Ridiculous gas prices

[cphilip]

Don't forget it takes electricity or Gas to run those expensive compressors not to mention maintenance. And money to buy the cylinders and keep em in Hydro...and don't forget "profit" so they can have a field and keep it maintained and buy insurance. Not to mention and feed their kids and cloth them and put them through College. But to me $2 a fill is a fair price. Above that its starting to stretch it a bit.

[Hexis]

I do take issue with one thing, most places use the $1/1k pricing. So it's $3 to fill a 114ci 3000psi system, and $5 for a 45ci 4500psi system. That's a lil outta wack. Why not a flat fee for the day? $10 or $15 for the day would be nice. Then you wouldn't have to think about carrying cash or tickets, just tag the tank and top it off between games.

Oh, and there is a place around here that charges $2/1k. That's just plain wrong.

However, I'm all for some sort of charge for usage. Nothing wrong with that.

[gmag]

But to me $2 a fill is a fair price. Above that its starting to stretch it a bit.

I agree. That is a fair price. I pay 6 bucks. Is that fair?
All you guys are telling me the costs of buying a compressor and running it and all this stuff, which I understand. It just seems sometimes that I'm getting ripped off. Maybe I'm being a little irrational.

~Brett

[cphilip]

I guess if I was paying $6 a fill I would be a bit miffed too. Even $3 is ok.

A lot of them have an all day fill price of like $10 or so. Does your field not do that?

[gmag]

I almost always get my tank filled at the store. 2$/1k. I believe the field does have a flat rate like that. If I play at the field I don't usually empty my tank. Thats just the way I play. Normally, I only go through about 600 rounds per outing. So 10 bucks for air all day is still a rip-off to me. If not a bigger one than that of the store.

[Ghost Stalker]

I have a little story..... So here we are me and my friend. We go into the Paintball store with the intent on spending a lot of $$$$. We walk in their and look around inside and my friend decides to get a new 68/45 nitro tank, knee pads and a case of paint along with some other misc stuff. We get ready to buy all of our gear and go over to ring it up. Well, after he pays for it all, the OWNER of the store says you need that tank filled. My friend says sure expecting a free fill just after he purchased over $300.00 of stuff. So the owner fills it up and says, "that will be $5.00." The owner of the store had the nerve to charge $5.00 for the fill just after we had bought all that new gear. My friend being calm and reserved pays for it and we leave. Now if it were me i would have raised h**l for charging me $5.00 for a fill.

[MAGS own YOU]

Too bad air is free at my field.

[Rob @ DNR]

I own a pro shop. I fill nitro with a mega booster from Worr games. The booster cost me $2,500.00. The shop compressor ran me $550.00. Bulk nitro tanks I lease for $45 each. I have 4 of them. I have to pay a monthly fee for the tanks. I charge $4 for 3000 psi and $6 for 4500, no matter the cubic inch of the tank. Do I make profit from nitro? No I do not. It will take a while to pay for itself. At our field we charge $10 for all day air. That includes entry fees. Should I make exceptions for people who only use a little amount of air? No, because I get guys that fill after every game. Everyone is treated equally and fairly.
So, complain all you want, but last time I checked, I opened my pro shop so i can make a living, not so I can break even. Yes I love my job, it's the best one I could think of. I am around paintball 24/7 and I wouldn't change it for the world. No, I am not out to screw anybody over. I have to make money.
Next time you go to a resturant and order a steak, try and haggle about the price. Should it be cheaper if it's cooked rare? It took less time and energy than if it was cooked well done. Better yet, bring your own slab of meat for them to cook for you and expect it to be free of charge.
What's next, complaining about paint? You going to ask for a refund for the balls that bounced off the sup air field? Why not, they didn't break like they were supposed too. Better yet, get the manufacturer to refund you for all the paint that broke in the barrel of your gun. they were obviously defective.
If your still unhappy with buying compressed gasses, go buy a sling shot...
Sorry for going off, but I am tired of people complaining about nothing.

[Magsrule3]

At my local indoor feild its $25 for admission and that includes all day air. I just top my tank off after every other game. I dont think $10 for all day 3k or 4.5k fills is that bad.

[MrRottenTreats]

I get free fills and got my bulk tank and fill station free

One of my dad's friends works at a big gas company and got me a bulk tank and made me a fill station

[Rock Star]

http://www.scubacompressor.com/merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=SC&Category_Code=fill

thats just to hold the tanks while being used. geez

[cphilip]

Originally posted by Rob @ DNR
last time I checked, I opened my pro shop so i can make a living, not so I can break even.

Exactly the point I was trying to make for you Rob. Not a problem at all my friend. It's good for everyone to see the other side once in a while.

[bushjumper]

As cphilip and Rob@DNR said, people open paintball shops to make a living, not so they can break even. It's just like any other business. Most field and shop owners are not rich guys and the $6 bucks they get for your fill helps them stay in business.

That said, there are things you can do to get a cheaper fill if you can't afford what the local guys charge.

The most cost effective in the long run is to get yourself a scuba fill station. However, you won't get 4500 psi fills from that.

The other thing you can do is to try a dive shop in your area. They may be able/willing to fill for you and will probably charge less.

I understand the feeling of getting ripped off. One of my local fields charges $10 all day air and won't let me fill from my own scuba tank. He makes you use field paint only and it's always a crap brand that would cost 1/3 of what he sells it for. I understand making a living, but other fields in the area do not do this.

[Rob @ DNR]

Cphilip and bushjumper, thanks for the support. All shop and field owners thank you. You understand that most of us do it for more than one reason. Yes, money is a big factor. I need it to stay in business, pay my bills, feed my wife, son, 2 dogs, 3 cats, a bunch of fish, oh...and me too.
but I opened my shop and field with the sole thought that this is a sport that I love and wanted the other paintball players in my area to have a good, clean, well run shop and field. Don't punish the opperators for selling a service you need. Sure some of the owners/opperators do try and scam, lie, cheat and steal your money away from you. You will always have to watch out for bad business. Just don't lump all of us up in one big pile.

[InfinatyBPS]

Lol $4-$6, I have to pay $9 for a 3000psi fill, that realy sux. That is sooo wack, if they get at least 20 people a day getting their nitro filled at their store, thats almost $200 they make off fills, that is jacked up. Mabe its just my store but they overcharge for everything, they charge $450 for a stock rf cocker. And they get mad when they hear anything about online stores...