The fact that this is a negative does not negate its validity. Too often posts like mine are relegated to the old "I hate LeisurePro so don't buy from them" status. I have a legitimate reason for posting a serious flaw in a transaction that may well happen to you. I often see posts about how great products are. I see them from the salespeople too. I have had three experiences that have not gone well in my photographic journey. I wish someone had posted more about what happened to them before I got into trouble rather than posting afterwords "Yeah, I had the same issue". If you don't need to know the information I posted here, other threads abound.
As to positive things that I have posted, do a search. You'll find I can praise as well as I can chastise. Look at this thread and tell me that I have some great hatred for Fantasea or for Optical Ocean.
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=185372
I have
not attempted to tell the whole story of my misadventure for good reasons. The part I have related is for the benefit of those who may enter into a relationship with Fantasea. The things that a reasonable person should be able to see are:
The product was not well described to begin with, hence the term "buyer beware". The fact that a company went so far as to label its own box incorrectly (and admitting it didn't know its own product) should be of note. The need to charge a restocking fee on an item plus shipping plus depreciation (when they did not know they didn't even manufacture the correct parts for it) should be a concern for someone buying products from that company. I sure would have liked to have known, before I entered a purchase, that this is the only backing I had "We made no guarantees as to suitability, we made measurements and it was up to him. He was told that it probably would vignette or not get full extension, but there would be a usable range before the sale". If one really reads the banter back and forth in the thread, he may be able to pick up a great deal of information that a wise person could use to make their transaction go smoother.
If you think I didn't make mistakes in the process and I'm only pointing a finger at "the other side", here are some boo-boos I made:
#1. I ventured into the world of the least expensive again. Seems I have trouble with this one
![Big Grin :D :D](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
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#2. I bought the original housing without full assurance that the port or an array of ports would serve the camera. A related NO-NO is to buy a new system that no one has used. Fantasea was not able to answer my questions at the beginning and that should have been a red flag. I had only Jeff Mullins to ask questions of (I am grateful for his time).
#3. I bought from someone that did not have experience with my set-up. If at all possible, I will purchase items from those who can give me the full picture because they know my particular needs. As an alternative, I would seek others who have used the product. If no one is using it I would get some clear assurances from the seller that if this did not work, it would be their responsibility. I took far too great a risk with this purchase in order to save money.
#4. I didn't open the dome port before my first dive with the flat port. This would have ended this situation in a heartbeat. No dive = no controversy of used or damaged goods. Since the ports were an issue, I should have looked at both before proceeding on information that was incorrect and not known even to the Fantasea company.
#5. I didn't ask the expert (Jeff Mullins) to describe his ports in a way that would truly help. His were custom made and not "stock" items. I talked to the right person but asked the wrong questions.
#6. I didn't document EVERYTHING when known issues were being dealt with. A few pictures of the rig as I sent it back would have gone a long way to resolving this issue - and guess what? - I have two cameras
![Big Grin :D :D](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
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#7. I trusted too much. I can't change this one. I would never have imagined I would be this financially damaged by a product that the manufacturer admits never existed. I'll probably make this mistake again, I like to give folks the benefit of the doubt.
I hold no hatred for Jack or Fantasea, just strongly disagree with them (as would anyone in my shoes). Readers of this thread should
not boycott either company and please don't ascribe motives to me that are not there. Simply read the thread and gain useful knowledge.