HP Steel Tanks MADE IN CANADA

[tregrrr]

After stopping by a few LDS's in the Vancouver area, it has become apparent that there is a huge disconnect between the local asking prices for HP100, HP121, HP119, HP130 Worthington cylinders and the prices they are available for online, shipped to Blaine.

I was wondering if there are any shops locally that do try to match online prices for tanks?? I have heard on other (US) threads that often some (US) shops will meet online prices, but I do realize that the Canadian market is different, often with an extra level of distribution adding their 'services' to the final prices we pay.

The primary reason I am asking this has to do with Worthington making the tanks in TILBURY ONTARIO!!! We ought to have comparable or competitive prices to our American brethren considering the stupid things are made HERE!! There is no need to broker, no need to ship south; why do we not have access to these products on similar or possibly better footing than the US market??

Does anyone have any insight (OR BETTER A 'SOURCE') which might help assuage this irritation?? I for one would like to see our LDS's able to play in a more level sandbox with the Online Monsters, but as long as the disconnect is going to equal a 50% or more surcharge, I for one take pause before blindly laying down cash or credit.


If possible I want to keep this away from the usual "Support your LDS" vs. "Online Discounter" rabbit hole

 

[Scott L]

Don't worry our business costs will escalate to your level soon ("free health care")...

 

[tregrrr]

yeah... when the poor don't just die off due to attrition, it drags the whole bell-curve down

 

[nadwidny]

As much as I detest LDS's I would think that perhaps the blame shouldn't be placed so much at them but at whoever the Canadian distributor for Worthington is at the moment. I would take up the issue with them. Last I heard it was Diversco but that was a while ago.

Edit-well by going to the Worthington website it would appear that the problem is that their distributor for scuba cylinders is Sea Pearl (XS Scuba, same thing) who are based in the States. So any Canadian LDS that wants to buy Worthington cylinders has to buy them from a US based distributor. Now if a Canadian LDS wanted to purchase a large enough quantity, I sure a deal could be struck with Sea Pearls to ship direct from Worthington to the Canadian LDS, saving some shipping and perhaps tax.

 

[MarkH]

On the same note, but sort-of off topic, I remember when White's drysuits were 30% cheaper in Seattle or San Diego that they were in Victoria, even though they were made in the factory 10 minutes away from my house. Despite all the talk about differing taxation rates, and what-not, I still think that prices are based on the maximum price that a market will bear. -Meaning Canadians are used to paying more for stuff so that's what they charge us. It seems lately with the internet, companies will be forced to charge the same price worldwide or go out of business.

 

[TheWetRookie]

When you buy your tanks, get additional fills cards with them. Most shops will give you 1 fill card (10 fills) with each tank, haggle for two or more each. It will bring down the cost a bit by not having to pay for fills for a bit.

 

[nadwidny]

When you buy your tanks, get additional fills cards with them. Most shops will give you 1 fill card (10 fills) with each tank, haggle for two or more each. It will bring down the cost a bit by not having to pay for fills for a bit.

Which cuts into the LDS's bottom line so you want them to now have to bear the burden of Worthington having a crappy distribution deal to get their product to Canadian dive shops.

It's funny, air and instruction are the 2 of the 3 items that should be the foundation of income that keeps an LDS going but those are the 2 things that everybody wants to be given away. No wonder the industry is so firetrucked up.

 

[tregrrr]

firetrucking is similar to fluster clucking right??

I think there is far too much of the crappy distribution networks IN PARTICULAR for Canadian markets. In discussions with the guys from my shop, it turns out that there are quite a number of items that come in from the USA, to a Canadian distributor, and then are shipped to the LDS. When that Canadian distributor gets virtually the same price as LP or ST or the other high volume online sellers, it really is not hard to fathom why we pay such a premium. It's unfortunate but the border seems pretty daunting to some companies, so much so that they are willing to sacrifice the end line availability of their product.

 

[Scott L]

As much as I detest LDS's I would think that perhaps the blame shouldn't be placed so much at them but at whoever the Canadian distributor for Worthington is at the moment. I would take up the issue with them. Last I heard it was Diversco but that was a while ago.

Edit-well by going to the Worthington website it would appear that the problem is that their distributor for scuba cylinders is Sea Pearl (XS Scuba, same thing) who are based in the States. So any Canadian LDS that wants to buy Worthington cylinders has to buy them from a US based distributor. Now if a Canadian LDS wanted to purchase a large enough quantity, I sure a deal could be struck with Sea Pearls to ship direct from Worthington to the Canadian LDS, saving some shipping and perhaps tax.

Worthington should be coercered to appoint a Canadian distribution concern for domestic sales. As frustrating for you on this issue as prescription drugs were a few years ago for us...

 

[bighiller]

I'm also suprised, well sort of, about the prices of LDS.

I end up buying most of my stuff online as it's much cheaper, especially now that the CAD is worth more than the USD.