LDS For DRY SUIT Whatta Think?

[TPete61]

I've been shopping around for a New Drysuit. Without naming any names I'll tell you this. On a complete drysuit package undergarments and all. The LDS is $400 dollars higher. Plus I can buy with no tax and no shipping on the net. Now granted the LDS is at a disadvantage as far as the taxes and shipping goes. What would a price conscious person do. Buy from the internet dealer or the LDS. I mean the local LDS has to know there out of line. I was told by the manufacturer of the suit that the internet dealer I looked at is an authorized dealer for there product. The LDS isn't offering me any incentive to buy the suit from them. What would a guy do? I'm ready to order of the internet after mostly always buying from many LDS's. Times are a changin' I'm tired of paying close to list price for anything. What happened to free market rule!

 

[theskull]

A couple thoughts in favor of the LDS:

1. When/if you need service, such as seals replaced, p-valve or pockets added, new zipper, etc., you will have to arrange for and pay the shipping to the manufacturer every time. An LDS will do this for you for free!

2. The LDS may not have as much flexibility on the price, but may be willing to make up for it in other ways such as: free drysuit class, a number of free air fills, deep discount on the new fins you may need to fit your now bigger feet.

My suggestion--tell your LDS you would rather buy from them and are looking for reasons to spend the extra money to patronize them, and ask what additional incentives they can offer. Granted, many LDS will fail you at this point and get nasty--but the ones that deserve your ongoing business will have a reasonable explanation and make some attempt to satisfy you, or maybe even tell you to buy this one piece of gear elsewhere.

theskull

 

[geraldp]

My LDS told me they would meet or beat any "authorized" dealer for equipment - internet or not. (Leisure Pro is not an "authorized dealer"). It's up to me, of course, to find any better deals out there to compare.

So I recomend you do a bit more research to some other Dive Shops in the area. If you really like your LDS, take those prices back to him and tell him you'd really like their business, but you can get it cheaper over at his (true) competition. See what they say. If they're still not willing to budge then maybe you should consider changing your LDS.

Jerry

 

[yknot]

A couple thoughts in favor of the LDS:

1. When/if you need service, such as seals replaced, p-valve or pockets added, new zipper, etc., you will have to arrange for and pay the shipping to the manufacturer every time. An LDS will do this for you for free!

2. The LDS may not have as much flexibility on the price, but may be willing to make up for it in other ways such as: free drysuit class, a number of free air fills, deep discount on the new fins you may need to fit your now bigger feet.

My suggestion--tell your LDS you would rather buy from them and are looking for reasons to spend the extra money to patronize them, and ask what additional incentives they can offer. Granted, many LDS will fail you at this point and get nasty--but the ones that deserve your ongoing business will have a reasonable explanation and make some attempt to satisfy you, or maybe even tell you to buy this one piece of gear elsewhere.

theskull

First, what do you mean by saying that a LDS may not have the flexibility to compete on price? If the internet dealer is authorized and the offer is legitimate, then the particular dry suit can be sold without minimum pricing. Generally, when a LDS won't match a price it is because they choose not to. I ended up getting a dry suit earlier this year from Bob3, about who I can't say enough good things. I gave the only LDS that sells the brand I bought a shot at the suit also. Trust me when I say that they are paying very nearly the same for the suit as Bob. Their price was about $700 more and even when I showed them what I could buy the suit for they chose not to come down in price. The bottom line in my case was I was willing to prepay to order a custom suit. The LDS would have basically had to lick a stamp and they chose to make nothing.
As far as servicing the suit, what I see the LDS's in my area do is send them to the factory if under warranty but for out of warranty repairs they are sent to a third party dry suit repair facility. They aren't giving the customer a break. On top of postage they tend to also charge their own mark-up on the repair.
If you really feel that you want to maintain a relationship with this LDS and if you subscribe to the "support your LDS" at all costs argument, buy the suit online, give the LDS half of your cost savings and everyone will be happy. You'll save $200 and your LDS will get $200 that they can apply to compressor maitainance or maybe a tropical dive trip.

 

[pdoege]

I bought my DS from an LDS. They went out of business about 3 months later. I've paid for all the supposedly free service.

In my experience, promises made by an LDS before the sale are forgotten afterwards.

$400 will buy a lot of repairs....

Peter

 

[theskull]

First, what do you mean by saying that a LDS may not have the flexibility to compete on price? If the internet dealer is authorized and the offer is legitimate, then the particular dry suit can be sold without minimum pricing. Generally, when a LDS won't match a price it is because they choose not to.
---cut---
As far as servicing the suit, what I see the LDS's in my area do is send them to the factory if under warranty but for out of warranty repairs they are sent to a third party dry suit repair facility. They aren't giving the customer a break. On top of postage they tend to also charge their own mark-up on the repair.

What I mean is that the LDS has overhead costs that an on-line seller usually does not have, such as retail-district rent, compressors, loan/rental gear, etc. Price minus wholesale cost does NOT equal profit!!!

Sorry about your LDS, the ones in my area do not charge for shipping on repairs when they send gear to the manufacturer, and they do not mark up repairs that they did not do in-house--at least I know this to be true of the ones with which I do business. I am selective about which ones I do business with, though.

I will also admit that I am quick to abandon doing business with an LDS if I do not get good value and treatment.

theskull

 

[yknot]

What I mean is that the LDS has overhead costs that an on-line seller usually does not have, such as retail-district rent, compressors, loan/rental gear, etc. Price minus wholesale cost does NOT equal profit!!!

Sorry about your LDS, the ones in my area do not charge for shipping on repairs when they send gear to the manufacturer, and they do not mark up repairs that they did not do in-house--at least I know this to be true of the ones with which I do business. I am selective about which ones I do business with, though.

I will also admit that I am quick to abandon doing business with an LDS if I do not get good value and treatment.

theskull

Chances are, the online dealer in this case may also have a conventional store front. They are an authorized dealer. Without getting into the whole cost of doing business, online-vs-LDS debate, any retailer that has a desire to do so can sell their wares as close to cost as they chose. In the case of the suit I bought, the deal was reduced to a paper transaction that didn't require the use of any stocked inventory or require any floor space, etc. I got the feeling that the LDS's biggest fear wasn't losing money but rather that if they sold me a suit that cheaply everyone else would expect the same price. The joke's on them anyway- I got a great price, they made zero, and I wouldn't hesitate to send future suit buyers to Bob3. Rest assured that the future of the LDS's, provided they adhere to basic retail sound practices, is assured for the time being. Even with the prevalance of online gear and info such as this board, most divers I talk to still don't trust their own judgement enough to buy online.

 

[TPete61]

I got a call from the LDS today asking me if I was still interested in purchasing the Dry Suit from them. I told them not really.First it isn't the LDS I normally use since mine doesn't carry the brand I'm looking for. So really I'm giving a LDS a chance at my business on a nice dry suit order with under garments. When I mentioned the price I could get it for elsewhere not mentioning the Internet they said I would get great service with the sale. Like how to get into my suit. (I've already been in many). I have the PADI dry suit specialty. How to care for it, etc. I can't see where the price difference get's me much service for the sale! I'm heavily leanong towards the Net!

 

[hex92]

I found a LDS that matched my lowest price and threw in the training for free. So I figured paying tax was worth the training. And If they weren't such elitist a-holes about their gear versus gear they don't sell, I may have given them future business. But thats another story....