Buy from LDS or Ebay

[scubafanatic]

I think go to your local DS try the item on,make sure to use the shop owners time by several calls and stop in's too! or even take to the pool use it for a week or so after that return it=of course with a credit card so he can loose the 2 percent card fee,Heck your just going to dive once twice on a trip Eha? I here Larry at Scuba Toys got a DOT deal on partial pressure fills on Pressed steel 100's shipped to your door from the PS plant O-2 cleaned you supply the NITROX sticker free shipping!- NOT!!!
OK I am a bit sarcastic!
kudos on saving a buck in these depressed economic times, I got’s to admit ya I have done the deed and bought on line or from shops 1200 miles away, but while on dive trip needed the item so bought at shop near were I was diving,or yes on line service kits due to unavailability at local LDS due to a non dealer status.

That said the dive industry as a whole has created this mess !! by lowering itself to E-selling!! something years and years back NO WAY COULD BE DONE BUT THEY GOT GREEDY! and now in a short time will slowly self destruct IMO due to the sport as is ,Is a dying sport!! with the median age trending towards old soggy farts like me! and newer divers being the 1 or two diver dive vacation diver due to the lack of presentation to the market place, in shows like Cousteau's under water explorations, Sea hunt,Flipper and other shows that got new divers into the sport years back.

The GREEDY MONEY machines like PADI and all that follow have been doing every thing possible to destroy the local LDS REALLY, if they could E cert your pool work on a video conference call which they probably will now thru SKYPE! they will to rip the last dollar from the shop owner!

What dose this have to do with your question on saving a buck or how will it affect you? not much at all because your not going to be affected being a vacation diver, Divers like me ,us that tend to be on and underwater 3 to 4 times a week year round,,, big time as shops close we have to go further to shops for visuals, and fills, supply's, and next as this happens the stronger shops implement rules on what tanks they will fill! forcing fees and more charges, and will raise prices to cover overhead and limit our choices!and its happening now!

Now as divers we have to take VI “tank inspector” classes not much money and some basic tool’s to do visuals and well worth it, purchase air compressor to fill tanks a great idea because now you know the service history on oil & filters not just some slip of paper stating a good air test, and yes you can charge other divers to cover your over head!
in all the local LDS will be gone, with supper mega dive shops only to be found near major dive locations,probably offering self service fills and self check out lines!
ya buy it on line I got to take my meds ,a nap and watch a old dive video! from my wheel chair!!

...might wanna have the doc up your dosage ASAP........just sayin'.

 

[redacted]

I wonder how many LDS owners would pay 50% more to support all the other local business in their community?

I asked my LDS a question like that once. Turned out we both bought our cars at the same place - the dealer with the lowest price!!!

But, it is a different business model. Car dealers expect to compete.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I favor purchasing from my LDS any equipment that will require service, or need repairs. I do not hesitate to buy other things elsewhere: neoprene, lights, other accessories, even masks on occasion. When determining cost savings, things like reliability, servicing (local shops often offer one or two years service on bc's and regs at no cost) and easy of getting repairs done should be factored in when determining if you are really saving money on a purchase. I will pay a little more to deal with people I know and who I know are competent and reliable.
DivemasterDennis

 

[RonFrank]

If the LDS will compete great. If not buy it where they will compete. LP and Scubatoys are both LDS's, just not local to you! A1 scuba sells this with transmitter for $1280. Then you pay taxes $75-100 depending on the rate. You save $350-400 buying from LP or Scubatoys AND you get the same Warranty you get from A1. My buddy bought all his gear from A1. When his computer needed warranty work they just sent it to the manufacture. He would have saved time just sending it in himself, and skipping the 50 miles round trip ride. Actually 100 miles by the time he picked it up. So add in 7 gals of gas for him buying local.

I tend to attempt to buy USA made products and do not worry as much about where I buy them vs. where they come from. You can get an OLED computer for what you are paying for this. Something to think about. Most of the computers are made overseas so this is one of the items where I do not worry so much about where it is made. But all the rest of my dive gear is made in the USA with the exception of my Drysuit which comes from Canada!

Uwatec Galileo Luna Hoseless Wrist Dive Computer Complete with Transmitter

 

[fjpatrum]

I don't really understand why this question keeps coming up with respect to LDSes. Would you buy a car for twice as much as you had to? Would you buy groceries for double the price?

Now, someone else mentioned that you need to make sure the online price includes the transmitter and that's a very important consideration. You have to compare apples to apples, after all.

