Bad Experience Divers Unlimited Norfolk

[carrielsal]

I have never understood this so called "warranties." The parts are covered under warranty, you have to pay for labor? I have never questioned this with any of my LDS's in the past (they need to make money, too), but why is labor not covered under warranty? Could you imagine if you took your car to a dealership for warranty service and was told that only the parts were covered and you would have to pay for the labor?
I normally buy from my LDS, but sometimes the deals online are just too good. I don't have an unlimited bank account and let's face it, DIVING IS EXPENSIVE! I had a BCD I purchased a couple of years ago that the pull cord came off a rear dump. I called the online retailer who contacted the manufacturer who then sent me the part in less than a week. My LDS couldn't have got me the part any faster.
Carrie

 

[TennisCoach]

I have talked with some of the LDS owners and when you ask them how is business they tell you that is bad that people are not diving as much and economy is bad. Then they turn arround and pull a stupid move like the one describe here. Pissing off a customer and making it go to another LDS. My friend got a pair of fins from one of the local dealers and on the second dive they broke in half. Mind you that those were the fins that the store owner recomended $50 more expensive than the ones that he was going to buy. They guy said that they way that they broke was not under warranty and he was not replacing them. My friend said ok and bought the next pair of fins in another LDS. So this guy lost 2 customer him and me.

 

[dmoore19]

My experience,

I have purchased all my equipment from LDS. When the snorkel keeper broke, they replaced it free. When the zipper on my boot broke, replaced it free, When my light flooded not only did they replaced it for free they contacted the mfg and reported the problem and found other lights from the same batch that could have had the same problem and got them replaced too. I have also had my reg serviced and they check other things for me as well at no charge. Now, in my opinion time is money. The amount of time I spent with these problems did involve another trip to the dive shop on a Saturday, not a bad thing, kind of like looking around at new stuff. So I consider that a bonus. Time spent shipping,finding receipts and waiting for the stuff to come back in my opinion is much more frustrating than an enjoyable trip to the dive shop. I was certified there and have developed a friendship with almost all of them. They do not lie to me and often give me discounts because I am a customer of theirs. I don't have a bottomless pocket full of money but don't mind paying a little more for service and peace of mind knowing that if something breaks it will get taken care of in a reasonable a justifiable manner. Did the equipment cost a little more? Yes but in my opinion the euphoria of "getting the lowest price" isn't worth the hassle. If the shop didn't give me the service I was seeking I would look for a different shop. There is a shop closer but when I went there to check things out prior to OW Cert they just didn't seem to care. I drive further and am happy. As has been said before "To each his own". Thats just my opinion

I should have also added that the Dive shop is A1 Scuba in Englewood CO.

 

[all4scuba05]

dmoore19...they did good with you. If I were an LDS owner and had a new diver coming to my shop, I too would go out of the way and make sure they have an awesome first couple of experiences with me so as to keep their business. For YOU, THAT place worked out fine.

I've been going to the same LDS since OW class. If they had blown it with me then, I wouldn't have been Tech certified there and spending so much money there these years.

 

[Montana Diver]

I have brought 10 tanks to get filled into the local shop just as the guy was locking the doors. I wanted to dive the next morning. They gladly stayed and filled those tanks. Several years ago I broke a power inflator hose on my last dive and wanted to dive the next day. I sent them an email and the owner met me very early the next day to replace my failed equipment. Can you do that with an on-line store?

Yes, you might pay a little more for the equipment from a local shop. But I have found that if I show them the "deal" from the on-line store, they can usually get very close. And the extra price is worth the relationship I get. Stop thinking "cheap" and start thinking "value". Or quit complaining when you get exactly what you paid for.

Lets support our LDS so they will be around for us tomorrow.

I have bought most of my gear used to keep the cost down, however, my LDS in landlocked MT has been great. They checked out my first BCD to prevent me from doing something deadly during OW certification. They overhauled used regs I purchased locally and provided me with all the specs and the variations from expectations. When I purchased a used BP/W and wanted to get acclimated to it, I was invited to a OW pool session. I sat in on the drysuit lecture that evening and spent the next hour at the local pool. When I purchased a drysuit, I inquired about drysuit training. I was told I could come during th next OW session to be apart of the class for only $50. I do spend money at my LDS when I buy new, however it is not a great deal, probably $250 this year. It is their open attitude towards teaching and hoping that I will reciprocate that brings me back for more knowledge and solutions to problems.

Hopefully you are able to find a shop with a winning customer oriented attitude.

 

[Splash-X]

Could you imagine if you took your car to a dealership for warranty service and was told that only the parts were covered and you would have to pay for the labor?

All major equipment issues are usualy sent direct to the manufacturer who does the labor. Small service items such as replacing internal parts from normal wear and tear are done at the LDS and they get a credit for the parts.

Think of it this way, when was the last time that your oil change, tires, brake pads, brake drums, brake rotors were all covered under warranty where the manufacturer replaced not only the parts but covered the cost of the labor?

At least the manufacturers are splitting the bill with you, they cover the parts, you find your own factory authorized tech to do the work OR you go get your own training and do it yourself then you spend nothing!

 

[carrielsal]

All major equipment issues are usualy sent direct to the manufacturer who does the labor. Small service items such as replacing internal parts from normal wear and tear are done at the LDS and they get a credit for the parts.

Think of it this way, when was the last time that your oil change, tires, brake pads, brake drums, brake rotors were all covered under warranty where the manufacturer replaced not only the parts but covered the cost of the labor?

At least the manufacturers are splitting the bill with you, they cover the parts, you find your own factory authorized tech to do the work OR you go get your own training and do it yourself then you spend nothing!

I'm not talking about annual maintance. This would be the equivalent to oil change, tires, break pads, but equipment failure covered under warranty. This would be more like an engine failure.
Carrie

 

[Splash-X]

I'm not talking about annual maintance. This would be the equivalent to oil change, tires, break pads, but equipment failure covered under warranty. This would be more like an engine failure.
Carrie

If the equipment was defective due to manufacturing defects then of course the manufacturer will repair or replace the item without labor cost. In 99% of these cases the item gets sent back to the manufacturer.

Most LDS will swap out a defective item on the spot with manufacturers approval giving you a replace at no cost while the LSD sends the item in. The manufactuer, in most cases, sends a replacement item to the store.


You can't compare apples to oranges, the orginal thread is about annual service and not about the equilivant to "engine failure".

 

[ScubaSteve]

 

[letterboy]