Having recently moved to the Beaufort, South Carolina area, and not able to find a local shop to fill my tanks. I called one I found on the web in the Savannah area.
Specifically in Richmond Hill Georgia, off exit 90 - I-95, called ScubaMarket USA. I called ahead of time to be sure of their hours and that they would be able to fill my tanks. I asked the wife of the owner; 1) what time they were open until, I was told 7pm it was Saturday, February 14th, 2009. 2) I explained that I had two tanks I had bought through mailorder that were dead empty as they had just been shipped to me via UPS, and they can not ship them pressurized, but that they had just been visually and hydrostatically inspected and had a fresh stamp and sticker from a certified shop. I asked if They would be able to fill them, and the cost. I was told the cost would be 7 cents per foot and it would be no problem to fill them as long as the inspection and Hydro was valid and not expired.
After I drove there from Saint Helena Island, South Carolina, about 90 minutes away, I arrived at the shop and Mrs, Bunkley took the tanks in the back room to " Capt. Master Attitude" Bob. He immediately came back into the shop area practically screaming at myself and my girlfriend, that "he was going to have to visually inspect these tanks because they were empty".
I started to try to explain that they had just within the week been shipped to me from the shop that inspected - hydro'ed and sold them, and that they had not been in the water. That they were only empty because they had been shipped UPS... But Mr Bungley had such a poor attitude that he became litterally combative and physically threatening before I could even get three words out of my mouth. He started screaming that I was a f*&%in A@$&hole Yankee, and to get out of my shop before he kicked my A%%, to which I replied that he was more than welcomed to try if he liked.
I then picked up my tanks and my girlfriend and I left the store and went to the Alpine and Dive shop at the next exit, where they looked at the stickers and hydro date and had no problem with filling the tanks without gouging me for a second visual inspection within two weeks.
This man had absolutely no provocation from me at all, , in fact had no contact with me . I walk into his store hoping to find a new shop to patronize and he is screaming and threatening a new customer before he has had any kind of conversation with them. He also threatened to call the police on ME, when my reply to his threat to kick my ass, was " Go ahead and try". Honestly I think my girlfriend could have broke him in two.
I would STRONGLY reccommend that anybody who does not want to do business with a violent jerk, not patronize his shop or charters. His attitude will become appearant soon enough if not immediately.
Also from the three minutes that I was in the shop browsing, while I was waiting for the owner to verbally attack me and bodily threaten me. I looked at his selection of equiptment and thought that anyboby would have to be nuts to pay these prices in the first place.
I would reccommend Divers Supply on the web for excellent, in fact guaranteed lowest prices, excellent selection and prompt courteous service.
I have no affilliation with any shop right now . I have been a diver for 25 years, have about 1500 more dives than " Capt Bob Bungley", and managed a dive store ( Pieces of Eight Dive Center) on South Seas Plantation, Captiva Island Florida for about five years. I have bought over $50, 000 worth of dive gear in my diving career and hobby over the years and have never experienced anybody in the business act as idiotic as Bob did today.
He did not seem to have much business in his shop for a Saturday, that he should want to chase away business for no reason. Lets hope PADI and NAUI don't want him representing them either. I feel sorry for his wife and hope nobody is in business with money invested, with someone who would act as foolish as this " Owner" of a business did today !