Aqualung and gray markets...FYI

[rawls]

don' try to scare me with your BS "gray market" fearmongering, you only impugne your own credibility.

You need to leave the "e" off. It is spelled impugn....And I am not trying to scare you about anything.

It'd be nice to know what your relationship with Aqualung is with this posting?


Do you sell their gear? or work for a shop that sells their gear?


or is that this is geared towards you have something against Leisure Pro for some past experience?

Mike, I was going to stay away from stating my reasons for making this post, but since I have respect for you I will answer your question. I have no direct relationship with Aqualung. I do not work "for" my LDS but I independently contract as an instructor through it. Yes, they sell Aqualung gear. I have nothing to do with selling it. Of all the gear I have, I own 3 Aqualung products, and I have alot of gear. As to why I made the post...I was doing searches of different websites to look at new gear that was on the market, so by pure chance, just happened across the statement on AL's website. Since there has been a bit of discussion about gray markets of late I thought I would post the statement as an fyi and not a for and against argument. I would have qualified the post earlier but the replies just began to get too interesting to do it
And for those who wanted to make it personal, I could care less about who you choose to buy your products from.

 

[mike_s]

Mike, I was going to stay away from stating my reasons for making this post, but since I have respect for you I will answer your question as to why I posted this thread.
I was doing searches of different websites to look at new gear that was on the market and so, by pure chance, just happened across the statement on AL's website. Since there has been a bit of discussion about gray markets of late I thought I would post the statement as an fyi.

That's a fair answer....


I was surprised also to see this on AL's website. I found it very interesting as seeing them take a stance finally against grety market when many people believe they are the source of the grey market material being sold.

Now... I wonder if this has any real future meaning of what they are trying to do. I see no advantage to them over stopping LP's sales.


for discussion of the group here, has any Aqualung dealer been "sought out" by AL by serial number tracking and 'punished'?

I know of one dealer about 2 years ago that was terminated by AL, but it wan't for grey-market, it was for selling under their dictated price agreements and offering discounts. What I find wrong with this is they punished an authorized dealer for trying to compete with LP pricing when they are both being supplied by the same source.

 

[redacted]

There´s alot that goes into figuring what that 32 or 36 fill costs, from the cost and maintenence of the compressor, to the employees time, the employees nitrox blender course for legal reasons, extra insurance for hazerdous materials, liability insurance, to the cost of buying O2. To fill an air tank we figure costs us around 2 dollars, and read that correct COSTS us $2, you pay $4 and we pay $2. Every tank technically looses us money, money we ofset with the profit margin in gear sales.

I don't believe a dive shop looses any money by filling diver's tanks. I know the one I deal with does not.

First of all, the primary reason most shops even have a compressor is to fill the tanks they need to conduct the training side of their business and to qualify as an authorized dealer with most mfgrs. So filling tanks for training is why you have necessary insurance, technician training, and care & feeding of your compressor. Labor to fill the tanks is usually the same labor needed to run the shop and only with a very large operation that sells lots of fills would it have any effect on the number of employees. So sales of air to individuals is basically profit minus a little for care & feeding of the system.

Similarly, the primary reason most shops pump nitrox is to support their nitrox training and a similar logic train would follow.

 

[hlsooner]

It is a real tightrope that AL is trying to walk. Either they are saying the "gray market" goods are the exact same, just from an unauthorized dealer, in which case the average customer says, so what! Or AL is saying the stuff from unauthorized dealers is counterfeit. It would not be good business for them to argue gray market goods are poorly made crap since we all know these goods come from the exact same factory as the pricey stuff at your local AL dealer.

And you can bet there is little substance to the insinuations that people like LP are selling fake or counterfeit items. The legal remedies against selling counterfeit items in the US are draconian, and would allow the company to quickly get a court order for seizure and destruction of all counterfeit goods from LP and any unauthorized dealers, with the FBI there helping to execute such an order. I have never heard of this happening.

 

[Web Monkey]

You could duplicate this post and Replace Aqua Lung with Scubapro.

It's a smart marketing move, and the only way they can retain control of pricing and profitability.

People can complain all they want, but in the end it's all about the money. If the plan wasn't profitable and good for their company, they wouldn't do it.

Terry

 

[RaginCajun]

Alright already.....

After 352 posts on this subject I'm still itching to buy that Suunto D-9 titanium dive computer. All I need to know now is were to buy it at the best price?? LP, scubastore.com ???

Outside of ebay it's looking like LP has the best deals around for someone in the US. Heck if they'll match the factory warranty, it sounds fine with me.

So where do I pick up that D-9 that my George Bush tax money is going to fund??

 

[Rhone Man]

I have to say I am a huge Leisure Pro fan, not least because they are one of the relatively few who will ship good to my corner of the world, but also because they deliver swiftly and cheaply. I can live with voided warranties. I can well understand why manufacturer's who feel undercut would be pissed, but it is not going to change the way I shop.

 

[mike_s]

Interesting.... I just got an email from Divers Direct that they were selling Aqualung now in all their stores. (in store only, not mail order).

Divers Direct - Spring Break iCatalog page 2

 

[SparticleBrane]

Then what are you doing in the dive shop in the first place? The answer for you would be to stay out of dive shops altogether. There is nothing in there you need. So just stay away from them.

I usually do. Unfortunately when I can't get my free fills elsewhere I have to resort to visiting a local shop.

 

[Anti-Hero]

So, one question: Are the products LP is selling counterfeit, or are they actual Aqualung, Sp, Diverite gear?