Tractor Supply gas, warning

[ace4059]

Please read this before buying your gas bottles form TSC. It may save you some heartache.
I have a warning about buying bottles from Tractor Supply. I just want everyone to hear about this before you do business with them. My Local TSC sells Thoroughbred gas cylinders, but this has more to do with TSC that thoroughbred. These are not rental or leased cylinders. They are owner bottles.

I worked for TSC in 2007. While I worked there I bought 3 Oxygen bottles from them. I received my employee discount of 15% off the total bill. I purchased these bottles in October of 07. They were still very high priced even with my discount. The bottles were around the price of $365 per bottle plus you have to buy the oxygen in each bottles for an added $31. So out the door I paid in the price range of $1,100 (including tax, and discount).

I did not want to buy them from TSC because they were very high but I was using a lot of oxy with my LP setup at the time. The LWS will NOT sell any bottle over the size 125cf. I wanted bigger bottles, but did not want to rent or lease them, so I had to go through TSC to purchase them.

Now lets fast forward to today. I needed them refilled. I have stopped using a lot of oxy and LP so this was the first time I needed them filled in about 6 months. TSC wants $31 for a refill. MY LWS only wants $11. So I was wanting to get them refilled at the LWS to save money. I have my ownership agreement form that they give you when you buy the bottles, buy the receipt that I have has faded so you can no longer read it (see what this is leading to). The LWS wants a copy of the receipt to put on file to cover themselves. I go to TSC to have them print a copy of the original receipt. The employees are the same ones that worked there when I did, and they know me. The girl that sold me the bottles said she remembers selling them to me. She is now the assistant manager. There is a new manager (original manager was fired for bad customer service and too many complaints) so I did not know him. The manager has been there for about 6 months now and was transferred from another TSC, so he has been with the company for at least a few years. He can print me out a receipt copy so I can take them to the LWS to get them filled. Well, I talked to the assistant manager (the one I know), and she said she would have to talk to the manager to see about getting me a receipt because I paid cash and these where clyinders (not other store merchandise). I just had the month and not the day and time I purchased them, so she would have to look to find the receipt. She talked to him. He would NOT print me a receipt out. This would have taken about 4 minutes to go into the computer and print me one out, but he would not do it. He told me that I can only trade the bottles with other thoroughbred bottles. I explained to him these are my own bottles and I own them myself. He said he knew, but did not want to look thought the computer to find the receipt. (I could tell he acted like it would waste his time). Then, he just came out and told me straight up, he did not have time to do that. I looked up people sales and printed them receipts many times when I worked there, and it is not hard. He is only being lazy. I told him that if he just doesn't want to look it up, or know how, then he could sell me three more just like I have, then do a return so he can print me a receipt. He would not even do that and while I was talking to him to see what it would take to get a receipt, he decieded I was not an important customer, and started talking on his phone (while I was talking to him). I waited politely until he got off. He told me that thoroughbred had a big lawsuit (I dont know anything about that so if some one want to fill me in) and they can now only take the thoroughbred bottles, and I "cant get them filled anywhere else". I showed him they are the thoroughbred brand that I have. He then told me that if I wanted to get them filled it could only be at TSC store. I then asked about "upgrading" to the larger size cylinder, and me paying the difference. He told me that I could not even do that. I showed him the brochure that I got when I bought the bottles and it clearly states you can upgrade at any time. He then showed me the new brochures that they just got in, and it no longer says you can upgrade. I told him I was in no way trying to cheat him or TSC out of money or do them dirty, I just wanted my receipt. His reply was, "it sounds like you are just out of luck".

I was now steaming angry, but held my cool, and left. I remembered Atwood's has thoroughbred bottles and called them to see if they had 3 oxy bottles. I talked to 5 different girls and no one knew what I was talking about. I then asked to speak to the manager there, and he said that the reason no one knows about them, is because they stopped caring them. I talked to him about 5 minutes on the phone and evidently Atwood's had so many problems with the thoroughbred company, they stopped handling them.

So my only option of getting these filled is going back to TSC to exchange them for a full bottle. One thing is sure, I WILL NOT go back to TSC. So I guess I just have $1000 worth of bottles that are sitting in my shop that I can not get filled. I feel that they are my bottles, and I should be able to get them filled anywhere I want to.

I know that this post is VERY long, and I hope you took the time to read it. I just want EVERYONE to know the truth about the thoroughbred bottles, and how they are pretty much useless. I will file a complaint with the BBB on TSC.

Thanks for reading and any advice on what to do would be great. I would also like to know more about the Thoroughbred lawsuit the manager was talking about.

