Bad Customer Service

[chicagolandscuba]

HOLY COW...I am new to this but you guys are pretty entertaining.
I cannot wait for the next entry of "As The Fin Pivots"
This is clearly a LDS problem and I for one know that this would never happen at my store. Oceanic would never respond poorly to a customer. Now granted we all sometimes are not happy with the answers we get...I have a million stories but remember that time is needed to resolve any issue. Feel free to contact me with any Oceanic problem and I will do my best to help. Bill Harting 847-540-7211 www.chicagolandscuba.com

 

[joe rock]

Is VU an "authorized" Oceanic dealer? This is from the Oceanic website.

"Oceanic distributes its products, services and technical support solely through its worldwide network of Authorized Pro Dealers. These professional retailers are the only locations that are able to extend the Oceanic warranty, guide you in the proper maintenance of your gear, and provide you with ongoing service and support for the Oceanic products that you purchase. Not every business that advertises Oceanic products is an Authorized Pro Dealer. We strongly recommend that you read through this section of our web site for the details of our warranty and service programs, and visit Locate A Dealer to verify that the merchant is an Authorized Pro Dealer before any purchase."

Aqualung/Seaquest, ScubaPro and others have similar policies. You might not like it, but that's their policy. If you expect them to honor their warrenty you need to follow their rules. If VU is not an authorized dealer, than you shouldn't bash the manufacturer because you chose not to buy from one. That's not bad customer service, it's poor research and decision making on the purchaser's part.

 

[visibilityunlimited]

I was working and minding my own business and then, hmmm, my ears started ringing!

Thank you very much for the compliments, Mr. Milhouse! Let me try to answer your question about Oceanic Australia and Oceanic World Wide... doug where are you??? . Oceanic WW is the headquarters & manufacturer who supplies dive gear to local dive stores in the states and to the distributors worldwide, of which Australia is included. They in turn supply it to their local dive stores. Because the distributors are independently owned and operated, their rules may vary.

With divers becoming more educated with gear purchase via the internet, online shopping has become more the norm rather than the rarity. Oceanic WW is aware of these international inconsistancies and is trying to find a diplomatic solution.

Milhouse, I am sorry you were treated poorly from the AU Oceanic Rep, it is not good for our industry or Oceanic. My compliments to your LDS for wanting to honestly help you. CYE

Cathy
www.visibilityunlimited.com
Authorized Oceanic Dealer
http://www.buyoceanic.com/locator/results.aspx?state=IL&pc=yes

 

[Milhouse]

Now I have a much clearer view of things. Oceanic WW seems to have good service (only going off what you guys have said) but I still think that Oceanic Australia SUX and in future I would tell my mates to steer clear of the Oceanic stuff from the LDS and buy from VU!!!!

I am being sent a service kit for nix so this will probably fix my problem.

Thanks again VU!!!

Milhouse

 

[Doug Krause]

I am here working on a response better than what I am able to give right now.

Millhouse - and others that have concerns about international warranty coverage - Oceanic Worldwide (USA Headquarters) will always stand behind our products and customer support when purchased through an authorized dealer, no matter where the purchase may have taken place.

Cathy is correct in stating that most of our international partners promote and fund their own service programs - i.e. satisfaction guarantee, lifetime parts replacement, etc. Ultimately, these value added services are valid through the country of original purchase. However, in this case where you had a problem with a new product purchase, I would have preferred it was taken care of for you with a smile.

You have brought up a topic that is now being discussed internationally with upper management, and I hope to have in place an international warranty policy befitting the Oceanic name shortly.

If you have any other questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

Doug

 

[Milhouse]

Doug,

I hope that Oceanic WW gets this issue sorted asap. I am disappointed that there has to be so much stuffing around to get a simple warranty claim. I wont hold my breath on this getting sorted any time soon, but I would love to hear about if it does. Hopefully I wont need to have any further repairs done to my gear for a while....

On a positive, when I spoke to Oceanic Aus, they did agree to provide parts at my cost which means should I need to get my stuff repaired I can get it done locally. The guys at the office were a bit annoyed that my local rep treated me like cr*p, but again I am not assuming much will be done in the way of an attitude adjustment.

 

[cerich]

You know when Doug posted that he is working on a world wide warranty/cust. satisfaction program it really shouldn't be taken as him trying to "fix" anything per say.

If Doug gets this implemented then he will have been the very first to get anything like this done in the diving industry!