Gas for BBQ

orrery

Annoying...

I have a Flo-Gas bottle for the BBQ which has taken a long time to run out (we don't use it much since the kids left home). We went back to our local stockist (where we got it in the first place) who has now switched from Flo-gas to Calor. So, he says that he now can't get any money back on the Flo-gas canister and now wants to charge me for a new Calor bottle - unless I can provide a receipt (I obviously can't as it was a couple of years ago).

There are other Flo-gas dealers, but a good few miles away.

I feel like I've been ripped off. Anyone any ideas?

matelodave

In what way have you been ripped off?- he's just given up being a FloGas dealer. I doubt that there was anything personal in it.

You can still take your cylinder to a FloGas dealer somewhere else to get it changed so you weren't sold something that can't be used, just not in his shop. I've got six stockists within 11 miles of me which isn't bad.

orrery

matelodave wrote: »

In what way have you been ripped off?- he's just given up being a FloGas dealer.

I'd rather expect the dealership I bought it from to have a scheme to return the bottle to Flogas for credit, so I can then get a Calor. The Flogas stockists are on the other side of town and I already have a Calor cylinder, which means I would have to swap the regulator each time I swap cylinders.

No big issue, but I posted here in case anyone knew of schemes for swapping from one to the other or getting the deposit back - you obviously don't so I'm not quite sure why you posted.

matelodave

The reason I posted was that you were whinging that you'd been "ripped off". You obviously haven't been and just feel aggrieved that you've got another mile or two to go and change it.

The fact that you've got a Calor and a FloGas regulator to swap is hardly the fault of the dealer is it, You weren't forced into buying two different cylinder types nor have either of them become obsolete so I can't see the logic of being "ripped off".

If you want to redeem the credit on the FloGas cylinder then you'll have to go to a FloGas dealer, it's not hard is it.

orrery

matelodave wrote: »

The reason I posted was that you were whinging that you'd been "ripped off".

No-one is whinging and I find that an offensive comment.

I'm feeling ripped off because my local dealer seems to have switched supplier without making any arrangements to sort out handover from one supplier to another. He took my 'deposit' but now isn't prepared to honour refund of that deposit without being provided with a receipt. After more than 2 years, asking for a receipt doesn't seem a reasonable request to me.

It doesn't seem unreasonable to me that suppliers of gas, and their dealers, should provide some transitional arrangement for those people who have paid them a deposit.

I'm feeling ripped off because of that. I wasn't asking for your sympathy, but I'm no expert in buying bottled gas so I was putting out feelers to see if there was anything positive could be done about it (e.g. maybe a bottle exchange scheme .. ?). I didn't expect someone with no constructive input whatsoever to pop up and accuse me of whinging.

matelodave

Not sure about FloGas but Calor require you to produce the original agreement - see here
Termination of the refill by the user

This agreement remains in force for 50 years. The user may terminate this agreement by returning the cylinder(s) in good order to a CALOR outlet nominated for this purpose and shall be entitled on presenting this agreement to a refund of a proportion of the Refill Agreement Charge as follows:-
1 year old = 70% refund
2 years old = 60% refund
3 years old = 50% refund
4 years old = 45% refund
5 years old = 40% refund
6 years old = 35% refund
7 years old = 30% refund
Over 7 years = 25% refund


Otherwise all and sundry would be trotting off to the tip, hedgerows and caravan sites to find (or steal) cylinders to take back for the deposit.


So it's not unreasonable that he'd want a copy of the receipt or the agreement

orrery

matelodave wrote: »

Not sure about FloGas but Calor require you to produce the original agreement - see here
Termination of the refill by the user

Thanks - useful, If there was an agreement then it'll be filed!

Greenfires

When I sold Flogas a few years ago - they didn't charge a deposit on the cylinders. When I stopped selling they tried to get me to pay a charge on all cylinders I hadn't returned, but as most of my sales were to narrowboats moving round the country, it was hardly likely that it would be me getting the empties back - which I'd explained to the sales rep when I signed up with them. As I still had copies of his initial emails - they went quiet...

Anyway - that's irrelevant - do you recall actually paying a deposit on the cylinder?

matelodave

Flogas have this statement on their website for the 11kg cylinder


Please Note: A Cylinder Non-returns charge of £30.62 per item will be added to your order. If you have an empty cylinder to exchange, please either order via your online account or call 0800 574 574 in order to avoid the charge - See more at: http://www.flogas.co.uk/prod/114/flogas-11kg-gas-cylinder-1#sthash.XcMp59Bn.dpuf


So it looks like they do actually charge a premium for the first one. I don't know if they will refund the charge if you return an empty cylinder and don't want a refill - you'd have to check the T&C's

buglawton

My old BBQ canister is 7 years old and I'm not sure how close to empty. Wonder how to check and also if B&Q accept really old canisters in exchange or at least to recycle?