Horrible experience with aqua lung CS

[GQMedic]

Over the decades, I’ve owned many Aqua Lung products, and really didn’t have any problems prior to this experience.

Over the past 6 weeks, I had a support question in needing a part foe their AirSource, 3 sets of emails were ignored, multiple phone calls unanswered. Finally, yesterday, I got an actual person. She constantly interrupted, forcing me to re-ask my question over and over, and without exaggeration, probably 8 or 9 times. She was argumentative, absolutely unpleasant, and when I asked to speak with someone else, she simply hung up on me. I had to call back, speak to the operator and get a senior executive to speak with me, and even they could not address the issue. I actually had to inquire from DiveRite to find out how to utilities AL’s AirSource with DRs inflator hose. DR solved the problem whereas AL was not just unresponsive, but ignorant as to their own products.

AL’s extremely poor customer service is a reflection on why the company is sinking. I no longer promote ALs products of any kind, and never will again. Which is a shame! I used to love their products and their company, they have a place in diving history. AL is NOT the same company, and with it being sold several times, it’s clear that only the name remains. AL, is tanking, IMHO, with such piss-poor customer service, I advocate that anyone considering a purchase of AL products consider strongly a competing manufacturer and check their customer service and vote with your wallet. AL can’t be bothered to consider us “little guys”.

Ok, cool! This “little guy” is spending his scuba bucks elsewhere. YMMV

 

[Zef]

I am not an Aqualung apologist, but from my own dealings with them I learned that Aqualung does not offer end-user customer support....they rely completely on their dealer network to interface with the public regarding issues/concerns like the one you had.

Also realize that a company like Aqualung is filled with folks that administer various functions within their corporate structure...it is more than likely on any given day, if you get a hold of someone, thay they have no clue about a specific issue a customer might be having.

Further, your issue is about integreating an Aqualung product with a product from another company. The general answer that Aqualung wpuld give is to not do this and instead replace the DR product with something from their line of gear.

It is kind of silly to think that Aqualung and their vatied employees are going to maintain knowledge of all the possible brands, standards, and features that other companies are producing to give advice on how to integrate their product with others'...Their stance is that Aqualung is compatible with Aqualung, and if you want toix and match brands of components then it is on you to figure out, not them.

I understand your frustration and as much as I want that to be different, it is sort of the standard with all the major brands. Dive Rite is a small company and known, among other things, for their willingness to interface with the end user of their products. You would have similar experience, relatively speaking, with Scubapro, Mares, etc., had you called any of the major brands.

And yes, Aqualung is currently having a major struggle/crisis, but it does not have much to do with their lack of direct end-user customer support.

-Z

 

[wnissen]

I don't think their "dive shop first, last and only" policy is the problem here.

Personally, I had a $600 i550 computer go kaput for no apparent reason. Had a weight pouch pop out of the Dimension BCD, and I wasn't the only one on the boat that day who had that happen (thank goodness I was able to stay down and fill my pockets with rocks). Then it took a year and a hand import from Europe for the shop to get a simple spring for an XTX purge cover (that I did abuse by dropping, to be fair). Mask is OK but not great. The fins and SolaFLEX wetsuit have been good, though! Six pieces of gear, one outright emergency, one very disappointing failure, one loss of use for a year. I don't need a statistician to tell me that failure rate is far too high.