Does your LDS try and gouge you on trips?

[T-bolt Diver]

Darryl's exactly right. Most dive stores don't make anything on their beginning courses, most people say the advanced courses arn't worth what they charge, they don't make any decent profit on equipment sales since it's just as easy to get it from the "net", so why should they expect to make any kind of a profit for taking care of putting a trip together.

Come on folks, if the store doesn't make a profit, it will close... and I can assure you that WalMart will not pick up the slack.

 

[Pez de Diablo]

dvleemin once bubbled...


Sounds like a good deal Pez.

Who's your LDS?
Darryl

See PM

 

[metridium]

T-bolt Diver wrote...
Darryl's exactly right. Most dive stores don't make anything on their beginning courses, most people say the advanced courses arn't worth what they charge, they don't make any decent profit on equipment sales since it's just as easy to get it from the "net", so why should they expect to make any kind of a profit for taking care of putting a trip together.

Come on folks, if the store doesn't make a profit, it will close... and I can assure you that WalMart will not pick up the slack.

I'm not quite sure what you're suggesting.

1. Pay more for OW?
   
2. Purchase inadequate advanced courses?
   
3. Pay full MSRP on LDS gear?
   
4. Go on cattleboat trips and bunk in the Cockroach Motel with someone you've never met before?
   

 

[MikeFerrara]

metridium once bubbled...
I'm not quite sure what you're suggesting.

1. Pay more for OW?
   
2. Purchase inadequate advanced courses?
   
3. Pay full MSRP on LDS gear?
   
4. Go on cattleboat trips and bunk in the Cockroach Motel with someone you've never met before?
   

The obviouse point is that any time an LDS makes a profit they are in the wrong. That's why the majority of LDS owners have other sources of incomes (like full time jobs) because they just want to save all the millions we cheat our customers out of. LOL

Of course divers should pay more for an OW class. The class would be a steal at three times the going rate. With having to give equipment away there isn't any reason to teach an OW class because if it doesn't sell equipment you lose.

Don't purchase anything that is inadequate. IMO, divers paying for junk is a big contributor to the mess the industry is in.

We don't do many trips. It takes alot of time and work to set up a trip for a bunch of folks and make sure it goes well and I haven't figured out how to make any money at it. Trips are like OW classes. The reason a shop does trips is to create trafic in the store and keep people diving so they buy equipment. Now that everyone buys equipment from LP there isn't any reason to take on the work and responsibility of running a trip or teaching an OW class for that matter.

 

[metridium]

MikeFerrara wrote...
The obviouse point is that any time an LDS makes a profit they are in the wrong.

I'm fairly sure I've never said that, Mike. That's the American way, after all.

It's just that the options listed there for improving LDS revenue aren't very compelling for many divers. I mean who would pay for advanced classes that aren't perceived as being worth the cost or trouble?

MikeFerrara wrote...
Of course divers should pay more for an OW class.

I agree. And I don't believe that fills should be loss leaders, either.

MikeFerrara wrote...
Don't purchase anything that is inadequate. IMO, divers paying for junk is a big contributor to the mess the industry is in.

Agreed.

 

[MikeFerrara]

metridium,

Need I remind you that if you continue to agree with me we wont have anything to argue about. LOL

I wasn't trying to give you a hard time I'm just in a sarcastic mood, I guess. Freinds?

Mike

 

[metridium]

MikeFerrara wrote...
I wasn't trying to give you a hard time I'm just in a sarcastic mood, I guess. Freinds?

Sure.

I don't have a financial stake in it, but I am interested in the future state of the dive industry. The current business model seems broken, and I'm curious to see what will replace it. And I wish the very best to those good LDS guys who are affected by the changes in the interim.

 

[DivePartner1]

I've never felt 'gouged' by any of the LDS's I dive with. I find their rates competitive with trips that my friends and I plan on our own.

The smart LDS's bring extra gear to provide as a back-up in the event that stuff they sold failed, or to offer a test drive on the latest new gear.

I don't believe LDS's are out to get us. They are a business and are entitled to be paid for goods and their expertise, just as the rest of us are.

 

[dvleemin]

MikeFerrara once bubbled...


The obviouse point is that any time an LDS makes a profit they are in the wrong. That's why the majority of LDS owners have other sources of incomes (like full time jobs) because they just want to save all the millions we cheat our customers out of. LOL

Of course divers should pay more for an OW class. The class would be a steal at three times the going rate. With having to give equipment away there isn't any reason to teach an OW class because if it doesn't sell equipment you lose.

Don't purchase anything that is inadequate. IMO, divers paying for junk is a big contributor to the mess the industry is in.

We don't do many trips. It takes alot of time and work to set up a trip for a bunch of folks and make sure it goes well and I haven't figured out how to make any money at it. Trips are like OW classes. The reason a shop does trips is to create trafic in the store and keep people diving so they buy equipment. Now that everyone buys equipment from LP there isn't any reason to take on the work and responsibility of running a trip or teaching an OW class for that matter.

I certainly was not trying to imply the LDS's should not make any money. My point is that I don't think thats the best way to do it. Charge more money for quality instruction. Use the trips to encourage more divers to dive. Use the trips as an opportunity to get divers in the shop, where you have more of an opportunity to sell them seomthing.

In any case, I would think by organizing a group trip, they should be able to make a profit, while keeping the cost lower than an individual could find be themselves. While the dive shop owner may not have time for that, I can't see why a travel agency wouldn't want to partner up with something like that.

Darryl