Is what Scuba Pro and others doing illegal?

[firedogut]

This topic keeps popping up.

IS there price fixing in the scuba industry? If you have examples of this please post them here. I kinda want to see what a lawyer says about this. I go to The university of texas and want to swing by the school of law and talk to one of the anti-trust lawyers there.

I'm not here to start trouble but want to hear a lawyers view on this. Once i talk to someone i'll post what they say.

Basically i need examples and policies by scubapro and others.

 

[SDAnderson]

Search the board and ye shall receive. If that doesn't work, hunt down Genesis and talk to him. He's even got a website, http://diversunion.org that deals with precisely this issue.

 

[firedogut]

i've searched and serached........so much.

maybe some will help me and write it nice and neat. that way i can print it along with what i have found and talked to the lawyer at the school.

 

[SDAnderson]

This will get you started...

http://www.scubaboard.com/t14337.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/t14740.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/t39660.html

 

[ElectricZombie]

It seems like it would be illegal, but it apparently isn't. If nothing else, it gives SP a bad image.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Check out the March issue of "Rodales Scuba Diving" page 40. There's a full page add that says...Did you know?...only AYTHORIZED SCUBA RETAILERS can provide service and parts on the gear they sell you.

The add is sponsored by DUI, Genesis, Sherwood, Atomic sea &sea, Akona, Tusa, Henderson, and Princton tech

I think the way the manufacturers do it that it probably is legal. They can decide who they will sell to. They can also choose not to sell to who ever they want. It just so happens that if you don't charge enough or if you don't sell enough or if you carry something in your store that they don't want you to carry or if you don't sell air or if you don't have reatail space that they approve of or any one of a number of different things they demand they may decide not to sell to you.

Price fixing? That's only a little piece. They define the ENTIRE business and the store owner doesn't have a choice. They completely define the business model.

For instance, I can't be an authorized dealer and have a sporting goods or water sports store with 20% of my invatory dive equipment and choose not to sell air or instruction because it's not profitable. Even though most manufacturers now allow internet sales I can't have a strictly mail order or internet business if my market isn't local. They define the business model leaving little choices for the business owner.

 

[cornfed]

If that doesn't work, hunt down Genesis and talk to him.

It's only a matter of time before he finds you...

 

[JohnF]

It's only a matter of time before he finds you...

What's taking him so long? He musta been salivating so bad at the prospect of another game of "Kick The Corp" that he shorted out his last living keyboard. 8)

JohnF

 

[cornfed]

Speaking of keyboards... you owe me one!

 

[pufferfish]

I had to laugh this morning as you guys have Genesis actively engaged here on the Breaking the Rules thread and on the Regulator forum on the LP Warranty thread. Now you want him on this thread. How about we also start a thread on the Boat forum about boat captains being responsible for their divers well-being. I want to see how fast he can type