AQUALUNG and LEISUREPRO

[keyshunter]

For the first time in several years, I notice that there is a full line of Aqualung (and Apeks) gear on the Leisurepro website. Is Leisurepro now an authorized Aqualung dealer?

 

[Repair.Tech.Kyle]

Leisure Pro is NOT an authorized Aqua Lung dealer

Aqua Lung does not sell or provide products to Leisure Pro. We do not plan to sell, nor have we authorized any of our global authorized distributors, dealers or other customers to sell Aqua Lung products to Leisure Pro. We consider any Aqua Lung, Sea Quest, Apeks or Suunto products sold through Leisure Pro to be “Gray Market” goods.

Gray Market goods are distributed in the United States without Aqua Lung's authorization, and may place the consumer at risk. We do not support or provide warranty services for products purchased through Leisure Pro since we cannot determine if the product is new, damaged or used. You should be warned that consumers who have bought Aqua Lung products from Leisure Pro in the past have found out after their purchase that certain rights to warranties and other value added support benefits could not be obtained.

Utilizing our global serial number tracking system, we have documented evidence of products being obtained by Leisure Pro through unauthorized gray market channels. In these cases we have taken severe actions to cut off the source of gray market products. We will continue to take aggressive measures to prevent our products from being sold through gray market channels.

We are committed to protecting our brand image. We take great pride in our products and in the enjoyment our customers receive using our products. To support these ideals we sell only through a network of authorized distributors, independent specialty stores and retail partners. These are the organizations that provide the infrastructure so you can enjoy diving -- training, air fills, travel and equipment service. They employ professionals who receive up-to-date training on our products so they can instruct you in their safe and proper use as well as proper care and maintenance. Buying from an unauthorized source can put you and those who make the dive business possible, at risk.

Purchasing equipment from an Authorized Aqua Lung dealer assures you of receiving the highest quality equipment and customer service available in the industry today! The benefits to you are:

· 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee

· Limited Lifetime Warranty on all Regulators and Buoyancy Compensators

· “Free Parts for Life” on all Aqua Lung and Apeks regulators

· 5 Year Limited Warranty on Suunto dive computers

· 2 Year “Free Battery Replacement” with Suunto computers

· Professional assistance in determining the right equipment for your needs

· Professional setup and instruction in the use of your Aqua Lung purchases

· Service and repair by Aqua Lung trained technicians

 

[keyshunter]

So, I guess that's a no.

 

[BoltSnap]

So, I guess that's a no.

It is a "NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" not just a "no"

 

[bobfmdc]

The "authorized distributor" networks used by Aqua Lung and other manufacturers are not to "protect their brand," but rather to protect their price. If there is any substance to the implication that more defective products have been sold by Leisure Pro than by the "authorized dealers" it is due to the manufacturers' restraint of trade that inhibits Leisure Pro from buying, and subsequently discounting, equipment for the benefit of its customers.

Personally, I would buy from Leisure Pro before I would buy from a 22 year old ex shoe salesman and video game buff in my local dive store. Leisure Pro people know more, and will be in business when the local dive store gets sold and just happens to lose all its warranty records--something I have seen happen more than a few times in my 45 years of diving.

 

[divad]

Purchasing equipment from an Authorized Aqua Lung dealer assures you of receiving the highest quality equipment and customer service available in the industry today! The benefits to you are:

· 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee

· Limited Lifetime Warranty on all Regulators and Buoyancy Compensators

· “Free Parts for Life” on all Aqua Lung and Apeks regulators

· 5 Year Limited Warranty on Suunto dive computers

· 2 Year “Free Battery Replacement” with Suunto computers

· Professional assistance in determining the right equipment for your needs

· Professional setup and instruction in the use of your Aqua Lung purchases

· Service and repair by Aqua Lung trained technicians

And price fixing.

 

[BoltSnap]

You mean when you buy a new Mercedes from a dealer is price fixing?

 

[oly5050user]

The "authorized distributor" networks used by Aqua Lung and other manufacturers are not to "protect their brand," but rather to protect their price. If there is any substance to the implication that more defective products have been sold by Leisure Pro than by the "authorized dealers" it is due to the manufacturers' restraint of trade that inhibits Leisure Pro from buying, and subsequently discounting, equipment for the benefit of its customers.

