Why are welding suppliers so dim?

[Psymon]

Just been to collect my pure argon bottle 10L (200 bar). Plus some gloves and some stainless and mild steel rods for TIG welding.

Just walked in the door with big smile. Bottle, checked and correct, ESAB gloves fit nice and snug. Then I checked the rods, 5 Kg of MMA sticks. I asked for TIG mild steel - I thought the clue would be in the great big bottle of gas I have just paid good cash for.
Then I checked the stainless rods. SILVERCORD 316L MMA sticks again! Erm hello? did I not make myself clear I wanted TIG welding bits with my bottle of ARGON??? I didn't even know you could do stick welding with Stainless. I dont want them all the same!

 

[stuvy]

sadly there all like it, today i picked up a 15mtr braided hose after seeing there site online and called to check they had it in stock at the web price went down there he tried to charge me double so i said not to worry il leave it. As I turned he said it must be his error and did the internet price reluctantly. Im all for supporting local businesses but Il be getting my couplings elsewhere as they were all useless in there

 

[Psymon]

I have had that problem with ARGOS. Reserve something online for one price and then when you get there the price has gone up?

I am surprised they have difficulty providing the correct product when you ask for it. That's my main problem. I said I wanted TIG rods in stainless and Mild steel. He never asked if I wanted MMA, and why would I be buying them when I bought the gas? Spent ages in the shop - he said I couldn't check the packs as they were vacuum sealed. If I would have seen them I would have realised they were the wrong type. Ok fair enough the packs are not very clear on the outside but the bloke had worked there more than 30 years... Means another tenner of diesel burnt for nothing and me not welding for another week...

 

[Country Joe]

It's crazy, for sure!
Not long (enough) ago, I thought I'd have to go to another branch to get pure argon, for using with a TIG, as the bloke wouldn't let me have anything else but Argoshield - and continually argued point blank that it was the only welding gas he was prepared to let me have, and that I was mistaken in thinking that pure argon would be any good. No amount of reasoning would make him budge on this point, either. I managed to kind of force him into letting me have argon in the end - but he was adamant that I was a fool, and wasting more money than necessary. It was a horrible 15 minutes, and it seemed as if the situation would end in stalemate, if I didn't agree to take the cylinder that he thought I should have!
Began to think I'd only get it if I could prise the keys to the gas-cage out of his cold, dead fingers!
I got the argon in the end, but still feel that it shouldn't have called for such an amount of self-control & negotiating skills!
Always been as good as gold for everything else - before and since then - but never got gas from that branch again, just in case the same ordeal happened again!
As far as Argos, and on-line pricing goes, I find it's best to print the page so that you can prove what you saw with your own eyes, as sometimes they seem so definite that you're wrong, that you could end up doubting yourself.
I bought some PS3 game for Kid Joe, and they'd jacked up the price while we were on the way there! When we showed them the "reservation" page that we'd printed off with todays date, and a time showing as about 40 minutes ago, the posessed demon went as far as checking with the manager, to see if he'd honour it - as if it were some kind of one off special favour they were willing to do.
At times like that, I find it's best to leave the store and let Mrs Joe deal with them!
GRRRR!!
CJ

 

[Wozzaaah]

If I would have seen them I would have realised they were the wrong type

Hang on, surely you can tell the difference in length between a tig rod and an electrode and also read what's on the packet which I don't doubt is clearly marked?
Also, why should he assume you didn't want to buy electrodes as well as a cylinder of argon? If you worked in a shop you wouldn't question everyone's purchases.
I think you're being very unfair and tbh, you're as much to blame as the supplier for not checking what you bought before leaving the shop.

I think you should retitle your thread 'why are welding suppliers and some shoppers so dim'.

 

[TAITSIE]

Just been to collect my pure argon bottle 10L (200 bar). Plus some gloves and some stainless and mild steel rods for TIG welding.

Just walked in the door with big smile. Bottle, checked and correct, ESAB gloves fit nice and snug. Then I checked the rods, 5 Kg of MMA sticks. I asked for TIG mild steel - I thought the clue would be in the great big bottle of gas I have just paid good cash for.
Then I checked the stainless rods. SILVERCORD 316L MMA sticks again! Erm hello? did I not make myself clear I wanted TIG welding bits with my bottle of ARGON??? I didn't even know you could do stick welding with Stainless. I dont want them all the same!

Did you get an invoice when you purchased the items, if so did you check it before you left the suppliers?

 

[Drains]

There's no reason why somebody wouldn't buy argon and MMA rods Psymon. How would the shop know that you were only doing TIG? They'll get orders from fabricators all the time wanting a variety of consumables covering Mig, Tig, MMA, Plasma etc and it's never obvious why the buyer wants the bits and pieces he might order. Sounds like an honest mistake to me.

