BAD experience with Scuba.com

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I agree with the general consensus of the rest of the thread. scuba.com is not being unreasonable by charging you shipping cost.

also, your LDS is the best place to go for anything that requires fitting, maintenance (like regulators), etc.
 
RJP:
Uh, isn't that what you just said NOT to do?

If you're gonna make the "where to buy decision" based solely on price then you need to tell the shop owner that as the first thing out of your mouth, and let them decide if that's how they want to earn your business. If you wait until AFTER they've spent their time showing you stuff and having you try stuff on, you're really not being fair.

Not saying that you shouldn't ask, but you should let them know up front that price is a driving factor so they can decide how to best serve you.
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A misunderstanding. I didn't mean that anyone should go into a shop and take up a couple of hours of their time and then buy elsewhere. But shopping around for prices is the American way.

I've gone to Circuit City, Best Buy, Comp USA, etc shopping for computers and ended up buying online. I've gone to the same stores shopping for a television set and bought it from just one. I've shopped cell phone service from several stores and only bought from one. I've shopped around for vehicles from several dealers, to include test drives, and only bought from one. In shopping around I've taken up everyone's time. Was that wrong? Should I just go to the first store I find and buy from them? Why is the dive shop industry any different. I will walk into a dive shop and look at gear and ask questions. I may then go to another dive shop and look at the gear they have. I may even try on a BC (if I dove one :D ) for comfort and try a different brand on at a different store. Is this wrong?

The dive shop industry isn't any different than any other market industry. They have to compete to stay in business. If they don't, then they go out of business. That's just how things are.

You shouldn't go into a dive shop with the intent to try on wet suits, BCDs, fins, etc. knowing that you're going to purchase them online. But if you go in with the intent to shop around and give them a chance to earn your business and they don't, then that's their loss.
 
I noticed that the sizes of booties varies greatly.
I've ordered 4 times from scuba.com in the past 2 months, and they've been great with me. I made an exchange, and it was no problem. I had to pay to ship it back to them, but they paid to ship the exchanged booties to me.
 
Sideband:
Do NOT do that. If you are going to use the shops employees, time, and inventory then buy it at the shop.

Joe
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I agree w/ being a fair minded consumer, and I support 2 LDS's. I've managed come to grips with what support means;

You buy a brand new beautiful (insert brand and model) BC for $600, then check online that evening out of curiousity. There's the same one new for $400, or (supposedly) slightly used on ebay for $300. Did I get ripped off for $200 or $300? No way! I got to choose from a great selection of gear and had someone there to answer all my questions. Part of building the relationship. If they have the stuff I want, I get it there. If I can do my shopping on-line, I do it there, but you take the chance of buying something that just doesn't work.

On the other hand, if it's alot of money, I gotta support me too!

If spending a little cash was the hardest part of getting back into diving for me, I would really be thankful. Jenny Craig ain't working...
 
Internet shopping certainly has it's place in the dive industry. With the number one benefit being price and convenience (it's pretty nice to sit on the couch and let your fingers do the walking)

But in the same breath you can't beat your LDS. Not only having the ability to shop "hands on", there of other perks that go hand and hand with your purchases. Most shop owners realize that they can't compete solely on price against large volume on line dealers. So they provide (albeit at different levels at different LDS) benefits that on line vender's can't supply.

Some of my favorites:
*discounted or free air fills
*shop warranties that go above and beyond manufactures warranties
*emergency and/or short notice service and repairs (which may include a loaner while yours is being repaired)
*discounted or priority continuing education classes
*use your imagination, I'm sure you'll think of tons of other perks provided by your LDS

Dive Safe, Dive Often and Dive HAPPY!
 
prodive69:
Internet shopping certainly has it's place in the dive industry. With the number one benefit being price and convenience (it's pretty nice to sit on the couch and let your fingers do the walking)

But in the same breath you can't beat your LDS. Not only having the ability to shop "hands on", there of other perks that go hand and hand with your purchases. Most shop owners realize that they can't compete solely on price against large volume on line dealers. So they provide (albeit at different levels at different LDS) benefits that on line vender's can't supply.

Some of my favorites:
*discounted or free air fills
*shop warranties that go above and beyond manufactures warranties
*emergency and/or short notice service and repairs (which may include a loaner while yours is being repaired)
*discounted or priority continuing education classes
*use your imagination, I'm sure you'll think of tons of other perks provided by your LDS

Dive Safe, Dive Often and Dive HAPPY!
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My LDS gives a steep discount on having regs inspected/rebuilt if they were bought at the shop.
 
sucks you got burned - I bought my first scuba gear of some guy on ebay from another country - a BC that ended up being a 600 dollar investment - got exactly what I asked for, and im still happy with the purchase.

guess you were just unlucky - I mean, if you know your shoe size, and your approx variance, what are the odds they will still muck up the order.
 
I learned the hard way that there can be a price to pay, to pay and lesser price for something online. Now I only buy sized items from my lds.
Clay
 
I just saw their latest email newsletter.. Their featured product is an underwater mp3 player that is available elsewhere for $40 (there are links on this and other websites)..

Here is a link to their special price
http://www.scuba.com/newsletter/email101006/index.html


I know if I purchased it, I would feel "special"...
 
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https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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