Most of any gear sold by "unauthorized" dealer is same as sold by "authorized" dealers. BUT not all the time!
I remember a few times while completing service on a aqualung micra a pin in the 2nd stage was almost completely rusted thru, crumbling apart! was not stainless steel.Purchased at LP..Scubapro bcd sold by LP was a rip off of scubapro's..Had no serial # , valves were not scubapros,sold by LP..As for losing warranty records if lds goes out of business,local store has nothing with keeping the records,its on a database owned by aqualung ,same goes for scubapro.Granted before keeping records on a database it was paper form retained by the lds AND the consumer.It was the consumers responsibility to maintain them as much as it was the lds.

Personally, I would buy from Leisure Pro before I would buy from a 22 year old ex shoe salesman and video game buff in my local dive store. Leisure Pro people know more, and will be in business when the local dive store gets sold and just happens to lose all its warranty records--something I have seen happen more than a few times in my 45 years of diving.

Many of these internet retailers are very good businessmen,but some/most do not dive. They know business,not diving,You really think all of the staff at LP dive? The LDs I teach out of is probably one of the most active in our area. Only facility with our own indoor heated pool in NY metro area. We have a very busy service department, so busy that we get gear sent to us from a few ONLINE RETAILERS-who operate just like LP- via UPS for service that they cannot perform due to that they have no one working for them that can do it!
We service the gear and bill them at our standard rate, the online retailer then marks it up at a higher rate, and returns it to their customer.

---------- Post added December 17th, 2013 at 11:56 AM ----------

The "authorized distributor" networks used by Aqua Lung and other manufacturers are not to "protect their brand," but rather to protect their price. If there is any substance to the implication that more defective products have been sold by Leisure Pro than by the "authorized dealers" it is due to the manufacturers' restraint of trade that inhibits Leisure Pro from buying, and subsequently discounting, equipment for the benefit of its customers.

Most of any gear sold by "unauthorized" dealer is same as sold by "authorized" dealers. BUT not all the time!
I remember a few times while completing service on a aqualung micra a pin in the 1st stage was almost completely rusted thru, crumbling apart! was not stainless steel.Purchased at LP..Scubapro bcd sold by LP was a rip off of scubapro's..Had no serial # , valves were not scubapros,sold by LP..As for losing warranty records if lds goes out of business,local store has nothing with keeping the records,its on a database owned by aqualung ,same goes for scubapro.Granted before keeping records on a database it was paper form retained by the lds AND the consumer.It was the consumers responsibility to maintain them as much as it was the lds.
Many of these internet retailers are very good businessmen,but some do not dive. You really think all of the staff at LP dive?

Personally, I would buy from Leisure Pro before I would buy from a 22 year old ex shoe salesman and video game buff in my local dive store. Leisure Pro people know more, and will be in business when the local dive store gets sold and just happens to lose all its warranty records--something I have seen happen more than a few times in my 45 years of diving.

Many of these internet retailers are very good businessmen,but some do not dive. They know business,not diving,You really think all of the staff at LP dive? The LDs I teach out of is probably one of the most active in our area. Only facility with our own indoor heated pool in NY metro area. We have a very busy service department, so busy that we get gear sent to us from a few ONLINE RETAILERS-who operate just like LP- via UPS for service that they cannot perform due to that they have no one working for them that can do it!
We service the gear and bill them at our standard rate,if item is under manufacturers warranty (free parts) we register it with the manufacturer,supply the parts under the warranty, the online retailer then marks it up at a higher rate, and returns it to their customer.

 

[divad]

You mean when you buy a new Mercedes from a dealer is price fixing?

If Mercedes sets the dealers price, yes, but they're not that stupid.

 

[redacted]

Most of any gear sold by "unauthorized" dealer is same as sold by "authorized" dealers. BUT not all the time!
I remember a few times while completing service on a aqualung micra a pin in the 2nd stage was almost completely rusted thru, crumbling apart! was not stainless steel.Purchased at LP..Scubapro bcd sold by LP was a rip off of scubapro's..Had no serial # , valves were not scubapros,sold by LP..As for losing warranty records if lds goes out of business,local store has nothing with keeping the records,its on a database owned by aqualung ,same goes for scubapro.Granted before keeping records on a database it was paper form retained by the lds AND the consumer.It was the consumers responsibility to maintain them as much as it was the lds./QUOTE]

We know the story on the counterfeit Scubapro BCDs, but how do you think defective pins got into the Aqualung regs? Possibly defective from the factory like the DR OPV springs a few years ago but that probably would not have just reached LP and would have gone to a CPSC recall. Clearly there does not seem to be any reason for LP to have introduced the defect. Looks like all that leaves is an authorized dealer supplier who made the switch:shocked2: Unless you see some other possible explanation.