purchasing DUI suits

[Arnaud]

I have nothing against buying gear over the Internet. I do it all the time. But a dry suit is a big investment. It needs to fit great. Taking your measurements properly is of importance as several members here have found out. Also, you won't get the benefit of the warranty if the suit is bought from an unauthorized dealer (or private party).

 

[Vin]

I hear you loud and clear. I am still trying to figure out why my shop is selling the TLS 350 for 1695 and change and I can get it from divers dicount (who say they are registered with DUI) for 300 less? I know the suit fits, I have problems with the valve... but what do I have to loose?

I think all I can do is tell my guy at the local shop - give him the skinny and then If he can't meet the price buy it off the divers dicount web site......what do you do? I am Dive Master Certd with these guys - they are pals of mine ... but 3 bills is 3 bills???

thoughts?

Vin

 

[Arnaud]

Vin once bubbled...
...thoughts?...

Check your mail box

 

[jlyle]

The mark-up on the drysuit at your LDS is 100%. Go to the store owner and negociate hard. Decide what extras you want, undergarmets, hood, drysuit class, etc. and see what kind of "package deal" you can get. Show the owner what you can order the suit for on the web and ask him how close he will come to the price.

Never pay retail!

 

[Genesis]

I have seen the DUI dealer price list.

You're not being played here. The mark-up really IS 100%.

 

[Arnaud]

Genesis once bubbled...
I have seen the DUI dealer price list.

You're not being played here. The mark-up really IS 100%.

Isn't the general retail mark-up usually about 2.3-2.5 over wholesell?

 

[Genesis]

On high-priced consumer goods? Not even close.

On $20 items in a specialty shop? It might be 400%!

It all depends on what it is.

A healthy markup is not unreasonable IF you get service before and after the sale. A "dive shop" that sells dry suits with no rentals in the building and no stock, and thus can provide ZERO before the sale service or validation of sizing is not providing ANYTHING for their margin, and should get MAYBE $20 over cost, as all they're doing is handling money.

Note Arnaud that the situation you posit has the retailer actually STOCKING anywhere from a couple to a couple HUNDRED of the item in the building, where you can buy it RIGHT NOW and take it home, not to mention checking it out on the spot.

What is being described here is a "retailer" who is nothing more than an internet order-taker, but trying to get a full retail mark-up while carrying NO inventory, taking NO risk, and providing NO service.

THIS is why the price controls are so perverse in this business.

They enable THIS kind of pure thievery and give the "dealer" something to hide behind when challenged.

Note that I just bought a DUI drysuit. From a LDS. Diver's Den in Dothan, Alabama, to be exact. They had stock sizes (rentals) IN THE BUILDING and allowed me to play with them in their pool to satisfy myself that the fit was correct BEFORE I plunked down my money. I brought my tanks, regs and other kit, put it all on, and jumped in and convinced myself that the fit was correct and the suit was what I wanted to buy. They "invested" a couple of hours of time with me insuring that I would be happy with the fit, form and function of the suit, and were rewarded with a sale.

I have no problem with a retailer making a fair profit, but by God, I want service to go with it. If there is no service that they can reasonable provide a value-add on, then they are just an order taker and the best price and fastest delivery wins.

Contrary to popular belief I have no problem with local dive shops in general. I have a major problem with shops that think they can play glorified order taker, take no risk, carry no stock, provide no service and yet sell at a price-controlled figure and hide behind their "agreements."

Uh, no. If that's what I'm going to deal with then I'll buy from Leisurepro - and do!

Diving Concepts appears to make a very nice suit. However, I could not find ANYONE in Florida that stocked or rented them, despite them giving me the names of 4 shops that allegedly were "dealers." All were happy to take money and order one for me - which isn't my idea of customer service and I'm sure as hell not going to pay that kind of money sight unseen.

 

[trymixdiver]

Arnaud is right on IMHO

I priced a suit at a local big chain in So Cal and it was over 2 times the cost i actually got for. had i not had a connection to get the suit i would have paid a fortune.

i am also comparing the $ i paid to the CHEAPEST i i was able to find the suit, ie the big chain.

Andy

 

[Arnaud]

Genesis once bubbled...
...Note Arnaud that the situation you posit has the retailer actually STOCKING anywhere from a couple to a couple HUNDRED of the item in the building, where you can buy it RIGHT NOW and take it home, not to mention checking it out on the spot...

I agree, with 2 reserves. The one service the LDS can provide is taking your measurements correctly. That may not be worth a 100% mark-up, though. Also, the store and/or the manufacturer should give a 100% money back guarantee if the suit is not to the customer's liking (as long as it hasn't been wet).

The reference in my previous post was relating to general retail, such as clothing.

 

[Genesis]

The reference in my previous post was relating to general retail, such as clothing.

Yes, where they have 20 of them on the rack which you can buy RIGHT NOW.

There's a REASON the mark-up is what it is - its called inventory, floor space and customer service.

None of which you get at the LDS who is a phone order portal for a maker of drysuits that has no stock, nothing to look at, and no floor space occupied.