-Ryan Blankenship

[ace4059]

Lawsuit Info
http://www.reuters.com/article/press...009+BW20090126

[DSW]

Sorry to hear this Ryan.

Here's something you might want to think about. I worked for years in a large chain store. Forget the store level and go to the district manager or corporate level. Most large chains have corporate customer service numbers or web sites and some have local district customer numbers. Post your complaint there.

Things you want to give them:

Store ID number or location.
Managers name
Any employee names that were or were not helpful.
Detailed description of the problem ( you have that above) and how you would like to see this issue resolved.
Add a link to this post It will show that you are serious about making this issue public.
Any info you get from the BBB.

Also post up the website here if you can find it. (I can't find my TSC catalog right now but I'll bet they have at least a Email address for customer issues. That way the rest of us can send in a few thoughts on TSC's policy. Noise from the customer is usually the fastest way to resolve these issues. Good customer feed back is priceless, the cost of BAD customer feedback is very high.


Post up this info and I'll be happy to email them about how I dislike their policy. Hopefully others here will also.

[MX727]

Customer Service:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/...atalogId=10001

You don't need to explain why you need the receipt, but I would tell them I need it for the IRS. It's funny how some of these managers think.

I'm not familiar with TSC's computer system, but can another store pull up the receipt?

[Magnetic Mechanic]

go here:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/...atalogId=10001

I would just send a link to this thread.

[Broccoli1]

I'll make you a receipt.

[jh225]

Not to be a dick, but anytime I get a receipt for something important that I may need down the road and it is printed on that crap register receipt paper, I make a photocopy on quality white paper. I learned to do this years ago after storing Home Depot receipts in my attic (hot/cold cycles) made them illegible.

[Nicad]

Makes you wonder what kind of business they run. Very poor management skills with zero customer service . They'll Probably go bankrupt...as they should.

[Pookie]

Originally Posted by Nicad

They'll Probably go bankrupt...as they should.

Hardly.

TSC is HUGE. The cylinder gas business will neither make or break them. I despise shopping there due to their prices being so high, but whether they get my business or not, will have little effect on their viability in the market place.

[JC'sWelding]

Originally Posted by jh225

Not to be a dick, but anytime I get a receipt for something important that I may need down the road and it is printed on that crap register receipt paper, I make a photocopy on quality white paper. I learned to do this years ago after storing Home Depot receipts in my attic (hot/cold cycles) made them illegible.

Very good idea. It's really bad with thermal printer receipts that have been in your wallet for a few weeks. Pull them back out and they are black.

[Joe H]

I'd just try a different LWS, if TSC ends up not helping. There is one LWS around here that is real picky about the bottles. The rest could care less. I have 3 330cf bottles, two for oxy, one for argon. I got them all used, 2 for free, and one I paid $50 for. I have never had any issues getting them swapped, except from the one LWS (that I don't care to deal with anyway). Everyone else just swaps my bottles, no questions asked. They have even taken bottles with owner rings from me, and given me back bottles without the rings.

[landman]

Sorry to here your problems. Around here you got a bottle in hydro dates and they don't care who's name is on it. they trade em out. it nice not having to drive all over city trying to get them switched

[Nicad]

Originally Posted by Pookie

Hardly.

TSC is HUGE. The cylinder gas business will neither make or break them. I despise shopping there due to their prices being so high, but whether they get my business or not, will have little effect on their viability in the market place.

Oh, never heard of them...I live where there is none. I guess they will survive fine despite my curse for a single employee]s attitude.

[ace4059]

I am just going to see what I can get done on Tuesday. I will keep you guys informed.

[Timberwolf]

I'v had nothing but trouble with their gas bottle exchange system, long story short, I no longer get gas from them and will only go to the store as a last resort.

[Antibling]

I got a TSC bottle when it was a sunday and I had a project I needed to get done. The store I got mine from is 200 miles away so I hope i can get a new receipt as I'm sure mine is faded.

One thing to think about is I think it's either Home Depot or Lowes that has PraxAir tank exchange, maybe try there?

On a side note, I haven't tried exchanging yet, still on the first TSC bottle of C25, but I seem to be getting a lot more porosity when I shouldn't be. Clean metal, new gas diffuser, nozzle, tip, etc. Haven't checked for leaks in the line yet but it was welding fine with the PraxAir gas and right after I switched it started.

[Greyhorse]

last bottle i got from them was empty.... they didn't want to get me another one but the manager finally ok'd it. I don't think he wanted a scene.

