Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  02/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I operate several restaurants in ******* and had used Airgas at 1 of them. When we canceled our agreement with Airgas, I requested a copy of my contract, if there was a cancellation fee, and when they would be removing the equipment. I called my local Airgas, National Airgas, their A/R team, and my account representative with these questions. I emailed all of these entities as well. Nobody I talked to ever answered these questions and never returned a call or email. This lasted for a month. The only thing I was told by multiple representatives was that our operating agreement was so old, there was no record of it available. No pickup date or cancellation/removal fee was ever stated. I tried to get clarity multiple times but was left in a position where if they showed up with no notice, it would have a potential several thousand-dollar impact on my business by not having CO2 to dispense products. I proactively had their equipment removed by a different company and stored it for them securely. About a week later, with no notice, they showed up to remove our equipment. The Airgas representatives that came stated there is no removal fee and also said that everything was returned as expected and in great condition. A month later, Airgas is attempting to charge me $500 for a removal they never did. They will not clear this invoice either and considering they actually didn't perform this service and the lengths I went through to avoid this situation beforehand, and that I was told by them that there is no fee, I don't think this is a payable invoice. Airgas feels differently but cannot provide documentation that I had knowledge of any fee via contract, nor can they provide proof they removed anything because they didn't. Lastly, this invoice is dated 11/21/23 but they did not come until 12/5/23. I feel this shows intent to damage my business operation as they had answers to my questions but chose not to engage at all. Please help me resolve this.

  Business response

  02/07/2024

  This account and the claim made has been researched and the results are:

  1  The customers agreement did not allow for a removal fee to be billed unless the agreement was terminated early.  The agreement was not terminated early

  2  The removal charge is not valid

  3  The invoice has been credited

  4  The account balance is now $0.00

  5  A call was made to the customer to relay this information.  I had to leave a message

• Initial Complaint

  11/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We met with *************************, an Airgas sales representative in May of 2022. ***** walked through our brewery, ********************., and presented us with all the benefits of choosing Airgas as our CO2 provider. .One of the benefits that was particularly appealing to us was the free installation. We liked what we heard and agreed to sign up with Airgas. Our contract (attached) shows that there were absolutely no installation or equipment fees to be incurred besides our tank rental fee. ***** confirmed and reiterated this as well prior to install. Please keep in mind, that ***** walked through our brewery and thoroughly explored the layout. He was shown every single area where CO2 was needed. After surveying site, ***** advised us that this would be a "Standard Installation". Since the day we signed our contract, we've encountered nothing but empty promises and problems with this company. To start, the technician showed up completely unannounced on his way home from vacation (?) to do the install. Downriver had no ownership or management representatives on site to guide or assist the technician (who has never been there before). The tank was installed backwards (facing the wall) so it makes it extremely difficult to read the gauges. Next, the technician only hooked up CO2 to our soda fountain - not to any of our keg coolers as promised. We were then told that the regulators needed for the coolers are different from the ones Airgas typically uses. Again, a full walk-through was completed prior to install. After a little back and forth via text, Airgas agreed to send us two regulators (we needed three) but we were left to install them on our own. Beyond all of this chaos, the company sent us a bill for installation in the amount of $694.30 (attached). We immediately contacted ************************* and he promised he would have the charge removed from our account. (see attached text screenshots) Two months have passed and Airgas is still sending us a bill for installation.

  Business response

  11/20/2022

  I contacted ******************************* via phone *************) on 11/14/22 to let him know that I was his point of contact for this complaint and I left him a vm msg. He called me back on 11/15/22. I shared that I wanted to ensure that he was able to have  CO2 for his business and that I had taken steps to ensure that he had a current delivery of CO2. I shared that I was investigating his complaint and that I would let him know of  my findings.

  Tonight, (11/20/22) I sent him this e-mail, as I am OOO on 11/21/22. Here is an excerpt from the e-mail that I sent him, as there is a limit of characters used.

  *******,
  I wanted to provide you with an update since our previous conversation on 11/15/22 and share the results of our investigation.

  - Our Operations team reviewed your install and found indeed that there was an error made by the tech that conducted your install and that you were billed for 4 hours of labor for the install. Since this was an error, we will be crediting your account for $694.30 and that credit will be posted to your account and you do not owe this invoice. This credit will be posted to your account this week and Takera Springs will be letting you know when the credit posts to your account.
  - I do have a question as to if you still need a third regulator? I do want to let you know that we do charge for regulators, and if you still need one, we can get that out to you for a cost of $85.00.
  - You mentioned your concern about the installation and the fact that the gauge is not facing to where you can read it adequately. We will schedule our tech to come out to fix that so that you can read the gauge. Our tanks are installed based upon how the fill connection needs to face, and we definitely understand the need to read the gauges as well.
  

  
  I will be following up on this upon my return on 11/22/22. Please let me know if  you have any further questions.

  Kind regards,

  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  08/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We use Airgas for our CO2 tank (bulk). We never had an issue like this until after covid. They has us on a normal delivery schedule and would fill the tank based off the schedule in place. After covid they had a shortage of drivers and took the delivery schedule away and said to call in as needed to place our order for a refill of the tank. We started to get "out of route" delivery fees and would call in to ask why we got this charge. Not one of the employees we asked could give us an answer. They said you shouldn't be if you called in a refill. They would then dispute the charge in the account and it would be removed. Well recently they said they can't do that anymore and that we are receiving this charge because our tank doesn't really need to be filled up. I don't know how Airgas can tell me if my business needs a refill of product or not. They don't know what I have scheduled or could possible come in to denote how much product I am going to be using. Plus if I am paying for the product why am I being charged extra when I am placing the order like I was instructed to do. If I was placed back on a normal schedule and they would be coming out on a route to fill like normal this would have never happened and we wouldn't have been charged. The charge amounts have varied from $75.00 extra and up to I believe one of the last was either $150 or $200 and all of this is on top of the product charge. They keep telling me that I am responsible for these charges which If I would have been told why I was receiving them then I would NOT have kept calling in for a refill and getting the charge until they felt like I was ready for a refill.

  Business response

  08/31/2022

  I spoke to ****** via phone call today and I have agreed to credit $375.00 of Out of route fees that she didn't understand why they were receiving the fees. I have set up  Case #****** for this. She is now well informed and also knows that Skateworld is receiving deliveries approximately every 42 days and she is satisfied with this resolution.

   

  *************************

  ************

  ****************************************************

  Customer response

  08/31/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  

   

  Hello in regards to Complaint ID: 17761250 Airgas has contacted me and they have agreed to remove the charges that I have requested be removed.

   

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