View Full Version : Stoney Cove service
Gordon Archer
03-03-2003, 14:11
Having left my Nitrox cylinder for test & clean at Stoney Cove after my last dive, I was shocked to find on returning to pick it up again that having serviced & cleaned it, they had filled it with normal air.
I was suspicious as they never asked for my Nitrox registration and did not test the mix. On questioning this I was told I had not requested a mix.
Now it does not exactly take a genius to work out that if you go to the trouble of having an annual clean and service that you do genuinely intend to use the cylinder as a Nitrox cylinder and want a Nitrox fill.
Especially as the cylinder had 40% marked on the top next to the new stamps & labels they had attached.
Having arrived on a Saturday to carry out some sports diver training lifts,our dive program as planned had to be curtailed. Stoney refused to fill this tank on Saturday despite the fact that they were not really busy and I had been let down by them.
This is not what I call customer service plus they were not even apologetic or indeed friendly
Having left my Nitrox cylinder for test & clean at Stoney Cove after my last dive, I was shocked to find on returning to pick it up again that having serviced & cleaned it, they had filled it with normal air.
I was suspicious as they never asked for my Nitrox registration and did not test the mix. On questioning this I was told I had not requested a mix.
Now it does not exactly take a genius to work out that if you go to the trouble of having an annual clean and service that you do genuinely intend to use the cylinder as a Nitrox cylinder and want a Nitrox fill.
Especially as the cylinder had 40% marked on the top next to the new stamps & labels they had attached.
Having arrived on a Saturday to carry out some sports diver training lifts,our dive program as planned had to be curtailed. Stoney refused to fill this tank on Saturday despite the fact that they were not really busy and I had been let down by them.
This is not what I call customer service plus they were not even apologetic or indeed friendly
They do not do Nitrox at weekends, this may be because the technician doesnt work weekends or just awkwardness - not sure which. However, I have always found the majority of their people OK, perhaps the regulars were at LIDS, or werent and wished they were. Whatever the reason I dont think you were treated well, strange really given the new inland sites opening up.
There is a post in 'godiving' thats asking for temp/viz at Stoney, can you help him?
Matt
Nigel Hewitt
03-03-2003, 16:03
Having left my Nitrox cylinder for test & clean at Stoney Cove after my last dive, I was shocked to find on returning to pick it up again that having serviced & cleaned it, they had filled it with normal air.
*shrug* A free fill is a free fill. If you winge enough nobody will get one.
I just got a tank back from a visual with nice new trimix stickers on it. It was, as I expected, seriously empty but that's all I paid for.
nigelH
So how would you have felt if they actually put in 40% nitrox
and you only wanted clean air. Would you then refuse to pay for
the nitrox?
Whenever cylinders are O2 cleaned. The testing station refills
with clean air unless asked otherwise by the customer. In this
case you would be asked for your nitrox cert.
If you had made it perfectly clear in writing or on a ticket/receipt that you wanted a nitrox fill, then you would
have a point. But simply scribbling 40% on the neck doesnt
exactly make a contract between you and Stoney does it!
I'm a bit puzzled as to why this curtailed your Sport training?
The ascents are from 10m to 6m + CBL in both New and Old Sport
diver. Hardly neccessary to go on Nitrox for that. Clean air
would do just as well.
TerryH
This isn't really to do with what mix you got, but I was under the impression that if a tank passes a test, it is a requirement under testing procedures that it is returned full. True or false? I was told by a knowledgable guy at the club, but we all get it wrong sometimes...
> I was under the impression that if a tank passes a test, it
> is a requirement under testing procedures that it is returned
> full. True or false?
False.
It tends to be the case that it *is* returned full, but this is generally because they can't be arsed to vent a cylinder that's just been blown to check for leaks...
Vic.
Having left my Nitrox cylinder for test & clean at Stoney Cove after my last dive, I was shocked to find on returning to pick it up again that having serviced & cleaned it, they had filled it with normal air.
I was suspicious as they never asked for my Nitrox registration and did not test the mix. On questioning this I was told I had not requested a mix.
Did you actually ask for a nitrox fill when you dropped it off for testing? If you did, then you have a valid complainr, if not then they provided you back a cylinder of 21% quite reaosnably.
Now it does not exactly take a genius to work out that if you go to the trouble of having an annual clean and service that you do genuinely intend to use the cylinder as a Nitrox cylinder and want a Nitrox fill.
Not a genius, but it would take a telepath to work out what nitrox mux you would want if you didnt ask for one.
Especially as the cylinder had 40% marked on the top next to the new stamps & labels they had attached.
That would only be information about a previous fill and I wouldn't expect them to use that as a basis for doing a fill. If you didn't explicitly ask for a 40% fill and they returned it with 40% and charged you for a 40% fill, you could quite easily have told them that you wouldn't pay for it
Having arrived on a Saturday to carry out some sports diver training lifts,our dive program as planned had to be curtailed. Stoney refused to fill this tank on Saturday despite the fact that they were not really busy and I had been let down by them.
They will do a clean air fill on a saturday, however they do not offer nitrox fills at weekends. There was nothing to stop you doing your days training using air and getting a nitrox fill done for next time
This is not what I call customer service plus they were not even apologetic or indeed friendly
If you did ask for a specific nitrox fill when you dropped it off for testing, then you have a right to feel aggrieved, if not, they did what you asked for and I see nothing to complain about.