As for Argos, I like to go to the shop, look in the catalogue, get my phone out and order what I want online then go to the counter and pay the reduced price for it. Convenience win!

 

[Psymon]

I was given a written out invoice in very bad writing scribbled with some thing and the prices. The MMA sticks were in a plain blue pack with 316L on them. In very tiny writing (I am long sighted) when I get home I noticed arc and the letters MMA in the text.
I had already told the guy I wanted the rods for TIG welding? So why am I the thicko?

 

[Psymon]

Hang on, surely you can tell the difference in length between a tig rod and an electrode and also read what's on the packet which I don't doubt is clearly marked?
Also, why should he assume you didn't want to buy electrodes as well as a cylinder of argon? If you worked in a shop you wouldn't question everyone's purchases.
I think you're being very unfair and tbh, you're as much to blame as the supplier for not checking what you bought before leaving the shop.

I think you should retitle your thread 'why are welding suppliers and some shoppers so dim'.

No to be honest I can't tell the difference in length between a tig rod and an electrode. Because I these are the first set of TIg consumables I have ever bought. I bought the TIG machine a couple of days ago and have only ever used MIG for the past 4 years. I clearly asked several times that I wanted the consumables for TIG welding. Ok to be honest yes I could have been buying electrodes and gas but I never asked for them.

 

[Wozzaaah]

So why am I the thicko?

Because you didn't check what you were given before leaving the shop!
Are you too long-sighted to see the difference between a packet of foot-and-a-bit long MMA electrodes and a packet of 3 foot long tig filler rods?
As I said, anyone who knows even a little about tig welding would know that a stubbly little packet isn't filler rods, therefore you're as guilty as the guy who gave them to you and I sentence you to spend ten quid on diesel to eat a slice of humble pie.

 

[Wozzaaah]

No to be honest I can't tell the difference in length between a tig rod and an electrode. Because I these are the first set of TIg consumables I have ever bought. I bought the TIG machine a couple of days ago and have only ever used MIG for the past 4 years. I clearly asked several times that I wanted the consumables for TIG welding. Ok to be honest yes I could have been buying electrodes and gas but I never asked for them.

Ok, fair point, as you're a beginner you weren't aware of the length difference. In that case I say the blame lies 50/50.

 

[Psymon]

See my previous reply.

 

[Psymon]

Well I did ask for the correct things and was given something completely different. I am just annoyed that I have to go back there and get the correct bits. The fuel costs, time and fact I still can't play with my brand new TIG that has been in the box for a few days too long already. I had no idea filler rods are 3 foot long, of course I would have worked out they were wrong if I did. The packs don't really say much on them. There is an ESAB pack with literally nothing on it apart from it is 316L stainless and some warnings about fumes in tiny text.

 

[wheresmejumper]

dont feel too bad about it,at least it was for pleasure.
theres nothing worse than reaching into a box of delivered supplies and finding the wrong stuff.stressfull AND costly

 

[gordon stephenson]

At the very least you have now learned to read what it says on the "tin", I have just bought a timing belt for my Land Cruiser from a very good reliable motor factors, but decided to open the Gates box to check, Sure enough it was the wrong one!!Guy behind the counter had just entered Land Cruiser into the computer despite being told mine is the Land Cruiser Amazon,Same size engine but different belt lengths,I always check where ever possible to prevent that annoying return trip and wasted time.

 

[Psymon]

The funny thing was that I was checking the bottle as it was given to me to make sure it was ARGON pure. As I have heard the woes of guys on here being given mixes for TIG welding. I should have been looking at everything. Two out of three things correct isn't that bad. Lucky I have the invoice and I should be able to just take it all back and get it changed.

 

[TAITSIE]

Psymon
I dont think anyone was trying to make out the you are a thicko,its just that I have learned to double or triple check items and invoices before I leave a sellers premises.
Nothing worse than getting home and finding out you have the wrong items.

 

[TechnicAl]

Welding has always attracted "experts".
Distributors often have no-one who really knows very much but they have a mate who is the Buyer at so and so,s (a big user)
The kids on the till (so to speak) are usually on min wage and have little or no experience.

The worst scenario is when one "expert" supplies another "expert" and their recommendations end up on a job. I wish I had a pound for every request for written confirmation that "even though we used the wrong rod the job should be OK".....and not just from little firms some of the big ones can be just as "expert".

I reckon Ive got enough funny instances to start a book........but it would only be funny to "experts" so I wont bother.

 

[Psymon]

Yes I guess so. In future I will check everything several times before I leave. It's a lesson learned. At least my quick brain for numbers actually worked out that I had been under charged by at least a fiver on the deal and I think that also hastened my leaving.

 

[snowcat]

If your buying gas in Essex, I can only think of 3 distributors, and if it is I find them all pretty good. If its a shop over a trade counter I can think of only one, they normally give me some decent discounts.