Propane Company Nasty-Gram

[EXCALIBER]

Well I though this was kind of funny. I have been renting this tank for about 10 years now and this is what I got in the mail today. Keep in mind this is the first time I have heard from them other than to pay my yearly tank lease.

Funny how they treat you when you are no longer lining their pockets with gold from the over priced propane. I contacted them today and was told I must be buying propane from someone else. I said really, so there is no other reason a person may not need propane as much. Her answer no. I said, well I put in a wood stove (before the stove an eden-pure), and I no longer heat with propane. Her, so why do you need a tank then (keep in mind $60 a year rental). I only use it for my kitchen cooking stove. She goes oh well apparently this time we were wrong with our assumptions. I said yes, but the problem is why did you not just call me to find out if something had changed instead of accusing me of things based on assuming? Her answer...long pause. So I say is this how this company treats its customers? No answer. So I say, how do you expect someone to have a different tank in less than ten days, and you just inform me your going to come on my land and take the tank? No answer...finally she says well I can just put a note on your account that says you will buy in the future. I say why would I buy from you in the future if this is how I get treated? No answer.

Funny thing is every year I have tried to buy this tank from them but they never get back to you with a price. It's for sale but no one knows what to charge for it. Wow, how do businesses stay in business like this?? So either buy this tank, if I can get a price (half tempted to pull it to the county road and tell them it is sitting in the center of the road and come get it), buy another large tank, or 100lb tank, or use my old 100lb tanks and just have new valves put in them.

Just though you guys would enjoy the info and stay away from this company.

 

[tbow388]

Hank Hill Would Not Approve

My propane company kind of did the same thing to me. Since I was not using that much gas anymore and I didn't want to give them the $50 every year I switches to using 2 - 40pound tanks and alternate them.

I only cook with propane so I fill it up about twice a year.

 

[Guido Salvage]

You may want to be careful posting your name and address on the web. As an aside, it is odd that your letter is showing a non 911 street address. Are they just behind the curve on getting it?

 

[Hank Chinaski]

meh. I picked up a 100lb propane tank at a pawn shop for $65 filled.
Tractor supply has them new for about twice that if I remember right.

Tell them to let you know when they're picking their tank up so you can be there to witness any land damages and if they don't pick it up within the ten day limit that you'll charge them storage fees thru small claims court.

I refuse to spend my $ on poor companies and will gladly go out of my way or do things "they hard way" to support local companies that actually want and appreciate my business.

 

[blackdogon57]

Buy a couple of 30 lb tanks and let them take their tank. 100 pounders are really heavy to take to get filled. Chances are you will get some snow in the next couple of weeks. I know where I would be piling it !

 

[Ductape]

I agree with the guys who suggested you buy your own smaller tamks and take them to get filled yourself. I used to heat with propane also ..... years ago, and more pompus companies I've NEVER seen. Go fill your tanks with a business you like. Tell your propane company to take a flying leap. I might even prevent them from getting on my property to get their tank, and let them go to the trouble of getting a sheriff involved. Disconnect it, and chain it to a tree so they cant help themselve to it.

 

[Dalmatian90]

. Disconnect it, and chain it to a tree so they cant help themselve to it.

Why would you do that?

You want to be there so you can verify the amount of propane pumped off before removal -- which you'll expect to be a refundable credit on your account at current retail value. Ain't their gas left in the tank.

Would be a bit ironic if it's enough to pay for a couple 100# cylinders

 

[CWME]

Bet they shaft you on the price of the gas that is in the tank when they pull it. I had to pay to have my tank pumped out when we sold our trailer and re-built on our lot. Oil company pumped out 110 gals and charged us $50 for the service. I was ok with that due to the time on site and labor involved. Well when it came time to get our oil back they gave us 76 gals. "Oil Prices have changed Sir, your oil was only worth X$ per gal when we pumped it. It is Y per gal now". Huh?

 

[olyman]

So either buy this tank, if I can get a price (half tempted to pull it to the county road and tell them it is sitting in the center of the road and come get it), buy another large tank, or 100lb tank, or use my old 100lb tanks and just have new valves put in them.

