Is selling Life Support Equipment on the Net Ethical ?

[android]

I just wish that more manufacturers would wake up and realize the benefits of direct internet sales. Not only lower cost to the buyer, but higher profits for the seller as well as a real understanding of who your customers are and what they want.

Having a dive shop as a middle man just makes the manufacturers cater to their wishes which would be all about profit margin.

 

[tm55417]

To be truthful your Scuba Toys, diver.com, divers discount, and L pro don’t effect me.

But, you have to admit you are still “cherry picking” on price (you’re the reason I stopped selling Zeagle).

Firewalker

If his business doesn't affect you, then why did you quit selling Zeagle?

 

[Derek S]

That aside though, let's not confuse the diving industry with the diving community. If every LDS miraculously went out of business today, tomorrow you'd see more dive clubs budgeting for compressors, more instructors offering classes through local adult education programs or out of their basement shops, and avid divers continuing to avidly dive.

The grassroots of the industry might be the LDS, but the grassroots of the community is the divers.

Nail => Head

Firewalker, you have accused the internet based suppliers of Cherrypicking, but the truth is that if you have a client that comes into your store, listens to your sales pitch and then walks out and buys it from leisurepro.com, then you blew the sale. You failed to close, lining is not selling. Closing is selling.

Telling aint selling dude, and every time a client walks into your store a sale is made. Either you sell an item of equipment to the client, or he/she sells you a reason that you are not competitive with your legitimate, but online competition.

Bullseye # 2

Get with the program or get left behind dude.

The final blow....It's a TKO!!!

 

[oceancrest67]

As said throughout this board...this is another line of an older line.

In my opinion, I prefer not to purchase BCDs, regulators and gauges off some internet site. I prefer to purchase them in my local LDS.

As a consumer, I check out the local LDS's to try on gear, to ask questions, to get pamphlets and to compare prices.

Some "non-life supporting" gear I purchase online...fins, suits, and other items because of the difference in prices and selection.

Just my 02

 

[Firewalker]

What role will the remaining dive shops play in the industry? It seems to me that the smart shops are getting into internet sales to expand their market area(Northeast Scuba Supply and Scubatoys come to mind) Others(like FredT) have selected a niche to fill and use the internet. There is Leisure Pro and Sports Chalet et al. Many are starting to adopt online training. There are numerous people providing the travel part of diving via the internet.

Does this leave the LDS with nothing more than air fills and maybe pool time?

Jbd, I have talk to a number of manufactures about this. According to the same manufacturers internet sale accounts for less then 5% of the total sales nationwide. If the retailer is smart he doesn't need internet sales. If the manufacture is smart they don't need internet sales either. Many of the manufactures that are struggling and are whoring there gear on the net (they don’t care who they sell it to, it’s all about numbers and dollars, by the way this is nothing new we saw the same thing with mail order).
The LDS is where the new blood is introduced to the scuba, it’s where the first impressions are formed. There will always be LDS, and we will be doing retail long after this “New Business Model” is gone.

Firewalker

 

[bwerb]

The LDS is where the new blood is introduced to the scuba, it’s where the first impressions are formed. There will always be LDS, and we will be doing retail long after this “New Business Model” is gone.

Firewalker

...it's easy...quit your whining about it if it's so "insignificant".

 

[MikeFerrara]

Jbd, I have talk to a number of manufactures about this. According to the same manufacturers internet sale accounts for less then 5% of the total sales nationwide.

Thats the bs they pump up your skirt to keep you from complaining about it. What do you suppose your anual sales are compared to LP?

If the retailer is smart he doesn't need internet sales. If the manufacture is smart they don't need internet sales either. Many of the manufactures that are struggling and are whoring there gear on the net (they don’t care who they sell it to, it’s all about numbers and dollars, by the way this is nothing new we saw the same thing with mail order).

It sure is all about numbers. Look at the way shops ***** quick, cheap classes in an attempt to sell a little bit of gear. Look how hard they work at keeping divers ignorant.

The LDS is where the new blood is introduced to the scuba, it’s where the first impressions are formed.
Firewalker

It's where impressions are formed alright.

 

[cornfed]

The LDS is where the new blood is introduced to the scuba, it’s where the first impressions are formed.

Ironic that so many new divers are asking about buying gear online, isn't it?

 

[scubasean]

...it's easy...quit your whining about it if it's so "insignificant".

Agreed....If it is so insignificant, and if it will go away soon anyway, stop complaining...

:banana:

 

[Xanthro]

Jbd, I have talk to a number of manufactures about this. According to the same manufacturers internet sale accounts for less then 5% of the total sales nationwide. If the retailer is smart he doesn't need internet sales. If the manufacture is smart they don't need internet sales either. Many of the manufactures that are struggling and are whoring there gear on the net (they don’t care who they sell it to, it’s all about numbers and dollars, by the way this is nothing new we saw the same thing with mail order).
The LDS is where the new blood is introduced to the scuba, it’s where the first impressions are formed. There will always be LDS, and we will be doing retail long after this “New Business Model” is gone.

Firewalker

You expect your own suppliers to admit to internet sales? LOL. I have some bridges for sale as well.

Places like LP get their mechandize from manufactors, even when a company doesn't "allow" internet sales, they are responsible for those sales continuing.

Your basic stance is full of problems. You claim that internet sales are insignicant, yet you rant about them. If they are so small, why spend so much time complaining about them? You can't even say because you fear that such sales will grow, since you take the stand that internet sales are a new business model that will be gone.

The LDS is not the community of divers, not even close. In fact, a LDS isn't even needed for diving, your assertions not withstanding.

A LDS is a business, the community is the divers themselves. A LDS is no more a community than an internet business.

Xanthro