Buying Online V. Buying at a Local Shop

[scuba_aqua_girl]

Divers are a unique group. There tends to be great loyalty to a shop.
This loyalty seems to be fading away with newer divers, they seem to
spend more money on online gear and less in the shops. There is
little question that buying online is a bit cheaper, but when you look
at the larger picture - buying online is much more expensive. Local
shops don't just sell gear. A local shop also does repairs, runs
trips, conducts classes, fills tanks, and provides warranty service,
not to mention the valuable advice it can give. Buying online hurts
the local stores. Online shops DO NOT hold classes, runs trips, do
repairs, or most import - No Air Fills.

Most online shops are not authorized dealers, thus meaning no warranty
service. Some of the online shops even tell you, you are buying the
gear as is with no US warranty - leisure pro does this, look at the
fine print. In addition, online stores provide little if any valuable
advice. Most of an online shop's employees are just regular folks
that answer a phone and take or stock orders - is just a job to them.
Few of these people have ever dove or really know what you are asking
when you have a question.

Local stores are the best source of all your gear and scuba needs.
Local shops stock a full line of gear from many companies as well as
provide all those last minute accessories that you will need. As
online shops continue to put the squeeze on local shops, ask yourself
this the next time you go to make a purchase.

Will the shop I buy this product from support this product, does this
shop do repairs, does this shop fill and inspect tanks, does this shop
fit all my dive needs?

I'm sure you will see the value in a local shop. If I have not
convinced you yet, think about this. Online shops do not inspect
tanks or do air fills, if your local shop is gone and no longer does
these things - how are you going to dive on un-inspected tanks without
air?

 

[Divmstr223]

I shop online for pretty much everything. Why? I live quite a ways from the nearest dive shop and pretty much everything that it out there to buy is at my finger tips when I want it, and for a better price.

I certainly support the LDS's when I can and when I'm a certain area, but it's more practical for me to shop online, even without the warranties...

 

[double80s]

LDS who understands their market, customers and have good business sense, will stand the test of time. Online stores will need to follow same pratices to survive.

One benefit of online sales is that is allows a retailer to increase their potential customer base beyond their geographical market. This opens up opportunity to stock items that may have limited sales potential in a particular market, but worth stocking when you open the doors to a larger audience.

 

[HowardE]

Most online shops are not authorized dealers, thus meaning no warranty service. Some of the online shops even tell you, you are buying the
gear as is with no US warranty - leisure pro does this, look at the
fine print. In addition, online stores provide little if any valuable
advice. Most of an online shop's employees are just regular folks
that answer a phone and take or stock orders - is just a job to them.
Few of these people have ever dove or really know what you are asking
when you have a question.

Isn't this a rather broad statement? MOST online shops are NOT authorized dealers? I don't think so... there are even many SB members who own online stores, who are avid divers and their stores are authorized dealers for the products they sell.

I think that educated consumers make good customers, and personally, I would not buy a tank online. Would I buy a wetsuit online? Yes, I have. Would I buy other gear, if I knew exactly what I was looking for, and found a better price online? sure. Do I also support my LDS, and purchase gear from them? yes...

I am wondering what is your point for posting this? This discussion has been hashed out to death here on the board.

 

[mdb]

Isn't this a rather broad statement? MOST online shops are NOT authorized dealers? I don't think so... there are even many SB members who own online stores, who are avid divers and their stores are authorized dealers for the products they sell.

I think that educated consumers make good customers, and personally, I would not buy a tank online. Would I buy a wetsuit online? Yes, I have. Would I buy other gear, if I knew exactly what I was looking for, and found a better price online? sure. Do I also support my LDS, and purchase gear from them? yes...

I am wondering what is your point for posting this? This discussion has been hashed out to death here on the board.

This has been hashed out to death. It is very obvious that many good full service SCUBA stores now have a reliable online store as well: www.scuba.com and our friend
Larry @ www.scubatoys.com are just two of many.

 

[Sasquatch]

This has been hashed out to death...

Then revived through some voodoo only to be killed again.

Then, Dracula-like, it rises to terrorize us again until the sun kills it once more.

Then, Phoenix-like, it rises from the ashes until someone uses the thread search function.

Sea ya!

 

[Divmstr223]

New members sign up every day who might have some different insight on the same old topics. I think it's a good thing that they resurface now and again...

 

[MoonWrasse]

Divers are a unique group. There tends to be great loyalty to a shop.
This loyalty seems to be fading away with newer divers, they seem to
spend more money on online gear and less in the shops. There is
little question that buying online is a bit cheaper, but when you look
at the larger picture - buying online is much more expensive. Local
shops don't just sell gear. A local shop also does repairs, runs
trips, conducts classes, fills tanks, and provides warranty service,
not to mention the valuable advice it can give. Buying online hurts
the local stores. Online shops DO NOT hold classes, runs trips, do
repairs, or most import - No Air Fills.[/FONT][/COLOR]

Most online shops are not authorized dealers, thus meaning no warranty
service. Some of the online shops even tell you, you are buying the
gear as is with no US warranty - leisure pro does this, look at the
fine print. In addition, online stores provide little if any valuable
advice. Most of an online shop's employees are just regular folks
that answer a phone and take or stock orders - is just a job to them.
Few of these people have ever dove or really know what you are asking
when you have a question.

Local stores are the best source of all your gear and scuba needs.
Local shops stock a full line of gear from many companies as well as
provide all those last minute accessories that you will need. As
online shops continue to put the squeeze on local shops, ask yourself
this the next time you go to make a purchase.

Will the shop I buy this product from support this product, does this
shop do repairs, does this shop fill and inspect tanks, does this shop
fit all my dive needs?

I'm sure you will see the value in a local shop. If I have not
convinced you yet, think about this. Online shops do not inspect
tanks or do air fills, if your local shop is gone and no longer does
these things - how are you going to dive on un-inspected tanks without
air?

Where's my LDS? I dive far,far away and never (yet) in my backyard, so how do you define "LDS"?
Localized to where I dive or where I live?

Sorry, this horse of a subject has been beaten to death. Aside from factual errors in your posting (give Larry a call about being an "authorized dealer"), it's nobody's business where I buy by gear, used or new.

Oh, and I get my tanks filled on the boat.

 

[Brandon]

It's nobody's business where I buy my gear, used or new.

That's what it comes down to.

I'm tired of discussing LDS vs. Internet Warehouse vs. Internet LDS vs. blah blah blah blah blah...

The local dive shops will remain as long as they treat their customers right, same as any other industry.

-Brandon.

 

[Divmstr223]

That's what it comes down to.

I'm tired of discussing LDS vs Internet. I don't believe it's possible to come up with a new argument that hasn't already been beaten to death on this board.

-Brandon.

but beaten to death by whom? You and some other veterans a year or so ago? And because you guys discussed it already, that means the outcome was final, never to be discussed again? Wow, perhaps I should review every single thread on this website before ever posting again to make sure I don't rehash an old subject that was already talked about by people who's opinions are more important than mine.

Stop me if I'm taking this the wrong way....:huh:

Cuz if it's me and I have no interest in a subject, I mark it read and move on....