I took my bottles to a different supplier yesterday. One is a waist high
acetylene, about half full, the other, a big 02 with 400# pressure in it. I
told the guy that I didn't like the other supplier, as he would not make any
adjustment on these bottles I had bought from the owner. The O2 is from a
company that has since been out of business, but there WAS a forging on the
collar. So, technically, it was and is a cylinder that belonged to that
company, or whatever company bought them. But the seller was an honest old
guy, and he told me that he owned the cylinders, and I believe him. If it
had been a lease, I'm sure that he would have been contacted years and years
ago about returning the bottle, and no company is going to just let it go
for 19 years, especially when the man lives in the same community.

He gave me two stickers to put on the bottles, otherwise, they have to treat
the contents as "unknown", and do a purge and take off the valve and all
sorts of things. He said to GRIND OFF the name on the collar, and do it in
a very good way making it invisible, and paint the tank green. The tank has
last been hydroed in '91. He said hydro would be $18, and fill about $30.

I asked him why the other company wouldn't do it, and he just looked at me
and said, "We like to keep customers and make new ones. We get a lot of
people from them." He said that they get about two or three of these old
cylinders a year.

I bought a box of rods, some lenses, some gloves, and stuff I already had,
spending about a Franklin. I thanked him, and told him that he had my
future business. I spent over $3k with the other fellers last year. I am
going to send them a letter and explain that I will not be doing business
with them any more, and why.

I understand and agree that there are laws, common sense, and just plain
honesty involved in these bottles. But in this situation, I have no
reservation about doing this. I now lease one bottle, and that will be
going back to the offending company at the end of the lease, as it is paid
in advance now for another three years or so.

Sometimes, it helps to be just a LITTLE flexible.

Steve

I kind of agree with the seller and your assessment. Just what is the
chance that a new customer, setting up an account, using a credit card
etc, would bring a stolen cylinder?

i

"Ignoramus8004" wrote in message
...
I kind of agree with the seller and your assessment. Just what is the
chance that a new customer, setting up an account, using a credit card
etc, would bring a stolen cylinder?

i

There is always a need to be cautious with new people. People earn trust by
telling the truth over and over and over and over and over. When a company
has a "trusted" account, I think that they can "accommodate" a customer on
an issue that is actually a nonissue. In this case, they missed continued
steel purchases, consumables, and gas on account of a strict interpretations
of the rules. If I was some new account walking in off the street with a
questionable cylinder, a credit card, they should be a little suspicious or
be prepared to be burned, and burned often. These people have delivered
steel TO MY HOUSE, I have an account, I've always paid cash or VISA, so I
don't think they need to be suspect of a two year customer with a good
payment record.

Steve