Is this possible 3 dives after having equipment serviced????

[Lorraine Mooney]

It is never acceptable to pay for a service that was not performed. Did their itemized bill include the inflator service?

Yes

 

[Belzelbub]

It keeps divers visiting the shop. And once your gear is 5 years old (if that) you start being told it’s “too old” and needs to be replaced. So … more sales, not just for the shop, but for manufacturers too.

That would have me start looking for a new LDS. I have my LDS service three sets. The oldest is around 20 years old. The newest is over 5 years old. Never once have I been told that my regs are too old. As long as it’s still serviceable, then it’s not too old.

The woman at the shop wouldn’t shut up about how good and professional they were, she was’like a broken record…..same in the replies I have had from them; blah, blah, blah…..I was going by the reviews on Google, as there is not a huge choice where I live.

That’s unfortunate. There are good honest shops, there are also a lot of dishonest ones. Where Inlive, there is no shortage of dive shops. There are several that are much closer than my preferred LDS. My preferred LDS is preferred not because of their proximity.

For your situation, I’d insist that the shop fixes the issue. Whether I would do business with them again would depend on their response. I did once have an issue with my Octo-Z after a service. This was noticed during a Rescue course I was taking with the owner. It was usable, just resulted in a slow leak from the BC. Owner took my reg with him and got it fixed.

 

[VikingDives]

I am seeking some advice. I put my reg and BCD into a shop in Geneva, Switzerland in June for repair / service. My BCD had started to inflate underwater, requiring me to disconnect the hose. This was the initial reason for the service and my reg was due to be serviced anyway.
I left my bcd / reg in the locker outside their shop with a deposit. Normally a business will WhatsApp or message to say that they have received the items and monetary deposit. I had to message this shop numerous times to ascertain that they had my kit.
A couple of weeks later they messaged me to collect my equipment and the price, which was super expensive (much more than when ai have had it serviced previously).
The woman at the dive shop who is also apparently a dive instructor had called me in the meantime and tried to keep me chatting on the phone, asking me all sorts of irrelevant questions (what I did for a living etc.)During this call she also boasted about her shop’s reputation so much, it was ridiculous p, I felt.
I went to the shop to pick up my kit (more than 70 miles in each direction), I paid the money and just wanted to get out of there. She kept talking, talking, talking and again asking me too many questions. She was also asking me where i had bought my BCD. I told her I had bought it in 2019 and she told me that it was old! There is not a mark on it…..
Anyway, I did not get to dive until September when I went on a liveaboard in The Sea of Cortez and dive 4; I noticed that my BCD was self inflating again.
I couldn’t believe it! The dive professionals onboard and two other guests were perplexed as to why the same issue should be happening again, but didn’t want to interfere with my equipment as it was only dive 4 since service. I quite understand.
I messaged the shop as soon as I had internet access and they asked me to bring it to them, reiterating how good they were again…..
I told them that ai would not be able to bring it until I had finished my travels (no further diving), which will be November 1st.
They are now being so awkward regarding my leaving my kit with them on Monday as it is a public holiday in Switzerland on Monday and ai just want to drop it off in their lockers rather than make yet another 140 mile round trip again.
Any advice please? Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post!

I didn't see this mentioned elsewhere, but the problem may not be the inflator (though it probably is). If the intermediate pressure on the first stage is too high, it can create a situation where there is a slow leak of pressure into a BCD or dry suit. I'd recommend you have the IP on the first stage checked when you go back for service.

 

[Lorraine Mooney]

Update: I took my BCD and Regulator to a shop ( further away in distance) that I had used a couple of years ago. I explained the situation, he did some perfunctory tests, then took apart the inflator hose on my BCD. It had neither been replaced, nor cleaned, nor anything. He was aghast. He showed me the pieces. He agreed that the people on the boat should not have examined the inflator more than they did, as they could have negated any possibility of redress by the shop that I left my gear with to be serviced.
I told him the name of the shop and ‘ bells rang’.
I have left my kit with his shop and I will pay for whatever is necessary.
For those of you who said that I should have remedied it myself. I am an ICU nurse, I am very well aware of what can go wrong with breathing equipment. I respect professionals and I hoped that by paying for a professional service, that I would get exactly that.
For those who said it’s a DIY job……say that to the nurse who is trying to identify a problem with your ventilator or life support….the same people would be screaming for an expert technician!

 

[boulderjohn]

Update: I took my BCD and Regulator to a shop ( further away in distance) that I had used a couple of years ago. I explained the situation, he did some perfunctory tests, then took apart the inflator hose on my BCD. It had neither been replaced, nor cleaned, nor anything. He was aghast. He showed me the pieces. He agreed that the people on the boat should not have examined the inflator more than they did, as they could have negated any possibility of redress by the shop that I left my gear with to be serviced.
I told him the name of the shop and ‘ bells rang’.
I have left my kit with his shop and I will pay for whatever is necessary.
For those of you who said that I should have remedied it myself. I am an ICU nurse, I am very well aware of what can go wrong with breathing equipment. I respect professionals and I hoped that by paying for a professional service, that I would get exactly that.
For those who said it’s a DIY job……say that to the nurse who is trying to identify a problem with your ventilator or life support….the same people would be screaming for an expert technician!

Good job!

I hope you will take this up with the shop that did not do the service.

 

[Sascha314]

That was the right way now. You should take it up wirh the first shop. You likely get back all serviced old pieces, so its a bit of a proof.

Lesson: Do not accept, if you do not get back the serviced parts. At least thats a good hint.

And I can completely understand that servicing yourself or even by unknown others is a greater risk. I would not do that either.

 

[kinoons]

To each their own. Taking an inflator off a hose and putting a new one on truly is not difficult at all.

I wouldn’t feel comfortable trying to service an inflator if it was not working, but now having been through this process I would likely just replace one before spending any real effort in servicing an inflator.

 

[Endler's]

At a minimum, ask for a refund for work not performed.

 

[Derbdiver]

I recommend either of the following:

1) E-mail them that you are going to mail in the BCD, that you will be tracking the package and you expect an e-mail confirmation when they receive it and when they have correctly completed the work you have already paid for. State that you only want to communicate via e-mail.

2) Chalk it up as a loss and take it somewhere else.

Fully agree, I have run into this type of diversionary tactic in Auto Repair and it usually means they don't know what they are doing. Promising service in a certain time and missing badly, misquoting pricing, calling you after they have your equipment/car for weeks and the cost will go up. Telling you the model you purchased has some serious defects from the factory. Asking too many personal questions to avoid talking about your equipment/car issues.

 

[Anish]

If they have done such a study (which I doubt), it is a deeply hidden secret. I know people who have gone 5 years or more without servicing.

Im one of those guilty ones. I just sent my regs (bought in 2017) for their first service. Ive probably put about a 100 dives on them over that time. I only use my regs on LA trips, for shorter one or two day resort dives I just use the rental gear. Regs were performing perfectly fine. Just thought to be safe before my next LA in Jan 2025