Cost of reg service double, is this normal

[D_B]

Marek,
The normal price for Poseidons is $80 ... so the price is now double to $160 every other yr....
He said if I would have drove to New Jersey and bought it then the charge would be normal. But because they Mailed it to me its Double Thats major BS

So .. It's not because you bought the reg elseware , It's because you bought it in the mail !!! ???
Bad enough on the price gouging thing but to actually tell you that last part would just make me boil
BS! dont go back if you can help it

DB

 

[mike_s]

$80 bucks for labor for a regulator service is pretty high. I assume the manufacturer has a free parts warranty. charging twice at $160 bucks is a down right rip off.

Since it appears you buy 90+ % of your gear from that local shop, I suggest you have a "heart to heart" talk with the owner/manager and explain that you've been a good customer to him and that he doesn't want to loose your business. Yes you did buy the regulator somewhere else, but that he couldn't/wouldn't have sold it to you for $400 bucks. Explain that if he wants to keep your business, that he shouldn't punish you with overcharges, otherwise he'll lose more sales to mail order.

Like Johnnythan said, most dive shop owners aren't businessmen. They think customers should buy everything from them at list price. They don't realize that
the "market" is changing around them, and leaving them behind. If they won't
change with the times, they won't be around for much longer.

If he won't change his mindset, simply send the reg off to another dealer for service and buy what you need from him at normal prices. If he doubles the price on anything, simply go elsewhere.


As for visuals and hyrdo's..... A lot of hydro facilities now days are doing visuals. My local hydro facility does them.

 

[jonnythan]

mike_s, I've gotta ask you something... (I'm just picking on you cause you did it most recently)

Why does everyone insert an h into my screen name?!

 

[gtcpl2]

Its because we assume Johnny is spelled with an H LOL Sorry Jonny I will try to get it right from here on out

So .. It's not because you bought the reg elseware , It's because you bought it in the mail !!! ??? [/QUOTE

Thats what he is trying to say. LOL what a crock.

Mike_S, I tried that yesterday with them when he told me that. I was very nice and said Jack I buy all my gear and everything else from you and this is what your going to do. He then told me about another good customer they had that bought something that was mailed to him. Told him the enhanced cost and said he hasn't seen him since. I asked him what does that tell you. He said he hates to lose him but thats the way it is and all the dive shops here have agreed to that. Its a darn conspiracy from the LDS's

 

[cnctina]

Johnny,

What hydro facility?? if that facility can also do visuals how could they be rejected by the dive shops. Esp if that is their jobs?

Try the local welding gas companys. A hydro should be $15

 

[gtcpl2]

Will these welding supply places do the annual visuals too? If so that would be the answer for me. I will give a call tomorrow and see what they do

 

[james croft]

I will get flamed for this but annual inspections seem to be overated. I learned to work on my own regs and take care of them. I do not get water in the first stages, rinse them off, etc. I look them over periodically and only fix it if it needs something. My regs tend to be low tech, such as Arctics, Conshelf 14's with cold water kits, etc. I am not worried about my warranty. I can buy a used reg cheaper than some of the overhauls cost. Probably makes me in the minority but I downloaded the manuals off the net, bought some basic tools such as an ultrasonic cleaner and magnahelic guages etc. I have never had a problen with the regs I have overhauled. For example, I would not buy a Poseidon for they require to much bench equipment to work on. Even a knucklehead like me can follow the step by step directions in the manuals for the regs I dive. I started working on my own regs after I paid a good chunk of change for annual service and found the exhaust valve was not installed. I don't mean the old one was still there. It had nothing there. I have about 10-12 different set ups I use for the different dives I do. Some of the gear may not have been dove for a couple of years since I overhauled it. I see no point in paying for an overhaul every 12 months just to keep up my warranty. It isn't cost efficient to me. But then again I am diving basic regs and not Poseidons. I consider it a fair trade-off. If I keep saving $$$ like this maybe I can afford to buy a high speed, low drag titanium regulator.

 

[gtcpl2]

Anyone know where I can get a Poseidon Xstream repair manual??

 

[cnctina]

I'm with james on this one.

 

[Marek K]

The normal price for Poseidons is $80 and they said the Poseidons only have to be done every 2 yrs not every yr like other regs. [...] so the price is now double so $160 every other yr.

Ouch!! Makes sense, if Poseidons are as complex as folks say. And at $80 for two years, your LDS's "normal" price would actually be pretty good. But doubling that price for a service is a lot.

He said if I would have drove to New Jersey and bought it then the charge would be normal. But because they Mailed it to me its Double Thats major BS

OK, he's obviously spanking you for mail-ordering, not for not buying from him.

Look, the LDS really can set his own price, as far as I know... I don't believe mail-order discrimination is covered by federal law. And it may even be worth $160 for two years... if someone is actually willing to pay that.

But you have just as much right to take your business elsewhere. Your choice whether to let him know that you're going elsewhere (and risk getting (further) on his s*it-list), or not.

Poseidon not being that common, and the shop where you bought the reg going out of business, what are your other options? Maybe check for nationwide authorized dealers through the Poseidon web site, and start sending e-mails until you find one willing to charge a reasonable price? Maybe downplay that mail-order part... just say the authorized dealer where you bought it went out of business...

--Marek