How much that the LDS tells me can I believe?

[BobEarl1975]

Violakat,
My son and I recently have gotten certified and I quickly learned that if I were going to be able to afford to dive, I was going to have to find something less expensive than the LDS.

I've ordered several pieces of gear from scuba.com and the experience has been very good. The exact same gear is much cheaper than my LDS was selling it for. I bought two Oceanic Geo wrist computers and literally saved about $130. I then saw the same computer on sale for less at Divers Direct and called scuba.com and they are going to give me a gift certificate for 150% of the difference which turns out to be an additional $60 savings They were very friendly and easy to deal with on the phone. No argument or hassel whatsoever.

You know, $130 here and $130 there, and pretty soon your talking real money!

 

[Thalassamania]

I went to a competitor LDS today.

Wow, what a difference. I have definitely found my permanent LDS. I felt cared for, like they really thought my opinion was important, not pushed towards certain products, and just ... wow. Awesome. Definitely earned me as a customer.

Excellent!

 

[ReefHound]

What I don't like is customers who come in and waste hours of my time only to go online and buy exactly what I recommended to them without ever giving me a shot.

Now why would someone walk out the door without even asking you the price? That's hard to believe they could spend hours with you on gear and not even ask the price or you offer to quote them a price.

Or do you mean they asked the price and you highballed them, then they decided to "think about it", and never came back? If so, you really only have yourself to blame. They were in your store, you had your shot, you missed. Did you make it clear that you would negotiate? I can't think of any reason that a diver wouldn't come back to see if you could match a deal unless they felt such a move would be unwelcome or futile.

 

[violakat03]

I referred the other couple who have become our friends and are in our class to this shop as well. They've bought full systems already but had to order wetsuits as the instructor's shop didn't have their sizes in stock. When they found out I got both a 3mm wetsuit and a Lycra dive skin for 1/2 what they paid for one 3mm wetsuit, they decided they are canceling their orders and going to this shop. They agreed that they were pushed too hard on their decisions and really wish they'd done their research like I did before they purchased all their gear.

 

[xbonnie]

Congratulations on finding a shop that you can work with! There used to be a shop down the road from us that did the same thing your instructor did. When the customers came to us they were so pleasantly surprised not only by our friendly staff, but also by the range of prices we offer, we gained more great customers.
And yes, I try to make it clear that better deals are available. If someone is obviously price shopping I TELL them to print out what they find on the internet and bring it in.
I guess that takes a little more time and effort on their part so maybe I'm asking too much.

 

[ReefHound]

And yes, I try to make it clear that better deals are available. If someone is obviously price shopping I TELL them to print out what they find on the internet and bring it in.
I guess that takes a little more time and effort on their part so maybe I'm asking too much.

Thanks for answering my question. I guess I just don't understand why someone wouldn't come back with a price quote if they have been invited to do so. Oh well. Nobody wins all the time.

 

[redacted]

I agree with reefHound; you seem to be doing what you can. One possible explanation is that some folks may really be "just looking" and learn that they can't afford to buy even at competetive prices.

 

[xbonnie]

I guess my point is that there are pushy salepeople/shops out there, but there are also good dive shops that can really help you enjoy diving more - especially for new divers who appreciate a little honest guidance. I'm glad she found a good one!

 

[mselenaous]

I went to a competitor LDS today.

Wow, what a difference. I have definitely found my permanent LDS. I felt cared for, like they really thought my opinion was important, not pushed towards certain products, and just ... wow. Awesome. Definitely earned me as a customer.

Excellent! More proof that all LDS are not the same. Support those that support you and they will be around for a long time. Yes I have gotten tons of stuff economically online with no problem after doing my homework. But I did get my new lifesupport stuff (BC, Reg, computer) from different LDSs (folks who I consider friends gave me excellent pricing/warranty and I try to refer people to them in turn).

Thanks for starting a great thread and thanks to all who contributed a wealth of information. I posted a link to this thread in a couple of other threads on similar topic.

Enjoy your new gear. Go out and explore the 3/4 of the planet that only we divers have the priviledge of exploring.

 

[berick]

I'll have to agree that some LDSs make it hard to do business with. I've bought a lot of my stuff online at a tremendous discount. My wife is the type who likes to touch and feel stuff before she buys it and most of her stuff has been bought from an LDS. I always try to give one of our LDS's a "last look" before I buy online to see if they want the sale. They don't have to be the lowest, just in the ballpark because I do truly want to support the local shops. Also, if I've spent much of their time(assuming it had any value and wasn't a rant about online stores), I do feel they should get some compensation for it.

In a current situation, I've been looking for a drysuit for my wife. There is a LDS --which I haven't previously associate with -- in my area that carries the Canadian Brand. I've spent about 1/2 hour talking to the store about this. The product is available online from at least 2 stores at the manufacturers MAP. This is $180 less than the price I was quoted from the LDS. I can also get an additional 10% off from the online purchase wich is another $136 off. Also, I wouldn't have to pay sales tax from the online purchase which is another $100 minimum. So, potentially, that's a savings of $416 off the initial quote. Now, if my wife decides this is the suit she wants, I'll give the LDS the last look. Things they could do in this situation:

1. Offer me MAP or better
2. Sell it to me by Phone (I live in another state) to eliminate sales tax
disadvantage.
3. Discount dry suit course

Personally, if I were to buy this brand I would probably purchase the suit from the LDS if they did 1 and 2. They would still be getting a 10% higher price on the product (not bad for 30 minutes of time) than I would pay my favorite online store. However, this will probably be mute since my wife seems to be leaning towards a DUI dry suit.

Since I used to be a "Pricing Manager", I know how the game is played. LDS's are afraid of leaving money on the table. Still, I resent the fact that LDS's believe their customers are ignorant on pricing. Granted, I did not let them know that I knew I could get it online for a particular price since I wanted to get a feel for their operating tactics and I wasn't ready to buy it right then. Still, this type of tactic never makes the customer feel good about the transaction. When I call my online retailer, I always feel good about the transaction.

Just my .02.