.[/QUOTE]

on the 100 lb ones you have now,,do the valves leak??? if not,,leave alone..if they do leak,,a new washer in the valve can be put in...for nearly nothing..they probably wont tell you this,,as if you do it yourself,its ok..they cant do it,,as they would have to put the new style valves in,,and theyd charge plenty....also,,see what percent gas in in the tank before they remove it,,the propane co i deal with,,said that gauge on the 1000 and 500 gallon tanks are dang accurate...50%=500 gallons in a 1000...and id want the payout at current prices,,they hauled mine with 500 gallon in the tank,,and set it immed on anothers property!!!

 

[olyman]

Bet they shaft you on the price of the gas that is in the tank when they pull it. I had to pay to have my tank pumped out when we sold our trailer and re-built on our lot. Oil company pumped out 110 gals and charged us $50 for the service. I was ok with that due to the time on site and labor involved. Well when it came time to get our oil back they gave us 76 gals. "Oil Prices have changed Sir, your oil was only worth X$ per gal when we pumped it. It is Y per gal now". Huh?

thats bs!!!!!!! they tried the same with me..i said gallon for gallon switch,,as your the one wanting to remove the tank, not me..the little twerp manager in our area tried to screw me over,,i went to his big boss,,and told him of all the lies this twerp tried..i had proof!!! i then got gallon for gallon!!!! to put in the 1000 anhydrous tank i converted,,which WAS approved by my new propane co
!!!!!

 

[Circle B MN]

I would most definitely be telling those yahoos to pack sand. I use LP for cooking and hot water, and it won't be long before I get the hot water off LP. Keep an eye out for a pumpkin size tank (250lb?) and get it filled by whom ever will do it cheap. Around here there is a place called Gas For Cash. Even if you pay a little more by not being on contract, you're not using enough for it to amount to anything.

 

[mdavlee]

I had a propane tank with one company and they were the highest around. They filled without me calling them at $4 a gallon. Another company was $2.29 a gallon. I called them and they brought a tank out and hooked it in. I called the other company and they didn't come get it for over 5 months. It sit there with around 800 gallons in it. I guess they were hoping I was using it up as I refused to pay for gas I didn't call and order. I only got 2 bills then they stopped sending them as I reminded them of when they called and who I talked to at what date/time. They didn't credit me for what I had left in there before they filled but it was 200 gallons or so.

 

[cantoo]

So, where do you plan on getting your 100 pound tanks filled? Around here it is from the same company who supplies the big tanks. I pay $100 per year to have my system inspected so I can have 2 - 100 pound tanks and I get the joy of paying more per litre for the 100 lb tanks than I would for the the bigger tank and it being delivered instead of me having to go get it. I have a back up propane heater and use propane for my 2 car garage.

 

[Mntn Man]

:hmm3grin2orange:

Nebraska Co-ops generate more business for me than if I drove around shaking hands.

100 lb bottles do not need the new style valves. Even if you had them replaced, you could take the floats off. Valves are less than $20, with us anyway.

We recently disconnected our nat. gas. We paid the minimum 10 months out of the year ($18). I thought about converting to propane because I could use a tank for free. We had a stove and one of two furnaces that were gas. I spent $67 for wire and the in-laws gave us their old (nearly new) elec range and we just don't use the furnace upstairs. I just put an oil filled radiator up there if we are gone for a couple of days and not burning wood. I talked to my former co-worker who works for the nat gas company and he said if we wanted to hook back up they would charge us for the months that we were disconnected. I told him "good thing we aren't going back."

 

[Hank Chinaski]

So, where do you plan on getting your 100 pound tanks filled? Around here it is from the same company who supplies the big tanks. I pay $100 per year to have my system inspected so I can have 2 - 100 pound tanks and I get the joy of paying more per litre for the 100 lb tanks than I would for the the bigger tank and it being delivered instead of me having to go get it. I have a back up propane heater and use propane for my 2 car garage.

I've got 3 places within 15 miles, including the pawn shop I got mine at that's only 2 miles away.

