Aqualung's war with Online Consumers

[OldNSalty]

Does AL and SP really cost less over seas? Just wondering. In my limited travels I have never set foot in a shop outside the US.

 

[PhilEllis]

Oceanic did just that when they got Leisure Pro to become an authorized dealer. Now the LP price is exactly the same as the LDS price and the product comes with a factory warranty.

It's just AL and SP that haven't gotten the message. Not that I want them to get the message because having LP as an authorized dealer just eliminates one source of reasonably priced gear.

And I don't think we're talking about a few bucks on a regulator. We're talking multiples of $100 on something like a Mk 17/G250V. If this was a 10% thing, nobody would care. But it isn't.

Richard

Interestingly enough, all companies (not just scuba companies) are always against something until they become in favor of it. Sadly, business does not usually have "upholding principles" as a primary part of their business model. The business model is typically about maximizing revenue.

The companies that currently object strongly to online sales and claim to work so hard to "preserve the dealer base" do so mostly because they believe it will best benefit THEM. I doubt they are seriously thinking about the "industry" or the "sport", or the "good" of the consumers. By the way, this doesn't make them worse than the others. Scuba companies who allow internet sales are also not like doing it for the "industry", or the "sport", or the "good" of consumers. They are doing it because they think it maximizes THEIR revenue.

Note: Please don't come at me with the "I am different. In my business, I only do what I do for the good of others" argument. It is a very populist thing to claim, it just isn't very accurate.

Phil Ellis
Discount Scuba Gear at DiveSports.com - Buy Scuba Diving Equipment & Snorkeling Equipment

 

[redacted]

Does AL and SP really cost less over seas? Just wondering. In my limited travels I have never set foot in a shop outside the US.

My impression is that retail prices tend to be similar or higher in most overseas locations. But there apparently are overseas scuba merchants who are will to accept perhaps only a 10% markup when they can supply high volume retail customers like Leisurepro. And other like Diveinn (scubastore.com) who offer very competitive prices on many product lines including Scubapro (for whom they claim to be an authorized dealer, but Scubapro USA does not recognize any authorized dealers outside their USA network).

 

[mike_s]

Does AL and SP really cost less over seas? Just wondering. In my limited travels I have never set foot in a shop outside the US.

I've seen them cheaper in overseas shops.


Let's compare Aqualungs most popular high end reg, the AL Legend LX


US Price (from authorized US Dealer) - AL Legend LX - MSRP - $665.00 ( Source - Sport Diver.com review, 2008 , 2nd source - Aqualung.com page. Note you have to highlight the page to see the price as it's in white text).


Overseas Price - AL Legend LX at DiveInn - $449.69 Us$ (source Aqualung Legend LX ACD. Regulators Regulators, Scubastore.com, buy, offers, scuba)


There are other dealers you can compare and also note the value of the US Dollar affects the price you pay (if listed in US dollars overseas).

But it's hard to argue with a price difference of $215 bucks for the same regulator.

 

[PhilEllis]

Note you have to highlight the page to see the price as it's in white text).

Do you think the price being white text on a white background is intentional, or is it just a css coding mistake. lol.

Phil Ellis
Discount Scuba Gear at DiveSports.com - Buy Scuba Diving Equipment & Snorkeling Equipment

 

[mike_s]

Do you think the price being white text on a white background is intentional, or is it just a css coding mistake. lol.

I was actually surprised to see it on their page at all....

I would have never noticed it but I was being lazy and did a Google search for their MSRP (because I wasn't sure if it'd gone up) and found it by accident in the search results and was surprised when the text showed up in Google and had their domain. I had to CRTL-F to find it on their page and only truely found it after highlighting it.


I guess they raised their prices again for 2009.

In 2007, the Legend LX was $599 (MSRP)
in 2008, the Legend LX was $635 (MSRP)
in 2009, the Legend LX is now $665 (MSRP)


EDIT: Phil the text is in "white" on the regulators on their other pages also...

I have no clue why they would do it that way. I'm guessing so it'll show up in a search engine for something to get hits for when someone searches for "Aqualung Reg_name and $"

 

[rstofer]

I've seen them cheaper in overseas shops.


Let's compare Aqualungs most popular high end reg, the AL Legend LX


US Price (from authorized US Dealer) - AL Legend LX - MSRP - $665.00 ( Source - Sport Diver.com review, 2008 , 2nd source - Aqualung.com page. Note you have to highlight the page to see the price as it's in white text).


Overseas Price - AL Legend LX at DiveInn - $449.69 Us$ (source Aqualung Legend LX ACD. Regulators Regulators, Scubastore.com, buy, offers, scuba)

LeisurePro can do better than that! Try $399.95 with a 'Limited Lifetime Warranty'
AquaLung Legend LX ACD Regulator

Sure, the lifetime warranty probably only applies if you send the reg to LeisurePro for service or maybe it doesn't include free parts. But the overseas version only comes with a CE warranty if you ask for it. There is no mention of a US warranty.

Richard

 

[PhilEllis]

EDIT: Phil the text is in "white" on the regulators on their other pages also...

I have no clue why they would do it that way. I'm guessing so it'll show up in a search engine for something to get hits for when someone searches for "Aqualung Reg_name and $"

I am pretty sure that is a css coding error. The background on their webpages was previously light brown. They probably changed the styling of the webpage and neglected to change the text color on one of the H-tags.

Added Note: I just checked.....it is a coding error. They have a definition called <span class+msrp. The css style sheet has that span class as white. Then again, since it is ONLY the msrp, maybe it is not a mistake. lol.

Phil Ellis
Discount Scuba Gear at DiveSports.com - Buy Scuba Diving Equipment & Snorkeling Equipment

 

[Couv]

LeisurePro can do better than that! Try $399.95 with a 'Limited Lifetime Warranty'
AquaLung Legend LX ACD Regulator

Sure, the lifetime warranty probably only applies if you send the reg to LeisurePro for service or maybe it doesn't include free parts. But the overseas version only comes with a CE warranty if you ask for it. There is no mention of a US warranty.

Richard

But if you use that grey market Life Support equipment with the inferior parts you will die, thus getting a "Lifetime Warranty."

 

[Couv]

To: All staff

From: Aqualung management

Subject: Inter-net sales
_______________________________________________

The management has once against considered strategy in light of this new fangled inter-net, and remains of the view that this is a transitory phenomena which will soon become obselete. Like television. We don't understand it, so we don't see why others should.

As in the past, we are convinced that all sales should and will be made through small bricks and mortars outfits, whom are particularly susceptible to our leverage in forcing them to sell at anti-competitive prices for American consumers which allow us to maintain fat margins on our products.

However, we will continue to sell gear on a discounted basis in overseas markets where consumers are poorer because, frankly, we wouldn't be able to sell gear there otherwise. Happily, management has determined that Americans seem to be going through flourishing economic times at the moment, and so should be happy to pay more for their dive gear.

Whilst it is true that some American consumers do, from time to time, get a bit tetchy at being asked to pay for more for the same product, and try to work their way around the system, we will resolve this problem by refusing to service their gear and hoping that they drown.

In anticipation of your future cooperation.

MANAGEMENT

Good one Rhone Man,

I hope the pharmaceutical companies don't get wind of your strategy.


c