Apeks can't be discounted > 10%??

[GoBlue!]

I'm wondering if I'm being fed a line by my LDS....

After days & hours of reading this board, I thought I had decided to purchase 2 sets of Apeks regulators (for my wife & I). There is one Apeks dealer in my area, so I made a trip down & found them pricing the ATX200/ATX40 set for $820 (USD). Now I know that's far more than I'd pay for the same combo from an internet store (about $250 more), but I'd really like to support my LDS here & take advantage of warranty, service, etc. BUT, $820 seems high even for an LDS....

So I asked if they could strike a deal if I bought 2 sets...heck, I figure $1640 (+tax) of gear, and they could knock it down a bit... I was told that the most they could do was -10%, and going "any lower than 10% would cause us to lose our status as an authorized Apeks dealer." Now while $164 off would be nice, that final price still hurts.

Are they feeding me a line, or is this actually true?

(Went down the road to my other LDS, run out of a converted house by 2 local cave divers, and priced out Scubapro equipment.... $665 for Mk25/S600/R390 & $618 for Mk25/G250HP/R390.... still not a great deal, obviously, but they may get my business if the other shop is being dishonest....)

Jim

 

[Scubaroo]

AFAIK dealer agreements limit discounting to 10% so that other dive shops cannot be undercut. This thread is bound to turn into an argument over the legality of such agreemets - it's been beaten to death by cyberdiverlawyers here for a couple of years.

 

[jbm]

Here comes Genesis

 

[GoBlue!]

Scubaroo once bubbled...
AFAIK dealer agreements limit discounting to 10% so that other dive shops cannot be undercut. This thread is bound to turn into an argument over the legality of such agreemets - it's been beaten to death by cyberdiverlawyers here for a couple of years.

OK, well let's not beat it to death again. I'll go read the other threads for my education while I'm trying to decide to pony up $820 or $665. Ouch, that still hurts ;-O

Jim

 

[RichLockyer]

It's not the fault of Apeks (directly), it's Seaquest/Aqua Lung that holds the dealer agreements in the US and dictates what the dealers can and can't do.

I say it's not Apeks' fault directly because they are now owned under the Seaquest/Aqua Lung/USD/Suunto/Deep Sea umbrella.

 

[jonnythan]

GoBlue! once bubbled...


OK, well let's not beat it to death again. I'll go read the other threads for my education while I'm trying to decide to pony up $820 or $665. Ouch, that still hurts ;-O

Jim

Here's my idea. Buy the reg sets online, figure out how much you saved by doing so, and take 2/3 of that and hand it over to the LDS in cash. Everyone's happy this way right?

 

[Genesis]

supporting this kind of conduct - which is exactly what you're doing when you buy from that shop - just makes it continue.

Yes, its an actual policy.

No, you don't have to put up with it. And neither does the shop; it only "works" because they, and the rest of the shops that carry the line, acquiesce.

Realize that the manufacturer needs the shops just as much as the shops need the product. Without consent by the dealers, there is no policy.

So the claim that this is "rammed down their throats" is not QUITE true.

 

[redacted]

I know of at least one "authorized dealer" LDS who will go beyond the 10% limit to make a profitable sale that would otherwise go to LP. So, if they want to discout more, they can do it ( and hide it from mfgr). Apparently, enough customers fall for this ploy to make it profitable.

 

[Genesis]

at least with some manufacturers.

But not any more with SP. They now demand the purchase price from the customer to register the warranty. No disclosure, no warranty. And since they track serial numbers, its trivial to know who is cheating, unless the customers who do this will also lie when they register the product.

(BTW, in some states it is illegal to require any act that has a cost - even an internet account, or a postage stamp - to register a warranty in order to keep it in force.... YMMV.)

The best policy for those who game free enterprise is simply to avoid them. Since you CAN avoid them, if you want those brands of gear, buy outside of their cartel, and you not only get the product you want but you send a strong message (with your wallet) that you disapprove of these policies.

 

[GoBlue!]

Genesis once bubbled...
The best policy for those who game free enterprise is simply to avoid them. Since you CAN avoid them, if you want those brands of gear, buy outside of their cartel, and you not only get the product you want but you send a strong message (with your wallet) that you disapprove of these policies.

I guess I need to start reading the threads about online purchasing & become educated! I guess it was the servicing & the mantra "life support equipment should come from LDS" that has me brainwashed. If I could service myself, I'd jump for online purchasing in a minute. I'm a little hesitant, however, and readily acknowledge that it's because of my naivite. I'll have to look into it.

My LDS did tell me that they generally try & "get around" the 10% rule by hoping customers will buy several things at one time, allowing them to discount the other equipment more substantially if the brands do not have that rule "enforced." Only problem is, I don't want anything but regs right now!

(...and I thought Apeks was supposed to be less expensive than Scubapro.... That must be across the pond, eh?)

Jim