 

[cantoo]

Propane laws are getting as bad as the gun laws over here. Only a few places to get 100 lb filled up. Even bar b que tanks are almost all change outs now. Take your empty tank to the gas station and they give you another refilled one, you leave your tank for exchange.

 

[Dalmatian90]

:hmm3grin2orange:

Nebraska Co-ops generate more business for me than if I drove around shaking hands.
.... I spent $67 for wire and the in-laws gave us their old (nearly new) elec range

The gas man cooking with electricity (Hank Hill would not be impressed)...but it reminds me of when I used go around with my mom on errands around town and one stop was to pay the oil company. Little company that was still based out of a mobile home in the owner's side yard.

They had a nice wood pile as the oil company owner heated his own home with wood. :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Mntn Man]

The gas man cooking with electricity (Hank Hill would not be impressed)...but it reminds me of when I used go around with my mom on errands around town and one stop was to pay the oil company. Little company that was still based out of a mobile home in the owner's side yard.

They had a nice wood pile as the oil company owner heated his own home with wood. :hmm3grin2orange:

Well the best part is I sell them heating oil and propane then I cut their trees down and heat my house. I have hauled wood home in my fuel truck also. They still razz me about it at work but I wasn't going to pass up blocks of locust. I am becoming a wood snob because there is no way I can cut everything that I have permission to.

I have a propane grill and smoker cuz I get to fill my lil bottles FOR FREE. My favorite is cherry for smoking, but I want to try pecan. Funny thing is I was wondering if I could get someone on here to send me a if-it fits-it-ships of pecan then I saw on another thread that people are selling them on ebay. I'm always a day late, lol.

 

[EXCALIBER]

Well finally off work, so now some things I have neglected to mention. First I do not have any signed contract with coop, as I originally got this tank from a different company who went out of business (coop bought them out). Second this lady said she would buy my propane back at current costs. Here is the catch though. If you have 10% or less in the tank, they get that for free. Now I could understand part of this because the tube does not go all the way to the bottom of the tank thus making pumping the propane out impossible. However they can look at the gauge, estimate how much is in the tank, and pay me close to what is left. They refuse to do this. I said so you don't want to pay me for the lets say 5% left in the tank (around 25 gallons at 1.97/gal=$49.25 in propane), yet next time you rent this tank you are going to come fill it for the new customer and charge him for a full % fill up, even though there is already 25 free gallons in the tank. Wow, wish I could get away with selling wood that way. It would be even more free money for them at 10%, almost $200 in there pocket for double selling it.

Now on the 100lb tanks, I do have two old tanks that I had forgot about with propane in them, who knows how much, but some anyway. I thought any tank that you wanted to get filled anymore had to have the new valves in them in order for a propane company to refill them. I have three other company's that can fill them. I think I would fill both, then put a switching device like mom has on her live-in horse trailer, that automatically switch's from the empty tank to the full tank. You then just unhook the empty one and go have it filled.

I had thought about putting in a different LP whole house water heater that is tankless, as our electricity is ridiculous. For my 1999 single wide with no yard lights etc, electric hot water, just me here, high efficiency everything $85 plus every month. Maybe then I will put in a bigger tank or find a good deal on one. For now I think my two old tanks will work.

If I had a knuckleboom on my truck I would take the tank and set it right in front of their office door, so they would have to move it to even get in the office.

 

[EXCALIBER]

You may want to be careful posting your name and address on the web. As an aside, it is odd that your letter is showing a non 911 street address. Are they just behind the curve on getting it?

I have though about the address thing and I guess I just do not see the harm in it. If you have someone's name you can go online and find their address. You can also find their address by their phone number online, not sure if cell numbers are the same. Not to mention your mail that you send out has all that info on it. So what is the harm? Now that was my old address that they changed about 2 years ago to a new improved 911 address. Now the funny part when you call either the cops or the fire dept., neither can find your house with the new 911 address so you have to give them you old address. I am so glad that I had to memorize both addresses. Now I can't remember either address right half the time. Oh well what can you expect from a bunch of Nebraskan corn holers.