Dave
Gordon Archer
04-03-2003, 08:57
:=Having left my Nitrox cylinder for test & clean at Stoney Cove after my last dive, I was shocked to find on returning to pick it up again that having serviced & cleaned it, they had filled it with normal air.
*shrug* A free fill is a free fill. If you winge enough nobody will get one.
I just got a tank back from a visual with nice new trimix stickers on it. It was, as I expected, seriously empty but that's all I paid for.
nigelH
I do not see your point it certainly was not a free fill having paid ?51+ for the service.
Gordon Archer
04-03-2003, 09:00
So how would you have felt if they actually put in 40% nitrox
and you only wanted clean air. Would you then refuse to pay for
the nitrox?
Whenever cylinders are O2 cleaned. The testing station refills
with clean air unless asked otherwise by the customer. In this
case you would be asked for your nitrox cert.
If you had made it perfectly clear in writing or on a ticket/receipt that you wanted a nitrox fill, then you would
have a point. But simply scribbling 40% on the neck doesnt
exactly make a contract between you and Stoney does it!
I'm a bit puzzled as to why this curtailed your Sport training?
The ascents are from 10m to 6m + CBL in both New and Old Sport
diver. Hardly neccessary to go on Nitrox for that. Clean air
would do just as well.
TerryH
That is exactly my point I did request a fill! @ 40%.
Gordon Archer
04-03-2003, 09:04
So how would you have felt if they actually put in 40% nitrox
and you only wanted clean air. Would you then refuse to pay for
the nitrox?
Whenever cylinders are O2 cleaned. The testing station refills
with clean air unless asked otherwise by the customer. In this
case you would be asked for your nitrox cert.
If you had made it perfectly clear in writing or on a ticket/receipt that you wanted a nitrox fill, then you would
have a point. But simply scribbling 40% on the neck doesnt
exactly make a contract between you and Stoney does it!
I'm a bit puzzled as to why this curtailed your Sport training?
The ascents are from 10m to 6m + CBL in both New and Old Sport
diver. Hardly neccessary to go on Nitrox for that. Clean air
would do just as well.
TerryH
As an instructor I am not just doing one sport diver lift, I had several candidates wanting to complete there course.
The likleyhood of a problem is increased with each lift so I choose for added safety to dive a rich nitrox mix whenever a series of lifts is planned.
Add the fact that I am not young and you can see the sense of this.
That is exactly my point I did request a fill! @ 40%.
And that is NOT what you wrote in your original post.
You said that the cylinder had 40% written on it. That's the
ONLY bit of evidence to suggest to the station that you wanted
nitrox.
I have about 30 cylinders with half being O2 clean and the rest
covered with numbers and percentages. These are all left over
from previous dives and are of course wiped off or removed prior
to filling. It isnt unusual to stick a cylinder in for clean
air filling and have 36% wriiten on the side.
Unless its got a specific label from the actual filling station
(not your own) then they always ignore any writing.
The rest was your assumption (incorrect) that filling stations
fill newly tested cylinders with nitrox.
If you had asked them. You have a receipt and a proper label on
the cylinder with your mix. Then you have a right to be
aggrevied, but going on your original post they havnt actually
done anything wrong.
TerryH
:=:=Having left my Nitrox cylinder for test & clean at Stoney Cove after my last dive, I was shocked to find on returning to pick it up again that having serviced & cleaned it, they had filled it with normal air.
:=
:=*shrug* A free fill is a free fill. If you winge enough nobody will get one.
:=
:=I just got a tank back from a visual with nice new trimix stickers on it. It was, as I expected, seriously empty but that's all I paid for.
:=
:=nigelH
I do not see your point it certainly was not a free fill having paid ?51+ for the service.
HOW MUCH ????????????
they saw you coming !
Looking back at my last bill
?17 for hydro and ?8 O2 clean + free clean air fill = ?25
?51+ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Way to much!
TerryH
Andy Wade
04-03-2003, 16:50
the cylinder with your mix. Then you have a right to be
aggrevied, but going on your original post they havnt actually
done anything wrong.
Except rip the poor guy off.
?51.00 is scandalous isn't it?
Unsurprising for Stoney Cove though.
They must be coining it in.
:=Having left my Nitrox cylinder for test & clean at Stoney Cove after my last dive, I was shocked to find on returning to pick it up again that having serviced & cleaned it, they had filled it with normal air.
*shrug* A free fill is a free fill. If you winge enough nobody will get one.
I just got a tank back from a visual with nice new trimix stickers on it. It was, as I expected, seriously empty but that's all I paid for.
Our local IDEST rottweiler (lovable but not to be messed with) will not return a tank empty. How can you prove it has been reassembled correctly if you don't put gas in it.
My cylinders always come back full, an air fill is included in the cost, whether I want it or not. In recent years the air fill has turned into Nx at no extra cost.
As for Stoney's charges I would want trimix thrown in for a 51 quid service.
BTW while filling out a form to get into Vobster last week it struck me how much friendlier the staff are compared to some of the more established inland sites.
Regards
Matt
Dave Taylor
09-03-2003, 22:04
I do not see your point it certainly was not a free fill having paid ?51+ for the service.
How much? Take your cylinders somewhere else!
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