[ace4059]

I been busy and haven't had time to do a follow up post. Basically, I cant get a receipt from TSC. Customer service wants the day and time of the purchase, which I don't have. It basically boils down to sorry customer service. Instead of arguing and complaing to or about TSC, where I can tell nothing would get done from it, I am going to basically drop the issue. I am done with TSC, Ill just shop at Atwood's from now on. At least, Atwood's has people in there that you can find, TSC only has 3 people working for them at any given time (one on the cash register, one in the store hiding from the customers, and someone in the back).
The reason I am dropping the issue is because I have acquired a receipt. Thanks Ed. The LWS will now fill the bottles no problem since I have a "receipt"
So beware if you get bottles from TSC.

[farmersamm]

My owner bottles are swapped when I go in. Don't see the big deal. I'm in and out in a heartbeat.

Owner bottles, and lease bottles are kept seperate with different paint schemes.

If they're out of owner bottles, they just give you a lease bottle, and record the no. on it to keep their records straight.

I actually never heard of sitting anywhere and waiting for bottles to be filled. It's always a swap around here.

[rlitman]

My LWS will swap or fill. Depends on the situation.
I've got a few odd bottles that are sizes he doesn't have, and those get filled.
He typically asks when I bring in a small argon tank, if I use it for aluminum, and those get exchanged (because his supplier vacuum purges the bottles first). Anything 125 and over gets exchanged (just too time consuming).

BUT, I've never been asked to provide proof of ownership. I've brought in -ancient- bottles WAY out of test, that I got at garage sales, and just exchanged them for the cost of the gas and a re-test fee.
I hate to admit this one, but I even brought in and exchanged a couple of MAPP cylinders that I picked up at my scrap yard. The lesson from that one is when you're dropping off scrap, have a look around, because if you see something good at my yard, the answer is always "ok, put it on the scale". That, and its amazing what people scrap (I still can't believe I got a little-giant ladder like that).
But back to the point, if your LWS won't just take the bottles and fill of exchange (with no more questions than collecting your ID), then maybe you should find another place,

[fortyonethirty]

Of the three LWS in my area we have one that is picky and expensive, one that's really expensive, and one with good prices that would fill anything I brought in and exchange most. Guess which one isn't going out of bussiness...

Anyway, I've never seen these Thoroughbred bottles, are they different from a standard bottle you can buy from the LWS?

And why wouldn't the LWS sell you a big bottle to begin with?

[lugweld]

Originally Posted by fortyonethirty

Of the three LWS in my area we have one that is picky and expensive, one that's really expensive, and one with good prices that would fill anything I brought in and exchange most. Guess which one isn't going out of bussiness...

Anyway, I've never seen these Thoroughbred bottles, are they different from a standard bottle you can buy from the LWS?

And why wouldn't the LWS sell you a big bottle to begin with?

Reason???? Loss of income from rentals Major $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[ace4059]

Originally Posted by fortyonethirty

And why wouldn't the LWS sell you a big bottle to begin with?

At the LWS I deal with the large 251 cf oxy bottle fill is $11. The 125 oxy fill is $9. See where they make the money. So they only want to fill the small owner bottles. The large bottles, are "rent only" at the LWS and out of the 8 or so LWS around here none has ever sold the large bottles. They only will rent them. So you rent the bottle at $55 per year. So if you rented it for 10 years, they make lots of money on it.

The reason they wont fill them is because they have lots of 251 oxy and 300 Ar bottles stolen off the trucks, so without paper work that shows you own them, they want to make it impossible to fill the stolen bottles. But since I now have paperwork that shows I own them, they will fill my bottles with no questions asked.

[farmersamm]

Originally Posted by ace4059

At the LWS I deal with the large 251 cf oxy bottle fill is $11. The 125 oxy fill is $9. See where they make the money. So they only want to fill the small owner bottles. The large bottles, are "rent only" at the LWS and out of the 8 or so LWS around here none has ever sold the large bottles. They only will rent them. So you rent the bottle at $55 per year. So if you rented it for 10 years, they make lots of money on it.

The reason they wont fill them is because they have lots of 251 oxy and 300 Ar bottles stolen off the trucks, so without paper work that shows you own them, they want to make it impossible to fill the stolen bottles. But since I now have paperwork that shows I own them, they will fill my bottles with no questions asked.

I know you are in a high use situation, but when I bought my bottles I could have bought the bigger O2 bottle, but I didn't want to mess with the weight.

It's crap that you can't buy the size you want.

[fortyonethirty]

My LWS just checks the neck rings. If it says their name, it's a rental. If it says anything else, it fair game. They seem to enjoy filling bottles with other LWS names on them. I've had several interesting names on the neck ring: US Navy, Union Carbide, and Boeing come to mind. Those had to be stolen, I just hope the navy doesn't knock on my door wanting it back.