High Retail Prices = Hard to Support LDS

[ScubaSteve]

Ass an added comment to my last post, I would like to say sometimes you can get ..........

Are you telling us something? <snicker> Just kidding but it is a funny spelling error

 

[vladimir]

leisurepro.com ~ $3,000 (Questionable Leisure Pro Warranty)
LDS ~ $4,800 (full factory warranty)

There's no reason to believe it's questionable, and there are a lot of testimonials here to the contrary, but, just for argument's sake, let's say the LeisurePro warranty is completely worthless. You would still be pricing in a 60% likelihood that you would need full replacement of all your gear within the warranty period. Does that sound like the true odds to you? If you think the gear is that unreliable, buy different gear, or take up a different sport.

 

[spectrum]

Well I called Leisurepro...they admitted they are NOT an Aqua Lung Authorized Retailer. But they stated they have their own warranty. So now that just opened a whole new issue. How reliable is their warranty service and is the huge money savings worth the risk?

Complete gear for my wife and myself...

leisurepro.com ~ $3,000 (Questionable Leisure Pro Warranty)
LDS ~ $4,800 (full factory warranty)

Those are facts and $1800 is real money. Now the other points I made earlier come into play. Paramount is speaking to the LDS and being square. If you go to LP after letting them take their best shot at earning you business that's one thing. if you never let them try to work with you then you could both use. The 2 businesses have different models and you can't go apples to apples without a little negotiating. With 2 sets of gear, cash & carry you should get their attention.

In other words, LP pretty much has their best price there on the net whereas you need to ask the LDS to sharpen their pencil. If you turn the tables though will LP open a shop in your neighborhood to service you? As I said 2 different models.

Just to complicate things... Have you contacted ScubaToys and asked for the 10% ScubaBoard discount? FWIW I have used both suppliers with excellent results.

Food for thought: Will your next post be,"How to I put my regulators together?"

Pete

 

[romad119]

Set aside some of the $1800 in savings as an emergency repair/service fund if you unsure about the LP warranty. You'd still end up with extra $$$ in pocket.

Sidenote: I'm originally from Girard and next summer should be swinging by; I'll hit you up about local dive sites then

 

[fire_diver]

I bought most my my current gear from ScubaToys. They are an online shop and an LDS.

Now.... Years ago when I first got certified, I decided what gear I wanted to buy and found the cheapest place to buy it (Scuba.com). I then called my "LDS" which was out of our only instructor's garage. He said that scuba.com's price was cheaper than he could buy it for.

So keep in mind, your LDS may not be screwing you as bad as you think. There are price breaks for buying in bulk. Most LDS's don't get that deal. Ask your LDS to compete on price (MSRP is NOT a good deal) and make your decision accordingly.

 

[vladimir]

Food for thought: Will your next post be,"How to I put my regulators together?"

If so, I can help you, and there are dozens of people on Scubaboard much more expert than me who are also happy to help. And I'm pretty sure LeisurePro will assemble them for you too, if you ask, before they ship them.

 

[SCarolinaDiver]

the happy medium for this problem that in instructor told me is that on your expensive items such as BCs, buy them at the cheapest price, but on cheaper items, such as masks, accessories, maybe wetsuits, buy from your local dive shops. Even if you pay a little more, its good to support them, because if they go out of business, you may end up having to drive a long way to get air! So spending a little more on smaller items will help you out in the long run by still HAVING a LDS.

Stay Safe!

Jonathan

 

[RandyOrr]

Food for thought: Will your next post be,"How to I put my regulators together?"

Pete

I am assuming you meant that they come disassembled and you were not implying that I am stupid. Because I disassemble and reassemble $30,000 multifunction copy machines for a living. I am fairly certain I can handle a regulator.

 

[vladimir]

I am assuming you meant that they come disassembled and you were not implying that I am stupid. Because I disassemble and reassemble $30,000 multifunction copy machines for a living. I am fairly certain I can handle a regulator.

Not so fast there, you have to be able to use an Allen wrench! Are you sure you can handle that? With due respect to spectrum, who generally doles out very sensible advice here, this is typical of the fear-mongering that goes on to try to induce you to pay up at your LDS: you won't be able to get air, you won't be able to master the complexities of assembling your gear, you'll need emergency service on your BC the morning your flight to the Galapagos departs.

 

[Mike Boswell]

I value my LDS as much as anyone and I want them to be here for me. I think they have a legitimate role to play in training, travel, air fills, and product sales and service. If I have a leaky regulator and I want to dive tomorrow, Leisurepro is not going to help me very much.

But the mass marketers also have a legitimate role to play. With their volumes, they can special order a thousand hot pink wings from Oxycheq and sell them for good prices.

Business conditions constantly change with changes in technology, consumer preferences, competition, new products, and so forth. Businesses must adjust to meet new challenges, or die.

The bottom line is, the free market is the most efficient arbiter of economic viability. Interference in the Darwinian functioning of the free market only delays and exacerbates the pain of inevitable change.

Oh, BTW, I hang a half-inch nylon gear line over the side of my boat into the ocean, with two large steel snaps I purchased cheap at Home Depot. To my surprise, they have lasted several years, and are not even rusty.