Another Thing that bugs me about dive shops

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twinkles

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
157
Reaction score
0
Location
Atlanta, Georgia USA
# of dives
200 - 499
One of the local dive shops I patronize likes to pretend that I am getting a special deal. Typical, "PADI just raised the price on the Dive Master manual, but for you its still $50." The reality is that I am a careful shopper. I know what the market price is for what I am buying and I know that I am overpaying by a few bucks verses what I could buy the same item online. I make a conscious decision to over pay a little bit to help build the relationship. I don't like being treated like an idiot.

I mentioned one shop that goes over the top telling me that whatever it is is a great deal, but it seems like a typical trait.
 
Obviously not all shops are like that. I'm glad I was able to find a good one.
 
I make a conscious decision to over pay a little bit to help build the relationship. I don't like being treated like an idiot.

Hmmm...

I'm having trouble reconciling these two statements.

:shakehead:
 
I dunno...I'm lucky also..my LDS is right in the ball park price wise, and a lot of times less expensive than the online places, as well as some of the BIG bricks and mortar shops (i.e. Divers Direct) AND I let them know it! (and I let them know I appreciate it!)
 
my experience is that most divers consider the lds owner/manager as a friend

they hang out at the shop for hours, drinking coffee and talking

and then the diver wants to buy something... the lds owner still has to make a profit, pay the rent and pay for all that coffee youve been drinking and the chairs they provide to sit in for hours

so they do the 'special price, i'll look after you thing' and no they are not the cheapest.... but it pays for the coffee and the phone chats and the occasional free fill

the WORST thing my lds ever did was email me some drysuit data... including his wholesale price :D
 
My LDS, SCUBA Luv, does indeed make me great deals... and they don't even tout them.
 
One of the local dive shops I patronize likes to pretend that I am getting a special deal. Typical, "PADI just raised the price on the Dive Master manual, but for you its still $50." The reality is that I am a careful shopper. I know what the market price is for what I am buying and I know that I am overpaying by a few bucks verses what I could buy the same item online. I make a conscious decision to over pay a little bit to help build the relationship. I don't like being treated like an idiot.

I mentioned one shop that goes over the top telling me that whatever it is is a great deal, but it seems like a typical trait.

That sucks, but at least you got onto Scubaboard while membership was free. We all had to pay $48.50. You got a special deal :14:
 
Do you really want a relationship with anyone that feeds you BS?
It would be really nice if you could expect to be treated as family by the business' we frequent but who are we kidding? I'm willing to deal with any of the lds in my area. I'd deal only with the closest 1 if I were always given the best possible deal without having to shop around. That just isn't the way things seem to work. I've finally come to an understanding with 1 shop owner. He doesn't BS me and if he can just meet the competitions price I'll buy local from him. Just tell me if you can't do a deal and I'm ok with it.
 
Originally Posted by twinkles View Post
I make a conscious decision to over pay a little bit to help build the relationship. I don't like being treated like an idiot.
Hmmm...

I'm having trouble reconciling these two statements.

:shakehead:

Yeah, me, too. :silly:

I don't hang around my LDS. Half the time I have my daughter or son-in-law pick up things for me that I order on phone. They know that I don't really need them for much, prefer to do other trips, can get things online if I want, etc - and they really don't sell me enough to make much off of me, but they're always super nice to me as well as willing to match any price. So yeah, I keep them on speed dial and buy from them when I can.
 

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