Free scuba magazines....question...

[JackSpearo]

Every month I go into my local dive shop and ask for a free Dive Training magazine. I sort of feel guilty though, since I've never bought anything from them (they are my 'local' dive shop away from home, I'm in law school in Michigan). I do however plan to take my Nitrox course with them. Is it wrong to keep asking/taking the magazine? I never knew you could do this until I was on vacation in the keys and every dive shop I went into tried to give me a free mag....and it's hard to pass up on Dive Training...I love it...

thanks

Jack

 

[mike_s]

You could always subscribe and have it mailed to you. If you're patronizing the shop and have signed up for the nitrox class, I'd say you have no worries.

 

[Walter]

They don't pay for it, but if you subscribe, you would have to pay for it. When you take your next class, fill out the card in the mag, have your instructor fill our his part and send it in for a free 6 month subscription.

 

[do it easy]

They do give them out for free. Perhaps it's the backwards business model of the "scoober industry" that makes you feel guilty for getting something for free. Maybe giving away free magazines (and airfills) is the only way the brick and mortar shops can compete with the online stores?

I sometimes thumb through it while I'm waiting for airfills in the diveshop. I guess that's a guilty pleasure too since the newstand guys won't let me do that.

At any rate, I wouldn't worry about it too much. If you're taking the nitrox class from them, then they are getting something from you. The previous owner of the dive shop would shove free mags everywhere, especially when the next issue was about to come out.

 

[DandyDon]

It's free to them, so free to you - but keeps you coming back onto the sales floor. Nothing to worry about.

 

[u4ia]

My understanding is that the shops get them for free and often (typically?) give them away to interested customers. Having said that, 2 LDS' nearby charge for them, even issues that are several years old. I wouldn't personally feel guilty about accepting them for free, it could be viewed as just a part of customer service IMO.

 

[DiverBeth]

I agree if you've signed up for a class don't feel guilty. OK I've been a good customer (I think) to my LDS and if the new issue has just arrived when I walk in they usually throw a copy at me and I've learned to catch it one handed

I'd worry more if they were charging you for it.

 

[DiverBizz]

You enter the LDS and could possibly need something at some point, nitrox class or a sticker. They are free and you do enter the store...when do we ever get freebies? Take it and when you are ready purchase something.

 

[scubadale]

Every month I go into my local dive shop and ask for a free Dive Training magazine. I sort of feel guilty though, since I've never bought anything from them (they are my 'local' dive shop away from home, I'm in law school in Michigan). I do however plan to take my Nitrox course with them. Is it wrong to keep asking/taking the magazine? I never knew you could do this until I was on vacation in the keys and every dive shop I went into tried to give me a free mag....and it's hard to pass up on Dive Training...I love it...

thanks

Jack

Do you also feel guilty for using ScubaBoard and not paying for it. Talking to myself as well as I am not a ScubaBoard sponsor. So if you feel guilty then support, through subscription, Dive Training, or sponsorship, ScubaBoard.

Mags are free to the dive shop. I usually have plenty left over from month to month so no big deal for the shop.

For my business model how much do stores "sell" these free magazines for?

 

[Buoyant1]

There's two shops in my area, the one I use, and the one I prefer not to use...When the shop I use first opened, they didn't get the DT mags for give away, and I was buying them at a local Borders...I wandered into the "other" shop one day, and noticed that they had the freebies...so I started stopping in whenever I was out there....after scarfing about 6-8 months worth, I felt guilty and bought a $4.00 whistle...THANKFULLY, my regular LDS now stocks them, and it gives me an excuse to give to my wife to go over there and buy more gear! "But honey, it saves me $4.95!!"