Gas Pipe the

Crummy for you! I've been frequenting the Gas Pipe for a few years now and have never experienced bad customer service. every time I've had any questions, the employees are at my beck & call answering everything i ask... maybe you didn't speak up? [there have been a few times they didn't know the answer to my question, but they admit it instead of just making something up, which i respect]. as far as your problem w/ their glass... you are freaking insane! they buy from MAYBE 3 of 4 catalogs [all of which are american glass (Arizona - Chameleon Glass / Washington - Franticus Glass / DeeLee - mostly west coast)! everything else is locally made! literally, over 85% of their glass is made in Austin & bought strait from the artist [shoot, go early on a Tuesday or Wednesday & you'll get to meet a few of the locals]. also, keep in mind that they are filling over seven very large cases w/ glass [& i mean packed] & the 3 to 4 American catalog ordered glass MAYBE fills ONE of those cases... here is a list of just a few of their local artists: Salt [Austin] Paul Brotherhood [Austin] Stokely Glass [Austin] Ivey Glass [Austin] J Mass Glass [Austin] Wet Stick [Austin] Cook Glass[Austin] Crazy Horse Studios [Austin] Guerrilla Glass[Austin] Wright Glass [Austin] Silver Glass [austin] Garner Glass [Austin] Merck [Austin] Spiral Studios [Austin] ...i could go on they also carry work from... Freeek Billy Goat Gemini Daniel Leo Ghost Etz Joe Moss Herman Lost in Glass & more. the only other shop w/ a comparable selection to Downtown Gas Pipe is BC Smoke Shop off the drag [they buy from a whole lot of the same artist, but they deal only with glass, which really isn't a bad thing...AT ALL!!] ps- I've been in the Gas Pipe when the employees are having to deal w/ addicts/transients/crackies/drunks & more, and i have to say, those employees deal w/ some crud & sometimes are distracted trying to make their environment a little more inviting for us [which is good in my opinion (by the way, remember that that's all these reviews are...opinions)]. mostly by kicking these people out, which at times takes a bit of effort. But all you have to do to get their attention [they know you're there] is walk up & ask. I've never had them say no. & obviously you can't tell the difference between an honest person and a non-honest person when they're kicking you in the nuts, because the employees here have been extremely honest to me (they send me off to check other places for better prices or products they don't carry all the time; though, i usually go back] also, companies that don't care about their customers don't send 14 of them to Amsterdam [w/ paid tickets/hotel for every night spent, plus money to spend... Pros: free parking downtown, good service, good product Cons: too many transients around downtown more

i've been to a lot of smoke shops and i do not consider the gas pipe to be a favorite, or even a good one. the customer service is below par... sure, they will sell you something if they know you are going to buy it but the workers are not friendly people who strive to encourage repeat customer visits by any means. the selection of glass is large but most of the pieces are pretty weak... there are some good 'water pipes' but that's about it. the majority of the pipes appear to be mass produced and ordered from catalogs, so that really narrows down the wide selection if you are interested in quality artwork. also, the shop carries all sorts of other paraphernalia/posters/sex toys, etc., so it attracts a crowd interested in that sort of stuff as opposed to just a regular smoke shop. overall, i just don't feel like i'm ever interacting with very honest people at the gas pipe, and that drives me away (and encourages me to discourage others) more than anything else. i would recommend looking at a more local, less corporate shop for your smoking needs... they generally tend to have much higher-quality glass on hand and more quality people around both as employees and as customers. Pros: Lots of Different Types of Merchandise (if that's what you're looking for...), Free Parking Cons: Poor Customer Service, Low Quality Merchandise more

GasPipe has earned the right to refuse the exchange of any merchandise for any reason, the place has been open for decades and I have come to the conclusion that these people know exactly what they are doing.Hence staying open for over decades and thriving.They CAN refuse you or anyone trying to return a broken or defective piece.It's unfortunate that some one spent$300(+/-)on a water-pipe,used it,probably broke it after using,and tried to return it.Of course they didn't want to help,no company in their right mind with a business sense would accept that.What is the point of the slander?Whomever tried to return whatever it was they are crying about above, probably busted though the door,cussing and making scene,probably made some unreasonableDEMANDS.Throwing a tantrum b/c the pieceYOU CHOSEwas not to your liking an hour later does not give anyone the right to sanderize this company. Whether or not it is damaged or just plain ugly, the staff and management uses their best judgement in helping you..and yes, they will take into consideration how nice you are about trying to return something.If you choose to make a scene and threaten slander from the get go, they will certainly not want to help you in any way shape or form.It is that simple.Patience and courtesy go a very long way at any store,being corporate or not truly has nothing to do with the fact that the Gas Pipe is superior to most of the other smoke/gift shops in the Austin area.The shop managers here in Austin are extremely well conditioned when it comes to choosing merchandise for their stores.They take it upon themselves to hand pick pieces from local glassblowers&artists so that the selection is personalized as well as supporting local vendors unlike OatWillies/PlanetK who order out of catalogs full of junk made in china by children who earn pennies a day maufacturing cheap products instead of attending school. Learn some facts before choosing to slanderize a company who tries to support our local artisans. Pros: wide variety of local glass and delicious cigars Cons: none more

I always have a great experience when I visit The Gas Pipe Emporium. The employees bend over backwards to help me out whenever I am in need, and they continue to do so as long as I keep it legit. From the years I've been going I've witnessed that they do not tolerate anyone intending to use their products illegally, so as long as you play by the book, they treat you with respect. Make sure you don't bring any minors with you, because if you do, they'll refuse to help anyone with that person. [which is strict, but after working downtown New Orleans for seven years, i can completely relate]. I don't know what this other reviewer is talking about, but I've had no problem exchanging any merchandise as long as I haven't used or broken it. & usually, If they can't help me, they refer me to someone who can. On top of this, they have the biggest selection of glass pipes in the city, most of which is locally made and top notch quality. [plus they have loads of other merchandise including: grow equipment, darts, clothes, novelties, posters & other tobacco products]. Gas Pipe is a wondrously colorful place full of love & personality & i will forever frequent that establishment until the day I kick the bucket. Fin. Pros: private/free parking behind store [no one has that anymore in austin] Cons: downtown, so much panhandling more

Sure, they have a lot of smoking products and other things, but none of it is of quality. If you buy a defective product for hundreds of dollars from their shop, they will not give you a refund or exchange it for something else when you bring it back. Instead they will rip you off. When I told the manager that I would tell my friends not to go there and that I would write bad reviews about it, he told me, ?We?ve been in business for over 30 years, what?s one bad review.? They obviously don't care about their customers and only care about money. How typical of a corporation, and yes, they are corporate. Cons: Customer service, return policy, quality of products more