Being Forced to Buy Equipment AT LDS for Class

[BonaireDan]

Being forced to buy gear from the LDS that is doing the class is a business decision on the LDS part but a poor one at that. I would go elsewhere for better customer service.

Our LDS certainly encourages gear purchase BUT will give a new student a discount on the mask fins, snorkel and boots (as well as other gear). We have been also accomodating to students to lend or "rent" the basic gear. BC and regs are always part of class fees for both pool and OW.

The LDS profit center is NOT in classes but rather in gear sales.

 

[siikik]

I've run across a few shops that do two things I cannot stand at all. The first one is they don't sell inferior equipment, meaning what they do sell is the "best there is", and second, they badmouth every other shop around, even the ones that do sell their superior equipment because you must know, they are the best.

I can count on one finger (you'll have to guess which finger) the number of times I visit a shop like that. Even as a brand new n00b diver (back in the 80s) I didn't put up with a shop's crap about how their junk is better and if you want to take a class I won't let you use anything but... Don't know when, but this particular shop closed (as well some others.) Found that out when I visted a different shop earlier this year... yep... the owner had a reputation that still haunts him after 20 years!

Moral of the story. You're the one with the money and you alone decide how and where to spend it. When I owned a retail store, I would bend over backwards to keep your business and anybody not doing that in today's economy is downright stupid.

I agree with supporting your LDS, but I would also consider how far it is to drive to the other side of the state to support family... blood is thicker than water you know. At a minimum, go where you're well treated. Personally, I avoid every shop that favors one brand over another. You usually only find this out from talking about brands they don't sell, not by looking at the brands they do sell. A simple, "what do you think of <insert brand name here>?" works most of the time. It works for certifications too. You can really tell a lot of character about a person this way. If you get a bad vibe, run... fast... and never look back.



Ken

 

[RonMurray]

Why are we dancing around the name of the shop?

The owner has no problem with the policy - why not give the shop some airtime, it would save the owner the time and hassle of explaining the store policy over and over.

What is the name of the shop?

 

[ScubaSteve]

It would also add merit if they were to come on and confirm the policy and perhaps explain their decisions. But, I doubt it will happen that way.

 

[CrackedConch]

This tells how much markup there is on dive gear...

I know of at least 3 shops locally that will discount the cost of the OW class by $100 if you buy the basic gear from them.

My question to the op is: Did you get a discounted cost that requires you buy the gear from him? If you're paying the same as anyone else then walk away and find a different shop otherwise clarify with the LDS what .

 

[snowflake4727]

There is what most people consider alot of mark up on ANYTHING from ANY specialty store. That is what it takes to keep a specialty store in business.

 

[ScubaSteve]

There is what most people consider alot of mark up on ANYTHING from ANY specialty store. That is what it takes to keep a specialty store in business.

NOPE! A proper and feasible business model is what it takes to keep a business in business. Mix in some good business sense and you might actually turn a profit.

The problem with your post is that ALOT is a very subjective term that lumps together those companies (not just dive related) that are gouging and those that are trying to be fair and charging what they have to for the same or similar product or service. They are two very different mark-ups.

 

[CrackedConch]

Oh, and what LDS owners often don't understand is they are really in business together.

Diving is a small sport compared to other activities (golf, cycling, boating, team sports, motorcycles, etc.). SCUBA overall is competing against other activities for peoples' recreational time and money.

The more people get into diving, the better off all LDS's will be in their shared local market. That being said, the competition for "diving dollars" within the local market is fierce.

You can either focus on getting a bigger slice of a small pie or you can work to make the pie bigger.

 

[rstofer]

Previously in this thread it was mentioned that the course might have been highly discounted and I thought some fine print might apply. We have also had threads re: the REAL cost of the OW class. Here is what it costs around here:

Course: $170
DVD: $30
eRDP Crewpack: $70
PIC Card: $17
Rental for OW dives $50
Personal Gear: $200 (more or less depending on level of quality)

Something on the order of $540 + tax will cover it. Just think of it as $600 exclusive of transportation to the dive site and accommodations. Even without the personal gear (if you already have it), the cost is about $340.

So, if the advertised price of the course is $99 then there MUST be some fine print. The crewpack and DVD (required) cost more than that!

Although I have no problem dumping on LDSs (in general, not mine of course) but there really could be something left out of this thread.

Richard

 

[Bonairetrip]

That practice is not uncommon locally. I am not a big fan of it but I understand it. IMHO, those items all need to fit well and selling you the gear is likely to help with that. I have also seen some students try and convince the dive shop that the gear they already own is perfect (even though it is in no way suitable for scuba). The other thing is that shops that do that (at least locally) tend to have very cheap classes (i.e., $100 plus the instructional materials).

One place I know has two prices for training: a discounted one if you buy mask/fin/snorkel/booties from them and a regular (higher) price if you don't. That approach seems very fair to me...

Given that you got your stuff through your cousin, that is what you are likely to do for any future purchases as well. Given that, here are your three choices:
a) Find another shop in the area. Be willing to drive further and/or perhaps pay a bit more for the class.
b) Be honest with the shop -- say you already have good quality gear (as a gift), that you are happy to bring it in for inspection but that you are not interested in buying a second set of gear. Offer to pay them a one-time extra fee ($50?) to use equipment not purchased from them.
c) Plan a trip and get certified. Could be to your cousin or it could be to someplace else (i.e., Florida, Bonaire, etc.)

BTW, comparing the price of classes is not as easy as it would seem. Please see http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...g/293996-those-considering-scuba-lessons.html