and X amount for the rental. I thought he had made a mistake as it was half what I was expecting so definitely a lot better for me than rent free.