Buying Online

[Garth]

He/she will talk to you now since they are small, just wait when they get bigger (if they do) and he/she won't have the time of day to even listen to you.

I don't want to talk to the owner or anyone else, I just want great reliable products with good warranty and a company that has the resources and staying power to support its products and its reseller channel.

I don't understand why you belittle a person when he/she has found a good LDS that they trust and like?? Are you assuming that they are stupid and you know better? Or could it be envy?

Statistics, I was giving the options of my opinion. Maybe you could reference light monkey. Large profiting company yet if you have a problem you personally can talk to the owner and do business direct. paying 200$ more so I can deal with a person who deals with another person who talks to the shop manager who talks with the product manager is not IMO worth it. It's called an opinion and it's free.

 

[BoltSnap]

Garth,

If I just can understand what you just said

 

[pjones]

Scoobasam you are either nuts or you have a good LDS. Here is why. My LDS will charge 130 for servicing at least. 30 for each stage plus octo and hoses. You add 130 plus 200 and well I can buy another reg for that! If you go with a good company like HOG you might actually enjoy talking with the manufacturer because you can talk to the owner of the company directly.
You've taken what they said at your LDS and drank the koolaid.
Sorry bro.

Can you put that into comparison? What does it cost to have them serviced from an online company? to be realistic about this lets include the cost of shipping into the final cost as well. I've never sent mine to an online retailer so I simply don't know.

 

[redacted]

I don't understand why you belittle a person when he/she has found a good LDS that they trust and like?? Are you assuming that they are stupid and you know better? Or could it be envy?

The problem is ScoobaSam's math and it makes his argument seem like one of a shyster. He focuses on the cost of service kits but ignores the labor costs.

If a diver is going to have his new regulator serviced annually, then the authorized dealer who offers products that provide free service kits makes good sense as long as you keep the regulator at least 3 years. (I would equate $200 to be closer to 3 years wort6h of service kits and other incidental parts.) But to obtain those "free" parts, it will cost the customer about $100 per year in labor charges.

An alternative approach is to save the $$$ up front (that's $200 in the bank) and delay servicing to a longer interval. Even with a 2 year interval, the customer would pay the $100 labor charge and $70 for parts and spend less per year than the guy who paid full price. throw in a $30 off year inspection (if the diver is unable to do that simple inspection on their own) and they break even on an annual cost, but still save the $200 up front. I expect my regulators (and most others) to go at least 2 years between servicing and often will go 3 to 5 years. You can run those numbers if you would like.

Yes, if you are the kind of diver who does not take good care of gear or does not want to be bothered learning about your gear and how to inspect it, then the full price and annual service is probably the way to go. Assuming, of course, you are dealing with a good shop and a good tech as SS seems to be. Otherwise, there are a number of options that will keep you safe and save you $$ in the long run. If unsure, there is always the middle road of going with an authorized dealer for a brand that recommends servicing every 2 years rather than annually. Do you think they really make a better product???

 

[ScoobaSam]

Awap,

You may be correct under your circumstances... The shop I deal with charges $20.00 per stage, nothing additional for servicing the hoses and accesories... They do charge for computer batteries if needed. Service on a standard set is 60.00. So, if you are paying 100 (OUCH!). and I really feel for Pjones paying 130.00. So, no... I am not a "Shyster", and I haven't "Drank the Koolaid". I just seem to be dealing with a better shop than you from a customer service and price standpoint... I can bring my gear in anytime and they will look it over for free... They don't worry about nickel and diming me for every little o-ring. Additionally, for me, there is immense value in the immediate turnaround I get by not having to have everything sent out.

I use my regs quite a bit more than most people, so for me servicing at least annually gives me the confidence in the equipment that I desire. I can typically start to see a degradation in the ease of breathing on mine after about 100 dives and they are great regs. My regs get a lot more use than the dives I officially count. Around 90-100 dives per year for my own enjoyment, and that many again If I count all the times I am in the water helping teach, co-teach, or asist with classes.

My situation, then may not be typical, but I don't think it is totally unique, either. I didn't realize all your dive shops were so horrible. Of course it makes one wonder if you aren't being assessed a PIA fee. Just kidding. I geuss it depends on the shop, their overhead, cost of living in their area, etc. Hope you guys can find better pricing and service in the future.

If I had really drank the Koolaid, I'd be buying a whole lot more gear that I don't need. I don't really think my shop offers Koolaid... They all seem to drink budweiser, just after the shop closes.

I really just want everyone to have as good a relationship with their LDS as I have with mine. Some people look at their LDS from a business only approach... If you can really become friends with your LDS, then you might find that freinds watch out for each other... But that is a whole different topic dealing with individual personalities and what each wants from diving and the relationships stemming from such a great activity.

 

[redacted]

I do have to admit that I have a chip on my shoulder when it come to dive shops. I have experienced poor service and excessive charges on multiple occasions when I first started diving so I turned to DIY. Now the challenge is finding a reliable parts supply and I don't like shops that refuse to sell them mainly because they don't want to miss out on those labor charges ($30 per stage). Your shop does sound like a good one for price and tech service.

 

[Garth]

That is what I was thinking. Congrats on having such a great shop. Nice prices for service too. I would use my shop locally too if that were my situation.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

My regs get a lot more use than the dives I officially count. Around 90-100 dives per year for my own enjoyment, and that many again If I count all the times I am in the water helping teach, co-teach, or asist with classes.

@ScoobaSam: Any chance that you work in an instructional capacity (or as a reg tech) for the dive shop in question?

FWIW, I tend to discount what a DM or instructor says about the LDS for which he/she teaches for the following reasons:

• There's a working/business relationship established between the LDS and the dive pro. This is a clear conflict of interest in sharing an "unbiased" review of the LDS.
• Dive pros are clearly "preferred" customers of the LDS. Provided that they have a business affiliation with the shop, they get deep discounts on gear (more than 50% off in some cases), discounted servicing on regs/BCDs/tanks, and free gas fills. Regular customers simply don't have access to such privileged deals.
• The value proposition of various dive gear (particularly the expensive stuff -- regs, BCDs, drysuits) is severely distorted when the dive pro has access to substantial "keyman" or at-cost pricing.
• They can often go on a LDS-sponsored dive trip (destination travel, local boat dive, liveaboard trip, etc.) at a substantial discount or for free (comped spot) if they agree to help out the paying customers a little.
• They know the dive shop employees personally and often hang out with them in a social capacity. Due to the personal relationship, the dive shop employees are more inclined to provide servicing or small pieces of gear for free.
• The LDS is more willing to allow the dive pro to "shadow" a reg tech while he's overhauling regs. The LDS is also more open to teaching the dive pro how to do the reg rebuilds...or perhaps even pay him to get officially certified in exchange for doing a little work for the shop. Dive pros who establish such a relationship with the dive shop rarely have issues getting access to official reg overhaul kits.

 

[ScoobaSam]

Just getting into it, yes... but my experience has primarily been as a customer only up until recently... Everything I have touted about this thread has been true from day one years ago... I like your idea about freebies and deep discounts. I might have to check into that. So far, I have gotten the treatment any customer gets there, unless there an ass.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Just getting into it, yes... but my experience has primarily been as a customer only up until recently... Everything I have touted about this thread has been true from day one years ago... I like your idea about freebies and deep discounts. I might have to check into that. So far, I have gotten the treatment any customer gets there, unless there an ass.

@ScoobaSam: Yeah, you started that thread saying that you were studying under a "master" reg repair tech and that you were curious how long it should take a repair tech to overhaul a reg typically.

Just to clarify, you don't work as a DM or instructor or unpaid helper for the LDS in question, right?