If the actual value of local dive shop service lived up to the myth, it might be worth paying more. I do not get good service from most local dive shops and do not feel that they are worth the markup that they charge.
I agree with this. I have authorized SP regs from a now defunct dive shop (actually new owners) and trying to get them serviced anywhere else for this year's annual was a nightmare. More and more shops are adopting an attitude of "didn't buy it from us, we won't service it; you want our service, then support us by purchasing it here".
They even get rude and beligerant if I don't walk in the door with the most impeccable recordkeeping that would make even the IRS jealous. So fine, charge for parts, but don't be a prick. I felt so humiliated walking out of those shops -- and I didn't even do anything wrong. I had a pipe leak in my house and lost many papers, but fortunately not the receipts or previous service record. God forbid that should happen, or thanks get burglarized, or a fire. Because I would be burned at the stake if I couldn't prove purchase authorized, they would crucify me under the assumption I purchased online.
That kind of treatment for a two SP regs I paid full MSRP for at an authorized location does two things for me:
1) Makes me question why I would want to do business with that shop anyway. They don't want my business, fine. The problem is, nearly all the shops in my area are like this.
2) Pushes me towards purchasing online. Depending on the brand, I may not have a free-parts warranty to even worry about in the first place. But those types of brands are not typically sold in local shops. Scuba.com is a local shop, though.
I realize it isn't always the shop, the manufactor has this stupid policy. But the shop could be less rude about it or they could verify the S/N for whether it was authorized or not.
I would feel no regrets to purchase life support equipment online in the future because of this. I'd rather much prefer purchase regs and computers locally, but those attitudes do not make me want to care enough to support the LDS with that kind of attitude.
If it keeps up and continues to prevail, I can't imagine how these shops would continue to survive and I wouldn't care if they don't. I don't even use them for airfills, but they are sweet and loving if I purchase from them. This kind of hypocracy is just nausiating. There can be a million reasons why I might just show up at another shop for an annual service. And since my original shop where from purchased is no longer existance, any shop could be fairgame but they make it sooooo difficult.