Warning about tricks of gas delivery staff

Store information and gas delivery phone number are pasted over the old store information.

Mr. N.D.T, a third-year student at the University of Information Technology and Communications ( Thai Nguyen University), currently residing in Tan Thinh Ward (Thai Nguyen City), said: I had just changed the gas for nearly two weeks when someone came and pasted a decal of the new store over the old store's information. When the gas ran out, I called the new store, the technician came and asked me to test the leak and pointed out that the gas line was punctured in three places, and said that the valve and gas tank were also broken and needed to be replaced completely. The total cost was more than 900 thousand VND, including the line, valve and gas tank, all without labels or clear information about the origin. I asked and looked it up online, but they said this type was new and there was no information on the website.

Ms. Duong Thi Ngoc, who rents a room in Group 2, Tan Thinh Ward (Thai Nguyen City), also fell into a similar situation. She shared: Not long ago, someone came and pasted a gas call phone number on a gas tank placed outside her rented room. Less than a week later, my gas tank ran out. When I called the new phone number, the staff who came to replace the gas "randomly" discovered that the steel gas lock pin was broken. They also asked me to prepare paper to burn and check for leaks in the pipeline. Although my gas line had just been replaced for more than a month, it was a thick, sturdy type, but when they checked, it coincidentally leaked gas. After agreeing to replace a 1 meter section of the line for 170,000 VND, I began to suspect all the coincidences that happened in succession, from the broken pin to the wire leak.

Mr. Hoang Vy, a student renting a room near the University of Education (Thai Nguyen University): I ran out of gas, called to replace the gas, the staff came to check and said the valve was broken, the wire was broken, everything needed to be replaced. It cost 800 thousand VND in total. I don't understand why everything was broken, but the staff had the replacement equipment ready in the trunk to replace it right away.

Posing as a customer who needed to replace the gas line, we called the phone number on the decal with the name “Hoang Long Gas Store”. After answering the phone, the other end of the line confirmed that they would go to Diem Hen intersection (Tan Thinh ward) to make the transaction, but did not provide a specific store address, nor any information about the fixed business location.

Investigating the reality around the Diem Hen intersection, where the staff arranged to deliver gas, local people confirmed that there is no gas store named "Hoang Long" as advertised.

From the above signs, there is reason to suspect that this is a spontaneous group of activities, without clear business registration, without a fixed location, but only operating in the form of "mobile gas delivery", taking advantage of consumers' lack of vigilance for profit.

The common point in these cases is that gas delivery staff intentionally create the risk of fire and explosion for profit. Taking advantage of the subjective and lack of vigilance of consumers - mostly women, the elderly or students renting accommodation alone, the subjects often give reasons such as "broken gas valve", "leaking gas line", "dangerous gas leak smell"... to force customers to replace equipment at unusually high prices, while in fact many equipment are still working well.

Some employees even secretly loosen gas valves, break locks, or use sharp needles to puncture rubber hoses, creating fake cracks and then warning of leaks to convince users to replace the hoses and valves. They carry equipment in the trunk of their cars and replace them on the spot without providing any invoices or clear information about their origin.

Faced with the above situation, people, especially students and renters, need to be more vigilant when using gas, only buy and replace equipment at genuine dealers with clear addresses and full invoices. When replacing gas, it is necessary to closely monitor the installation process and require tightening the safety valve.

After use, the cylinder valve must be closed and the stove switch must be completely turned off. Gas lines and valves must be checked periodically with soapy water. Never use fire to detect leaks. If any abnormalities are detected, the gas must be turned off and a reputable unit must be contacted for repair.

Along with that, the authorities also need to strengthen inspection of the operations of gas businesses, and at the same time propagate and warn vulnerable groups such as students and tenants, to avoid profiteering behaviors turning into threats to life safety.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/xa-hoi/202505/canh-bao-nhung-chieu-tro-cua-nhan-vien-giao-gas-1a70cb8/