In the end I buy based upon price, primarily, because I'm simply not rich. Sometimes I buy for convenience and occasionally just to support the LDS, but in the end, I do what's best for me. As I generally only require air fills from a shop, I don't need a lot of support. As a result I generally end up only buying small items through them. Even then, the mark up annoys me, despite the fact that I fully understand it.

Spread your money around and everyone wins. Keep it in one place and you may have a good relationship with a shop that goes out of business anyway... or you may get lucky and find a shop that actually continues to prosper and also appreciates your business.

Either way, we can't tell you what is the right choice for you. Only you can determine that.

 

[dmoore19]

I would say you have a choice. If buying from a LDS or online the best thing to do is to buy it from a reputable source. If you are unsure of the source, be prepared to write off the loss.

 

[NubaScoob]

I faced this question myself recently and will echo DiveMasterDennis on what he said and a bit more. I decided that it would be best to get my regs from the LDS as thats where they will be serviced and where I can take them if I have an issue. I also bought my BCD there so I could go in and try it on and have a professional help to make sure it fit me and my needs correctly. Were they more expensive than buying onlne? Yes.. You bet your arse they were.. And thats after the 15% off I got for being a student there. That being said, I bought my air integrated computer with transmitter used hereon SB from someone, as well as a few lights. I bought my fins, mask, snorkel, and wetsuit from an online retailer because they were like 50%-75% cheaper. What does that mean in the long run? I ended up paying what I feel was a fair average price for all my equipment, made my LDS happy and kept a good relationship by supporting them, and was able to use the interwebs to build additional relationships online. Eitherway though, the choice is yours

Oh, and I approved this message

Ant

 

[meebs86]

Something that I find very important is this: What will you do if you run into trouble with your equipment? Do you trust the online sellers to take care of you and help you out? What will the LDS do? will they give you a free replacement so you can continue to dive while your gear is being serviced? What kind of a deal are they willing to cut you to help earn your business?

 

[Oldbear]

If the LDS will compete great. If not buy it where they will compete...

I agree...on most products I feel that an LDS can compete with an online store. Some products there is no "wiggle room" to drop a price and on others there is, but first you actually need to ask the LDS which most people won't. After asking (on the phone 'cause I am still in Kuwait) about any price reduction for buying multiple items from my LDS I bought my Cobalt from A-1 (a Metro Denver LDS) after they told me when it was going on sale. The discount was below the on-line stores.

But like all businesses, the LDS has got to make a profit if it hopes to stay in business (only Governments can afford to run at a loss). Profits are basically made by taking in more revenue than expenses and revenues are the added percentage to a product/service (very simplified business model). There are basically two ways to generate your revenue: 1) sale a product/service a few times with a relatively higher profit percentage incorporated into the price or sale a product multiple times with a relatively lower profit percentage incorporated into the price. And it is usually the market that determines which method it will be. A LDS could have a smaller market base, thus less room for profit flexibility. Where as an online store that has built up a large client base will have more flexibility. These are just two different business models.

Look at Walmart, they sell so much volume that they have put many local stores out of business who lost their "wiggle room" to compete...all because people wanted to save a dollar or two. But when local businesses close it has an effect on the entire community. When an LDS closes it has an effect on the local diving commuity. If I have the means to get to a LDS, then I will before ordering online.

Plus, my daughter and I have a good relationship with our LDS for equipment and training. When I call the LDS it is nice to hear, "Mike, so good to hear from you. How are you today and when are you coming home?"

I believe there is a place for both LDSs and online stores and like RonFrank mentioned, most online stores are also LDSs who have just marketed themselves very well. But from the social aspects I prefer to support my LDS. Yes LDSs can be a bit more expensive, but the good ones try to be accommondating. And after all...I much rather be known as Mike (the name my parents bestowed upon me) than Order #938475. Somethings are worth more than a few dollars.

That was my two cents worth...

~Me~

 

[Peter_C]

Dolphin IS an LDS! They are the nicest dive shop in the way of selection I have ever stepped into and given me great deals in the past. I don't buy dive gear much anymore, since we have pretty much everything, including a compressor.

To compete in the industry these days our local LDS has started price matching. Maybe your LDS will do so too?
Scubapro Galileo Luna Complete | eBay

As also stated above there are OLED computers from places like Liquid Vision in the same price range with rechargeable batteries. For viewing they are far superior. I will agree a computer mounted on the right wrist is the best location.

I know getting rid of the hose for the pressure gauge and all may sound great, but the reality is it sucks when setting the gear up and you have turn on the wrist unit to figure out pressure. Then there are link issues that can leave you without a pressure reading. FWIW we have a Uwatec Smart Z which has the wireless transmitter. There is still a gauge mounted on a 24" hose at the left hip.