Question Advise on dealing with online purchase, any experience with...?

[photog]

Hi All,

Is anyone familiar with diversdiscountflorida.com?

I've got a situation going with them and am interested to know if anyone else dealt with them recently, had problems, and how it was resolved. They have listings on both Amazon and eBay. With stellar reviews, but few of them!!

I'm a re-beginner with around 3000 dives and a 6 year gap since my last dive due to personal events & situations that prevented me from diving. I sold or donated nearly all my gear, so have been re-equipping myself over the past couple of months.

I bought from Grapevine Scuba in TX as C.B. serviced my gear for years. They were very helpful and went out of their way to help me find everything, but couldn't come up with everything on my list. Since I dived for so long, I'm particular and not one single manufacturer could give me what I wanted. C.B. was able to service my old regs, so I didn't need to buy one!

I bought a skin from Aeroskin (online), vest from Amazon, BCD from Grapevine (which had to be special ordered) and a dive computer online from Dive Gear Express. All purchased and delivered on time (or early!) with no problems. I also ordered a wetsuit and returned it with no problems as it didn't fit properly.

For the front-zip wetsuit I emailed and called a number of shops including ScubaToys and several other shops in the DFW area as well as more online shops farther afield. No one had anything! Plus I was told that due to a neoprene shortage, suits to order might take many months to receive. Finally I found a front-zip suit that seemed perfect at diversdiscountflorida.com for $260.

In trying to get the suit I ordered before I left on my trip, I've hassled with Divers Discount Florida via eBay and phone now for nearly a month. I even changed my flight by 10 days to wait for the correct suit to be delivered. Plus have wasted many hours tracking packages, reordering the same thing, calling, emailing, sending messages on eBay.d

First DDF had entered the UPS shipping label, but UPS didn't receive the package. I called DDF since it was obvious the suit wasn't going to reach me while I was still in TX so needed to stop it shipping and arriving after I had left. I suggested DDF change the destination so they wouldn't need to pay overnight shipping, the suit was sent and received at my mother's in another state on time. BUT Wrong suit! It was a back-zip (cheaper, not what I ordered). I called DDF and messaged them on eBay.

On the phone with DDF their solution was Oops! We sent the wrong suit and we'll accept the return, and to tell me to order the suit again as a new eBay order at $403, a $143 increased price! The guy refused to discuss and hung up on me. As I wanted this suit quickly and didn't know where else to get it, I gritted my teeth and ordered the suit via eBay again, this time with a message about this being the 2nd order to get the suit from the 1st order now at the increased price due to their mistake.

Short story and question:

I never received the now $403 suit from DDF. UPS returned it to DDF because sig required, the driver didn't make any noise, so my mother didn't know he was at the door! I don't even know if it was what I ordered.

Has anyone dealt with Divers Discount Florida recently? Advise on what to do next?

DDF has reported me as a "problem client" I suppose because I'm upset over their errors and the price increase! I'd really like my refund. I have the UPS delivery confirmation for both returns suit #1 and suit #2 signed for at DDF.

Thanks for any hints on what to do next.

 

[BoltSnap]

First thing you should do now before anything else, is to contact your bank/cc to report the matter and to reverse the charges on your cc.

P.S. I can't believe that you placed a second order before you got a refund on your first order.

 

[photog]

First thing you should do now before anything else, is to contact your bank/cc to report the matter and to reverse the charges on your cc.

P.S. I can't believe that you placed a second order before you got a refund on your first order.

Thanks for the advise.

P.S. It was desperation! I spent so much time trying to find an acceptable wetsuit, had limited time thanks to the delays and errors, and hadn't found anywhere else to get it.

Normally I wouldn't have ordered from the same company again as I figured it was likely to be a problem based on their errors on the 1st, plus the phone conversation and increased price (which BTW is has now decreased on eBay for identical suit).

I did get the refund for the 1st wrong-suit sometime during the time the #2 order was being processed.

I've been waiting for some sign DDF will process a refund before going to eBay and my CC for the refund or posting feedback. 1st time for me to have a problem with an eBay purchase and I've been on eBay since 1998.

 

[BoltSnap]

Get the charge reversed/disputed immediately!

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

So what was the brand, size and mm of the front zip suit you ordered? And where are you generally planning to dive it? There are most likely be some very good alternatives for you to try........ and from outfits that have a proven track record along a no hassle return policy.

 

[lowwall]

I've bought stuff both in person and online from DDF without problems. I liked them because they were happy to give prices below MAP on several of their lines if you talked to them in person. I have no idea if they are still doing this though.

It seems to me that while they are fully at fault for sending you the wrong suit originally, they didn't actually do anything wrong afterwards. They did refund your original purchase. It was kind of a jerk move to not honor the original price, but their replacement cost had obviously gone up and it seems to me that it was their way of telling you that they did not value you as a future customer enough to eat the difference. It seems from your post that you were a, shall we say, high effort customer.

The UPS delivery problem is absolutely not their fault. But it looks like you are done with them, so if they won't do a prompt refund, then you should initiate a credit card dispute

 

[BoltSnap]

if they won't do a prompt refund, then you should initiate a credit card dispute

I wouldn't wait for them, I'd file the claim immediatly before it is too late past the deadline to file a claim/dispute with the CC company.

 

[lowwall]

I wouldn't wait for them, I'd file the claim immediatly before it is too late past the deadline to file a claim/dispute with the CC company.

Yes. Do keep the claim dispute deadline in mind. But if there's time, I'd give them a chance to issue a refund. It will be a lot less of a hassle for you in the (unlikely?) event they respond to your dispute.

 

[Cthippo]

File a claim through eBay. They tend to be VERY pro-buyer and can bring a LOT of pressure on a seller.

 

[photog]

So what was the brand, size and mm of the front zip suit you ordered? And where are you generally planning to dive it? There are most likely be some very good alternatives for you to try........ and from outfits that have a proven track record along a no hassle return policy.

I ordered an Akona Womens 3mm Front zip Explore Full Wetsuit.

I really wanted a Henderson suit since that's what I was wearing and knew it would fit, but could not find one. No place I checked had one available and I was told that a Henderson order might take months to fill. The Akona was the only front-zip that seemed it might fit which I verified by trying on their 3mm back-zip. Most suits my size are for tall people. I'm not one of those so sleeve length and leg length are a problem. I tried other suits, even some back zip which I can't tolerate. I'm set in my ways! Plus have a bad shoulder and I can manage a front-zip much easier.

I'll be diving in Indonesia mostly, as I have since last century. I still have the 1mm suit that I wore most of them time. The 3mm is for cooler waters.